Year 3/4 - Newsletter
Dear Parents,
Can you believe the term's end is near? We’re down to our final 2 weeks of term, winding down our main units and assessing the students in preparation for reports.
Over the past two weeks, the students participated in - and loved! - the Design Incursion. During the session, students explored the process of inventing, designing and creating, while learning about how everyday ideas can be turned into practical inventions.
What's happened in Year 3/4 these last weeks?
English - Structured Literacy
Students have continued developing their morphology knowledge, exploring the prefixes ‘un-’ and ‘sub-’, along with the suffix ‘-ism’. Throughout the week, students investigated how these word parts change the meaning of base words and support their understanding of unfamiliar vocabulary when reading and writing. They also participated in a variety of activities designed to strengthen their spelling, word knowledge, and vocabulary skills.
This past week, students finalised our Factual Recount unit, which was based on the mentor text Uncle Xbox. Throughout the unit, students learned how to organise events in sequence, include key details, and use descriptive language to engage their audience. The students worked hard to apply these skills in their writing and should be proud of the progress they have made.
Students have now begun our final Literacy unit for Term 2, focusing on Poetry. Over the past few lessons, students have explored the purpose and features of poetry, while being introduced to a range of poetic styles and devices, including rhyme, rhythm, and imagery. As the unit continues, students will analyse a variety of poems and have opportunities to create, perform, and share their own original pieces.
Maths - Additive Thinking & Time
Over the past fortnight, students have finalised our Additive Thinking unit, consolidating their understanding of addition and subtraction strategies involving whole numbers and decimals. To celebrate and assess their learning, students completed a range of post-assessments, both on paper and through Essential Assessment, providing valuable opportunities to demonstrate the growth they have made throughout the unit and guide teachers with the reporting process.
Students have now begun our new Mathematics unit on Time. Through a range of hands-on and practical learning experiences, students are developing their understanding of analogue and digital time, elapsed time, timetables, and the ways we use time in everyday life. As the unit progresses, students will continue building their confidence in reading, interpreting, and solving problems involving time.
We have also continued placing a strong emphasis on developing mathematical fluency. Students are regularly using the online platform XtraMath to strengthen their recall of basic number facts and improve the speed and accuracy of their calculations. Building this automaticity helps students tackle more complex mathematical tasks with greater confidence and success.
Inquiry- ‘What Makes a Design Go Bang!?’
It has been fantastic to see the enthusiasm and passion students have brought to their Home Projects. Across the cohort, students have been eagerly researching topics of personal interest, sharing their learning with classmates, and demonstrating a strong sense of curiosity and creativity. We are looking forward to seeing all of their hard work come together when students present their projects in Week 10.
Within our Inquiry lessons, students have continued developing and refining their invention ideas as part of our Design and Technologies unit. Students have been planning, sketching, and discussing their designs, carefully considering how their inventions solve a problem or improve an existing product. For many students, the exciting next step is beginning the construction phase, with some classes starting to build their inventions this week and others commencing next week.
Wellbeing
In Wellbeing, students have continued exploring friendships and the skills needed to build and maintain positive relationships. A key focus has been understanding the concept of "Mean-on-Purpose" behaviour, helping students recognise the difference between accidental mistakes, disagreements, and actions that are intentionally hurtful. Through class discussions and activities, students reflected on how these behaviours can impact others and explored strategies for responding appropriately.
Students have also been learning how to manage tricky friendship situations that can arise both in and out of the classroom. Together, we discussed practical ways to solve problems, communicate respectfully, consider different perspectives, and seek support when needed. These conversations have encouraged students to develop greater confidence in navigating challenges and maintaining healthy, respectful relationships with their peers.
Important Information
Homework
Reading homework continues as the term goes on - students are expected to complete 80 minutes of reading at home each week, bringing their filled out and signed diary on Fridays. If your child has not completed their reading or forgotten to get their diary signed, please email their classroom teacher on Friday morning.
Mathletics homework will continue to be set each week, and is encouraged to be completed. The tasks match the learning that takes place in the classroom.
Students are also encouraged to spend a few minutes practising XtraMath over the weekends. XtraMath is used regularly in class throughout the week to develop fluency and automatic recall of basic number facts, and additional practice at home can further strengthen these important skills.
- Students can access XtraMath through their classes Google Classroom page.
Our Inquiry Research Project is due each Friday morning, with students expected to bring evidence of that week’s completed research and progress. Students are welcome to bring their work in earlier if it has already been completed.
- If a student is unable to complete the weekly task by Friday, they will be given the weekend as additional time to finalise their work. Following this, students may be supported to complete outstanding tasks during a portion of recess or lunchtime to help them stay up to date with the project timeline.
What’s coming up:
. School Disco - Tuesday 23rd June
. PST Conferences - Wednesday 24th June (11:30am - 6:20pm)
. Final Day of Term - Friday 26th June (early finish @ 2:30pm)
Student Awards
Refer to your classroom teacher’s email on Friday for the weekly student shoutouts!
Kind regards,
The Year 3/4 Team