A Day in the Life
3rd Class – 6th Class
Expand horizons, learn how to learn
These years see a wonderful expansion in the child’s love of learning and a desire to find out the cause of things and how things work. This is coupled with an expansion of the child’s social and emotional world and it is a very exciting time for children and teachers alike.
Third Class at John Colet School brings many ‘firsts’. The students participate in the primary Swimming Carnival, trials for interschool sports, a three-day camp, choral eisteddfods, chess competitions and Maths challenge. For the first time the Shakespeare Festival gives a unique opportunity to perform at a professional level at Glen St Theatre.
Experiences in 3rd and 4th class aim to develop the skills whereby the students engage fully with their learning and are helped to become self-motivated learners who learn how to learn. Research tasks, reading good literature, experiments in Science, investigations in Mathematics, fine artwork, singing great choral pieces and competitive team sport, all make this Stage an exciting time of learning.
5th and 6th class is an exciting and challenging place where the children grow and mature in preparation for high school. 5th and 6th class children become leaders in the School and learn to put their principles into practice, and to have the courage of their convictions.
The students continually extend and challenge themselves in interschool competitions such as chess, debating, eisteddfods and sport. Some students sit an international Sanskrit exam, others take the opportunity to learn a modern language. They enter the Maths Challenge and submit a major artwork for the Gallipoli Art Prize. They take up responsibility and leadership positions throughout the school, and our ‘buddy’ system teaches them to care for younger students. Keyboard and coding skills are taught, work is researched online and presented on various platforms.
By the time a child finishes 6th class, having started in Lower 1st, he or she will have performed in seven Shakespeare plays, the 6th class play being a major work.
The students embark on units of work that lead them to be courageous, inquisitive, truthful, compassionate and active lifelong learners.
One of the aims of the School, that the children will grow and mature into men and women in the service of others, begins to show itself in this final primary stage.
A Day in the Life 3rd Class – 6th Class