Year 4 Newsletter

Dear parents,

IMPORTANT Wellbeing and Friendology information – This week we began our Friendology program and the students completed a survey around their feelings regarding friendships skills and what they found acceptable in a friendship.

We are looking forward to completing these sessions as this will assist with student behaviour. David Foley and Janine Tucker, in conjunction with the Year 4 teachers, spoke to students around our growing concern at the way the students behave towards and speak to each other. We are hearing an increase in swearing, racial, homophobic, sexualised and disability shaming comments. Many students claim that they don’t understand the severity of what they have said, however the intent behind the comments has been to tease, hurt or shame others. This behaviour is completely unacceptable and your child will receive consequences for such behaviour and we will notify you. Please discuss age appropriate behaviour and language for a school setting with your child.

INQUIRY HOME PROJECT - This week all students have told us who their famous Indigenous Australian is, and we have sent all the project information home. Students can now begin to complete the first component of research. This is due to be returned to us next Thursday 2nd May. We are more than happy for homework to be completed BEFORE the assigned date.

What's happened in year 4 this week?

English – This week the students enjoyed the Big Write topic of having to write a persuasive letter to Mr Foley to convince him to have a classroom pet. We continued to look at the y to i spelling rule eg. when adding a suffix to a consonant then ‘y’ word we change the y to i (except if the ending in ‘ing’). For example, try + ed= tried, try + ing= trying

Maths – Vertical addition has been the focus of Maths this week. It is important that the students understand the concept of renaming and the link below gives examples of the way we teach vertical addition. I know I was taught to ‘carry the one’ and the children have told me that that is what some parents have been teaching them at home. Please use the language of renaming as the students need to understand that it is not ‘1’ but 1 ten or 1 hundred. Please feel free to chat to us if you would like more explanation around this. Hopefully the examples below are clear. Ask your child to explain this addition strategy to you.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15sUwR95JlFishgA-aNoN_aVjTe4v0Pf2/view?usp=sharing

Inquiry – ‘How did the arrival of the first fleet impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders?’

This week consisted of learning about Indigenous peoples' connection to country and place. We learnt that Country is special to Aboriginal People as it is the place they are connected to through family. It also represents their connection to nature and land, Dreamtime ancestors and the Dreaming and language, culture, customs and responsibilities.

Year 4 Crafternoons - Thank you so much to all our parents and grandparents who have put their hands up to be involved in our Tuesday afternoon activities. Students have nominated preferences of which activity they would like to do for the duration of the program. We are hopeful to be able to place most students into their first preference and will speak to students individually where needed.

Homework - Homework this week continues to consist of:

Minimum 4 nights reading with at least 80 minutes per week recorded in school diary (Book title, pages read, minutes read).
Diary is to be brought to school each Thursday signed by parents.
At home project - Students should now be completing Week 2-3 titled ‘Starting Out’. This is due next Thursday 2nd May.
No set Mathletics tasks. We encourage you to complete the addition and subtraction sections of Mathletics over the next few weeks.

Things to Remember:

Thursday 25th April - ANZAC Day
Friday 26th April - Curriculum Day
Monday 6th May - Mother's Day Stall
Wednesday 8th May - Life Ed begins
Friday 17th May - District Cross Country
Thursday 23rd May - ENPS 100th Birthday Celebration
Tuesday 28th May - ENPS Athletics Carnival
Thursday 30th May - Division Cross Country
Monday 10th June - King’s Birthday Public Holiday
Thursday 13th June - Year 4 Excursion - Indigenous Landscapes City Walking Tour. Please see COMPASS for event details, to make payment and give consent for your child to attend.
Wednesday 19th June - Regional Cross Country
Wednesday 26th June - PST Conferences
Friday 28th June - Last day of term 2.

Have a great weekend and please remember this is a short week with a public holiday on tomorrow and school Curriculum Day on Friday.