News from the 3/4 Team...
Busy Times in Grades 3/4!
Hi to all Grade 3/4 Parents and Carers.
So far, Term Four has been jam packed with learning and development opportunities for all our students.
Reading
Students continue to develop their reading skills by studying texts and then sharing their thoughts in Book Club. Exercises include writing a book review, creating an alternative ending, or comparing characters from different stories. Students are expected to read at home for about thirty minutes each evening, and it is great for their development if parents read along with them too.
Writing
Students are working hard on their narratives which will form the basis for their Stop Motion animation. So far, students have developed their plots, characters and settings, with a focus on sentence fluency and a broad vocabulary. To help them, they have analysed the plot structure of popular children's books to identify the stages of a story from exposition through to resolution. Here you can see the clever plot analysis work by Scarlet, Lily and Issy in 3/4R:
Integrated Studies
The 'Frame by Frame' unit is moving along in tandem with their writing as students are creating a narrative which will then be used as a screenplay for their animation. To help them think about the process of film making, students have watched two news items about special effects and sound effects, and also learnt about the history of storytelling. Having practised using the Stop Motion app on their ipads, students now need to finetune their narratives/screenplays before they can commence shooting. We have many budding Spielbergs and Hitchcocks in Grades 3/4 - and the teachers are anxiously awaiting their big screen debuts!
Maths
Students are exploring the concept of time – how it is measured, how a calendar works, time zones around the world, and the forgotten art of reading an analogue clock. They are also learning how to navigate timetables, calculate the duration of lapsed time, and plan an excursion using online information.
Students began the unit by drawing a visual representation of how they saw time. Below are the imaginative interpretations by Grace, Deborah, Asa and Alice of 3/4R:
Swimming
Of course, a highlight of the past couple of weeks has been the swimming programme at Aqualink in Nunawading. Experienced and novice swimmers alike have taken the plunge, and received expert tuition from the pool coaches. Students have been graded into groups to suit their levels of ability, and there has been an emphasis on water safety. Great fun, and students have been very tired for the afternoon lessons back at school.
Many thanks to every parent/carer helper who gave up their time - we could not run the programme without your support!
Congratulations!
To Mr Roast who won the Kew Croquet Club Championship using a mallet designed and illustrated by students of 3/4R:
Home Learning
- 2 Essential Assessment My Numeracy modules - classroom teachers will inform their students which tasks are to be completed for the week that will match-up with learning at school.
- If you are unsure if your child is completing their My Numeracy modules, please email your classroom teacher who can tell you how they are faring with the work.
- Spelling Practice - students will bring home a copy of their spelling words. These are typically on their iPad.
- Reading - Students should be reading independently for about thirty minutes each night from a "just right" book. We also highly encourage families to get their children to read out loud at times or for parents to model how to read.
Extracurricular Activities
Upcoming dates for your 3/4 diaries:
- Maths Magic Incursion/Celebration Day - Wednesday 8th November
- Whole School Expo - Friday 8th December
- 2024 Transition Day - Tuesday 12th December
Also note that Monday 6th November 2023 is a pupil free day.
If you have any questions about this term, please make sure that you contact your child's classroom teacher.
Regards,
The Year 3/4 Team
Cameron Batt, Ray Owens, Claire Brennan, Sarah Jacobs, Lisa Trevorrow, Lyndsey Thwaites, Sarah Amiconi, Paul Roast and Philip Wickham