Take Flight - Senior School
What’s Happening in Year 4
It’s been a busy and exciting time in Year 4! Our students have shown curiosity, creativity, and plenty of teamwork as they dive into new learning experiences across all areas of the curriculum. From designing egg-saving contraptions in Inquiry, to sharpening their maths and writing skills, and exploring new reading strategies, the classrooms have been buzzing with energy and enthusiasm. We’re so proud of the way students continue to challenge themselves, support one another, and make meaningful connections between their learning and the world around them.
Welcome Circle
Our morning Welcome Circles have become a cherished part of our classroom routine. Guided by the Berry Street Education Model, these sessions provide a calm and connected start to the day where every student’s voice is valued. Through speaking and listening activities, students build confidence, empathy, and strong communication skills — setting a positive tone for learning.
Each circle gives students the opportunity to share ideas, celebrate achievements, and reflect on our school values in meaningful ways. These moments not only strengthen relationships within the classroom but also help students develop a sense of belonging, agency, and responsibility in their learning community.
English
In English, students have been busy writing explanation texts — finding out how and why things happen. From curious cats to erupting volcanoes, no topic has been off-limits! They’ve worked hard to write strong sentences and organised paragraphs, and we’ve loved seeing their vocabulary grow as their confidence does too. Apostrophes have also made an appearance (and occasionally disappeared in the wrong place!), but students are getting the hang of using them correctly.
Our new Spelling sessions have been a hit, as students tune into sounds, syllables, and word meanings. In Reading, they’ve been using their comprehension superpowers to make clever inferences and link ideas together. It’s been wonderful to see their enthusiasm grow as they dive into books and share their thinking — often sparking some very entertaining class discussions!
Mathematics
In Maths, students have been sharpening their mental maths skills and taking part in daily retrieval sessions to keep all their learning fresh and ready to use. They’ve been solving number puzzles to find unknown values in equations and exploring the clever patterns hidden in numbers. We’ve also been reading and creating maps, learning how to give and follow directions (with only a few “oops, wrong turn!” moments along the way).
Students have been discovering symmetry in everyday shapes — from butterfly wings to classroom windows — and enjoying the challenge of spotting it everywhere. Parents can help keep the fun going by encouraging children to notice how maths pops up in daily life — in cooking, shopping, sport, and even the way we get from A to B. After all, maths really is all around us!
Inquiry
Our Inquiry focus this term is how the design process can improve existing food production and processes. To kick things off, students took part in an exciting Egg Drop Experiment, where they worked in teams to design and test a way to protect an egg from a great fall. There was plenty of laughter, some clever problem-solving, and a few very close calls — but no cracks!
This hands-on start has helped students understand how designers think, plan, test, and improve their ideas — skills they’ll continue to use as they explore how design can make food production safer, faster, and more sustainable. We look forward to welcoming families to our Inquiry Expo later this term, where students will proudly share their projects and discoveries. Dates will be shared soon!
