Curriculum News
English
Year 3
In Term 3, students in Year 3 will explore Finding our Hearts, where they will focus on making personal responses to texts. They will reflect on characters, themes and messages, and learn to express their own thoughts, feelings and connections in a thoughtful and structured way.
Students will also participate in an Australian Poetry unit, where they explore a range of poetic forms and styles. They will experiment with language, rhythm and imagery, and create their own poems while building confidence in reading and performing poetry aloud.
Lastly, students will study The Iron Man, where they will develop their understanding of information reports. They will research, organise ideas and use appropriate text structures to write detailed and engaging reports, demonstrating their ability to present factual information clearly.
Year 4
This term, Year 4 students will explore a range of rich and engaging texts through the OCHRE English units. Students will begin with The Arrival by Shaun Tan, using the wordless graphic novel to develop their comprehension, inferencing, and visual literacy skills while exploring themes of migration, belonging, and resilience. They will then study a variety of poetry, experimenting with poetic language, structure, rhythm, and imagery as they read, analyse, and create their own poems.
Later in the term, students will read Storm Boy by Colin Thiele, examining character development, themes, and the relationship between people and the natural environment. Across all units, students will continue to strengthen their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills through a range of engaging learning experiences.
Mathematics
Year 3
This term, Year 3 students will continue to develop their mathematical knowledge and confidence through a range of engaging, hands-on learning experiences.
In Number, students will strengthen their understanding of multiplication and division by exploring a variety of strategies to solve real-world problems, while building fluency with the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 times tables and recognising the connection between these operations. They will also deepen their addition and subtraction skills through practical activities involving money, including calculating totals, working out change, and solving everyday financial problems.
In Geometry, students will investigate angles using right angles as a reference point and explore the properties of 3D shapes by constructing, comparing, and classifying them according to their features. In Measurement, students will build confidence reading and representing time to the nearest minute using analogue and digital clocks, while applying their understanding to everyday situations involving schedules and elapsed time.
Throughout the term, students will participate in collaborative investigations and problem-solving tasks that encourage mathematical reasoning, communication, and critical thinking, while making meaningful connections between mathematics and the world around them.
Year 4
This term, Year 4 students will continue to develop their mathematical understanding with a focus on building fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Students will strengthen their multiplication strategies by applying their knowledge of multiplication facts to solve increasingly complex problems using efficient mental and written methods. They will explore the relationship between multiplication and division, while learning how the distributive and associative properties can be used as effective strategies for solving multiplication problems efficiently.
In Geometry, students will extend their understanding of angles by identifying, naming, classifying, and comparing different types of angles using right angles as a reference point. Students will deepen their knowledge of fractions by recognising and comparing equivalent fractions, ordering fractions, and making connections between fractions and decimals. They will also develop their understanding of decimal notation by representing, partitioning, and applying decimals in real-world contexts such as money and measurement.
In Location and Data, students will learn to use grid references to locate positions on maps, follow directions, create simple maps, and begin organising and entering data using spreadsheets. Throughout the term, students will engage in hands-on investigations, collaborative tasks, and rich problem-solving experiences that encourage mathematical reasoning, communication, and confidence while making meaningful connections between mathematics and everyday life.
Humanities
Unit: Comparing Australia to its Neighbours
Our Term 3 Year 3/4 Humanities unit, Comparing Australia to its Neighbours, has a strong focus on Geography. Students will explore the similarities and differences between Australia and its neighbouring countries, examining their natural, managed, and constructed features.
Through this study, students will develop their understanding of Australia’s place within the Asia-Pacific region while building their skills in geographical inquiry, observation, and comparison. Students will begin by developing an understanding of Australia’s geographical location, climate, and key natural features before investigating nearby countries such as New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia.
Through structured comparisons, they will build skills in reading and interpreting geographical information, analysing data, and forming evidence-based explanations. Students will also explore how and why geographical features differ across regions, developing an understanding of the influence of location, climate, and environment on human settlement and land use.
The unit places a strong emphasis on the use of geographical vocabulary and critical thinking, supporting students to communicate their ideas clearly while deepening their understanding of the interconnectedness of people, places, and environments across the Asia-Pacific region.
Science
Unit: Solids, Liquids and Gases
Later in Term 3, Year 3/4 students will explore the properties of matter, a Science unit on solids, liquids, and gases. Students will investigate how materials can be described and classified based on their observable properties and how they behave in different states.
They will examine how solids retain their shape, how liquids can flow and take the shape of their container, and how gases can move freely and fill available space. Through hands-on experiments and investigations, students will observe, compare, and test different materials, developing their skills in predicting, recording, and explaining scientific observations.
Students will also explore how heating and cooling can cause materials to change state, deepening their understanding of everyday examples such as melting, freezing, and evaporation. Throughout the unit, they will be encouraged to ask questions, make predictions, and use scientific vocabulary to communicate their thinking while developing curiosity about the world around them.
Religion
Topic: Morality & Justice
The Religious Education Unit focuses on Morality and Justice and the church’s teaching through the concepts of solidarity and ‘Common Good’ of all. This will be interwoven with prayer and scripture areas making further connections through the social justice lens. The students will investigate the parables focusing on the pivotal actions of Jesus as examples of morality and social justice. They will explore and discuss how it impacts on their own lives, community and in our world. Students will investigate ways we can incorporate simple social justice initiatives into their everyday lives.
Wellbeing
Topic: Problem Solving
In this Year 3/4 Respectful Relationships unit, students will develop key skills for building and maintaining positive relationships with others. They will identify communication skills that enhance relationships and describe characteristics of cooperative behaviour, recognising these in group activities. Students will contribute to group decision-making and consider the possible consequences of different choices in a range of situations. They will explore a variety of conflict-resolution strategies to help negotiate positive outcomes when problems arise.
The unit also introduces the concept of leadership, supporting students to identify when it is appropriate to take on a leadership role. In addition, students will learn to describe and apply strategies to use in situations that may make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe, helping them to build confidence, resilience, and personal safety awareness in everyday contexts.