Grade 5

Grade 5 @ Mano

Literacy

Students participate in a 2-hour daily Literacy block that develops strong spelling, reading and writing skills. Students participate in levelled Spelling groups, focusing on phonology, morphology and etymology, followed by a 10-minute daily review of vocabulary, grammar and syntax. They build reading fluency through explicit instruction, modelling and repeated reading and practise handwriting and keyboarding. The Literacy block is guided by clear learning intentions and success criteria and includes comprehension, vocabulary and writing, using mentor texts, small group support and explicit teaching of the writing process, grammar and punctuation.    

Each Grade 5 class visits the school library for a 30-minute weekly borrowing session, and students are expected to complete 20 minutes of Home Reading each night from Sunday-Thursday. Our Grade 5 & 6 Hub features an extensive student library, regularly updated based upon student voice.

Numeracy

Students engage in daily Math lessons that begin with a focus on number fluency across addition, subtraction multiplication and division. This consolidates previous learning, whilst core lessons, independent goals and small group sessions address specific learning needs across the 6 core areas of the mathematics curriculum – Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space, Statistics and Probability.

Maths resources in classrooms and the Grade 5 & 6 Hub support hands-on experiences, and real-life problem-solving skills are emphasised in regular ‘Launch, Explore, Summarise’ sessions that involve open-ended problem-solving.

Inquiry

Our Inquiry focus changes termly, revolving around a ‘Big Question.’ Students’ progress through Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluation phases. Units span a two-year cycle covering Democracy, History, Digital Technology, Media Arts, Civics & Citizenship, Economics, and Geography. Students play a role in shaping Inquiry Units, promoting engagement. Teachers guide learning, leading to an ‘Authentic Action’ aligned with students’ passions, allowing creative representation of learning.

Social & Emotional Learning

Student wellbeing is a daily and ongoing priority. Regular dedicated lessons equip students with strategies for healthy behaviours and relationships, aligning with our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) program and school values of Respect, Responsibility, and Safety.

Buddy Program

The buddy program at Mano starts at the end of Grade 4 and is part of the transition to Grade 5 and 6 for older students. This program means that our future prep students meet their buddy before they start Primary School and have a familiar face around the playground for two years.

Mano High Ability Program

The Mano High Ability Program involves selected students being invited to participate in additional sessions to extend their learning, with a focus on problem solving and collaboration.

North Geelong Secondary College Advanced STEM Program

North Geelong Secondary College invites 2-3 students in Grade 5/6 from local schools to collaborate in an Advanced STEM program. Selected students participate in the program for a Semester, being challenged through projects that involve problem solving strategies. Some examples are learning how to use VR technology, coding Spheros and drones, designing/creating buildings and building a bridge to withstand the weight of a Sphero. Students showcase their learning to parents at the end of this program and build positive relationships with students from other schools.

Lightning Premierships & Grade 5/6 Sport

Grade 5 and 6 students participate in both the Summer and Winter Lightning Premiership each year. Students participate in an extra hour of planned physical activity, on top of their weekly PE lesson. ‘Senior Sport’ is often organised by our Student Leaders and involves games, organised competitions and team practise for various sporting events.

Summer sports include Cricket, Teams Tennis, Volleyball & Basketball. Winter sports include Australian Rules Football, Soccer, Netball and Tee Ball. Mano also enters teams into Hockey and Softball competitions through School Sport Victoria. These are fun days that everyone enjoys, with a focus on teamwork, participation and the Mano school values. In recent times Mano has progressed to multiple Divisional, Regional and State Finals across multiple sports, even being crowned State Softball Champions!

Girls AFL Comp

Each year the Grade 5/6 Girls get to participate in a Girls only AFL football competition against other schools across the Geelong region.