Class Newsletters - Term 1, 2024

English

The first term of Prep is all about engaging students in the wonderful world of literacy. Students will be focussing on: oral language development, phonemic awareness skills, speech sounds, name writing, rhyming words, memory, blending and segmenting words,
exposure to familiar words – reading and writing, decodable reading, handwriting through Casey the Caterpillar, involvement with quality literature and
learning the concepts of print (left to right, use of pictures, top to bottom).

Students will be assessed on their ability to identify connections between texts and their personal experience, the ability to use appropriate interaction skills to listen
and respond to others in a familiar environment. Students will understand that their texts can reflect their own experiences and they will attempt to identify and describe likes and dislikes about familiar texts, objects, characters, and events.

Mathematics

Students will sort and classify objects according to size, shape and colour. Students will explore position and location. 

Students will be assessed on their ability to sort and group shapes by colour, size and shape. Students will identify location using positianal language and demonstrate the ability to both follow and give directions. 

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)

Students will examine personal growth and development, families, relationships, rules and how we fit
in to the community. Students will explore familiar places and how to care for them. 

Students will be assessed on their ability to relate stories about their past. Students will share and compare observations about familiar places. 

Science

Students will use their five senses to observe the weather. They will learn that we can record our observations of the weather by using symbols and drawings. Students will explore the daily and seasonal
changes in the local environment and understand that weather conditions are not the same for everyone in all places of the world. 
 
Students will be assessed on how the weather affects them and those around them. 

The Arts

Students will participate in visual art and will explore colours, lines, shapes and textures through different mediums.

Technology

Students will explore a variety of design and digital technologies through the term. 

Music with Ms Hopper

Students explore rhymes and songs as stimulus for music making and will explore foundational musical skills.

Students will be assessed on 

Demonstrating a steady beat.
Demonstrating their ability to match pitch.

Health with Mrs Stirling

“Looking out for myself and others” 

Students will become communicators as they identify and describe different emotions people experience. They will become self managers as they identify their feelings to develop self-regulation strategies.  

Students will be assessed on 
Students will be assessed on their ability to identify emotions and emotional responses through understanding verbal and non-verbal communication. 

PE with Mr Brady

Students will spend the first half of the term focusing on water familiarisation and how to change into and out of their swimmers. Once we start pool lessons, students will learn how to safely enter and exit shallow water using methods suitable for the water location. Submerge the body completely underwater and breathe out – blow bubbles. Finally, be able to propel their body continuously for 5 metres.

Students will be assessed on 
Assessment: Demonstrate safe entry and exit skills and be able to swim for 5 continuous metres

English

Students will be investigating Australian animals and learning how to write interesting information texts. They will also be developing their reading skills through phonemic awareness and comprehension skills.

Students will be assessed on identifying important information about an Australian animal then write an information text. Students will also demonstrate comprehension and decoding skills in reading assessments.

Mathematics

Students will sequence numbers, counting in twos, 2-digit numbers, investigate parts and whole of quantities, show standard partitioning of ‘teen’ numbers, then numbers to 100. Sequence days of the week and months of the year. O’clock and half past times. Location and direction.  Australian coins.

Students will be assessed on completing small assessments on Australian coins, location and direction and number.

Science

Students describe changes in their local environment and how different places meet the needs of living things.  They follow instructions to record and sort their observations and share them with others.

Students will be assessed on responding to some questions to show their understanding of living things and their relationship to the environment.

Technologies

Technologies has been integrated into the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) curriculum for this term.

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)

Students recognise that features of a place can be: 
-    natural
-    managed 
-    constructed.  
They can recognise changes to habitats and how we can care for them.   

Students will be assessed on a folio collection of their work.

The Arts

Students use the elements of drama to represent different Australian animals.

Students will be assessed on a portfolio of their work.

Music with Ms Hopper

Students will identify simple rhythms within folk songs that include the Crotchet rest (Za). They will use chime bars to play simple 3 note folk songs. 

Will be assessed on:
(a) Playing a melody on the chime bars using Do Mi So and the rest Za.

Health with Mrs Stirling

Students explain how personal qualities contribute to identities. They describe how emotional responses affect their own and others' feelings. They demonstrate skills and describe strategies required to develop respectful relationships.
Students will be assessed by describing and identifying similarities and differences amongst their peers and describe ways to include others.

PE with Mr Brady

Students will demonstrate aquatic skills and strokes in a variety of movement sequences and situations. They will perform the recognised strokes of freestyle and backstroke in continuous movement sequences that incorporate the elements of movement: body awareness, effort (flow) and space awareness

Assessment: Demonstrates aquatic skills (entries and exits) and recognised strokes in swimming sequences and situations.  Performs swimming skills sequences that incorporate the elements of movement for the recognised strokes of freestyle or backstroke.

English

Students will read and write different types of procedural texts and create images to support their writing.

Students will be assessed by: Creating and presenting their own procedure based on the Roald Dahl's book, 'George's Marvellous Medicine'.

Mathematics

We will be focusing on the following concepts: Numbers to 1000, telling time to the quarter-hour, using a calendar to identify the date and the months included in season, ordering shapes and objects using informal units (length, area, volume, capacity).

Students will be assessed by: Reading and telling time to the quarter hour, identifying the order of the months and seasons, investigating different units of measurement.

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)

Students will be: Examining technologies and how they have changed over time. Students will have the opportunity to experience hands on learning by using and playing with toys and household items from the past. 

Students will be assessed by: Describing and comparing past and present technologies, and describing the impact of the changes over itme.

Science 

Students will investigate the question: Is it important to conserve Earth’s Resources? What part do we play? They will investigate Earth's resources.   They will describe how Earth's resources are used and the importance of conserving resources for the future of all living things. 

Students will be assessed by: Identifying different uses of one of Earth’s resources (water) and describe ways to conserve it. They will use informal measurements to make observations.

The Arts

Students will develop a range of skills within Media and Visual Arts.

Students will be assessed by: Creating and presenting a multi-modal procedure.

Music with Ms Hopper

Students will use melodic and rhythmic percussion in group ensembles exploring melody, ostinato, beat and dynamics.
 
Students will be assessed on:
Demonstrating a melodic ostinato and beat in time to a sung melody.

Health with Ms Stirling

Students apply protective behaviours and help-seeking strategies to keep themselves and others safe. They explain why health information is important for making choices.

Students will be assessed by describing and demonstrating strategies to keep themselves safe. 

PE with Mr Brady

Students will demonstrate aquatic skills and strokes in a variety of movement sequences and situations. They will perform the recognised strokes of freestyle and backstroke in continuous movement sequences that incorporate the elements of movement: body awareness, effort (flow) and space awareness

Assessment: Demonstrates aquatic skills (entries and exits) and recognised strokes in swimming sequences and situations.  Performs swimming skills sequences that incorporate the elements of movement for the recognised strokes of freestyle or backstroke.

English

Students will read, view and analyse persuasive texts. They will identify persuasive techniques and structure to help them construct written persuasive texts.

Students will write a persuasive letter and complete a reading comprehension assessment.

Mathematics

Students will apply a variety of mathematical concepts in real-life, lifelike and everyday mathematical situations. They will explore number and place value, odd and even numbers and chance and data.

Students will be assessed on chance, connecting addition and subtraction and odd and even numbers. 

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)

Students will identify celebrations and commemorations of the past that have significance in the present. 

Students will conduct an inquiry into the significance of Harmony Day and how it is commemorated by different groups. They will pose questions, sequence events on a timeline and identify points of view. Students will identify and describe aspects of the Runcorn State School Community that have changed and remained the same over time.

Science

Students will investigate how heat is produced and the behaviour of heat when it transfers from one object or area to another. They will identify that heat can be observed by touch and that formal measurements of heat (temperature) can be taken, using a thermometer. Students will explore the properties of liquids and solids and understand how to identify an object as a solid or a liquid. Students will understand how a change of state between solids and liquids can be caused by adding or removing heat.

Students will be assessed on planning and conducting investigations about heat, heat transfer and changing states of matter, by collecting data safely and using appropriate equipment to record formal measurements.

Technologies

Students will be taught and assessed in Semester 2.

The Arts

Students will investigate Media Arts techniques and concepts to create a variety of animations. They will explore dance used in Harmony Day celebrations from a range of cultures and communities. 

Students will collaborate to plan and make artworks that communicate ideas through the creation of digital animations.

Music with Ms Hopper

Students will sing, read, play and create part work using Compound repertoire including the rhythm element Taam. Students will study music notation and different time signatures. They will apply their learning on Xylophone. 

Students will be assessed on performing a Pentatonic melody on melodic percussion and their relevant theory knowledge.

Health with Mrs Stirling

Students will identify influences that strengthen identities and describe strategies to manage emotions, changes and transitions. They apply skills and strategies to interact respectfully with others.
Students will be assessed by their ability to describe strategies to manage these changes.

PE with Mr Brady

Students will practise and refine fundamental movement skills to perform various aquatic skills and the recognised strokes of freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke in multiple swimming sequences.

Students will be assessed on their ability to perform aquatic skills and recognise swimming strokes to complete swimming stroke sequences.

English

To buy or not to buy?

Students will be assessed on their ability to examine the persuasive techniques of advertisements and product packaging.. They will show that they understand that texts have different text structures depending on their purpose and context, and explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to engage the interests of audiences.

Mathematics

How do numbers work together?
Students will be assessed on their understanding of the properties of odd and even numbers; their ability to classify angles; and their ability to identify and explain chance events.

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) with Miss Krause 

How are people and the environment interconnected? 
Students will be assessed on their ability to research how places across the world have diverse characteristics, and to use questioning and investigation skills to respond to a sustainability issue.  

Science with Ms Ryan

Erosion: what's the big deal? 
Students will be assessed on their research and observations of natural processes (like weathering) and human activities (like logging) which change the Earth's surface, and their ideas for solutions to erosion.

Technology with Ms Ryan:

How can digital technologies help? 

Students will be assessed on their ability to describe features of digital systems, collect and interpret data, and collaborate and communicate ideas using agreed protocols.

The Arts (Drama)

What makes a dramatic artwork unique? 
Students will be assessed on their ability to compare and discuss the elements and processes in their own dramatic artwork in comparison to the artworks of others.

Music with Ms Hopper

Students develop skills in reading notation, recorder technique and ensemble playing. 
Students will sing, read and play a variety of repertoire on the recorder in different forms. 
Students will be assessed on:
(a) Playing a 4-note recorder piece.
(b) Demonstrating their knowledge of music theory and recorder technique.

Health with Mrs Stirling

Students identify influences that strengthen identities and describe strategies to manage emotions, changes and transitions. They apply skills and strategies to interact respectfully with others.
Students will be assessed on their ability to describe strategies to manage these changes.

PE with Mr Brady

Students will practise and refine fundamental movement skills to perform various aquatic skills and the recognised strokes of freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke in multiple swimming sequences.
Students will be assessed on their performance of aquatic skills and recognised swimming strokes to complete swimming stroke sequences.

Japanese with Nagashima Sensei

Students will use language to explore the concept of learning additional language. 
•    Why do we learn another language?
•    Greetings
•    Classroom instructions
•    Counting numbers 1-10
•    Traditional events
Students will be assessed on:
a)    Notebook work
b)    Speaking test – greeting/name/counting numbers/body language

English

Students will study the Novel:‘Rowan of Rin’ by Emily Rodda 
Students will explore author’s choice of language in fantasy narrative genres. The focus will be on character development, plot and settings.
Students write a short fantasy narrative. They will establish setting and demonstrate knowledge of characters positive and negative traits. They will use deliberate language features such as noun groups, adverbs and figurative language such as similes and metaphors.

Mathematics with Mrs McNamara

Students will Students will develop a range of mathematical understandings with a focus on multi-digit addition and subtraction as well as single-digit multiplication and division. Fractions, data and chance will also be investigated.

Students will complete two assessment pieces.
1. Understanding of multiplication, division and fractions and problem solving
2. Interpreting data and posing questions to 
gather data.

Science with Miss Smith

Students will analyse the structural features and behavioural adaptations that assist living things to survive in their environment. Students will understand that science involves using evidence and comparing data to develop explanations. Students will investigate the relationships between the factors that influence how plants and animals survive in their environments. 
Students will complete the following assessment:
Create a creature and find a home. 
Students will create a creature and describe the structural and behavioural adaptations and analyse how they help their creature to survive in its environment. Students will communicate ideas in a variety of ways including multimodal texts.
 

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) with Mrs Cramb

Students will explore how people and the environment influence each other to create a place.

Students will demonstrate their understanding by investigating the characteristics of two distant places and making informed conclusions about their preferred place to live.

The Arts - Drama with Mrs Cramb

Students will work together to understand character through voice, movement, space and time.  

Music with Ms Hopper (5D, 5C)

Students will learn a variety of approaches to the ukulele including chords, arpeggio, melody and part work.  
They will develop skills in reading ukulele tablature and notation. 

Will be assessed on:
Demonstrating arpeggio and melody on the Ukulele. 

Health with Ms Stirling

Students explain how different factors influence identities. They explain how stereotypes influence roles and responsibilities.
Students will be assessed on their ability to examine and describe influences on identities and relationships. 

Japanese with Sensai Nagashima

Japanese Writing system-Hiragana/Katakana/Kanji
•    Three types of Japanese writings
•    Reading and writing hiragana(one of the Japanese writings)
•    Own name in katakana (another Japanese)
•       Japanese zodiac

        
Students will be assessed on:
Notebook work
Reading test-hiragana book
Comprehension test-Japanes writing system

PE with Mr Brady (lbrad101@eq.edu.au) 

Student will develop swimming strokes and lifesaving skills.

Students will perform freestyle, backstroke, breastroke and survival backstroke. They will combine lifesaving skills, movement concepts and strategies to complete lifesaving skills. 

English

This term Year 6 students will study a range of short stories focusing on character development through conflict before writing their own short story.

Students will be assessed on a writing a narrative justifying their editing.

Mathematics with Mr France

Number and place value working in millions
Fractions and decimals
Chance and data representation and interpretation.
Students will be assessed on various assessment tasks

HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences) with Mrs Jarvis

This term Year 6 students will look at how and why Australia became a Nation 1800s – 1999 and how those changes occurred.

Students will be assessed on a portfolio of work which includes a report on the Significance of Henry Parkes.

Science with Mrs Jarvis

This term students will Learning through inquiry. The changing states of matter and looking at recycling as one of those changes. Is it reversible or irreversible?  Exploring, planning and constructing fair tests. 

Students will be assessed on a practical experiments

The Arts with Mr France  

This term students will explore advertising through visual, drama and media arts.

Health with Ms Stirling

Students propose strategies to manage emotions and developmental changes. Students explain how communication skills, protective behaviours and help-seeking strategies keep themselves and others safe online and offline.
Students will be assessed on their ability to interpret health information and apply decision-making and problem-solving skills to enhance their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing. 

Japanese with Sensai Nagashima

Students use language to explore the concept of school life in Japan and make connections with their own school experience. 
•    Explore a school life in Japan
•    Locate information in Japanese text about timetable, subjects and routines 

Students will be assessed on 
a)    Notebook work
b)    Reading/writing test- school life in Japan
c)    Comprehension test- respectful language and behaviours

Music with Ms Hopper

Students will learn a group arrangement of a simple world music song with opportunity for improvisation. 
Students will listen to, play, arrange and analyse a variety of music from around the world using voice, instruments and the musical elements. 

PE with Mr Brady (lbrad101@eq.edu.au )

Students will develop swimming strokes and lifesaving skills.

Students will be assessed on freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and survival backstroke. They will combine lifesaving skills, movement concepts and strategies to complete lifesaving scenarios.