Year Three

Dear Year Three families,

Welcome back to Saltwater for 2023! We can’t believe how quick the holiday period has gone. I hope all our Saltwater families have enjoyed this restful and relaxing summer break. 

The positivity these first two weeks from our new Year Three students' faces has been a joy to see. The Year Three teachers have been so excited to spend this time to truly get to know their class. 

Introducing the Year Three Team

With every year our school continues to grow which means hiring new staff is inevitable, but this brings about an exciting opportunity for fresh faces and new ideas and experiences! Within the Year Three team, we are thrilled to introduce our new staff members for this year – Jessica Stretton and Dianne Traianon (3B), Shilpi Puri (3D) and Dylan Bissell (3I). All four of these teachers have settled smoothly within our team and have quickly built positive relationships with their classes. If you see these teachers around the school, we encourage you to stop and say a quick ‘hello’ and show them the true Saltwater spirit. We are also very pleased to welcome Noah Mernik (3A), who previously was a Year Two teacher and Andrew Mcintyre (3G) who as previously a Year One teacher. They are joined by David Vivoda (3C), Sidra Fatima (3E) and Sarah Pearce (3F) Belinda Adams (3I) making up our Year Three team for 2023.

As you are now aware, all Year Three classrooms are located in the back double story portables, between the playgrounds and back fence. Our wonderful Year Three cohort are lucky enough to be in close proximity to each other, making this a fantastic opportunity to meet new students. 

The First 20 Days 

Over the coming weeks, all Year Three students will participate in our start up program, ‘The First 20 Days’. The program is designed to set the environment up to assist students with settling into their new class by focusing on developing good work habits, positive attitudes and behaviours towards school, independence as well as establishing routines and structures. Over the past two weeks students have been going through this start up program, preparing students for success in all areas of their learning. Throughout the next two weeks of this program, we will have a positive outlook on lessons and activities that encourage your child to bond with both their new teacher and peers. 

Reading

In Reading, students have begun reading focus  groups within the classroom. This has given students a chance to read with their teacher and focus on specific skills they require further assistance in. As a Year Three cohort, a massive focus for us is students’ comprehension. Students are encouraged to have discussions about the books that they are reading with their families at home. We have also been focusing on the concept of ‘Genre’ and distinguishing between fiction and non-fiction texts. Students have been identifying different components of these texts including an index and glossary for fon-fiction texts, and problem and solution for fiction texts. The teachers strongly encourage all students to be reading every single night! 

Writing

A huge focus in writing has been launching our Writer's Notebook in Year Three. Students' creativity has come out as we have spent writing lessons creating seeds based on the things we hold ‘near and dear’ as well as ideas for creative writing. Students are now aware of the writing expectations within Year Three. Students will continue to plan their writing in their Writer's Notebook, and use the writing process to draft, revise, edit and publish work over the coming weeks as we dive into Narrative writing.

Maths

In Mathematics, students have been using the Launch, Explore, Discuss model in maths classes to engage in math-based activities. We have been looking into whole number tasks such as odds and evens, ordering numbers, skip counting and using the acronym 'RUCSAC' as a tool to help solve worded problems. All of these skills will set students up as we move into looking at additive and multiplicative thinking over the next two weeks. 

As we start to get into the school year, if you have any concerns or queries, we encourage families to first seek assistance from their child's classroom teacher, as they are usually your best point of contact. If required, your child's classroom teacher can forward on any further queries to a member of the leadership team. As a mindset, there is a solution to every problem, focusing on a positive solution-based mindset establishes the foundation to ensure the best for all our community. 

I wish everyone all the best for an enjoyable and successful 2023 in Year Three. It will be an exciting year and I can't wait to work closely with all of the students across Year Three over 2023 as well as getting to know the Year Three family community. 

Kind regards,

David Vivoda

Year Three Leading Teacher

Reminders

• In Term One, it is required that all students wear their hats during recess and lunch. 

• We kindly remind students to remember their wide brim hats must be worn every recess and lunch and ensure they have a full water bottle every day.

• Please ensure iPads are sent to school fully charged.

• Year Three Parent Information Evening – Thursday February 21st at 6pm.