A Splash of Colour and Creativity!

Recently, Year Five/Six S/B students brought their artistic visions to life in a vibrant way. After carefully drafting their designs, they took to the outdoors on a beautiful, sunny afternoon to create a temporary chalk mural.

With plenty of teamwork and creativity they transformed the space into a colourful and welcoming masterpiece.

It was great to see their ideas come to life and even better to see them collaborating and enjoying the process.

Great job, Year Five/Six S/B – your artwork brightened our day! 

What makes a great story?

This term, students in Five/Six B/S have been exploring the inquiry question, "What makes a great story?" Through a lively whole-class discussion, students shared a variety of thoughtful and articulate responses, building on one another’s ideas. The insights shared were both creative and insightful, demonstrating an understanding of the key elements that make a story memorable and engaging.

Below are just some of the fantastic ideas and reflections from the students, which will serve as the foundation for our narrative focus this term.

What makes a great story?

“Stuff you don’t see coming!” – Elyus.

“Plot twists” – Mia.

“Multiple characters and detailed backgrounds. You have to learn about the characters and their background stories” – Jacob.

“Captivating storylines – they keep you hooked and make you want to read more” – Jethro.

“When there’s three stories in one book and they all connect at the end” – Mia.

“Blood and gore” – Nova.

“Stories where the main character dies because you think everyone will be saved by that person” – Elyus.

“Murder!” – Lylah.

“True crime” – Kaedynce.

“True crime because it’s real” – Mia.

In line with the Australian Curriculum - English (Years 5 and 6), students will further develop their skills in crafting and analysing narratives. Specifically, the curriculum encourages students to:

• Understand how language features, text structures, and conventions are used in different types of texts to create meaning. Students will apply this knowledge in their own writing, experimenting with elements like plot, character development, setting, and dialogue.
• Create imaginative, informative, and persuasive texts, ensuring their stories engage the audience and effectively convey their ideas. This will involve planning and editing their narratives for clarity and impact.
• Develop a clear understanding of the role of character, setting, and conflict in storytelling, and learn how to weave these elements into their own narratives. Through this process, students will also explore the importance of narrative voice and style.

These discussions and activities will directly link to the Content Descriptions for Literature and Literacy within the Australian Curriculum, including:

• ACELY1701: Plan, draft, and publish imaginative, informative, and persuasive texts, selecting and experimenting with text structures, language features, and images.
• ACELT1603: Identify how the use of language, character, setting, and plot work together to create a story, and how authors manipulate these elements to enhance meaning.

By engaging with these concepts, students will build on their narrative writing skills, honing their ability to create engaging and well-structured stories that captivate their audience.