Year 3/4 Team News

Hello Year  3/4 families,   

3/4 Camp ADANAC

We were fortunate to enjoy fabulous weather during our three days at Camp Adanac. Our students were wonderful throughout the camp—they shared meals together in the dining hall, enjoyed afternoon tea on the deck, and even joined in singing Happy Birthday to a fellow Willy kid.

It was fantastic to see everyone having a go at the many activities on rotation, including the flying fox, camp cooking, photo hunt, hut building, low ropes, beach volleyball, canoeing, archery, initiatives, disc golf, and ponding. All students also took part in a night walk to the campfire, where they toasted marshmallows.

We are so proud of our students—their willingness to try new things, their perseverance, and the way they supported each other throughout camp it was wonderful to see all of the new friendships too. We’re sure you’ve already heard plenty of their favourite moments!

The 3/4 team would also like to extend a big thank you to our wonderful parent helpers—Kate Fedele, Jono Rundell, Merrick D’Souza, and Amber Partington—as well as all WPS staff who gave up their time to be on camp with us.

Grade 4 Bike Education

Next week, our Grade 4 students will be participating in the Bike Education program. Information has already been shared via Compass.

• 3/4P, 3/4G, and 3/4M: Monday 1st & Tuesday 2nd September
• 3/4S and 3/4T: Wednesday 3rd & Thursday 4th September

Students are required to bring both a bike and a helmet for these sessions.

Students are required to bring both a bike and a helmet for these days. 

If you are interested and able to help out, please sign up here: 

• 3/4G, 3/4P and 3/4M  https://volunteersignup.org/Q8FJF
• 3/4S and 3/4T  https://volunteersignup.org/PRBW9

and enter your name in the session(s) you are available for, a valid Working With Children's Check as well as completion of the volunteer induction session (online) is required. 

Please note: during the final session of each two-day block, students will go on a bike ride in the neighbouring area. Parent helpers supporting these sessions will also need to bring their own bike and helmet. 

Andy Griffiths Drawing Competition

A number of our 3/4 students recently had their drawings shared with 50,000 students during an online seminar with author Andy Griffiths at the State Library of Victoria. You can see the winners work below. 

Fortnightly Curriculum Focus

Literacy

• Reading: Students are completing a character analysis of The Boy at the Back of the Class, focusing on traits, personalities, and appearances to support their conclusions. They are also participating in guided reading groups and independent, goal-based reading.
• Writing: We are continuing to emphasise language conventions such as punctuation and paragraphing, while supporting students through the publishing process in preparation for our whole-school Open Afternoon in Week 8.

Numeracy

Our current focus is fractions, particularly fractions on a number line and improper fractions. Students also engage in problem-solving and number sense activities that build multiplication fluency and reinforce the inverse division facts.

Inquiry

This term’s Inquiry unit is focused on Civics and Citizenship, guided by the question: What would life be like without rules and laws? Over the coming weeks, students will explore local government, Victorian councils, and democracy.

Child Wise / Respectful Relationships

In Weeks 7 and 8, students will discuss what people can do if they are affected by gender-based violence and will learn the No, Go, Tell model to support them in challenging situations. In our Willy Kids lessons in Week 7, the focus will be on perseverance—how we keep going when things are tough.

3/4 Homework

Homework will resume in Week 7.

Homework is an important tool for reinforcing classroom learning. Each week, we provide differentiated activities to cater to students’ needs, abilities, and interests.

Homework tasks include:

• Reading – Four nights per week, minimum of 15 minutes. Students are encouraged to choose “just right” books based on their interests or reading levels and record the titles on the homework sheet.
• Maths – Number games introduced in class to continue building number sense and fluency. Each week, students will have two games to play with siblings, friends, or family members. Many of the games include extension challenges.
• Spelling – Each week, students are introduced to a spelling focus and given a list of words at varying levels of difficulty. They select seven words from the list plus three personal words (words they may have misspelt in their writing). Suggested practice activities can be found in the Homework Book under Ways to Learn Your Words.
• Writing – A short writing task in the Homework Book. More confident writers are encouraged to expand their ideas into longer stories that include accurate punctuation, clear paragraphs, and rich vocabulary.

Homework is handed out on Monday and is due back on Friday.

Reminders: 

• SunSmart hat
• Fully charged iPad
• Water bottle

Warm regards, 

The Year 3/4 team – Rebecca Givogue & Mary Colangelo (3/4G), Katja Morris (3/4M), Grace Pante & Steven Puhar (3/4P), Alison Standish (3/4S) & Hayley Thibou (3/4T)