Welcome back to the new school term. This newsletter is to help keep you informed about the curriculum for the grade and the day-to-day activities of the grade.

Welcome back to the new school term. This newsletter is to help keep you informed about the curriculum for the grade and the day-to-day activities of the grade.

This term the following teachers will be supporting learning in Year Six.

*Teachers work under the structure of an Enterprise Agreement that includes a number of entitlements. One of these is the engagement in Profession Planning Time (PPT) where they are released from class to carry out other professional responsibilities. Each full time teacher is entitled to the equivalent of 2 hours PPT each week, or a pro-rata thereof for part time teachers. Therefore, all students operate across the school week with at least two teachers engaging in the classroom program of learning.

This Curriculum Outline is designed to communicate what your child is learning so you can support them at home this term. At Good Samaritan, we believe that the partnership between you as parents and our teachers are the most important influences on your son’s or daughter’s education.

At Good Samaritan we have a K-6 Scope & Sequence of Learning which supports the implementation of the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Syllabuses. Below, is an outline of the Key Learning Area content & skills being taught this term.

All students take part in Religious Education Programs. The school also provides other opportunities for students to express and deepen their Faith through school Masses, liturgies, prayer and in Christian service and witness within their school environment and the wider community. 

Religious Education follows a curriculum set and approved by the Bishop of the Diocese in conjunction with the Catholic Education Office.

This term in Religious Education, Year Six will be engaging in the following units:

Easter: A Time for Hope and New Life. This unit explores the disciples’ experience of the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. As we die with Jesus, we rise with Jesus also. The unit teaches about our hope in everlasting life. It explores the feast days, scripture and prayers that express and celebrate our belief in everlasting life.

Confirmation: Celebrating the Presence of the Holy Spirit. This unit revisits the Pentecost experience in the Scriptures. It also explores the sacrament of Confirmation: the symbols and rituals, the liturgical structure and theology. It is not designed as a preparation for Confirmation.

English is the Key Learning Area where students develop knowledge, skills and understandings about English language and literature. The students will be actively engaged in the development of skills through:

This term in English, Year Six  will be engaging in the following:

Exploring Ethical and Social Relationships. In this unit, students learn to critically analyse and respond to texts, with a focus on multimodal and visual texts. They explore the ways in which texts are structured and presented in order to communicate ideas and influence viewers. Students investigate the ways in which Australia is interconnected with other nations, and explore a range of global issues including issues of war and peace, poverty and refugee experiences. Students consider the individual and national responsibilities of global citizens of the 21st century, and are encouraged to think about how they can act to facilitate equity and justice for others through their choices and actions. They explore publications of various groups working to support children and refugees, e.g. UNICEF and World Vision, and read the story of Refuge by Jackie French.

Students are encouraged to read at home. 

We invite you to talk to your children about current ethical and global issues. Encourage them to think critically and question events and issues

This resource may support you to talk with your child about current events. 

https://www.happyfamilies.com.au/articles/talking-to-children-about-tragic-events-in-the-news

An essential component of Mathematics is the development of students’ ability to Work Mathematically. This includes the skills of Communicating, Problem Solving, Reasoning, Understanding and Fluency. 

Students’ ability to work mathematically is developed through the achievement of outcomes and working with content of the Mathematics K-6 Syllabus. Content is organised within the following content strands: 

This term in Mathematics, Year Six will be engaging with the following substrands:

• Whole Number
• Patterns and Algebra
• Fractions and Decimals
• Multiplication and Division
• Length
• Area
• 2D
• 3D
• Working Mathematically (Word Problems)

This term in History, Year Six will continue to study Australia As A Nation (Government). In this unit, students will learn that Australia is a representative democracy in which all Australians over 18 years old vote for people to represent them and make decisions on their behalf. They will also explore the three levels of government in Australia, and how we vote to elect representatives to each of these levels: federal, state or territory and local.  

This unit of work links perfectly with the current Government Election in May, so we encourage political conversations at home.

The outcomes and content in the Science and Technology Syllabus are organised in the following strands and substrands:

This term in Science & Technology, Year Six will be engaging in the following unit:

Creators and Destroyers  focusing on volcanoes. - The students will learn that the surface of our Earth is slowly moving and changing over time. Students will learn that volcanic eruptions are often seen as devastating events causing destruction, but they are also instrumental in creating new islands and adding to the continents while providing rich fertile soils and mineral deposits. The Creators and Destroyers unit is an ideal way to link science with literacy in the classroom. Through hands-on investigations, students explore the structure and formation of volcanoes and plan and conduct an investigation of the viscosity of magma and its relation to volcano shapes. 

This term in Creative Arts, Year Six will be engaging in: Music, Dance and Drama

In Term 2, Students will be exploring music, dance and drama by practicing, perfecting and performing a musical.
A David and Goliath musical, Giant Slayer contains 10 terrific songs that tell the story of how a young lad took on the impossible and came out on top.

Giant Slayer is a message of hope in this challenging age, presented through great melodies, contemporary rhythms and a simple, amusing script. 

Throughout the term, students will focus on ONE scene and song with their class. Students will perfect their section by focussing on one element per lesson at the beginning of the term. Towards the end of the term all aspects of the musical will join together into whole scene rehearsals, school rehearsals, dress rehearsals and performances for the GSFM community.

Students at Good Samaritan engage in Physical Education/Sport each week. All students participate in the School Athletics and Cross Country Carnivals. Eligible students participate in the Swimming Carnival. After these carnivals squads are chosen to represent the School at Regional and Diocesan Carnivals. Students can then be selected to compete at MacKillop and State levels. Good Samaritan has a clear policy regarding student participation in sporting gala days and representation at competitive sports. Parents are asked to become familiar with this policy. 

This term in PDHPE, (Physical Education) Year Six will be engaging in: 

PE - Grammar of Games: 

Students will learn decision making, strategy, tactics, communication and concentration skills while executing movement skills and actions. They will participate positively in groups and teams by encouraging others and negotiating roles and responsibilities. The students will practice track and field events in an Athletics unit as well participate in games skills for Netball. 

This term in PDHPE (Class Sport), Year Six will be engaging in:

The practice of fundamental motor skills – catching. They will also practice the skills for the game of soccer.

It is recommended that students read, revise times tables and complete any unfinished daily tasks. Homework tasks will increase term by term in preparation for high school and will be called “Assessment Tasks”. Maths online tasks are also a part of the daily timetable but should be completed at home if the student is behind.

We promote “individual independence and organisation” for learning and therefore, students may have more than one assessment due at the same time in preparation for High School.

Please support your child to be Ready to Learn each day by ensuring he/she has the following:

• iPad fully charged
• library bag/folder
• stationary
• drink bottle
• hat- named
• name on uniform

All students are expected to be neatly dressed in their school uniform or sports uniform each day. Classroom teachers will monitor the wearing of the uniform on a day-to-day basis and inappropriate dress will be brought to the attention of the student and, where necessary, parents. 

This term students are to wear the correct Summer/Winter uniform.

GOOD SAMARITAN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL UNIFORM

Students are also expected to wear the correct Sports Uniform on sports days:

ALL ITEMS OF UNIFORM MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH THE CHILD’S NAME

Ongoing communication between school and home is essential. The school aims to work in partnership with the home and recognises that parents wish to be informed of any problems. Likewise, there is a need for parents to keep the school informed of any events that may impact on the life of their child at school.

Through this mutual communication we aim to provide a safe and supportive environment for your child.

1. If you have any educational/behaviour concerns about your child always contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. Your child’s classroom teacher will always make contact with you if they have any concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. 
2. Grades and classes across the school are supported by Middle Leaders. You are welcome to contact the Middle Leader/s responsible for your child’s class/grade if you have continued concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. The Middle Leaders will also contact you when and if necessary.

Middle Leaders 2021

3.If the issue remains unresolved beyond the Middle Leader then please address your concern/s to the Assistant Principal or the Principal. 

4. Parents may contact teachers by email via the school office (info@gsfmdow.catholic.edu.au) but are asked to understand that a response may not be immediate and certainly cannot be expected beyond the regular hours of the school day or week. At Good Samaritan, we believe it is important to speak with parents either in a face-to-face meeting or over the phone when responding to emails that may be of a sensitive nature or that may require a lengthy response. Therefore, the email response you receive may be of a generic nature. 

5.Parents are asked to understand that the teacher’s primary responsibility throughout the school day is towards the students. Therefore, teachers are unable to engage in discussion when they are in direct supervision of students.

For any absence the school must receive notification of the reason for the absence within 7 days of the return to school. This applies for partial absences as well as whole day absences. Please supply the reason via Compass. In the event that a notification is not supplied the absence will be recorded as Unjustified/Unexplained.

10 May

Winter Uniform

16 May

Family Week

20 May

Athletics Carnival

26 May

National Sorry Day

27 May

Reconciliation Week

30 May

Screen Aware Week

3 June

7pm Confirmation

4 June

2pm and 6pm Confirmation

5 June

Pentecost

6 June

World Environment Liturgy

10 June

PB4L Day

27 June

Parent Teacher Interview Week

1 July

Whole School Run and Picnic

1 July

Last day of Term 2