Level 4: Connect

Welcome:

As we wrap up Week 4 of Term 3, we reflect on the fantastic experiences we've had so far. The swimming program has come to an end, and the students have had an absolute blast. A special highlight was Safety Day, filled with laughter and squeals of excitement. Next week, we'll be diving back into our usual routine, gearing up for the much-anticipated camp in 17 days!

Homework:

We hope that Level 4 students have been accessing some of the activities that were on offer in last fortnight's newsletter. Please see some further ideas in this week's newsletter below for some homework ideas.

Our expectation is that students will still be involved in nightly reading: being read to, reading independently or reading to someone else. Mathletics tasks will continue to be set each week with a focus on the content we are covering in class!

Camp:

Not too long to go now till we head to Phillip Island Adventure Resort! We are in the final stretch of planning and excitement is building! 

Thanks to families who have paid and given permission via Compass for camp. Don’t forget under the resources tab, you will find all the extra info such as the camp packing list, medical authority form, camp behaviour contract and the link to your child’s medical information.

Please ensure that you have completed this medical information form if you haven't already.

Please print out the behaviour contract and return to your child’s teacher as soon as convenient. If you require a paper copy, please write a note in your child’s diary and teachers will send a copy of the contract for you to fill in at home and return. Also please remember that if your child is to take any medication whilst at camp, we need a medical authority from a doctor (see form in resource section).

Please ensure you have completed the required camp dietary information sent to you via email. Reminder emails have been sent to the primary email address so please check your inbox as this information is now overdue. This dietary information goes directly to camp. 

Stay tuned for a final camp reminder notice next week. This will have all the necessary information about departure times, packing reminders, medical collections etc.

Exciting times ahead!

Literacy:

The kids have had a wonderful time honing their creative writing skills whilst working on their Patterned Writing following our work with The Dream of the Thylacine. Students used the text pattern to create their own version of the text. Some examples from 4C are shown below.

In our upcoming fortnight of Literacy, students will continue to explore a range of comprehension skills and strategies to support their understanding of a range of texts. They will utilise these skills during Independent Reading and be reflective by finding worked examples. These strategies include, Making Connections, Predicting, Questioning, Monitoring, Visualising and Summarising. Please encourage your child to explore these strategies at home when reading.

Maths:

Over the next fortnight, we will continue working with equivalent and mixed fractions whilst also delving into decimals.  Teaching decimals alongside fractions enhances students' conceptual understanding by showing different ways to represent parts of a whole. It also highlights the interconnection between fractions and decimals, helping students grasp the relationships between various mathematical concepts and improving their overall comprehension.

Here is a song that we will be using with our students to assist with their learning.  

Maths is all around us, and as part of our teaching, we find ways to incorporate maths into real-world scenarios. Here are a few simple ways to incorporate fractions at home:

• Have your child serve portions for family members at dinner time. For example, if you have lasagne, mum and dad will each have half, which is two quarters, leaving half the dish. If two kids have 1/8 each, that leaves one quarter for leftovers. This activity supports students with their understanding of equivalent fractions with physical objects. 
• Play a simple game called "What’s half of it?". Pick any whole number (not a decimal), and your child will guess what half of that number is. Start with even numbers. For example, ask, "What is half of 30?" Once your child is confidence you can work up to odd numbers, and eventually extend to quarters. For example, ask, "What is a ¼ of 20?"

These are just a few examples you can use to help students observe and apply maths in their everyday life.

Here's a link to a valuable website where students can practise their maths too: https://app.problemo.edu.au/student/sandpit 

Students may select from a variety of fun and educational activities at a level that suits them!

Inquiry: 

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been studying the states and territories of Australia as well as landmarks, cities and towns, oceans, rivers etc. Students have added these places to their own Australian map and what a great job they have done! Please feel free to quiz your child to see how much they have learnt and remembered. 

Here's two nifty websites you can go on as well with your child to discover more exciting facts about Australian geography.

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/australia 

https://mrnussbaum.com/australia-and-oceania-interactive-map 

We will see you again in two weeks, same time, same place!

The level 4 team.