Year 3 - Middle Unit

Carlsruhe Orientation Day

Last Friday, the Year 3 students got a taste of the Carlsruhe life during their orientation day. The fantastic weather meant the Year 3s were able to get the full Carlsruhe experience, including exploring the grounds and meeting the resident animals. 

They started the day by meeting the bus drivers who will be taking them from the main campus to Carlsruhe each day next year. This included learning the expected behaviours when travelling.

Once there, the Year 3s were paired up with a Year 4 buddy. They completed three activities with their buddy over the course of the day. The activities were mapping the grounds, getting to know/writing facts about the animals and plants and creating a slideshow about the experience.

In between all this, there was plenty of time to play on the oval and explore the Year 4 cubbies.

The Year 3 students returned to school very tired but exhibiting great enthusiasm for next year! We thank the Year 4 teachers for providing a fun, well organised experience. 

Some things we learnt about the Carlsruhe campus:

• The animals at Carlsruhe include guinea pigs, chickens and sheep

• The sheep are noisy! 

• There is a student created indigenous garden 

• We’ll be responsible for looking after the vegetable garden and animals 

• We get to sit at old style desks where you lift the top of the desk to get your things 

• There are lots of great places to hide and build cubbies

In the classrooms…

Reading and Writing 

Over the past few weeks the Year 3 students have been exploring the purpose and structure of instructional texts. They had a chance to apply their knowledge by creating a ‘disgusting recipe’ and goodness, some truly ‘gross’ ideas were unleashed! The Year 3s are currently creating an instructional text of their own choosing, with many keen to create a video tutorial. 

This week we’ve also started to examine science fiction writing and have begun to explore science fiction themes through a shared novel, ‘A Rover’s Story’ by Jasmine Warga. The main character of the book is a Mars rover so the Year 3s have been expanding their knowledge of both robots and Mars to help build understanding.   

Maths

The Year 3s have been undertaking a fractions unit for the past three weeks. They have explored fractional amounts of both shapes and collections, including comparing fractions to find the larger of the two. The Year 3s have done an awesome job of applying their knowledge to a range of hands-on activities, including creating fraction robots and fraction walls. Making sure all the parts are equal (and proving it) has certainly been a real challenge! 

Inquiry

This term, the Year 3 students are exploring the question ‘How can we design and create a simple game using algorithms and digital tools?’ They will be exploring three digital tools to create a science fiction ‘world’ - Scratch Jnr, Tinkercad (3D modelling) and Chrome Music Lab. The students will have a chance to mix between grades during rotations where we explore and create with each of these digital tools. We’re looking forward to seeing amazing creativity in action! 

Parent Information Evening

We warmly invite you to attend the Year 4 2026 Parent Information Evening on Wednesday, October 29th, at the Carlsruhe campus from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

This evening is a great opportunity to learn more about the exciting Year 4 program and the unique learning experiences offered at Carlsruhe, including:

• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

• River Detectives Program

• Jobs Program

• Day-to-day routines

• Animal and Garden roster for families

We’re also pleased to have Craig from eSmart joining us to share practical tips and advice on supporting your child to use devices safely and responsibly. We will also have Kathryn Steel from JB HiFi Education to answer any questions about purchasing a device using their online portal.

If you’re able to attend, please register your interest through the Compass Event.

We look forward to seeing you there and supporting a smooth transition into Year 4.

Year 3 Teachers

Nathan Spilsted (3NS), Mark Condon (3MC), Zoe Sutherland/Iain Sparrey (3SS)