Grade 4 NewsÂ

Important Reminders & Dates
đ Every Thursday (Weeks 1â5): Swimming Program â 9:00am to 10:40am
đââď¸ Friday, August 15: District Athletics (selected students)
đ Saturday, August 16: School Trivia Night
đ Monday, August 18: Book week dress up day and whole school parade
đď¸ Wednesday, August 27: Fatherâs Day Stall
đ Monday, September 1: Production Dress RehearsalÂ
đ Tuesday, September 2 & Wednesday, September 3: School Production
đ Friday, September 19: Last Day of Term 3 â 2:30pm Finish
đ Looking Ahead - Camp ADANAC
đď¸ Monday, October 6 â Wednesday, October 8: Grade 4 Camp â ADANAC
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Camp is fastly approaching. You will have recieved a couple of things recently to help us get the organisation underway:
- The event on compass to provide your consent and payment. Please have this completed by Saturday 6th September.Â
- Medical forms - these came home in a big white envelope - please return this ASAP to your classroom teacher or the office.Â
- A compass notification from Kim about our Calm Campers program. The sessions will take part during class time when it is convenient for those participating. If your child does not have big concerns about camp, this is not the program for them. You can fill in the form via this link https://forms.gle/AD8JrKb63HmRUCwN7
Weekly Timetable
Learning in Action
đ Literacy
Our novel, âThe One and Only Ivan,â has explored the concept of animals in captivity, through the eyes of the main character Ivan the Gorilla. Ivan has lived in a small cage all his life, and does not know what freedom feels like. We have explored the history of circuses, its changes over time and how the use of animals to perform acts is now not as common. This topic has generated much discussion in Grade 4, with some very compelling arguments in support of freedom for animals, over living in captivity.
In writing, we have been reviewing the different language devices authors use to persuade the reader of their opinion. Students have identified high modality words, rhetorical questions, thinking adverbials and connectives across different texts such as letters to the government and news articles. Conjunctions âbecause, but and so,â have been used to extend sentences and students have learnt how to put interesting verbs, similes and onomatopoeia into their writing to make it interesting to the reader. This understanding will help prepare students for their own persuasive writing which they will complete over the coming weeks.Â
â Maths
We will have a high focus on multiplication and division in term 3. We have seen from daily reviews that many students are struggling with multiplication, it would be great if we can get your support at home to have the students practicing their times tables (particularly 6s, 7s and 8s). This will aid the students in maths for the rest of the year. We greatly appreciate your support on this.
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Maths over the last couple of weeks has focused on multiplication, area and symmetry. Students have enjoyed creating symmetrical shapes and used their creations to explore what a line of symmetry is and how to use it to show rotational symmetry. We have explored Area, what and how it is measured, and thought about different places area can be measured. When learning about multiplication, students discovered connections between times tables facts, and have applied these connections, such as doubling, to help them solve equations they may be unfamiliar with. There has been quite a few âa-haâ moments when using these connections, such as students using the 10 x tables to help with the 9s and the 5 x tables to help with the 4s.Â
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Preview: Looking forward, we will focus on explicit strategies such as the box model, split strategy and vertical algorithms in our Maths Goals, showing different ways to solve multiplication equations.
đ§ Knowledge-Rich Units
Our current knowledge-rich unit is on Local Government. We will be focusing on several key questions to build a strong understanding of how government operates and impacts our daily lives. We will begin by exploring the difference between rules and laws, and how laws influence and shape the lives of students. From there, we will examine the structure of the Australian government, looking closely at the different levels, with a particular focus on the role of local government. We will learn who the members of our local government are and what responsibilities they hold. Finally, we will investigate how government decisions can affect individuals and communities, helping students understand the real-world impact of civic structures and leadership.
From The Grade 4 Teachers
Miss Emonson, Mrs Flack, Mrs Waldron and Mrs Ward
Updates from around the school
Green Team News
Under the guidance of Mrs Stokol and Mrs Alexander, the Green Team met for the first time this week, and what a meeting it was! Across Years 3 to 5, we had nearly 50 excited and passionate students eager to do their part for the environment.
Whether itâs helping to keep the school free of rubbish, caring for and developing the gardens, or educating our community about sustainability, there was a real buzz in the air as students shared ideas and signed up for various roles.
A new initiative launched this term is the collection of 10c containers. Thanks to the special lunch day last term, we raised $21, a fantastic start! Weâre now working to collect eligible containers daily to reduce landfill waste and turn recyclables into funds that will be reinvested into future Green Team projects.
Participation in the Green Team is inclusive and open to all. Itâs not too late for your child to get involved; weâd love to have them on board!
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Green Team Newsletter #2
The enthusiastic Green Team members from Years 3 to 6 continue to meet with Mrs Alexander and Mrs Stokol each Wednesday lunchtime. Meetings begin with a check-in on how the yard cleaning roster is going. Students report which areas are the cleanest, which need more attention, and share ideas for improvement.
Sustainability remains a key focus. Whether itâs managing waste, maintaining garden spaces, or spreading awareness, students have shown impressive initiative and creativity.
Our 10c container collection is going strong! We've raised over $30 in just a few weeks. Green Team members manage the collection bin outside the canteen on lunch order days, and also visit classrooms weekly to gather containers from specially labelled tubs. By collecting these items daily, we are preventing waste from going to landfill and turning it into cash to support our environmental efforts.
Be sure to check out the Sustainability Display in the gym over the coming weeks to see what weâve been up to!
Did you know? You can support the Green Team by nominating Lysterfield Primary School (LPS) as your donation partner through Victoriaâs Container Deposit Scheme.
Download the app or visit:đ Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme | Learn How To Donate
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Itâs planting season, and whatâs better than free plants?Â
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Help the Green Team â and Earn Free Plants!
Did you know that the Knox Environment Society (KES) offers free native plants as prizes through their Nature Discovery Passport program?
By playing an interactive game and collecting stamps at local reserves, participants can earn plant prizes, and what better way to use those plants than by donating them to our school for the Green Team to grow and maintain?
Explore one of the many beautiful reserves in Knox on the weekend, learn about your local ecology, collect stamps, and claim your prize. Itâs a fun way to get outside, support the environment, and contribute to our schoolâs sustainability efforts.
And who says the fun is just for the kids? Families are welcome to join in too!
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To learn more, visit:
đ Nature Discovery Passport â Knox Environment Society
đ Knox Environment Society Home Page
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Thank you â every little bit helps!
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Mrs Stokol and Mrs Alexander
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