Apollo

What second half of term 1 it has been in the Apollo unit. The students have settled into their daily routines excellently and are producing some high-quality work. Well done to all those students who have kept up their amazing reading habits at home. Keep up the great work!

This term we have had the pleasure of getting together for two year 4 cohort assemblies. It has been great to get together and celebrate some amazing work and successes throughout the Apollo community!

Reading: 

In Reading during March, students have been diving deeper into differentiating between a fact, feeling and an opinion within the texts we have been reading. After reading our shared text students have been prompted to find “indisputable facts” that are contained within the text. They have then been asked to come up with their own opinion about the text and say what evidence they base their opinion on. They have also been asked to identify a character’s feelings about events in the story. 

The students have also been practising listening and responding to the opinions of other students whilst respectfully sharing their opinions as well been working to improve their understanding of how authors use characters, and events within a story to grab the reader’s interest. We have been learning spelling rules with a new spelling rule taught in class each week. 

The students have been working on improving their skills at recounting important events and information in a text. In order to do this the students have been given a “5 Finger Recount” Prompt that they have been using to help them with this.

Each reading text this term has focused on the Theme of Responsibility in various forms. Taking personal responsibility for our own actions, responsibility for the consequences of our actions, what being responsible means and learning from our mistakes.

Writing: 

In Writing, students have been working on improving their persuasive writing skills. They have added to their persuasive writing toolbox through exploring a range of persuasive devices such as rhetorical questions, alliteration, hyperbole, repetition, metaphors and smiles just to name a few. Students worked both independently and in small targeted teaching groups to brainstorm persuasive topics and arguments to support these topics. They also completed some research and found evidence to support their arguments, and are now working through the writing process to create persuasive posters to convince others to agree with their point of view. We are looking forward to seeing their published persuasive posters towards the end of the term.

Maths: 

In Mathematics, students have focused on time, learning to read, write, and convert between analog and digital clocks. Students have also practised calculating elapsed time from a given starting point, strengthening their time management and problem-solving skills. In addition, they’ve explored multiple strategies for solving addition and subtraction problems, including the Jump, Split, Column, and Place Value Partitioning strategies. Through these methods, students have strengthened their understanding of number relationships and developed their ability to solve problems more efficiently. They've also grasped the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction through fact families, and used Polya's four-step plan to tackle worded problems with confidence.

Students explored grid reference systems, learning to create and interpret grid references while practising how to give and follow directions to locate and describe positions and pathways in a bird's eye view. It's been a month full of hands-on learning and exciting challenges, and we’re proud of how our students are growing in their mathematical abilities!

SEL: 

This term, Year 4 Apollo students are diving deep into Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) through the launch of The Resilience Project (TRP) program. As part of their SEL journey, students are exploring their personal and cultural strengths, learning how to use this self-awareness to build resilience and tackle challenges. 

In addition to the program, students are engaging in reflective journal activities, where they document their learning and track their personal growth. These journals encourage them to reflect on their strengths, acknowledge their areas for improvement, and set goals for their emotional and social development.

The principles of GEM—Gratitude, Empathy, and Mindfulness—serve as the foundation for this work, empowering students to build positive connections with themselves and others. By using these values, students can strengthen their emotional resilience and work towards becoming more confident and self-aware individuals.

Inquiry: 

This month the year 4 students have been furthering their knowledge and understanding of all things Australia. Through engaging with books, and researching using the internet and other sources, the students have become Australia experts, and are now in the process of travelling unique ‘travel guides’. 

Once completed, these brochure-like guides will become a tool for the students to educate their friends and family on all things Australia, such as food, cultures, capital cities, famous landmarks, animals, and other important information to support potential travellers. 

We can’t wait to see the finished product!