Year Four

Dear Year Four Families,

Let's go through the exciting and fun learning Year 4 have participated in over the last fortnight. Each of these experiences were hands on and created quite a buzz as you will see from the students faces and work examples. So get ready to read and enjoy!

Big Build

Students were engaged in a project: 'Building a Community for a Growing Population.' This hands-on learning experience was designed to help students to understand the importance of community planning, resource management and teamwork. Students worked together to create a model community that can sustainably support a growing population. 

Before been involved in this experience they learnt about the layout of towns and cities, considering essential aspects like housing, schools, parks, hospitals, and businesses. Students developed understanding of different land types and their uses. They analysed the previous census data of Point Cook to identify the type of communities lived in and their needs. Students transferred their learnt knowledge to build a city for the growing population.

By planning a community, students learnt to think ahead and solve complex problems related to population growth and resource allocation. Working in teams allowed students to share ideas, negotiate roles, and make collective decisions, which are essential skills for the future. The project tied in with real-world issues like urban development and sustainability, helping students see the relevance of what they are learning in class was an amazing experience.

Sovereign Hill

Students were excited to jump on a bus and head over to Ballarat to explore the past by visiting Sovereign Hill. This provocation leads to our next inquiry around the Transdisciplinary Theme 'Where we are in Place and Time'. Students had the opportunity to explore life in the late 1800's by visiting the stores, walking the streets and listening to a presentation by a 'miner' who described travelling to Ballarat in the Gold Rush era by ship and the conditions the people endured just to try their luck at finding gold. Students positioned themselves along the creek shovelling and panning for gold before sitting down to see real gold be smelted and poured into a mould. The

 highlight for the students was visiting the old time Confectionary store where lots of candy drops were purchased and devoured.

Mathematics

 In Mathematics, students devel into a new concept of multiplicative thinking.

They used formal and informal recordings to represent their strategies and communicate effectively with others. Students have been developing efficiency, flexibility and confidence in using a variety of mental strategies to solve problems of a multiplicative nature. They were given opportunities to deepen their understanding of the operations  themselves and the inverse relationship between multiplication and division. 

Along with the provided opportunities, teachers also built their understanding of mathematical vocabulary and communicating skills. 

Students’ developed confidence by understanding complex mathematical ideas through drawings, diagrams, enactment, gestures and modelling.

Reader's Theatre

Reading is so much fun when you dress up and take on a character! The Year Fours have been practising their fluency and expression by reading a range of comical scripts including grannies foiling a robbery, pirates bumbling to find treasure, a different rendition of Cinderella and some jesting archeologists to name a few.  

Students are encouraged to read every night to build their vocabulary and improve their fluency, expression and comprehension. 

Colour Run

We are few weeks away from our annual Colour Run here at Saltwater College! We have had over 100 students register and get sponsorships from their friends and family, but we still have a long way to go to reach our 2024 goal! Register your child today and receive awesome prizes for getting sponsors!

https://myprofilepage.com.au/campaign/create

Our Colour Run event will be running on September 20th (Final Day of Term Three) with more information to come in the next few weeks. We cannot wait for another successful colour run!

Scholastic Book Fair 

We are excited to announce that Saltwater P-9 College will be hosting the Scholastic Book Fair 2024! from 9th-13th September. The books will be available for parents and students to buy from the staffroom.

This annual event is a wonderful opportunity for students to discover new books, ignite their imaginations, and develop a lifelong love of reading. 

Reminders: 

• Students are expected to bring their fully charged MacBooks to school every day. 
• Late arrivals (8:40am onwards) require a late pass from the office.
• Please make sure all the student absences are recorded on Xuno and a comment is provided for it.
• Homework was sent out on Monday and will be due on 28th August. Please check your class school box page for a digital copy.

Kind Regards,

Year 4 Team