Year 6 have hit the ground running in 2022, demonstrating outstanding leadership in the playground with their younger peers, and also in the classroom as they display independent, focused work habits. The students have all set achievable learning and personal goals for the term. We have collaboratively recorded our goals in our learning space as a consistent reminder that we are a team of learners who support each other to achieve. 

Exploring leadership in Religion
The Year 6 students have been exploring the concept of leadership in Religion. We have been looking at inspirational leaders, their qualities and personality traits. The children have responded and related to these individuals, making connections to their personal leadership values. As the student leaders of St Mary’s the children have been learning the importance of leadership being an action, not a position. The students have worked closely with the Year 5 children to share their knowledge and understanding of leading by example at St Mary’s. 

This week we have formally commissioned our Year 6 leaders in a wonderful whole school celebration which brought our school community together. The students collaboratively read a pledge, acknowledging their responsibility to live out our school motto “In all things may God be glorified”. To conclude the ceremony the school community raised their right hand and blessed the student leadership team of 2022. The Year 6 children are looking forward to the year ahead, supporting the students and staff of our school. 

English
The students have been thoroughly engaged in writing narratives, using the Seven Steps to Writing Success program. Recently, our focus was to improve the beginning of our stories. By developing a ‘sizzling start’, the writer hooks the reader's attention and makes them want to read on. Take a look at our sizzling starts, which story would you like to continue?

Maths
Year 6 have continued to make big improvements using the Maths Pathways program. We have been using the program to consolidate the learning taking place in the classroom each day, and we are so pleased to see the students challenging themselves to complete tricky modules. Students have access to this at home as well, which is included as part of our weekly homework. Year 6 are very keen to get a rocket or a plane, which indicates an amazing level of progress during the previous fortnight. Recently, Year 6 have been working on square and cubed numbers as well as BODMAS algorithms. It is wonderful to see their confidence grow each week!

Year 6 are getting Scientific
Seismograph, epicentre, tectonic plates and the Richter scale are just some examples of the vocabulary that can be heard during our weekly science sessions as we are embarking on our learning journey about the causes and effects of earthquakes. The students have been inquiring into the reasons why certain countries have more earthquake activity than others in relation to the location of the tectonic plates. The students have made clay models of the impacts of tectonic plates and created their own seismograph in the classroom to measure the movement of a makeshift earthquake. 

Art
A self portrait can be created in many different ways using various mediums. The students in Year 6 have been exploring their personal facial expressions and features. They have created a variety of self portraits focusing on colour, line and tone. We have been looking at the work of Pablo Picasso as an inspirational artist. The children have created some very lifelike representations. Can you recognise some of the Year 6 children? 

PE/Sport
In amongst all the wet weather, the intensive swimming program has been a huge success and is almost coming to an end with just one more session to go in week 10 (Monday 4 April). The increase in skills and confidence in and around water had been incredible, not to mention the increased fitness of the students. Lorraine, Sally, Stephanie and Jess have all been such wonderful instructors and the students have enjoyed our weekly sessions. The students were able to show off their diving skills last week and also their ‘funniest’ attempt at a dive.