Middle School News

Important Reminders

Grade 4 Melbourne History Excursion is on August 7th.

We will be doing a lot of walking around Melbourne, so please wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. 

Learning in Action

Literacy: 

Grade 3: This term students have been introduced to poetry and we have linked it to our Inquiry unit on Australian Indigenous history. We started the unit reading free-verse and cinquain poems and writing them based on Dreamtime stories.

This term, students started Literacy Circles as part of our reading program. This required them to learn and practise various roles in a small group setting. We commenced with the roles of predictor and connector, based on their chosen text. They enjoy analysing, discussing and sharing their ideas and wonderings.

Grade 4: The students have finished writing persuasively. They explored many effective persuasive devices such as beginning with an engaging introduction, restating their objective in a conclusion, and using alliteration, exaggeration, data and facts. Last week the students used their powers of persuasion to create an advertisement, which developed their oral language and collaborative skills. 

This week the students started their poetry unit. They read haiku poems and analysed the text structure and the effects of the language used. They then followed the same structure to create their own haiku poems. 

Preview: 

Grade 3: Students will continue creating poems for their poetry anthologies with the addition of haiku and diamante poems. The upcoming Literacy Circles will focus on the roles of Word Wizard and Summariser.

Grade 4: The students will continue reading and writing poetry. Next week they will be focusing on cinquain poems.  

Maths: 

Grade 3:  The Year 3 study of the process of multiplication has continued with  students learning about the Commutative property. While making arrays, the students revised the understanding that 3x4=4x3. They have then learnt about splitting arrays to use both addition and multiplication to solve multiplication problems i.e. 6x4=3x4+3x4 or 4x4+2x4.

The students have also looked at the relationship between addition and multiplication using repeated addition and skip counting with number lines. Alongside all of the above is the learning of 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x tables in order to facilitate automatic recall of multiplication facts. The students have revised analogue and digital time when reading the time to the nearest minute. 

Grade 4: The students have developing their understanding of multiplication. They have explored the language and purpose associated with multiplication, and have trialled the 'split strategy' whereby numbers are broken up into their place values to make multiplication easier. 

E.g. 

After a big focus on the skills required for the Maths Investigation in Week 1, the students have continued to build their repertoire of proficiencies. They have developed their knowledge of shape, area and symmetry, and now they have begun to create their own 2D shapes that encompass all of these elements.  

Preview: 

Grade 3: Doubling (e.g. the connection between 2’s and 4’s, 3’s and 6’s, 5’s and 10’s) and continue to revise strategies taught so far. Also to continue with Time investigation by making cards showing various analogue and digital times. 

Grade 4:  Next week the Grade 4s will be investigating, proving, realising, and using the connections between the times tables. 

E.g. x9 = triple x3

        x8 = double 4

        x9 = x10 - 1

Wellbeing:

This term, the Respectful Relationships program continued with exploring gender norms and stereotyping in children's literature, comparing traditional and modern-day fairytales which created rich discussions. Friendology focussed on the qualities of friendship and students became familiar with the Friend-o-Meter, an indicator of the 'health' of our friendships.  Students identified the difference between healthy & unhealthy friendships and the impact that body language has on our friendships. The theme of friendship was celebrated for International Day of Friendship through our whole school Circles program, which culminated in each student creating a personal Friendship Flower. These are displayed on the walls and ceiling in the corridors of the school.

Inquiry: 

Grade 3: The Year 3s have commenced their study of our First People’s history by looking at the Dreamtime. The students have listened to the Dreamtime story - The Rainbow Serpent explaining indigenous beliefs concerning the creation of the world and its people. The students have also observed indigenous practices i.e. hunting and food gathering and noticed their inherent sustainable practices. 

Grade 4:  The students have read stories and listened to elders, and have identified features of the Aboriginal culture, and looked at how their beliefs influence their behaviours. They have now begun to explore what life must have been like in England in the 1700s. The circumstances of the time certainly drove emotions and actions.  

Preview: 

Grade 3: The students will explore Indigenous agricultural practices and the use of tools. 

Grade 4:  The students will examine many different explorers of the past and the methods and reasons for searching for new lands. 

Year 3 Phillip Island Excursion

What an adventure for the Year 3s with their inaugural long-day excursion finishing at Phillip Island! Despite an ominous sky and a wind chill factor, the Year 3s set off at 9 am and surprisingly the weather gods were kind. The animals at Moonlit were as expected- delightful, the mangroves at Rhyll - fascinating, the wind at the Nobbies - impressive and the penguins - inspiring. Thank you to all who assisted to make this a very memorable day.