Apollo

Snapshot of Grade 4 Learning This Month

The students and teachers in Apollo have enjoyed a fantastic start to the year! The first few weeks have been filled with opportunities to get to know one another and establish positive classroom routines. Students have already taken part in exciting experiences, including our first 3–6 assembly, where many were recognised with Care Awards for demonstrating our school values. We have also been working together to set clear expectations and build strong learning routines for the year ahead.

Reading

This term in Reading, our Year 4 students have been learning how good readers think carefully before, during and after they read. We practised making predictions before reading by looking at the title, pictures and key words. While reading, students stopped to check and confirm or change their predictions based on new information in the text. Students also explored the structure of a narrative (story). We identified the different parts, including:

Setting – where and when the story happens

Characters – who the story is about

Problem – the challenge or conflict

Events – what happens in the story

Resolution – how the problem is solved

We discussed how understanding the structure helps readers clearly follow what is happening in each part of the story. Students examined how authors use language features such as verbs, adjectives and adverbs to describe actions and show characters’ emotions. We also located dialogue in texts and learned how punctuation (quotation marks, commas and full stops) is used to show when characters are speaking.It has been wonderful to see students thinking deeply, sharing their ideas and growing in confidence as readers!

Sunshine Online 

At Aitken Hill Primary School, students have access to Sunshine Online, a digital reading platform. The classroom teacher will provide login details this term so students can practise reading at home.

Here is the attached link : https://www.sunshineonline.com.au/

Writing 

This term, our students have been learning how to write a recount. A recount tells about something that has already happened. We have been focusing on using correct past tense verbs so that events are clearly written in the past. Students have practised changing verbs (for example, walk to walked, go to went) and checking that their verbs stay in the past tense all the way through their writing.

We have also been learning how to use time connectives and conjunctions to help our writing make sense and flow smoothly. Words and phrases such as first, next, then, after that, later, because and so help students put events in the correct order and explain why things happened. These words are especially important for students learning English, as they make ideas clearer for the reader.

Students have explored the clear structure of a recount: an orientation (who was there, where it happened and when), a series of events in order, and a short conclusion. In their conclusion, students explain how they felt, what they learned, or why the event was important. We are very proud of the way students are building their confidence and writing more detailed and organised recounts.

Maths

In Maths, students have been developing their understanding of place value, decimals, and data representation. They have been learning to recognise place value up to the thousands, as well as tenths and hundredths, using hands-on materials such as MAB blocks and bar models to strengthen their understanding. Students have practised reading, representing, and expanding numbers to show their place value, and created place value flip charts to build their own numbers in multiple ways. They also enjoyed comparing and ordering numbers from smallest to largest.

Alongside this, students have been learning to collect, represent, and interpret data using tally marks, tables, and a range of graphs, including pictographs and bar graphs. They have practised designing survey questions and analysing data to draw meaningful conclusions. Students have also begun exploring the relationships between hours, minutes, and seconds, as well as learning to measure and compare durations.

We are excited to see their continued progress as they build confidence and deepen their understanding of these important mathematical concepts.

Inquiry

Our Grade 4 students have been deeply engaged in exploring healthy eating and exercise through a hands-on inquiry approach. They have been keeping their own food diaries and thoughtfully comparing their daily food choices with the recommendations in The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Through this process, students have been identifying different food groups, recognising the nutrients and vitamins found in the foods they eat, and developing a stronger understanding of how these nutrients support their growing bodies and overall wellbeing.

In addition to learning about food, students have also been exploring the important role of physical activity in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They have been learning about the benefits of regular exercise, including how it helps build strength, improve energy levels, support mental wellbeing, and keep their bodies active and strong. It has been wonderful to see students making meaningful connections between healthy food choices and physical activity, reflecting on their everyday habits, and developing greater awareness of how their daily decisions impact their health. This inquiry has encouraged students to think critically about their lifestyles and take positive steps towards building healthy habits for life.

SEL

This term, students have been developing their social and emotional learning skills through a range of engaging activities. They have been learning to identify and name different emotions, describe how their bodies respond to feelings, and recognise how body language gives clues about how others may be feeling. Students have also practised respectful ways to ask others about their emotions. As part of building healthy habits, students explored how regular positive habits help them feel and perform better. They have been using their Student Journals to reflect, set goals, and track healthy habits and mood. In addition, students have identified their personal and cultural character strengths and discussed how these strengths can support their learning and help them thrive in everyday life.

 Reminders

🔔 Hats: Students must wear hats during Terms 1 and 4.

🍎 Brain Food: Please ensure your child brings fruit or vegetables for brain food each day.

📖 Home Readers: These should be changed daily.

🎒 Library Bags and Books: Please return these on your child’s library day.

📝 Homework: Please return completed homework every Friday.