Year 3/4
Wowee! What a fantastic term it has been for our Year 3 and 4 students. Throughout the term, students embraced new learning opportunities, challenged themselves and demonstrated enthusiasm across all areas of the curriculum. From engaging classroom activities and hands-on investigations to exciting incursions, students worked collaboratively, showed resilience and continued to grow in confidence. We are incredibly proud of the progress they have made and the achievements they have celebrated this term.
Reading
In Reading lessons, students explored procedural and information texts and developed their understanding of the purpose, audience and features of each text type. Through reading recipes and other mentor texts, they identified how transition words, action verbs and sequenced steps help readers follow instructions. Students also discussed how authors organise information to achieve a specific purpose. Through discussing and responding to texts, students strengthened their comprehension skills and understanding of informative texts.
Writing
During Term 2, students developed their understanding of sentence structure by creating compound sentences using coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS). They combined ideas to make their writing more detailed and engaging.
Students also explored procedural and information texts, identifying key structures and language features through mentor texts. They applied these skills by writing procedures and information reports linked to their STEAM learning and rooftop garden projects. Through planning, drafting, editing and publishing, students continued to grow in confidence as writers.
Mathematics
In Mathematics, students strengthened their understanding of addition and subtraction by applying a range of mental and written strategies to solve problems. They developed their skills in solving 3-digit addition and subtraction problems using compensation, number line and partitioning strategies. Students also explored angles, investigated the properties of 2D shapes and collected, represented and analysed simple data.
Inquiry / STEAM
Our inquiry and STEAM unit has had students explore how communities grow and how spaces can be designed to support people, and the environment. They investigated the features of liveable places and the benefits of green spaces within them. Through hands-on investigations, students learned how plants grow, what they need to survive and how Indigenous plants are suited to local environments. They also explored how weather and environmental factors such as wind, rain and erosion affect buildings and outdoor spaces, developing their understanding of sustainable designs for the rooftop garden prototypes.
Incursions
Science - Weathering and the effects on our world
Earlie in the term, students participated in an engaging science incursion where they explored the effects of weather through a range of hands-on experiments. Students investigated how wind, water and other weather conditions can change natural materials over time by testing, observing and comparing different samples. They made predictions, recorded their observations and discussed the results of each experiment.
SES visit
In conjunction with our STEAM unit, students enjoyed a visit from the SES and learned about how they respond to extreme weather events and help keep communities safe. Students participated in an informative presentation about storm and flood safety and learned practical ways to stay safe during severe weather. A highlight of the visit was exploring the SES vehicle and learning about the equipment, (even trying on some of the safety gear) used during emergency responses.
It has been a very busy term, but one full of wonderful growth in both academic and personal skills. We are all very proud of the amazing Middle School students.
To all families, enjoy a much earned break, and see you all in Term 3.
Middle School Team