From the Year 4 Classroom

We hope you all enjoyed the extended break and had some special time together as a family. It’s been a slightly different start to the term, but we’re excited to be back and into the swing of things. As you’ve no doubt heard, our Harrietville camp was a wonderful experience! The children were amazing—embracing challenges and having a go at things they weren’t sure they could do, like the ropes course, high swing, tree climbing, and archery. They also loved hut building, cooking damper, and going on night walks. While some took a little longer than others to drift off to sleep, overall, they were fantastic!Now that we’re back, we’re settling into our routines for Term 2. 

Literacy and Inquiry 

We’ve begun reading Uncle Xbox, which is leading us into our Indigenous Studies unit. We're learning about the impact of European colonisation on Australia, and the children have shown a strong interest in Captain Cook, the First Fleet, and early settlement. We’re also exploring how these events affected Indigenous communities. The children will soon write a factual recount based on what they’ve learned. In spelling, we’re focusing on the ‘ion’ suffix and learning when the letters ‘c’ and ‘g’ make the soft sound. 

Mathematics 

We are learning about decimals and exploring how they connect to fractions—a topic we covered just before the holidays. A big help at home would be practising multiplication facts regularly to build fluency and confidence. 

Religion 

Our focus in Religion is the Holy Spirit and Pentecost, as we prepare for the children’s Confirmation/Eucharist Mass. Please remember to send in a photo of your child with their Sponsor to be included on their Confirmation poster. Thank you to those who have already sent one in. 

Helping Families in Cebu 

You may have heard your child talk about the people in we support in Cebu. Lisa Boyer, our recent guest speaker, shared how she collects and sends much-needed goods to families in the Philippines, with help from Janine Whitelock and Alison. They ship 10boxes twice a year. If you have any used children’s or baby clothes, shoes, books, puzzles, games, toiletries, or throws, please drop them off into the 4S space. We would appreciate if they were in good condition. Thank you. Lisa’s PowerPoint presentation really sparked the students’ empathy and curiosity— we’re proud of their desire to make a difference, as it gives them a meaningful and practical way to live out the fruits of the Spirit—Love, Kindness, Self-Control, Joy, Generosity, Patience, Peace, and Gentleness.

Mother’s Day Celebration 

We warmly invite all our beautiful mums (and grandmothers, aunties, or any special women in your child's life) to join us on Friday for our Mother’s Day liturgy, followed by morning tea and a special art/craft activity with the children. 

Lost Property Help!! We’ve ended up with a pair of size 4 black ASICS girls' shoes from camp. If yourdaughter came home with a pair like this, please double-check her size—we’d love toreunite the shoes with their rightful owner!