Year 3/4 - Newsletter
Dear Parents & Carers,
Wow! The past couple of weeks have been incredibly busy, exciting and full of wonderful learning experiences in our classrooms!
We had such a fantastic Book Day celebration, and it was wonderful to see the students embrace the day with so much enthusiasm. We were excited to see students' creative and fabulous dress-ups! Our classrooms were filled with favourite book characters, imaginative costumes and plenty of smiles. Our students were also lucky enough to enjoy some very special incursions. We were captivated by the incredibly talented Anna Manuel, who entertained us with her beautiful singing and engaging storytelling. The students were thoroughly engaged and loved being transported into the stories through her wonderful performance.
We also had our amazing Stop Motion incursion, where students became filmmakers and storytellers! They worked collaboratively to create their own narratives, bringing characters they had made from clay to life through stop motion animation. It was fantastic to see their creativity, problem-solving, teamwork and storytelling skills shine throughout the process. We hope you've had a chance to sit down with your child and watch their movie. They were absolutely fabulous! We are so incredibly proud of the effort, creativity and imagination that went into each and every one.
Pen Licence or a Learner Pen Permit
As part of our structured literacy program, students have been practising their handwriting skills throughout the year. Their effort and persistence have led to many improvements in writing fluency and presentation. Throughout the course of term 4, all students will receive either a Pen Licence or a Learner Pen Permit to recognise their achievements.
Our Year 4 students will receive a full Pen Licence, allowing them to use pen for all written tasks (except in their maths grid books, where lead pencil is still required). Our Year 3 students will receive a Learner Pen Permit, which allows them to use pen when publishing the good copies of their work. This helps them take pride in their handwriting and prepare for a full licence next year.
Teachers will continue to check written work regularly, and students are encouraged to keep showing care, improvement, and neat presentation in their handwriting. We are so proud of the progress our students have made and look forward to celebrating their success at our level assemblies each Friday!
What Happened in 3/4 This Fortnight?
English
During our Structured Literacy sessions, we have been learning about the Latin number roots uni (one), di (two), tri (three) and quad (four). We have been exploring how these roots can help us work out the meaning of new and unfamiliar words. You might like to quiz your child at home and see if they can remember what each root means!
Our Grammar focus has continued with revising how to identify adjectives and adverbs (manner, time and place) in sentences. We have also been learning how to improve our sentence writing by adding descriptive adjectives and adverbs and substituting more interesting and precise verbs.
In Reading and Writing, we have been exploring mythical creatures, building our background knowledge and developing our skills in writing informative texts. We are learning how to combine sentences using subordinating conjunctions and incorporate interesting and sophisticated vocabulary to create more detailed and complex sentences.
Maths
We have continued our Multiplicative Unit by exploring the connections between multiplication and division and learning how our times tables knowledge can help us solve division problems.
We have also focused on developing our understanding of using the vertical algorithm to solve multiplication and division problems.
Students have continued to build their multiplication fact recall through our regular use of Facts on Fire and XtraMaths.
Inquiry: Explorers Unit
Following our fantastic Stop Motion incursion last week, we have continued our Term 3 Inquiry unit on Early Explorers by exploring what life was like aboard an explorer ship.
During Weeks 9 and 10, students will work collaboratively to create a Stop Motion Animation based on either an early explorer we have researched in class or Life on the Ships. Groups have now been formed and each student has been assigned a responsibility: creating characters, backgrounds/settings or props such as ships and huts. These components will be created at home and brought to school by Monday 7th September. Students are encouraged to use materials they already have at home rather than purchasing anything specifically for the project.
The planning, filming and creation of the final animation will be completed collaboratively at school. Please also ensure the free Stop Motion Studio app is downloaded on your child's iPad. While each group will only need one device for filming, having the app available on all iPads will be helpful in case of absences or technical issues.
Friendology/Wellbeing
Within our Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships program, we are currently focusing on help-seeking and developing students’ confidence in asking for support when they need it. Students have practised different ways to seek help through role-plays and discussions, while learning that sometimes they may need to ask more than once or seek help from another trusted person to get the support they need. Students have applied their learning by writing and sharing a story about help-seeking, exploring the emotions, coping strategies and personal strengths their character uses when facing a challenge.
Reminders
Fidgets – The NeeDoh & Butter Squishie Craze!
A quick reminder that NeeDohs, Butter Squishies and similar toys are not generally suitable as fidget tools in the classroom.
We understand that, for some children, a fidget tool can support their learning and focus, particularly when it has been recommended by a medical professional. We absolutely support this. If this applies to your child, please let us know so we can work together to support their needs.
For students who simply enjoy having a fidget toy, if we notice that it is not supporting their focus or learning, we will encourage them to use it during recess and lunch times instead.
Please remember that fidget tools brought to school should be small, quiet and non-distracting. Slime is not permitted at school.
Cold & Flu Season
With the cold and flu season upon us, please be mindful of the health and wellbeing of other children. If your child is unwell, please provide them with a rest period at home until they are well enough to return to school.
Homework
Weekly homework continues to consist of:
- A minimum of 4 nights of reading, with at least 80 minutes per week recorded in the school diary (book title, pages read and minutes read).
- Diaries are to be brought to school each Friday, signed by a parent/carer.
- Although not compulsory, we encourage your child to complete their assigned Mathletics tasks.
Dates to Remember
- Monday 7th September - Year 4 Hoop Time
- Wednesday 16th September - Footy Day
- Friday 18 September – Last Day of Term 3
Student Awards
Please refer to your child’s individual classroom newsletter for announcements!
Have a wonderful weekend!
The Year 3/4 Team