Year 3/4

Literacy

In Literacy, we continue our reading of The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Students are strengthening their comprehension skills by exploring the relationships between characters, examining their motivations and considering how these develop throughout the story. They are responding to text-dependent questions and learning to support their ideas with evidence from the text. Students have also engaged in thoughtful discussions about symbolism and the significance of key events, developing a deeper understanding of the novel.

Alongside our novel study, students continue to build their literacy skills through daily routines. Recently, we have been exploring prefixes and suffixes, investigating how they change the meaning of words. Students have been building word lists, expanding their vocabulary and applying their new learning to their own writing. We create and share stories every Monday as part of Rocket Writing.

Numeracy

In Math, students have been developing their understanding of fractions and decimals, focusing on the place value of decimal numbers and locating decimals accurately on a number line. They have also represented decimals visually using pictures and models to strengthen their understanding. Students have been developing their problem-solving skills by using a variety of strategies to solve worded problems involving the addition and subtraction of decimals.

In Measurement, students have explored length and perimeter using both formal and informal units.

They applied these skills in a fun Design a Zoo activity, where they created their own zoo and calculated the perimeter of different animal enclosures.

Students have also been learning about area, using a range of strategies to calculate the area of regular and irregular shapes.

Humanities

In Science, students have been busy investigating thermal conductivty by conducting hands-on experiments, predicting which methods would melt different types of chocolate most effectively, developing a hypothesis and recording and comparing their findings.

Students have also investigated different types of forces, including tension, spring force, magnetic force, friction and gravity. Using a variety of materials such as timber, plastic, cloth, aluminium and paper clips, they made predictions, observed results and used scientific language to explain and support their thinking. They have also explored how gravity and friction affect the movement of objects and how these forces work together in everyday situations.

Wellbeing

Students have been learning about 'My individuality – The many facets of me'. Students created an 'Identity Wheel' writing and drawing about things that make them unique. They have learned to recognise the different things that make up their identity such as, their interests, strengths, friendships, and the similarities and differences between themselves and their peers. This has helped them develop respect and appreciation for others, building a stronger sense of belonging within our classroom community.

Anti-Bullying Week:

On Monday 17th August, we took part in an online seminar presented by Kids Helpline, which explored bullying through discussion and practical ideas. A key message from the seminar was the importance of being an upstander rather than a bystander, using the simple strategy: “Pause, Choose, Act.”

Spelling Bee

Students had a fantastic time participating in the Moriac Spelling Bee, putting their spelling skills to the test across a number of exciting rounds. Students first competed within their classes before progressing to the cohort rounds, where they challenged themselves with some increasingly tricky vocabulary.

All students demonstrated wonderful courage, determination and persistence, stepping outside their comfort zones and giving each word their best attempt. It was especially pleasing to see students encouraging, celebrating and supporting their peers throughout the competition. We are incredibly proud of everyone who participated and had a go! Congratulations to everyone who participated, winning points for their house and an extra congratulations to our overall winners Ned Parkinson and Cove Libbis.

Tree Planting Day

Our Grade 4 students had a fantastic time at Tree Planting Day, enthusiastically planting an amazing 300 grasses and carefully placing plant guards around them. After all their hard work, students enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch perfectly cooked by the volunteers from the Torquay Rotary, followed by watermelon, a chocolate treat and some well-earned playtime on the playground. Throughout the day, students demonstrated our school values, worked wonderfully together and showed that they were enthusiastic little gardeners! A big thank you to the Torquay & District Landcare Group for their help and support in making the day such a success.