3/4 Steiner

Kii 3/4S families!

Over the past fortnight, we have been spending some time becoming familiar and confident with our use of the school computers. Students have been revisiting how to log in independently, care for the devices responsibly, and use them in a safe and focused way. During this time, students have completed a number of Mathematics pre-assessments, which help us to gain a clear understanding of their current knowledge and identify specific areas for growth and focus in the term ahead. They have also been practising their touch-typing skills online, building accuracy and fluency. This time on computers has not only supported our assessment processes but has also helped our grade 3 students feel more comfortable and prepared in the lead up to NAPLAN, which requires them to work confidently on a computer.

In preparation for camp, students have each identified five peers they would feel comfortable sharing a cabin with. This information will guide us as we thoughtfully create cabin groups, ensuring students feel safe and supported during their time away. We will also be forming mixed activity groups, with students from all Grade 3/4 classes in each group. These mixed groups provide a wonderful opportunity for children to strengthen existing friendships, build new connections, and work collaboratively with a broader range of peers.

Main Lesson

In Main Lesson we’ve begun to discuss options for our class play. Students have shared what their favourite Norse Myths are and we’re exploring how we can incorporate these into a script. Realistically we would be performing this play in Term 2, given that we have NAPLAN and Camp coming up. 

This week, we had the pleasure of visiting Robin’s 5/6 Steiner class to share our Main Lesson books with one another. The 3/4 students were deeply inspired by the beautiful layouts, detailed illustrations, and rich writing of the older students. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to see what their own work may grow into in the coming years. Our class also took great pride in sharing their own Main Lesson books, speaking confidently about their learning and creative process. It was a meaningful experience of connection across the grades and a lovely celebration of everyone’s efforts.

Literacy

In Literacy, we have been focusing on building a strong understanding of nouns, verbs and adjectives. Students have practised identifying these parts of speech in example sentences, during shared reading experiences, and within their own writing. We have been discussing how nouns name people, places and things, how verbs show action or state of being, and how adjectives add detail and description to make writing more vivid. In addition, we have explored verb tenses through a range of engaging activities, helping students recognise and use past, present and future tense accurately in their speaking and writing.

Additionally, we have been exploring the use of apostrophes in contractions. Students have been learning how two words can be combined into one, with the apostrophe showing where letters have been omitted (for example, do not becoming don’t). They have practised breaking contractions into their original component words and rewriting them correctly with an apostrophe in the appropriate place. This has supported their understanding of accurate spelling and clear, polished writing.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, our focus has been on identifying the features of trapeziums and triangles. Students have been exploring how these shapes can be joined together to create new shapes and discovering the patterns that emerge when combining them in different ways.

We have also begun a new focus on length. Students were given rulers and invited to investigate the centimetre length of various items around our classroom. They recorded their findings with tables in their maths books. Through exploration and discussion, they noticed the millimetres and inches marked on the rulers and began making connections between fractions and decimals. Students additionally remembered that we have metre rulers and measuring tapes in our classroom. They utilised these to measure longer lengths, such as the length of our classroom, the corridor and even the height of each other. 

Over the coming weeks, we will continue to explore length and extend our learning to include area and perimeter.