Year Four News

Year 4 Newsletter Update

Welcome

The Year 4 team would like to extend a warm welcome to our students and their families back to school this year. It’s going to be a big year with lots of fun and exciting things planned for 2024. This update will give you a brief overview of what your child will be learning over the first term, along with some reminders and important dates to remember.

Creating the Environment

During the first few weeks of term, there is a predominant focus on what we call ‘Creating the Environment’. During these lessons, we work on establishing classroom protocols and building strong relationships with each other through a range of engaging and cooperative activities. This time in the classroom is important for students to gain confidence in communicating with one another, and sets the tone for the remainder of the year.

Reading

In Reading, the Year Fours are focusing on developing our ability to choose books that are the appropriate mix between challenging and enjoyable. This is a skill that is important for students to use in order for the subsequent classroom learning to be most effective. Throughout the term, students will engage in Novel Studies through the book Strangers on Country by David Hartley and Kirsty Murray that will enhance their comprehension skills, including summarising, making connections and critical thinking.

Writing

At FWPS, Writing focuses on the skills within the Writing Revolution and how to use these in conjunction with the Writing Process to produce a range of high-quality texts. Throughout Term 1, the Year Four students will be concentrating on these skills through imaginative and writing activities.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, students in Year Four work on building their knowledge in areas of counting, place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, angles, transformation, probability and problem solving. To understand these concepts, students will use a range of games, strategies and problem-solving skills, whilst using hands-on manipulatives to consolidate their learning. Whilst new topics of Mathematics will be introduced through the year, these learning areas will be revisited multiple times in the Daily Review to give students multiple opportunities to practise their skills in order to build a strong sense of number.

Units of Work

In this term’s unit of work, students will explore modern Australian history through the topic ‘First Contacts’. In this unit, students will first explore what is meant by connection to Country by unpacking Aboriginal perspectives in literature. They will then unpack the reasons for British colonisation; those involved in this process; its effect on those involved; and its lasting impact on the Aboriginal people of Australia.

Homework

To complement and reinforce classroom learning at home, students in Year 4 will complete maths and reading homework each week, beginning in week 3.

Homework for Year 4 will consist of:

• 20 minutes of reading, 5 nights a week
• Practising two maths concepts of their choice through Essential Assessment

Homework will be distributed through the use of Google Slides on Google Classroom. This is where students will track what they have completed throughout each week. 

Important Dates this Term

• Monday the 12th of February: Curriculum Day (no students at school)
• Wednesday the 14th of February: Parent / Carer Information Sharing Fo
• Thursday the 15th of February: School photo day
• Friday the 16th of February: Cross country trials at Shorten Reserve
• Monday the 11th of March: Labor Day Public Holiday
• Thursday the 14th of March - Friday the 15th of March: Year 4 Camp at Campaspe Downs
• Term 1 Week 8: Scholastic Book Fair
• Thursday the 28th of March: Last day of Term (2:20pm dismissal)

Reminders

• We would greatly appreciate donations of tissue boxes for your child’s classroom. Thank you in advance.
• Please remember to fill out the ‘Getting to know your child’ Google Form that has been posted on Compass.
• If your child is attending camp, please make sure to fill out the Google Form for their medical and dietary requirements. This has also been posted on Compass.

Medha, Caitlyn and Anthea

The 2024 Year 4 Team