What’s happening in Year 5

Sydney Writers Festival

Students from Gioia House Writers Club attended the Sydney Writers Festival at Sydney Town Hall. They listened to a range of authors including Mick Elliott, Dav Pilkey, R. A. Spratt, Yxavel Magno Dino and Kate Foster. They were inspired by what these writers had to say and have reflected on what they had to share below.

I loved the Sydney Writers’ Festival so I am going to share with you which authors inspired me. My first one is Kate Foster because she kept on persevering to achieve being a writer, even when her brother brought her down by saying her books weren’t any good.

My second author is Dav Pilkey because even though he had a lot of challenges in his life, like dyslexia and ADHD he still chose to try hard and showed persistence as his book was rejected 23 times but was eventually published. 
Esther Ghobrial

I was inspired by Dav Pilkey because even though he has dyslexia and ADHD, he still became a well-known author. He showed persistence with the 23 publishers that rejected his second book, T’was the night before Thanksgiving. I think the reason why he eventually became a comic-strip artist is because he had dyslexia, and he found it hard to write stories. He was a very troublesome kid and spent time in detention, drawing doodles and little figures.
Amelia Lin

Words that inspired me:

‘Don’t let your siblings discourage you from doing what you love.’ – Kate Foster

‘Just because you hate reading, doesn’t mean you can’t write.’ – Yxavel Magno Dino  

‘DON’T. GIVE. UP!’ – Dav Pilkey 
Arabella George

Stephanie Yiorkas, Wendy Anetter, Alison Di Ciaccio, Monique Taylor, Tayla Kostakis
Year 5 teachers

Science

Year 5 have extended their learning on Human Body systems by exploring how different adaptations help humans survive. Over the last few weeks, students have taken part in hands‑on investigations to understand the advantages of bipedalism (walking on two feet) and the importance of opposable thumbs. Through these fun, practical experiments, they are discovering how our bodies have evolved to support movement, problem‑solving, and everyday tasks.

Stephanie Yiorkas, Wendy Anetter, Alison DiCiaccio, Monique Taylor and Tayla Kostakis
Year 5 teachers