Year 5 has had a wonderful start to Term 3! The students have thrown themselves into all aspects of school life with enthusiasm, teamwork, and persistence. It’s been fantastic to see them working hard, supporting each other, and growing in confidence. As we move towards being our senior students, they are also building their sense of responsibility and leadership, getting ready for the exciting opportunities that await in Term 4.

English
In Year 5 English, we are learning new ways to make our writing more interesting, such as using appositives and relative clauses. Students have been developing their note-taking skills too, especially while exploring the history of early convict life, which has sparked lots of curiosity and discussion in class. This term, our class novel is Tom Appleby, Convict Boy by Jackie French. It tells the story of Tom, a young orphan in 18th-century England who is forced into crime and transported to Australia as a convict. Through hardship, friendship, and resilience, Tom begins to build a new life in the harsh yet hopeful colony.

Thoughts about the story so far….

Neiva: ‘In Convict Boy, I like that it’s teaching us about how hard life back then was and that Tom didn’t have much like we do and that he's very young to be doing a chimney sweep job.’

Matilda: ‘It’s a bit hard to read as the characters spoke back then like ‘yer mate’ but I like reading the book with the class.’

Beau C: ‘Convict Boy is adventurous and exciting - there’s been a few surprises along the way so far.’

Nicholas: ‘It’s hard to read and understand the way the British people spoke in those days. It’s really descriptive. I think Tom is too young to be a chimney sweep and be sent as a convict to Australia.’

Sienna: ‘I like how this story is telling us about the olden days and how they started cleaning chimneys. It’s very detailed. It’s a bit hard to read because of the language they used but we’re getting there.’

Lucy: ‘I really like listening to the story convict Boy. I think the character Tom is very brave because he’s had to get through so much like his father dying and he is still very young.’

Reading Fluency
Each day, Year 5 students practice reading fluency with their buddy. From a passage based on our class novel, Tom Appleby, Convict Boy, students move off in their pairs to practice their reading skills in fluency and  accuracy as well as improving their pace and expression. Each student reads aloud for 1 minute and then is provided feedback in their reading, providing a ‘goal’ to be worked towards for their next session. Some of the feedback and self reflection includes:

Aria: “ Lucy tells me that I have good fluency and my pace is good. My expression is getting better with practice and so is the way I phrase when reading aloud.

Hugo: ‘Koby tells me that I am reading very well, most of the time I have good fluency but sometimes I get stuck on some words then I try to make sure I get it right the next day.’

Xavier: ‘Jake tells me that I am a pretty smooth reader but sometimes I could read a bit faster in places when there are tricky words or sentences.’

Willa: ‘Neiva tells me that I have good expression and I am a smooth reader but sometimes I read a little too fast.’

Book Week
Year 5 had a wonderful time celebrating Book Week on Monday! Students joined in the excitement of the dress-up parade, showing off some fantastic and creative costumes that brought favourite book characters to life. We were also lucky to have Mrs Wain visit our class to share one of the 2025 shortlisted books, which everyone enjoyed listening to and discussing. It was a fun reminder of the joy that stories bring and the importance of reading every day.

Public Speaking Success
Congratulations to Tommy D and Fergus P for representing Year 5 in the Southern Region Public Speaking Competition! Our class explored the topic “If I Had a Time Machine…”, and both students delivered thoughtful and engaging speeches. A special mention to Tommy, who was named the winner of the Year 5 competition—an outstanding achievement! We are so proud of their confidence, effort, and fantastic representation of our school.

Mathematics
In Maths, Year 5 has been working on building confidence with fractions, decimals, and finding the area of shapes using formulas. Students are learning to apply their knowledge in real-world situations and are encouraged to explain their thinking clearly. Daily practice has helped strengthen both accuracy and understanding of these sometimes tricky concepts. I am very proud of all the students as they take on challenging questions such as adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators and changing improper fractions to mixed numbers. We have also been finding the Area of shapes by counting squares - before moving into using a formula to work out the answer. 

Religion
In Religion, Year 5 has been learning about how Catholics throughout Australia’s history overcame many challenges to preserve and share their faith. We have explored the role of the first Catholic Priests, the establishment of early Catholic schools, and the hardships faced by Catholics in early Australia. Students are gaining an understanding of how faith and resilience helped shape strong Catholic communities that continue to inspire us today.

Visual Arts
Year 5 students have been getting very creative in Visual Arts! In preparation for the Feast of the Assumption last week, students designed and created their own images of Mary, showing both creativity and reverence. We are now moving into our mixed media unit, exploring the colourful and expressive style of artist Dean Russo. Students are beginning their own artworks inspired by his vibrant animal portraits, combining bold colours and patterns to bring wild animals to life on the page. 

National Science Week
Last week, Year 5 joined the whole school in celebrating National Science Week, where students and teachers became scientists for the day! In groups, students explored a variety of exciting hands-on experiments such as making ice cream in a bag, creating oobleck and playdough, building a robotic arm, discovering the science of colours, and launching balloon rockets. The day was filled with curiosity, teamwork, and lots of fun as students experimented, tested ideas, and learned about the wonders of science.

Science Week Discovery
In some very exciting science news…..we have some future palaeontologists in our midst at St Marys! 

The Australian Museum announced the discovery of a new species of ancient whale that lived around 25 million years ago. This discovery was based on fossils found by Jimmy and Tommy Dullard’s Uncle Ross, at Torquay a few years back. Both Tommy and Jimmy were there when it was found! Click on the short youtube clip below – they’re excited that it’s been named “Dullardi” after the family connection!

 Janjucetus dullardi: Sharp Teeth, Big Eyes, Small Whale

“A new species of ancient whale has been formally described by scientists at the Museums Victoria Research Institute. Named Janjucetus dullardi, the species lived around 25 million years ago and represents a major breakthrough in understanding the early evolution of baleen whales. The fossil was discovered in 2019 near Jan Juc, on Wadawurrung Country along Victoria’s Surf Coast, by local resident Ross Dullard. Recognising its scientific importance, Dullard generously donated the fossil to Museums Victoria, where it was carefully prepared, scanned, and studied. The research is being published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.”

Tommy D: “During science week last week, we learned about a new species of ancient whale. This species was discovered after a 25-million-year-old fossil was found in Jan Juc on Victoria's Surf Coast in 2019 – and what makes this extra exciting was that it was found by my uncle, Ross and I!  

 The fossil has been named Janjucetus dullardi, dullardi after our family. It’s a short snout whale with large forward-facing eyes and razor-sharp teeth, small enough to fit in a car”.

Archdiocesan Athletics Carnival
Congratulations to Xave E and Maya C for representing Year 5 at the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocesan Athletics Carnival in Canberra yesterday. Competing in a variety of events, both students gave their very best and demonstrated great sportsmanship throughout the day as part of the St Mary’s and Southern Region team. It was wonderful to see them enjoy the experience and make the most of this exciting opportunity.

Friday Sport
In Year 5 Friday Sport, students have been enjoying learning and refining their skills in the game of touch football. Through a mix of drills, practice games, and fun challenges, students are developing teamwork, strategy, and confidence on the field while having a great time being active with their classmates.

Dhurga Language and Culture
Year 5 has been thoroughly engaged in their Dhurga lessons with Mr Riley Nolan, who shares his extensive knowledge of the Indigenous culture in our local area. Students have been learning about the Dhurga language, learning important cultural sites, and discovering stories connected to places such as the Bingie Dreaming Track. These lessons are a wonderful opportunity for students to deepen their understanding and respect for the rich culture and history of the land on which we live.

Mrs Megan Grant
Year 5 Teacher