Grade 4 News 

Important Reminders & Dates

Upcoming dates/Important Info

Monday 9th March: Labour Day Public Holiday

Friday 20th March: Harmony Day (Wear a touch of Orange)

Friday 27th March: House Aths

Thursday 2nd April: Happy Hat Parade

                                         Last Day Term 1 - 2.30pm dismissal

• Hats - As per our school's SunSmart policy, all students are required to wear hats till the end of April 2025.
• Icy Poles will be sold outside the senior school Monday & Tuesday lunch times

Looking Ahead to the Year:

Monday, October 5th - Wednesday, October 7th: Grade 4 Camp - ADANAC

Weekly Timetable

Homework

📖 Literacy

This fortnight in Word Work, the Grade 4s completed their focus on the Latin base words 'strue' and 'struct'. They have now begun exploring Latin number prefixes, identifying how these roots appear in familiar words. In our Literature unit, we have continued reading Kensuke’s Kingdom. Students have explored how Michael adapts to life on the island and learns to live alongside Kensuke, despite the language barrier. They have also been examining Michael’s attempts to leave the island and considering the challenges he faces.

As part of this unit, students will be completing a persuasive writing piece. To support this, we have begun learning about deforestation, building background knowledge that will inform their writing. This topic connects strongly to the themes explored in Kensuke’s Kingdom, allowing students to link their reading with real-world environmental issues.

Preview - In the coming fortnight, we will continue to read Kensuke’s Kingdom to find out what happens to Michael, while also beginning to write our persuasive piece about deforestation.

➗ Maths

This fortnight, the Grade 4 students have successfully completed their learning of fractions. Throughout this unit, they developed their understanding of fractions by exploring equivalent fractions, comparing and ordering fractions, and representing fractions in a variety of ways, including on number lines and through visual models.

They have now begun their new mathematics focus on time, where they will explore reading and interpreting analogue and digital clocks and finding elapsed time.

Preview - In the coming fortnight, they will find the start and ending time to the hour and will convert between units of time.

🧠 Knowledge-Rich Units

The students have now completed their unit on using maps, where they developed their skills in reading and interpreting different types of maps, understanding scale, using grid references, and identifying key features such as compass directions and legends. 

They are now beginning an exciting new Geography unit focused on world mountains. In this unit, students will explore the different types of mountains, including fold, fault-block and volcanic mountains, and investigate how these landforms are created through natural processes such as tectonic movement and volcanic activity. They will also examine the age of various mountain ranges and consider how factors such as altitude influence temperature and climate.

🧠 Wellbeing 

In the last 2 weeks, the students explored honesty, kindness and the changing nature of friendships. They learnt about the four Friendship Facts and developed an understanding of the importance of trust and respect in healthy relationships. Students recognised that conflict is a normal part of friendships and learnt strategies to navigate challenges thoughtfully, understanding that each friendship is unique. Students also reflected on the importance of thinking carefully about their words and recognising that some thoughts or opinions are best kept to themselves.

Preview for Learning - Students will identify the key qualities that are essential in a healthy relationship, and reflect on how they are feeling in their friendships. They will use the Friend-o-meter to analyse how they feel.

🏅 Sport in Grade 4

This term, our middle school sports program has been buzzing with energy as students fully immersed themselves in the fundamentals of Teeball. The focus has been on mastering the "triple threat" of the diamond: developing a steady hand to catch the ball consistently, refining the mechanics of a powerful swing, and learning the strategic hustle required to run the bases with speed and awareness. It’s been fantastic to see their coordination and confidence grow with every inning.

The Grade 4 students recently participated in an engaging hockey clinic where they were introduced to the basic skills and equipment used in hockey. They learnt about the different pieces of equipment players use, how to correctly hold a hockey stick, and how to run while controlling the ball. Students then had the opportunity to practise these new skills through a range of fun activities and games, including Red Light-Green Light, Octopus and Rob the Nest. These games allowed students to apply their developing skills while building confidence, teamwork and enjoyment of the sport. 🏑

The atmosphere was electric during our House Cross Country event. It was a day defined by grit and determination, as every student gave their absolute best across the challenging course. We were particularly blown away by the Grade 4s; their spirit and perseverance were truly inspiring, and we couldn't be prouder of the individual and collective achievements they reached.

Grade 4 Teaching Team

Bek Emonson, Will Robinson, Chloe Flack & Hayley Ward