What’s happening in Year 5

5CORE1

Fluency Reading

In Year 5, students have been building their reading fluency through regular partner‑reading sessions using our class novel Songbird. As they read together, students practise key fluency strategies such as reading rate, accuracy, prosody and learning (understanding). They are learning to adjust their reading rate depending on the purpose of the text and to use expressive, prosodic reading to bring meaning to life for their partner. It has been wonderful to see students growing in confidence as they support one another and develop the skills that make them fluent, engaged readers.

Stephanie Yiorkas and Jane Sulis
Year 5 teachers

5CORE2

Data

During Maths lessons students have been learning how to pose questions, gather data, construct graphs and interpret the data. They posed questions that would enable them to find out more about their core class. Some questions included: What is your favourite colour? What is your favourite summer fruit? What is your favourite sport to watch? The data was gathered and the students constructed column graphs. 

Some graphs and interpretation of these are shown below:

This was a great way to find out about the new Year 5 cohort.

Wendy Anetter
Year 5 Teacher

5CORE3

Modelling Digestion

In Science, Year 5 Core 3 students have been learning about the human body systems, with a particular focus on the digestive system. This week, students took part in a hands-on investigation in the Science Lab that modelled how digestion works. Each group began with a banana and a cracker, which they crushed inside a sealed bag to represent the mechanical breakdown of food during chewing. They then added orange juice and water to the bag using a beaker. The orange juice acted as a stomach acid, demonstrating how chemical digestion helps break food down further.

Next, students poured the mixture into a stocking, which represented the small intestine. By gently squeezing the stocking, they observed how nutrients and liquids are absorbed, leaving behind the solid waste. This activity allowed students to visualise each stage of digestion in a concrete and memorable way.

Students thoroughly enjoyed the experiment and showed great curiosity as they explored how the digestive system functions from start to finish.

Monique Taylor and Alison Di Ciaccio
Year 5 teachers

05CORE4

Year 5 Core 4 has begun the year with a strong sense of curiosity, connection, and respect. Each morning, students participate in our Welcome to Country, taking time to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land and reflect on the importance of Country in our learning community. This daily practice has helped deepen their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and has set a thoughtful tone for the day ahead. In the classroom, Core 4 have been engaging enthusiastically with their learning, showing growing independence, collaboration, and confidence as they explore new concepts and build on their skills.

Tayla Kostakis
Year 5 Teacher