Year Four Team News

Hello Year Four families,

Fortnightly Curriculum Focus

Literacy: In Reading, Year 4 students have revisited Reader’s Theatre. Students have formed their own groups, and using provided scripts are practising their fluency and expressive skills. Students have chosen a character to play and must take on this persona through their voice, tone and fluency. Students will present these plays over the coming weeks. Students have also finished book club for the term. Students thoroughly enjoyed participating in group discussions about a particular book they chose to read. Discussions would range from the themes in the books, questions about events, did they agree or disagree with the author’s choices and explained why. We are continuing to cover our class novel, ‘The One and Only Ivan’ written by Katherine Applegate. In this novel students are challenged to form opinions about various themes and messages in this book and are encouraged to think from the perspective of the characters in the text. In Writing students are enjoying our Stop Motion unit. Students have explored fairytales and have created scripts of their own fractured fairytale. Students have then collaborated in groups to create sets and backgrounds, characters from lego or clay and have used technology to form their very own stop motion movie to present their fairytales to their class.

Numeracy: In Numeracy, Year 4 students have revised their knowledge of Place Value and linking this knowledge to decimals. Students have used hands-on materials, decimats and place value games to support their understanding of parts of a whole number, extending to tenths, hundredths and thousandths. Students are also exploring these concepts and linking these skills to support their skills and understandings in addition and subtraction with decimals. Students have solved worded problems and real life examples to further explore how these skills are relevant to everyday life. Students are also using online programs such as Essential Assessment to reinforce skills and target specific individual goals. 

Inquiry: Over the last few weeks students have worked collaboratively in groups to present an iMovie or presentation about the topic ‘Space.’ Students have solidified their understanding of the Earth, Moon and Sun by explaining how seasons change, what are the phases and cycles of the moon and how day and night really works. Students expressed their understandings creatively by using iMovie and voice overs. Everyone has worked tremendously hard on this project and should be incredibly proud of what has been achieved in this unit of work. Students have had the opportunity to present this to the class.

Willy Kids: Our fortnightly focus has been: "Willy Kids are Ambitious." Students this fortnight have learnt about what being ambitious means and how this is an important trait of a Willy Kid. Students have reflected on how this characteristic can shape who they are and future achievements. Students have also reflected on when they have been ambitious in the past.

Respectful Relationships: This term we are learning about stress management. We have focused on the following subtopics

• What is stress?
• Self calming and control techniques
• Calming and coping
• Relaxation techniques

Your child may come home with questions regarding this content. 

Reminders:

• Please bring devices to school everyday, fully charged.
• Please bring a Sunsmart hat and sunscreen as the weather is becoming warmer.
• Ice Cream visit. Students will walk down to the local ice cream shop on Monday the 9th of December as a cohort. Please ensure you have seen the details on compass.
• The last day of school is Friday the 20th of December. Students will be dismissed EARLY at 1:30pm.

Please note, each grade 4 class will host KK this year. Students will have their KK given Thursday the 12th of December and will exchange their KK gifts on Thursday the 19th of December.

Merry Christmas from the Grade 4 teams and have a safe and happy summer break!

Warm regards,

The Grade Four Team - Matt Eason-Jones (4E), Rebecca Givogue & Toni Lind (4G), Brittlee Salvo (4S)