Discovery Adventures of 6C

This term, 6C have been learning about energy and how it transforms. We have discovered atoms, built cells and developed hypotheses about energy transfer and change. We have also been educated by the one and only Bill Nye, who has taught us that kinetic energy (movement) can not be greater than potential (stored) energy.

As part of our unit, we have developed a scientists chat board. This is a pin board where we can share our questions, learning and ideas. Students in 6C are encouraged to check the chat board to see if they can contribute their own expertise to someone else and vice versa- just like peer review in the science world!

Below are some of the questions and learnings we have posed, can you help us with your expertise?

It’s all energy… on PhotoPeach

Last week, the Grade 6′s at St Martin of Tours Primary school made their Confirmation. This is the final sacrament of initiation in the Catholic Church, which confirms their vows made at Baptism and initiates them as adults now, accountable for their own actions.

As part of their preparation, students in 6C learnt about the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit that are: wisdom, knowledge, wonder and awe, reverence, courage, right judgment and understanding. We looked into key contemporary figures of our time, such as Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa and Edith Sendler, as role models and bearers of these gifts.

 Another integral part of Confirmation is where students research a saint and take that saint’s name as part of their own. Saints were chosen by 6C based on the gifts they possessed, their life stories and tradition. As part of their learning, students came up with 6 activities, using Bloom’s Taxonomy, based on their saints and they came up with some excellent, deep-thinking and rich activities that they presented to the rest of the class.

The slide show below is a compilation of some of the activities on display. There were many others such as interviews, diary entries, hero biographies and even self-composed songs! We were lucky enough to be able to paint icon pictures of our saints too- even Miss C chose one! Can you guess which one is Miss C’s? (Hint: It is not finished)

Who is your hero?

Confirmation on PhotoPeach
 

This year we are lucky enough to have the beautiful Prep D as our buddy class. At St Martin’s we run a mentoring program where the year 6′s get to be a positive role model for our new preps. Each week we see our buddies, and we are always coming up with fun and exciting activities to do.

Our last session involved 6C coming up with some basic motor skill and physical activities for our buddies. There were games such as soccer, bean bag throw, poison ball, catching and kicking a football. It was a really hot day, but we managed to stay outside and have fun anyway; it was great to see the year 6 students teaching their buddies essential skills for their future.

What have you taught someone, or has someone taught you, that you will never forget?

Sports stars in the making on PhotoPeach

Miss C and 6C set a class goal for this year. The goal is ‘In 6C, we strive to be the best we can be and never refuse the task’. We felt it was important to set a class goal and display it to remind us of what we want to achieve as a team in 2013.

It is also valuable to set individual goals too; setting goals gives us incentive for action and self improvement. We feel good about ourselves when we reach our goals!

Miss C invited all the students to think about the year ahead and come up with their “sentence”. This is a phrase that defines how they want to be remembered this year.

It’s important to think about your goals and take action to become the person you want to be!

How would you like to be remembered?

Welcome to a new year!

2013 is, in Chinese astrology, the year of the water snake. This 2013 year of Snake is meant for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary to achieve what you set out to create. The Snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal Signs. It is the most mysterious, intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the Animals Signs. Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve.

This year we will all aim to achieve our goals. In 6C we have a motto ‘Nothing exceptional comes without hard work’. Even someone with a natural talent for something has to practice! Miss C knows that ‘you can do anything you really put your mind to as long as you believe in yourself’, and hopes to see that this year out of everybody (including herself)!

This year is the final year of primary school. The end of a cycle and the bridge to a new world. A year where you can apply all the skills you have learnt over the last 6 years and be responsible and mature leaders of our school.

Make sure it is the BEST year of primary school,  and the only thing that will determine that is your ATTITUDE.

What are you looking forward to this year?

In the last few weeks of Grade 6, we have been introduced to the wonderful world of algebra.

In our first investigation, we played the Game of 31. The aim of the game was to get to 31 before your opponent, using cards numbered 1-6, with each player turning a card over and adding up the total .

We found out that there were target numbers to reach that ensured you would win, and ways to counter attack by taking out certain values.

Eventually we came up with a formula that would allow us to win no matter the target number or the cards used.

Can you work the formula out???

Game of 31 on PhotoPeach

Holidays are coming up and I know everyone is excited! Miss C is going to spend her time relaxing and planting her vegetable garden for summer.

Please take our Survey and tell us what you like doing on your holidays!

AND THE WINNER IS…….

Going away on a holiday with a massive 60% of the votes!

Coming in a close second and third was spending time outdoors and sleeping in.

Great minds think alike!

Over the past couple of weeks we have been looking into famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh and his unique style of painting. He was renowned for his beautiful landscapes, still-life and Asian-style paintings in the late 1800′s. Van Gogh struggled with mental illness all of his life, and it is assumed that he took his own life with a gun, however, none was ever found.

We looked at one of his most famous paintings ‘Starry Night’ and tried to recreate his painting using a variety of different mediums. Students used textas, crayons, pastels and even pencils to give their own ‘Starry Night’ pieces depth, mystery and texture. Take a look at our slide show and see for yourself!

Which famous artists do you know?

Starry Night on PhotoPeach

6C are very lucky to have wonderful prep buddies they mentor over the year. This term, we have celebrated 100 days of prep with our buddies and even held a mini-olympics for them, including events such as the hurdles, long jump, vortex throw and even a sprint! We are looking forward to the 6C IOC (International Olympic Committee) tallying the results and awarding the medals. Which country will win? Stay tuned…..

Our Prep Buddies on PhotoPeach

AND THE MEDAL GOES TO…..

The Olympic committee tallied the results and…..

Canada 1st

England 2nd

New Zealand 3rd

China 4th

Italy 5th

Well done to all participants!! It was a great day and we even held our own special medal ceremony. Check out the slideshow!

What is your favourite Olympic event?

And the medal goes to….. on PhotoPeach

In the month of June, our class has been participating in the 5 cent challenge run  by YGAP. Our aim is to collect as many 5 cent coins as possible before June 28th- and we are slowly getting there! Our change jar is nearly full, and if we keep it up, we really can make a difference.

The 5cent campaign aims to collect 1 million individual 5 cent pieces. Five famous faces, Chris Judd, DJ Grant Smillie, Brigitte Duclos, Hamish McLachlan and model Kate Peck are backing the movement which will fund 5 community projects, including community programs in Australia, Ghana and Rwanda, and education projects in Bangladesh and Cambodia.

If you would like to donate, visit http://ygap.com.au/initiatives/5cent/ and make a change!