What a busy, fun, and exciting term it has been in 4/5! Students have really relished and taken advantage of all the learning opportunities provided to them.

From the 13th – 15th of August, the Grade 4/5 students attended YMCA Camp in Anglesea. They had an amazing time taking part in a wide range of activities, including mountain bike riding, canoeing, the giant swing, and the vertical challenge. They also enjoyed bush cooking and hut building, which encouraged teamwork and creativity. Throughout camp, students were enriched through stronger relationships being formed, challenged by the exciting program, and personally encouraged to grow. The shared experiences created a wonderful sense of community and lasting memories, with bonds made that will support the success of the group for the rest of the year.

Our two-week intensive Bike Education Program began for our Year 4/5/6 students. The program was facilitated by Mr King, with support from classroom teachers, education support staff, and our local policeman, Josh Goonan. Students built their knowledge and understanding of road safety, including the road rules that apply to bike riders.

On Wednesday 10th September, Colac Secondary College have offered our Grade 5 students the opportunity to attend a Come and Try Day! This experience will give students insights into how a secondary school operates, helping prepare them for the transition process and supporting a positive learning pathway in their education.

Our annual JSC Disco is just around the corner! It will be held on Friday 12th September, from 5:30 – 7:00pm at the Birregurra Mechanics Hall. This year the JSC have introduced a fun new twist with the theme 80s Disco. All students from Prep to Grade 6 are invited to attend, with entry by gold coin donation.

In literacy, the students completed two text studies:
Storm Boy by Colin Thiele was a classic Australian novel that told the story of a boy who lived on the remote South Australian coast and formed a deep bond with a pelican named Mr Percival. The story explored themes of friendship, loss, and the beauty of nature. Students enjoyed reflecting on the powerful ending and discussing how Storm Boy’s relationship with Mr Percival showed the importance of love, care, and resilience.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown was a heartwarming story about a robot named Roz who unexpectedly found herself stranded on a remote island. As she learnt to survive and connect with the island’s animal inhabitants, the novel explored themes of identity, adaptation, and the meaning of belonging. Students loved following Roz’s journey and were fascinated by the way she grew to become part of the natural world, sparking many conversations about community, empathy, and the balance between technology and nature.

With these text studies, students created information texts on the Coorong, based on Storm Boy, and persuasive arguments inspired by themes from The Wild Robot.

In mathematics, students explored a variety of concepts including place value, fractions, decimals, and percentages. They conducted chance experiments and investigated 2D and 3D shapes. In measurement, students worked on understanding perimeter and area, as well as using the coordinate grid system to describe location. It was a hands-on and engaging term of learning in maths!

In Inquiry, students dove into the exciting world of electricity through our unit It’s Electrifying. They learnt how electrical circuits work by experimenting with different materials, creating simple circuits, and exploring how electricity powers everyday devices. Through hands-on investigations and problem-solving tasks, students developed their understanding of energy transfer, safety around electricity, and how circuits are used in the real world.

It has been a fantastic Term 3 in the 4/5 room, and we are looking forward to everything still to come.

- Mr Burrell & Mrs Welsh