Icarus 

We hope everyone had a wonderful school holiday break and spent time enjoying doing different things with friends and family. We are looking forward to another exciting term ahead. 

Reminders: 

• Term 4 is our Sun Smart Term. Students should bring a hat to wear during recess, lunch and PE. Without a hat, they may be asked  to play in the shade. Families may also choose to send sunscreen or sunglasses, but please ensure all items are clearly labelled.
• Students are expected to bring a filled water bottle to school each day, as frequent trips to the taps can interrupt learning.
• Please pack a healthy fruit or vegetable snack for morning Brain Break to support student focus and energy.
• All items of clothing, especially hats, jumpers and jackets, should be clearly labelled so they can be returned if misplaced.
• Home reading, weekly spelling practice and choice matrix activities should be completed each week at home. Spelling words are given on Mondays and students are tested at the end of the week.

READING

WRITING

 In the first two weeks of Term 4, students have been busy sharpening their writing skills. They started with planning, learning how to create exciting sizzling starts, introduce problems and settings, and brainstorm ideas to get their stories flowing. Next, students focused on writing introductions, studying famous sizzling starts and practicing how to grab the reader’s attention right from the first sentence. They also explored paragraphing, discovering what important details go into each paragraph to keep stories clear and interesting. Outside of writing stories, students enjoyed visits to the library, practiced neat handwriting, and filled their writers’ notebooks with creative ideas. They have also been working on spelling and grammar to improve their word knowledge and writing accuracy. 

MATHS

In Term 4, Grade 3 students are continuing to build their mathematical understanding through a range of hands-on and problem-solving activities. We are learning to recognise and represent fractions by shading parts of a whole, placing fractions on number lines, and identifying equivalent fractions. Students are also practising adding and subtracting 2-digit and 3-digit numbers using different strategies, as well as measuring and calculating the perimeter of various shapes and objects. 

In the coming weeks, we will be exploring multiplication and division, and learning to measure and compare the capacity of containers using metric units such as millilitres and litres. Students will create algorithms that include a sequence of steps and decisions to solve problems. 

INQUIRY

Students have been learning about what democracy means and why it is important in Australia. They have explored how democracy allows everyone to have a voice and ensures decisions are made fairly.

Students have also investigated the three levels of government — local, state, and federal — and discovered how each level plays a role in serving the community. Through class discussions and activities, students have learned what rules and laws are, why they are needed, and what could happen if they were not followed.

We have also explored the roles and responsibilities of people in government and the community, understanding how individuals can actively contribute to making their communities safe, fair, and inclusive.

Students are developing a deeper appreciation for how democracy works and how they, too, can play an important part in their community. They also got to experience a visit from the local councillor who discussed the role of Council and a Councillors in the community, the typical services and responsibilities of Local Government, describing cultural diversity at Hume, and how laws get made and how the community gets to have a say in what happens.

SEL

This term in Year 3, we have continued exploring important concepts through the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) program, as well as The Resilience Project. Students have been learning about empathy, emotional awareness, kindness, and respectful interactions with others. Through class discussions, stories, and activities, we’ve been building skills to help students understand their own feelings, respond to others with care, and develop positive and respectful relationships both inside and outside the classroom.