Independence Centre

Curriculum

Week 6, here we go! It has been another successful week of Remote Learning in the Independence Centre. Our second Specialist Day went even more smoothly than the first! Thank you for all the feedback, the work from students has been really impressive. You can check in on all their tasks at the end of every Tuesday on Seesaw.

Our morning Zoom chats have remained a highlight throughout the Remote Learning period. This week, each class has developed a Small Group Roster to allow students the opportunity to ask questions or share ideas outside of a whole class setting. The small groups will be a 15 minute extension of our morning Zoom chats on every day except Tuesday. The timetable has been shared with students on their Google Classroom page and was discussed on Zoom this morning. If students are unable to attend their small group session, they are welcome to join another one during the week. We will seek student feedback on their small group Zooms at the end of the week. The combined lunchtime Zooms are also an opportunity for students to see their friends from other classes and check in with other teachers.

In Maths last week, we began using the Vertical Addition Strategy, where we traded numbers by using Place Value. It was great to see students showing their working out on their page and attempting challenging sums. A portfolio task showcasing addition skills was uploaded to Seesaw on Friday - so keep an eye out for them this week! This week we will move into using Vertical Subtraction. This strategy will be very new for a lot of students, and we will use our small group Zooms to go through some examples together. These new ideas can sometimes be very challenging - but we know that when we feel challenged it means we are learning something new - it will feel more comfortable the more that we practise!

Last week’s Literacy focus was on Author’s Intent and Point of View. Students compared similar stories and articles, noting what was the same and what was different. It was great to see some reflective thinking as students formed their own opinion on different topics. This week, we will begin to look at persuasive writing. There are lots of ways you could encourage persuasive language at home through conversation! Perhaps students could persuade you what to make for dinner or when to go for a bike ride?

Our inquiry investigation into explorers and historical journeys continued as students investigated the thinking it takes to be an explorer. They looked at the journey of Apollo 11 and thought about questions they might think about before heading out on an exploration. A new addition to our daily slides has been our Gratitude diary, where students can reflect each day on three things that they are grateful for. It has been really wonderful to see students celebrate some of their wins and keep their positive mindsets.

We look forward to having another successful week of Remote Learning! Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher through Sentral if you have further questions or require any support.

Have a fabulous week!

The 3/4 teachers.

Student Voice

What is something you are proud of achieving this week?

“Today’s maths!” - Annabelle 3/4G
“Maths, writing and offline choice board” - Ethan 3/4D
“Going through maths by myself which was really hard” Velouria 3/4K
“Guided inquiry, offline choice board and finishing” Samantha 3/4R
“Really anything but mostly Indonesian” Zoe 3/4M

Pupil of the Week

3/4D: Nishtha V -

Great work using your love of learning when comparing the intention of different authors in two different texts on the same topic. Keep up the great work Nishtha!

3/4G: Yianni I -

For your clear explanation of a complicated vertical addition sum. You used your problem solving skills and maths vocabulary to clearly explain your thinking. Well done for challenging yourself, Yianni!

3/4K: Ava M -

For your strengths of perseverance and curiosity when completing reading tasks this week. You have challenged yourself each day to uncover different authors’ purpose and reason for writing. Keep up the terrific work Ava!

3/4M: Tanaka M -

For demonstrating a love of learning and creativity when filming a video to explain vertical addition. You clearly explained how to set out your work and how to rename numbers in different place value columns. Keep up the great work, Tanaka!

3/4R: Harmony V -

For using your character strength of kindness to assist and communicate with your peers during Zoom sessions. It was great to see you offer a helping hand to your classmates. Keep up the excellent work, Harmony.