Carlsruhe Annexe / 

Main Campus - Year 4

Dear Year 4 Families,

We are off and running into Term 4. We hope everyone is looking forward to a busy term ahead with lots to look forward to like sunny days at Carlsruhe, the Carlsruhe Country Fair, the Australian Red Cross Pillowcase workshop and of course, Phillip Island Camp in December!

The big news over the holidays at Carlsruhe was that our young furry friend Coconut has turned out to be male! Guinea pigs work quickly and as a result, Ginger is expecting babies. Coconut has been lovingly rehomed to a little boy who was absolutely delighted at his birthday present surprise. Students have been taking extra care to ensure that Ginger is comfortable and calm. We look forward to updating you further in the coming weeks!

Now over to the learning program! In Literacy we have begun the term by introducing the text type of poetry. Students have been learning about different language features such as nouns, verbs and adjectives, along with figurative language such as similes, metaphors and personification. We are hoping to expose students to some excellent poetry, if you have any favourites, be sure to introduce them to your child at home!

In Maths, the focus has been on angles and symmetry. Students have been learning to estimate and compare angles using angle names including acute, obtuse, straight angle, reflex and revolution, and recognise their relationship to a right angle. We have also been investigating reflection symmetry and students have been developing their understanding of lines of symmetry along with exploring rotational symmetry using familiar 2D shapes, letters or numbers.

Our Science Inquiry unit for term 4 is titled: How do heat and water shape our environment and affect life on Earth? By the end of this unit, students will understand that heat and water are interconnected forces that shape Earth's environment and sustain life — driving the water cycle, changing the states of matter, influencing weather and climate, and reshaping the land over time. 

Finally, 4AD and 4KR are really looking forward to Thursday activities and we hope to start them soon. We are on the lookout for some more parents or grandparents that would like to volunteer and run an activity with a small group of students. This may include photography, knitting, painting, weaving, cooking or quilting - or any other creative skill you would enjoy sharing! To make this program possible, we require a minimum of 6 volunteers each week to run this successful program. Thursday activities run during the morning session 9:30-10:30am. Please let your child’s teacher know ASAP if you are able to volunteer some time.

A further reminder that in Term 4 students require a wide brimmed hat to be able to play outside in the sunshine.

We are really looking forward to a busy and fun term 4 ahead!

Year 4 Teachers

Charlotte Twining & Laura McLennan (4AD), Brenda Elliot (4BE), Katherine Richardson (4KR)