Year Three/ Four

Communicating with the Year Three/Four Team

We look forward to partnering with you in 2020, and welcome your input:

Mel Rowe (Class 34A) rowe.melinda.j@edumail.vic.gov.au

Meghan Henchley (Class 34B) Henchley.Meghan.M@edumail.vic.gov.au

Melissa Woollard (Class 34C) woollard.melissa.j@edumail.vic.gov.au

Social-Emotional Learning in the Year Three/ Four Classrooms

How are the Year Three/Four students using their diaries?

The students in the Year Three/ Four level are required to have their diaries at school every day. They utilise the diaries for a range of purposes. Important dates such as swimming, excursions and sports days are recorded by students within the diary as well as any reminders given to students. We look at the important dates in the newsletter and add these to our diaries. This is an important organisational skill.  

The Berry Street Model Diary also replaces the Reading Log. Each night a student reads, they should be logging the title and author of the text.

In the notes section towards the back of the diary, parents/ carers can find the log-in details for a range of websites, such as Mathletics and Essential Assessment.

Berry Street Education Model

The student diaries offer a range of learning tasks to work through and explore, both individually and as a whole class. During Circle Time, we explore concepts that directly link to the Berry Street Education model.

This week we looked at ways to calm ourselves down and prepare ourselves to be "ready to learn". One strategy which has been popular for use with our students this week, is to trace around each finger. Whilst traveling up the finger we breathe in. Whilst circling down the fingers, we breathe out.

A big focus over the last few weeks has been understanding what it means to be ready to learn. What does it look like, feel like and sound like?

We are starting to be aware of external and internal factors that can have an impact on whether we are ready to learn. Sometimes we need some time away from others to calm down. Each of the Year Three/Four classrooms has a "calming corner". These areas may consist of mindfulness colouring, squeeze toys, or kinetic sand. Students can use these tools to calm down and move into the "ready to learn mode".

We encourage parents to regularly look through the diary with their child to discuss important upcoming dates, and read through some of the strategies and activities linked to the Berry Street Education Model.