Senior Learning Community 

(Years 5 & 6)

The Senior Learning Area (SLA) comprises three learning spaces in our main school building. Classes work alongside each other as a community with a strong focus on building skills to ensure our students will be best-prepared to be successful young adults. 

Students in the SLA are given opportunities to build leadership skills, with our Grade 6 leaders filling purposeful roles across our school in Impact Teams. These teams are:

• School Captains
• Sustainability and Environment, 
• Digital Learning Leaders
• Sports
• Arts
• Wellbeing

Our Grade 5 students prepare for these opportunities by fulfilling classroom leadership roles and participating in targeted activities. They also have the opportunity to apply for House Captain. Students across the SLA have the opportunity to be part of the SRC (Student Representative Council).

Students engage in daily Literacy (Writing, Reading and Speaking & Listening),  and Maths blocks, alongside weekly specialist sessions which include; Physical Education, LOTE (Indonesian), Music and Performing Arts and Visual Arts. There is also a strong focus on social and emotional learning, Integrated Studies and Digital Technologies. 

In Writing, students explore a range of writing genres and engage in skills-based Writer’s Workshops. We use the 6+1 Traits of Writing to guide the development of writing pieces. Students learn and practise spelling and grammar through targeted lessons each day. They keep a Writer’s Notebook, which they use to explore topics of their interest and link back to their genre learnings. 

In Reading, there is an increased focus on understanding and sharing about a range of different texts. Students engage in small group work, including exposure to ‘Close Reading’, ‘Reciprocal Reading’ and ‘Literacy Circles’ approaches. Reading and Writing and closely linked through the use of Mentor Texts.

In Maths, students explore mathematical concepts from a problem-solving perspective. They are exposed to challenging tasks and build deeper understanding of concepts, through unpacking and sharing known strategies, then discussing and analysing other strategies. Students also have opportunities to extend themselves as problem-solvers through the APSMO Maths Olympiads and Maths Games programs. 

Central to all of these learning areas is our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program. Students use iPads to both access learning information and to showcase their creativity in the ways that they can present and share their learning.Senior students have also been able to build skills across other technologies, including using laptops, a school drone, coding Spheros, 3D printers and the laser cutter. 

There is a strong focus on Wellbeing across our school, which continues in the SLA. Students practise GEM (Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness), engage in the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships program, and learn about the Zones of Regulation. Students also create Student Support Profiles, which provides information about how they learn best and strategies for managing their emotions. 

Our SLA participate in a yearly school Camp. These camps are a wonderful experience for all who attend and assist in the building of rich connections and a sense of belonging amongst our senior school cohort.