Year Four

Dear Year Four Families,

It has been a very busy term with lots of learning and exciting experiences occurring for the Year Four students.

Last week our passionate readers visited the Book Fair and had a chance to purchase and order books. Students also visited the Year Six exhibition to appreciate the hard work and dedication these students have put in towards their Unit of Inquiry. The exhibit booths were not only informative but also interactive and gave the Year Four students a chance to ask the older students questions about their work.

Reading

In Reading, students have been exploring historical fiction through the mentor texts One Giant Leap and Night Flight by Robert Burleigh. One Giant Leap focuses on the first moon landing, while Night Flight recounts Amelia Earhart's solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. As they analysed these texts, students examined images, themes, language, and sentence structures to deepen their understanding.

A key skill they have been developing is synthesising. Synthesising involves combining information from various sources to form a cohesive understanding or new insight. In this context, students have been using synthesising to connect details from the texts with their prior knowledge and personal experiences, enhancing their comprehension and engagement. Both texts have sparked their curiosity and encouraged them to explore these historical events more deeply.

Writing

In Writing, students have been focusing on the craft of writing by emulating Burleigh's techniques. They have practiced incorporating dialogue, vivid language, varied sentence lengths, and similes or metaphors in their own writing. To further engage with the past, students have written diary entries that spark curiosity about historical events. Throughout their writing process, students have planned, drafted, revised, edited, and published their work, applying the skills and techniques learned from the mentor texts.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, students have made remarkable progress in their understanding of multiplicative thinking. They have been mastering various strategies to solve multiplication problems effectively, such as doubling and leveraging their knowledge of tens facts. Their enthusiasm for practicing multiplication facts has been evident through engaging and interactive activities. Additionally, students have successfully applied their multiplication skills to division, demonstrating their ability to integrate and utilise their mathematical knowledge in new ways.

Inquiry

We have been exploring the Transdisciplinary Theme of 'Where We Are in Place and Time' with the central idea that exploration can lead to innovation and understanding. During our Inquiry lessons, students investigated the driving forces behind exploration. They engaged in an activity where they matched images and words related to the Inquiry. Following this, they reflected on what would motivate them personally to explore and why.

Additionally, students researched famous explorers and created posters detailing which learner profile best represents each explorer.

Reminders:

Hats will need to be worn first day back!
Camp is in Week 2 of Term 4. - Group 1 (4F, 4G, 4H, 4I, 4J) Monday 14th Oct- Wednesday 16th Oct. -Group 2 (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E) Wednesday 16th Oct- Friday 18th Oct.
Students are expected to bring their fully charged MacBooks to school every day.
Late arrivals (8:40am onwards) require a late pass from the office.
Please make sure all the student absences are recorded on Xuno and a comment is provided for it.
Homework was sent out on Monday and will be due on Wednesday 9th October. Please check your class school box page for a digital copy.

Kind Regards,

Year 4 Team