Year 3/4

Welcome parents, guardians, and students to the first term of 2025. 

Semester One is a great opportunity for all students to make a fresh start, establish friendships and make new friends.  As always, our door is open.  We hope you continue to enjoy the beautiful Summer weather.   

 This newsletter will be distributed each term. It aims to give families an insight into what will occur at the school each term. 

The 3/4 team for 2025 is as follows:

3 / 4 EC 

Emily Casaceli 

3 / 4 RC

Rosario Corio

3 / 4 W

Lachlan Ware

3 / 4 T

Tahira Tannen

Have a great term, 

Year 3/4 Teachers and Specialist Teachers

Each day, the students participate in a two hour Literacy block. During this time, they listen to and read a focus book and complete learning activities that enhance their vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation. 

Vocabulary:

Each day, the students focus on two or three sets of words taken from the weekly text.  During this time, the students look at the meaning of the word/s, syllables, symptoms, and antonyms and write the words in contextually correct sentences. Building vocabulary is a great way to enhance a student's reading, writing and speaking skills.

Reading:

During this term, we will develop our understanding of punctuation and how it impacts how we read with expression.   Students also participate in partner reads to build fluency skills such as tone, pace, and expression. Comprehension of texts is a vital part of the reading process, and students will be working to discuss the meaning of a range of texts and answer literal and inferential questions using the clues within the text.

Writing:

Students will develop their writing skills throughout the term, starting with Narrative texts. When planning narrative stories, the students will learn to describe the setting, characters and plot and build their story’s orientation, complication, sequence of events and resolution. 

LIBRARY BORROWING TIMES

This year, the students will participate in a one-hour Library session fortnightly. Students are encouraged to return their books on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in the non week of their library lesson. 

Students must have a Library bag to borrow books. 

3 / 4 EC  Monday                     3 / 4 W   Monday

3 / 4 RC  Monday                     3 / 4 T     Monday

Maths Rotations:

The students participate in a one-hour daily mathematics lesson. Each day our Maths lessons begin with a 10 minute session of Maths Rotations & Teacher Sprint groups. This is where students are given the opportunity to practise their maths fluency skills through games in a group setting. In this time, teachers will work with a small group to support students on a specific focus.

Daily Review:  

Following the Maths Rotations, the class completes a Daily Review. This session revises the content of current and previously taught topics to ensure students practice and consolidate the information learnt to their long-term memories. 

 This term, the topics which will be taught are as follows: 

Counting and Place Value

Students will use materials to make and identify numbers and their place value. Students will manipulate numbers and justify their thinking when adding more or less to numbers ie: what is 10 more than 109. Students will also learn about the less than and more than symbols. 

Addition and Subtraction

Students will learn and revise strategies like jump strategy and split strategy to solve addition and subtraction problems. Students will also solve worded problems. 

Time

Students will be developing their ability to read analogue clocks focusing on specific times such as o’clock, half past, quarter past, quarter to and to the minute.  

Multiplication and Division 

Students will develop their strategies to solve multiplication and division using arrays, groups of, skip counting and repeated addition. 

SPECIALIST SUBJECTS

Religious Education 

In Religious Education this term, students will be learning about the Jubilee. This year, the Pope has declared it a Year of Jubilee, focusing on Pilgrims of Hope. They will explore the logo and the key features and messages it represents. On the 5th of March, the Church begins the Season of Lent with the commencement of Ash Wednesday. The students will learn about this significant time in the Church’s calendar. 

Wellbeing

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)

Every morning all classes participate in Positive Behaviour for Learning sessions. Weekly focus sessions will address respect, responsibility, and resilience during the term. This is a critical time when students engage in activities to build relationships with their peers and teachers and learn social-emotional skills to contribute to a positive learning environment within their classroom. Please ensure that your child is on time for school, as these activities are important to their overall experience at school.

Inquiry

This term’s Inquiry Unit is called “Unleashing our Potential: I am a learner” During this unit, the students will look at themselves as learners and ways that they can set themselves up as learners while building skills to be the best version of themselves. 

Our Homework program aims to strengthen home-school partnerships and reaffirm the role of parents and guardians as partners in education. It provides students with an opportunity to reinforce their classroom learning and develop productive routines and time management skills.

In line with our St Andrew’s Homework Policy, Year Three and Year Four students are expected to complete the following homework tasks: Commencing Week 5. 

The classroom teacher sets 10-15 minutes of other tasks per night, according to various subjects such as Literacy, R.E., Maths, and Inquiry tasks linked to our current classroom learning.

20 minutes of Reading per night to be recorded in their diary in the following way: 

Title, Time Read, Pages and Parent signature

After completing the reading, it would benefit your child to talk about what they have read. This ‘verbal processing’ helps them remember and think through the book's themes.   Ask questions before, during, and after a session to encourage reading comprehension.

For example: 

• Before: "What are you interested in about this book? What doesn't interest you?" 
• During: "What's going on in the book? Is it turning out the way you thought it would? What do you think will happen next?" 
• After: "Can you summarise the book? What did you like about it? What other books does it remind you of?"

Classroom Organisation

Below are some items of note:

Any student needing to bring a mobile to school must hand it to the classroom teacher in the morning. All phones will be returned before the end of the school day. 

• Each student is asked to bring a box of tissues, Chux wipes, hand wash, and paper towels to contribute to the classroom. Thank you to all families who have already donated these items.
• Sports shoes are only to be worn on a Tuesday.  Children are expected to bring their Library Bags to school on designated Library days. 

Important dates to remember for Term 1 2025

Cyber Safety Webinar for Year 3 to 6 - Monday 20th February Time: 7.00 pm - 8.30 am (90min) online

• Year 3 / 4 Swimming Program Commencing Week 5 - Monday, 24th February
• School Photos - Tuesday 18th March.   Orders need to be placed online. 
• Reconciliation Information Night Wednesday 26th February 6pm
• School Closure: Friday, 28th February 
• Reconciliation Commitment Masses Saturday  8th March
• Labour Day - Public Holiday Monday 10th March              
• Sacrament of Reconciliation Thursday, 27th March          
• Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences 2.30 - 7.00 pm Mon 31st March
• Friday  4th April -end of Term 1 at 4th April
• Good Friday - Friday 18th April 
• Easter Sunday - Sunday 20th April 

We would like to see ourselves as the first point of contact in regard to your child’s learning. Please feel free to contact us by the following: We politely request that there is an understanding that emails will be responded to within a 48-hour time frame and within the hours of 8.00 am-4.45 pm. 

School Phone:  9551 5094               Year 3 / 4 Teacher Emails: 

Emily Casaceli: ecasaceli@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au

Rosario Corio: rosario@aclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au

Lachlan Ware: lware@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au

Tahira Tannen: ttannen@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au

LIBRARY NEWS 2025

We’re thrilled to welcome you back to school and to another exciting year in the library! We hope you're ready for a year of new adventures, great books, and fun activities. Each class will have the opportunity to visit the library fortnightly to borrow and will take responsibility for returning their books on their non-library week ( Wednesday or Thursday). Students will be encouraged to engage with various types of texts for meaning when reading and viewing. Opportunities to discuss connections between the experiences of characters and events in texts will be a focus in our lessons and sharing their own experiences to build literal and inferred meanings. During informal book chats, students will be prompted to express and share their personal preferences and opinions, providing their text recommendations to their peers.  Students will be revisiting library procedures and expectations. We have commenced studying fiction and nonfiction books as they help students develop an understanding of different types of texts, their features, and how to engage with them. We’ve added many exciting new titles to our collection this term and will do so throughout the year. Significant days will be explored through different texts and the writing and illustration styles of many popular authors /illustrators. We hope every student takes the time to explore the library, dive into new books, and make the most of the opportunities we offer.  Happy reading !!! 

Congratulations to our 2025 Library Leaders - Nibedita and Bella

Best wishes Mrs Daniella Polites

Welcome back, families to another year of Performing Arts! We’re excited to bring you a fun-filled year of music, dance, and drama, and best of all, a production (open to grade 3-6 students only)!  This year’s production will be announced at assembly on Friday 14th of February, and we can’t wait to begin the audition process (week 7; more information will be released closer to time).

This term we will initially focus on learning the recorder, building students’ confidence in their ability to identify and play notes with good breathing and t-technique (ask them about the T sound!).  Students can also apply this learning to the piano to play basic notes and melodies, using the treble clef on sheet music to read and play notes.   Apologies to parents for the practice students may want to do at home!  I highly recommend the play-along YouTube videos called Recorder with Mr Gray if students wish to practice their playing.

The other big focus for this term will be learning material from the production to ensure each student is confident and relaxed if they wish to audition.  The students will learn the songs, including good singing and breathing techniques and how to use their emotions to convey ideas through song. We’ll also learn a small movement dance to improve students’ coordination and ability to follow choreography in preparation for auditions.

Lastly, we’ll be working on an acting scene, developing students' ability to deliver lines with clarity, excellent emotion, diction, good pace and rhythm to convey the scene's meaning.

Happy singing, dancing, playing and acting!

Mrs Emma Cooper                                                                                     

LOTE- Italian

Ciao a tutti e felice anno nuovo.

 Dear parents, welcome to 2025.

The students begin this term by setting individual goal for themselves and by revising previously acquired language with written and oral activities. They will continue to develop their skills in the language and build their vocabulary knowledge in a unit of work centered on the life of the famous Italian scientist Galileo Galilei.

 Students are introduced to several famous Italian scientists and engage with simple, imaginary text in-class activities and games. Using the language of the story and the new vocabulary, they prepare a role-play for presentation to the class. Also, by recycling the story's vocabulary and using illustrations, they create a text that shows an understanding of information.

A particular focus will also be on correct pronunciation and expression of key phrases in Italian.  During the lessons, the students will continue to participate in playing topic quizzes, games and completing interactive tasks.

 A presto.   

Signora White 

Physical Education

Welcome to term one!

In term one, the 3/4s will participate in many group activities, including developing an understanding of Softball, Volleyball, and basketball using modified rules. We will develop the skills needed to play these sports, including throwing, catching, running, batting, dribbling, passing, etc. A significant emphasis will be working well with others and showing good sportsmanship throughout group activities. 

In term one, the 3/4s will also complete their Swimming Program at Aquastar Moorabbin, starting on 24th February and finishing on 6th March. There will be no swim classes on Fridays. The current schedule for classes is listed below. If you have a WWCC and would like to volunteer to go with your child’s class, please contact Kayla Puetz or your child's teacher! Thank you in advance. 

We look forward to a fun and busy first term of learning!

Miss Puetz