Year Four
Welcome back! It’s hard to believe how quickly Term 4 is moving! Students have been busy, curious and enthusiastic learners over the past couple of weeks, with plenty of exciting experiences along the way.
Reading and Writing
In Reading, students have been strengthening their skills in inferring and identifying the themes of a text. Using Jeannie Baker’s picture books Mirror, Belonging and Circle, they have looked closely at illustrations and words to find clues, and have discussed the big ideas the author wants readers to take away.
In Writing, students have been using author’s craft to plan and draft their own narratives, with Ella and the Ocean as our mentor text. They have also been learning to use conventions so that their writing flows and is easy for others to read, focusing on correct and effective punctuation with the help of the text Punctuation Takes a Vacation.
Maths
In Maths, students have been investigating angles, beginning with identifying and classifying them as acute, right, obtuse, reflex or straight, and spotting examples in the world around them. They have developed their estimation skills by comparing angles to benchmarks such as a right angle, and by predicting how large or small an angle is before measuring it.
Students then learnt how to use a protractor to measure angles accurately, including lining up the baseline, choosing the correct scale and reading the measurement carefully. They have enjoyed checking their estimates against their measurements and discussing what they notice, which has helped them build confidence and precision when working with angles.
Unit of Inquiry
The past two weeks have been very exciting as we wrapped up our fifth Unit of Inquiry, exploring how “Demands of growing communities drive urban planning”. Students put their knowledge of the design process to work by building their own community using cardboard boxes, and showed extraordinary enthusiasm and creativity throughout. Thank you to all families for your support in sending in boxes!
Author Talk
Students were fortunate to welcome author Demet Divaroren, who spoke with our Year 4 cohort. She shared her journey as a writer, her inspiration, the books she has written and her upcoming work. Students had the opportunity to ask questions, and many left feeling inspired to continue developing their own writing. Thank you Demet for your time and for sharing your passion for storytelling!
Reminders
Students are reminded that as we are a SunSmart school, hats are required to be worn during Term 4. Please ensure your child brings their hat to school every day.
Please ensure your child continues to bring their fully charged device to school every day!
Looking forward to a successful rest of Term 4!
The Year Four Team