Fantastic 4

Term 1 Week 8

Year 4 Newsletter

Welcome to Week 8 of Term 1! 

Literacy:

In Literacy, students will begin planning and writing their own narrative inspired by a remote island adventure, similar to Nim’s Island. We hope their prior learning will help scaffold this process and build confidence in their writing.

Students will focus on describing characters and settings using interesting adjectives, as well as developing creative and relevant problems and resolutions. They will also work on building tension throughout their stories and creating characters who grow and change as the narrative unfolds.

To support them, students will be given a checklist of key elements to include and will be encouraged to “begin with the end in mind” as they plan their stories. Over the coming weeks, they will challenge themselves to grow as writers, and we are very excited to read their finished stories in a few weeks’ time.

Maths: 

In Year 4 Mathematics, students are developing their knowledge and understanding of multiplication and division through the use of arrays and a variety of problem-solving strategies. We would welcome you to support their learning at home by practising multiplication tables together. 

Inquiry 

This term, students have continued exploring Australia’s history, focusing on the contact between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and others, including Europeans, and the impact these interactions had on people, cultures and the environment. Through discussions, stories and source materials, students are developing a deeper understanding of how these early encounters shaped Australia’s past.

Students have been investigating the journey of the First Fleet and sequencing key historical events. They have also been exploring different perspectives from this time, considering the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, convicts and settlers. This has encouraged thoughtful discussion about how history can be viewed and understood in different ways.

Throughout these lessons, students have been asking questions, researching information and practising how to distinguish between facts and opinions. They are continuing to build their skills in sharing ideas respectfully and listening to the perspectives of others.

Students have been enjoying presenting their learning through a range of digital activities, creative tasks and class discussions. As the unit progresses, they will continue reflecting on how events from the past connect to Australia today and why understanding history helps us better understand the world around us.

Buddies

On Friday afternoons, we are lucky to welcome the Year 1 students into our classrooms for some shared activities. Together, we have enjoyed an outdoor scavenger hunt, created a farewell card for Ms Taylor who worked across both classes, read stories together, and drawn our favourite scenes from picture books.

These sessions have been a wonderful opportunity for students to build connections across year levels, and it has been lovely to see the Year 4 students step into their roles as supportive role models. It is something they look forward to each week. 

Extra Announcements:

• We are building family walls in our classroom, please send any photos from home to your child's classroom teacher
• Hats are required in Term 1