Year 4 Celebration 

Newsletter

We can’t believe we are one Term down already! We have been off to a flying start, establishing our routines, building our resilience and setting goals for our future learning. Here is what we have achieved: 

Reading

In reading, We looked at a range of comprehension strategies, to build up our ability to think, reflect, interpret and respond to high quality texts. We started with visualisation strategies, then making predictions, followed by connecting with the text and using inferred information from a text to respond to questions and build our comprehension. Students were working on their own reading goals as well as in groups to support their reading skills. 

Writing

In the writing domain, students learnt about the persuasive writing genre. Students first looked at the structure of a persuasive writing text, constructing persuasive paragraphs and using persuasive language techniques. Students constructed a persuasive letter using a range of persuasive features and well chosen vocabulary to make their letter more persuasive. 

Maths

In our mathematics curriculum, we focused on two key areas during this term: measurement and place value. Our place value unit was about building skills that relate to interpreting place value within numbers up to tens of thousands, and using place value knowledge to solve problems involving these numbers. We also looked at algebra and counting patterns, solving problems that involve analogue and digital time and converting between 12 and 24-hour time. 

Inquiry

In Term 1 Students looked at two different topics for their Inquiry based learning; Civics and Citizenship and Sustainability. Students learnt about Australian laws, levels of Government as well as how human activity can impact different environments and ecosystems. 

We are excited for our plans for Term 2 that involve a lot of discussion around Science including space, physics and the seasons. 

Performing Arts

During Term One in Performing Arts, Grade 4 students learned the basics of reading music, including notes that sit ‘on the line’ and ‘in the space’ on a musical stave when challenging each other in ‘The Ribbon Game’. They enjoyed racing to different notes laid out on the floor and were successful when converting this knowledge into reading sheet music. Students are very excited to be moving onto playing recorders and keyboards and are looking forward to continuing this work in Term 2.

Visual Arts

This term students investigated the tools of drawing, creating artworks using pencils, and markers. Students continued to explore the elements of art – line, shape, and colour. They learned that lines can be combined and repeated in patterns and that imaginary shapes are called abstract shapes. When learning about colour, students identified primary and secondary colours and discovered that images can be coloured realistically or in an imaginative way.

Japanese

This term in Japanese, the Grade 4 students were explicitly taught hiragana, the first Japanese alphabet. Students learnt to read a hiragana chart and how to use the chart to identify and say each character. They used the hiragana rap to help memorise the order of the alphabet. Students participated in whole class, small group and individual activities to apply their knowledge of the alphabet. They started a hiragana booklet to practise writing each character with correct stroke order and reading and writing simple Japanese words and sentences. Students will continue to work on their character recognition for the rest of the year.

PE

In Term 1 Grade 4 PE classes, students continued to develop their fundamental movement skills while exploring more challenging games and sports. They refined their techniques and strategies, focusing on fair play and teamwork. Students had the opportunity to demonstrate their physical abilities in events such as House Athletics and Cross Country. Social skills were emphasised through cooperative play and team sports, fostering empathy and leadership abilities.