Year 3-4 Wawa, Wumindjika

Book week

Book Week was a wonderful week long celebration of all things books! Thank you to all families who embraces the dress-ups and created some awesome costumes. Enjoy the photos

3/4 CAMP - Update

3/4 Camp has had a change of date. We will be going to Camp Nillahcootie on the 20th and 21st November, and having 1 night away. More details to follow in time.

Have you had a GEM Chat lately?

Make time in your afternoon or evening to check in with your child. It is a great opportunity to connect with them and validate their feelings.

Literacy

Writing

We have been writing a variety of recounts. Students recounted the main events of book week and became reporters for the Euroa Gazette. It seems that the most enjoyable activities were the Performance on Monday and the Parade on Friday. 

Students went through the process of  drafting, conferencing with a teacher and then publishing their writing. We continue to have a strong focus on sentence structure, punctuation and paragraphing when writing.

Poetry

For the remainder of the term, we will be exposing students to a variety of poetry. Poetry comes in many forms and children are exposed to poetry from infancy through nursery rhymes and stories.

Did you know that not all poetry rhymes?

Poetry is a type of literature that aims to evoke an emotional response in the reader through language chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound, and rhythm.

We look forward to sharing what the students create in the coming weeks.

Reading

We have been exploring the structure of recounts by reading various types, including personal, factual, historical, biographical, and media recounts. We've learned how each type organises events chronologically and uses specific language to engage the reader. Understanding these different recounts enhances our writing and helps us effectively convey information and experiences.

Spelling 

We have learning about prefixes and suffixes—word parts added to the beginning (prefix) or end (suffix) of a base word. They’re important because they help us understand the meaning of new words and expand our vocabulary. Mastering them also improves our reading, writing, and comprehension skills.

We are beginning to learn about idioms.

We continue with our weekly spelling practice and take home words. We encourage all students to practise their list words each. 

Numeracy

We are currently working on additive thinking. For those at home, that's real life addition and subtraction problems. We have moved away from the traditional method of vertical algorithms as the only way to perform addition and subtraction problems and exposed students to a variety of strategies. We are now working on measurement and tying the concepts together. Students are measuring using a variety of tools and real life problems.

As it is time for athletics, we measured out the oval and worked out what 100m looks like.

Recording how we solve worded maths problems

We’ve been focusing on describing and recording how we solve maths word problems. This process is crucial because it helps us understand our thinking, ensures accuracy, and allows us to explain our solutions clearly. By doing this, we build stronger problem-solving skills and deepen our understanding of mathematical concepts.

Mathemagicians - Year 3-6 students. 

Numeracy at home - Maths Bingo

Similar to traditional Bingo, this fun maths bingo game is sure to become a fast favourite! The only difference is that children must solve a maths problem in order to determine which number to mark of their card.

Start by preparing a list of 25 simple maths problems (e.g. 1+3, 2‑1 etc.) and write the answers on the same sheet of paper. Then you can either create or download 5x5 Bingo cards online and write the answers on each card at random.

Last but not least, get creative with the markers. Let your child use rocks, coins or bottle-caps to mark each number called – you can even make an activity out of finding unique markers for your little one to use!

Celebration of learning Well Being afternoon

On  Friday, 13th, we're having a Wellbeing Focus Day, organised by our Year 6 students. There will be lots of activities centred on monitoring and supporting our own wellbeing, as well as learning how to look out for others. Join us in making our school community even stronger!

Inquiry

Science - We have MUSHROOMS!

After waiting 6 weeks, the mushrooms finally grew. Over the course of our learning, one thing we learnt was that they can double their size in just a few days. Just check out the size of this one! If you look closely, there are still some mushrooms to come, the tiny little white spots are the beginning stages of growth.

Over the next week, we will be tasting the mushrooms and reporting back to the Mushroom Growers Association with our growing results.

Athletics Day

Sports Day was a great success, filled with high levels of participation and outstanding sportsmanship. Students eagerly joined in various events, including 1500m, 100 m, 50m, long jump, triple jump, shot put and many more with cheers echoing for every teammate. The atmosphere was charged, with lots of ribbons awarded, laughter shared, and excitement in the air. The wet weather held off and had everyone smiling and showing the true spirit of the day. As the event concluded, age-level champion medals were presented, with Gold House Fatima taking the win followed by Red Lourdes and Blue Mercy. The day was a perfect blend of fun, competition, and camaraderie, leaving everyone with great memories and pride in their achievements. Thank you to all those who came along to watch and a special thank you to Mrs. Watson for all her organisation. 

Religious Education

In our Religious Education unit titled "Jesus Models Forgiveness," students explored the important theme of forgiveness and its role in healing and reconciliation. They learned how sin affected their relationships with themselves, others, and God, and how Jesus, through His teachings and actions, showed them the path to restoring these relationships. By engaging with Scripture, students discovered Jesus' example of loving acceptance and the importance of forgiveness in their lives. The unit also introduced them to the Sacrament of Penance, which celebrated God's mercy and helped them reconcile with themselves, others, and God.

We read the story Once There Was A Boy. It is a beautiful story about friendship, trust and forgiveness. A boy who lives alone on an island spends his days picking fruit, climbing mangrove trees and watching the sun light up the sea. His life is simple and uncomplicated. A young girl suddenly appears on the island. She is asked not to look under the boy's bed, but when she eventually succumbs to temptation, she breaks his heart. The reconciliation at the end of the book helps readers to understand the importance of sharing and thinking about other people's feelings.

Until Next time,

Ally, Rachel, Lisa, Keira, Nic