Years 3/4

Mathematics

On Monday morning we opened our doors to family members to come and see how we warm up for Mathematics. Our students showed off their skills in Maths games such as RowCo and Mastermind, teaching their guests the rules and maybe some strategies to win. We finished off the morning with a favourite, Esti-Mysteries, where students had to estimate how many items they could see in a picture, before following the clues to narrow down the possibilities. The reveal at the end caused a lot of excitement as our Year 3/4 students checked if their estimates were correct.

How did you find Monday morning and what was a take away? Why did we invite the parents in?

"I found it fun, because our parents came in and played the Maths games that we usually play in our classroom. I never knew what Education Week was and I've enjoyed celebrating it with my family." - Amelia B

"I learnt that our parents can be fun to play Maths games with and that there is a lot of strategy to the games that we play in Maths. For example, if you guess a different digit for each place value then you're going to get closer to the answer quicker." - Harvey F

"Maths is even more fun when you learn it with your parents. I was able to read 5 digit numbers in the game of Mastermind." - Milla 

"It was important for our families to come in and see what we are doing in Maths. My parents are now playing these Maths games with me at home and I'm getting even better at Maths everyday." - Tom K

STEAM 

In STEAM, our Year 3/4 students took on the exciting challenge of testing and recording the effects of friction on a balloon rocket! Through a hands-on experiment, students explored how different surfaces and materials can influence the acceleration of a moving object - in this case, a balloon rocket racing along a string.

Using their scientific inquiry skills, students estimated, tested, and recorded how friction impacted their rockets’ speed and distance. They launched balloon rockets along strings set up with varying friction levels: smooth fishing line, twine, and wool. Before each launch, students made predictions about which setup would allow the rocket to travel the fastest.

Students then accurately measured the time and distance each balloon rocket traveled using stopwatches and measuring tapes. The data was recorded and compared, revealing just how much friction can slow an object down. For example, balloon rockets on twine (a rougher material) showed significantly less acceleration compared to those on smooth fishing line.

Another fun STEAM experiment we did for Education Week was testing acceleration and drag using parachutes. Students designed and made their own parachutes using plastic bags, string, Lego figures, and sharpeners as weights. We took them outside to test how well they worked, observing how the size and shape of the parachute affected how slowly or quickly they fell. It was a fun and hands-on way to explore science concepts like gravity, air resistance, and motion!

Kitchen

During Education Week, our Grade 3/4 students rolled up their sleeves in kitchen and created two delicious dishes Curry Flavoured Chicken Nuggets and Fresh Coleslaw! Working together, they chopped, mixed, whisked, and fried their way through both recipes, learning valuable kitchen skills along the way. The colourful coleslaw and crispy nuggets were a big hit and the students were so proud of their tasty creations. What a fun and flavourful way to learn!

National Simultaneous Storytime 2025

To celebrate ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime 2025, we joined thousands of others across Australia tuning in to hear Deborah Frenkel read her heart-warming children’s picture book, The Truck Cat. We were also delighted to watch the book’s talented illustrator, Danny Snell, share how he brought Tinka the cat to life through his beautiful drawings.

Here are a few reflections from our students:

“I enjoyed hearing the story because it celebrated the fact people speak different languages and that we are all different.” – Maggie

“I liked how the story highlighted how friends can be made in unusual circumstances.” – Hannah

“The story was amazing I liked how Tinka got lost and then was reunited with Yacoub highlighting their inseparable bond.” – Somer

“I loved the story because it was interesting to see the characters start a family just from a lost cat.” – Arlo

“Tinka was a truck cat, who was curious about a little white butterfly. This reminded me of when I had a cat, and all the adventures it had.” – Karya

Kind Regards,

The Middle School Team

Rhiannon Dalman, Catie Mytton, Michael Neal, Kim Ng & Tom Perkin.