Year Three News 

As the year draws to a close, there is still lots of learning happening in the classroom. Students have been busy practising their Christmas carols and are creating their dance moves with the guidance of Mr H. Classes have begun to decorate their Christmas doors and walls which is a sign that the summer holidays are not far away. We also celebrated Superhero day, with the Year Three's very own Caat Steaman playing a vital role in organising the day. The students all did a fantastic job dressing up like Superheroes and donating to such an amazing cause. 

As the weather warms up, we would like to remind families that hats are compulsory during outdoor play times. Please make sure that children bring a clearly labelled school hat every day. 

Reading 

In Reading, the Year Threes inquired into Dreamtime Stories. They learnt about dreamtime stories as an integral part of Aboriginal culture, used to explain the beliefs behind creation and how life came to be. Students enjoyed reading the Dreamtime story, ‘Tiddalick the Frog’.  The story is about a small mischievous frog whose greed results in all of the water in the creeks, lakes and rivers being depleted, resulting in the other animals working together to see it returned. Students used a graphic organiser to identify the characters, setting, series of events and moral. They then completed a 'cloze' activity where they selected appropriate words to complete the story 

Writing 

In Writing, the Year Three students revisited the genre of narrative writing. They considered the structure of a narrative and were encouraged to include interesting characters, an appropriate setting, an engaging complication, a sequential series of events and a solution to the problem. Students spent time generating interesting ideas and carefully planning their narratives. They then drafted their stories paying careful attention to word choice, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation. Students were encouraged to revise and edit their work once they had completed their draft copy. 

Mathematics 

In Mathematics this week students have been very busy! This week, students across Year Three re- sat the practise NAPLAN maths test that they took in April so teachers and students could celebrate their amazing growth throughout the year. In preparation for this test student spent the week revising NAPLAN style questions and focusing on breaking down the different strategies we can use to help us solve different worded problems. We also started our new unit on financial maths! Students began to learn about the different notes and coins that we have in Australia and their values. Students practised rounding money to the nearest dollar and learnt how to convert between dollars and cents. Students had the opportunity to shop from a catalogue with their own class money. They had to buy as many items as they could with $150 and keep a record of their spending.  Classes also created their own shops! In pairs, students had to first decide on what their shop would sell and create a competitive price list. They then had to keep a record of their sales and provide the correct change to their classmates. 

Inquiry 

We have begun our final unit of Inquiry, ‘Sharing the Planet’ and students are researching various animals in order to create an information report. We began the unit by viewing the documentary, ‘A Life on our Planet’ which introduced the students to the complexities of our natural environment. Students recorded their wonderings about this unit and have already been learning about the different adaptations that animals have to help them survive in their natural habitats. The students have been researching an animal of their choice, including where they live, their environment and unusual adaptations they have made in response to their surroundings. 

Keep an eye on Schoolbox for upcoming information about our Week 10 ‘Camp Experience Week’. More information to come early next week! 

Kind Regards, 

The Year Three Teaching Team 

Matt Symmons, Charotte Harper, Sidra Fatima, James Peterson and Susan de Lange