Year 4 Celebration 

Newsletter

Reading

In our reading block we have continued to explore a range of rich mentor texts. Two of our favourites this term have been the National Simultaneous story ‘Bowerbird Blues’ and ‘Are You a Snail?’ These books have allowed us to activate our prior knowledge, make connections, summarize the stories, and answer questions using evidence directly from the text.

A significant focus has been on the ‘Big 6’ components of reading. We are working diligently to improve our fluency, ensuring we read accurately, at a good pace, and with expression. This, in turn, is helping us better comprehend what we read. Teachers have also continued to conduct small groups to focus on students' specific needs and assist them in reaching their individual reading goals.

Writing

In writing, we've been exploring the genres of instruction and explanation. Our budding writers are working on developing increased fluency and automaticity when writing, as well as improving their typing speed. They are also focusing on consistently using full stops, exclamation marks, and question marks as end marks in their writing.

Mathematics

Math in Grade 4 has been filled with hands-on learning experiences. We've been exploring shapes and objects in space and learning about locations. In the realm of numbers, we've been focusing on additive thinking, practicing various adding and subtracting strategies, including using money.

Students have set personal math goals using our school's math community framework. They’ve been mastering ways to make numbers up to 9, and once confident, they move on to more advanced goals.

Wellbeing

We have been looking in depth about how to be kind to others and show small acts of Kindness. Students learnt how to understand the impact of showing kindness through writing small positive messages about their peers on strips of paper, filling the buckets of their peers with the positive messages they’ve written and reflecting on their feelings when reading and writing these positive messages.

Students have also explored their personal strengths by identifying character strengths in others and actions that match these character strengths.

Inquiry - Science (Earth and Space): Cosmic Connections: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Sun, Earth, and Moon!

Students explored the Earth’s relationship with the Sun and how the Sun, Earth, and Moon interact. They learnt that the rotation of the Earth on its axis causes regular changes, including night and day and the pattern of the seasons.

They also explored design and technologies and students looked at how the forces and properties of materials affect the behaviour of a product or system. They even designed and created a marble run with a sequence of steps.

We are so proud of all the hard work and enthusiasm our Grade 4 students have shown. Thank you, parents, for your continuous support and encouragement!

Performing Arts

During Performing Arts throughout Term 2, Grade Four students expanded upon their knowledge of reading sheet music, taking on the challenge of more complex songs on the keyboard. They refined their physical techniques and confidently shared their keyboard music with peers, engaging in constructive feedback. Students greatly enjoyed composing their own short musical pieces, which they created and then wrote onto a musical stave, before the challenge of trying to play each other’s songs.

Visual Arts

This term, students in Year 4 explored drawing using pencils, markers and oil pastels. They reflected on the process taken to make their art as well as the completed product. Students worked alongside a community artist as they created their own original canvas art for our upcoming Art Show. They worked towards being courageous artists who gave new techniques a try, and they worked safely in the art room.They reflected on the process taken to make their art as well as the completed product.  Students have had a wonderful time this term in the Visual Arts room.

Japanese

This term in Japanese, the Grade 4 students developed their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills through the Unit ‘I went to the Zoo’. Students learned to identify, say and write the Japanese names of a variety of zoo animals. They built on their speaking and listening skills through learning to ask and answer the question “What did you see?” Students continued to have opportunities to revise Hiragana characters. They also learnt about cultural events in Japan such as Ohanami and Children’s Day.

PE

In Grade 4 PE classes, students continued to develop their fundamental movement skills while exploring more challenging games and sports. They refined their techniques and strategies, focusing on fair play and teamwork. Students refined their skills in different Athletic events with the opportunity to compete in these at Athletics Day. Social skills were emphasised through cooperative play and team sports, fostering empathy and leadership abilities.