Year 3/4 News

Learning Centre Two 

What a spectacular way to end a successful school year! We have had so much going on over the last few weeks, and now we have finally made it to the end. The students have had such a busy week presenting at their Learning Expo showcasing their Science presentations, Advent liturgy, Vinnies Christmas Appeal, Colour Run (Take 2), Step Up Day, Nativity Story and Christmas Carols, a whole school assembly, and engaging Christmas activities. 

Advent Liturgy

We had a special school gathering in the school hall to begin the Season of Advent by asking God to bless our Advent wreaths. The following Advent liturgies that have taken place in our Learning Centre have helped prepare the students for the celebration of Christmas by focusing deeply on themes of hope, waiting, and the coming of Jesus. They had an opportunity to reflect on the coming of Christ with a lens on his birth in the past and his future return.

Year 3: 2025 Highlights

It has been a year filled with growth, learning, and countless moments of joy that have brought our learning community closer. Together, we’ve celebrated successes, navigated challenges, and witnessed the unique gifts and talents of each student shine brightly.

In Term 1, the students began the school year with a Health unit focus by identifying who they were as individuals, their personal strengths and qualities, and how they can be part of a group. In Term 2, our students explored how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as part of a unit on Media Arts. This even included a visit to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). A unit called Digital Technologies in Term 3, involved our students learning how to follow an algorithm, and create software solutions using different design tools. Finally in Term 4, our students embarked on a Science unit investigation into living things which also included a Wild Action, Australian Animals Encounter incursion. 

I really enjoyed learning about inquiry because we could pretend to be biological scientists and investigate things.  - Alexander (3 Blue)

My favourite learning moment is when I get to make up stories and write about them.

- Reez (3 Orange)

I still want to learn more about my chosen Australian animal because I want to know how they build their nest.  - Eric (3 White)

Religion

In Religion, the students continued their learning on who Joseph and Mary were, and their role in God’s plan. They read scripture from Matthew's Gospel, and interpreted a series of four dreams by Joseph and how these were all related to God's plan. The students illustrated a map to show the journeys made by the Holy Family, and reflected on a time when they felt brave and trusted God. They explained the connection between all four dreams, and how these were sequenced to show how God guided Joseph through each stage.

Wellbeing

During the Wellbeing Hour sessions, the students continued exploring their rights and responsibilities. This included engaging in discussions about how they can take responsibility and show their respect for rights and how they can do this. The students created a ‘It’s my world’ model to show a responsible action they could do for their community, school, class, home, and themselves. They developed understandings on physical, verbal and emotional types of violence. The students examined the emotions a person might feel if someone is violent towards them, and how they might react if they saw or heard other people being violent. They created a 'No…Go…Tell' poster as a personal safety strategy to respond to uncomfortable or unsafe situations. 

Literacy

In Literacy, the students had the opportunity to watch the ‘Matilda’ movie. They then compared and contrasted this with the book to find out what was the same and what was different. This extended to how key characters were portrayed and how they influenced events throughout the story. The students also explored how poetic devices are used to illustrate a character and help readers develop an understanding of a text. This involved reading 'How the Grinch stole Christmas' and then listing noun groups and rhyming words to help them write their own review about the book. The students continued developing their reading fluency skills using extracts from the same book and giving peer feedback.

Numeracy

In Numeracy, the students have continued to learn about multiplication and division. They used a ‘Think Board’ to show multiplication and division in different ways. This included drawing a picture of the problem, an array, using repeated addition, and writing a worded sentence. The students also had the opportunity to plan a Christmas party for their family. They had to choose the correct number of tables using 2D objects, count the number of decorations required for their Christmas tree, choose appropriate 3D objects for their presents, calculate the total food costs for the guests invited, and draw a map of the room for the Christmas party. 

Inquiry

Our Science unit inquiry concluded with the students showcasing the information they found on their Australian animal at a Learning Expo. This included fact file information on their animals habitat, classification, diet, life span, and a conservation category that labelled their risk of extinction. The students further included a labelled diagram of their animal's features, life cycle, and their food web interconnection to show the transfer of energy and nutrients. The presentation formats included Mind Map visual diagrams, three-dimensional diorama models of a scene, information posters, information booklets, or multi-media. The expo was overall an opportunity for the students to use creativity skills to share their knowledge about an Australian animal.

Year 4: 2025 Highlights

This year has been filled with growth, learning, and countless blessings. Our students have shown remarkable resilience and enthusiasm in their learning, extracurricular activities, and spiritual development. It is truly inspiring to witness their progress and the joy they bring to our school each day.

In Term 1, the students began the school year with a Health unit focus by identifying who they were as individuals, their personal strengths and qualities, and how they can be part of a group. In Term 2, our students explored how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as part of a unit on Media Arts. This even included a visit to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). A unit called Digital Technologies in Term 3, involved our students learning how to follow an algorithm, and create software solutions using different design tools. Finally in Term 4, our students embarked on a Science unit investigation into living things which also included a Wild Action, Australian Animals Encounter incursion. 

I really had fun learning about division in Maths because it was fun and easier than I thought. - Princess (4 Blue)

Something that changed me was seeing all the new students that came to our school. This gave me an opportunity to learn more about them and their interests. - Chantelle (4 White)

I will never forget my teacher because she is just the best teacher!

- Corinthian (4 Orange)

Religion

In Religion, the students continued their learning on understanding the Christmas story through Luke’s Gospel. They examined Luke's perspective on the birth of Jesus by identifying in the scripture the main characters, events, story setting, words, phrases and symbols. The students created a vision plan for a peaceful learning space and playground by applying their knowledge on the Christian approach to peace in their lives. The students designed their own Christmas card for a resident at the ‘Uniting AgeWell Manor Lakes Community.’ This included a message that reflected on what they had learned about the story from Luke’s Gospel. 

Wellbeing

During the Wellbeing Hour sessions, the students continued exploring their rights and responsibilities. This included engaging in discussions about how they can take responsibility and show their respect for rights and how they can do this. The students created a ‘It’s my world’ model to show a responsible action they could do for their community, school, class, home, and themselves. They developed understandings on physical, verbal and emotional types of violence. The students examined the emotions a person might feel if someone is violent towards them, and how they might react if they saw or heard other people being violent. They created a 'No…Go…Tell' poster as a personal safety strategy to respond to uncomfortable or unsafe situations. 

Literacy

In Literacy, the students had the opportunity to watch ‘The Wild Robot’ movie. They then compared and contrasted this with the book to find out what was the same and what was different. The students explored the possibility of introducing a new character to the book, and used a Mind Map to plan a character profile. This included adding a character identity, personality, and role in the story. The students also learned how to write a scientific information report based on their chosen Australian animal. They learned how to use present tense, subject specific vocabulary and factual details to describe the appearance and behaviour of their animal. The students continued developing their reading fluency skills using extracts from the ‘The Wild Robot’ and giving peer feedback.

Numeracy

In Numeracy, the students have continued to learn about multiplication and division. They used a 'Think Board' to show how they could solve division problems using a range of strategies. These included repeated subtraction, skip counting, drawing and array, fact families, and creating equal groups. The students learned how to apply a method called ‘CUBES’ to solve word problems. This involved circling the numbers, underlining the question, boxing the keywords, eliminating extra information, and finally solving and checking their work. The students also had the opportunity to apply problem solving skills to work through number challenges related to Christmas. This included a colour by number mosaic, symmetry, identifying number patterns, and multiplication and division facts.

Inquiry

Our Science unit inquiry concluded with the students showcasing the information they found on their Australian animal at a Learning Expo. This included fact file information on their animals habitat, classification, diet, life span, and a conservation category that labelled their risk of extinction. The students further included a labelled diagram of their animal's features, life cycle, and their food web interconnection to show the transfer of energy and nutrients. The presentation formats included Mind Map visual diagrams, three-dimensional diorama models of a scene, information posters, information booklets, or multi-media. The expo was overall an opportunity for the students to use creativity skills to share their knowledge about an Australian animal.

Learning Expo 

Over the past few weeks all year levels have all been working hard on their scientific inquiry presentations. This included finding out information on Australian animal habitats, features, life cycles, food webs, indigenous names, classifications and more! We saw a range of presentation formats used by the students to convey their information and scientific understanding on their chosen animal. Some of these formats were even combined with information posters, booklets, dioramas and multi-media for extra effect. The students should all be very proud of their efforts, and if you ask your child about their chosen Australian animal, we are sure that they will have much to share.

Colour Run

What an amazing time we all had on Friday! After some initial nerves were ironed out, everyone had an incredible time, running, sliding and jumping through the course and seeing who could get wet the most and end up with the most colour. We are thankful for the addition of the sprinkler, and we certainly had a lot of fun running through that part of the course. There were plenty of laughs all around, especially when it came to the involvement of school staff.

Vinnies Christmas Appeal

Thank you to all our families for your generous donations and supporting those in need. The appeal provides practical support to individuals and families struggling with financial hardship, cost-of-living pressures, and homelessness, helping them experience hope, comfort, and dignity during the festive season. 

Nativity Story & Christmas Carols

The story of the Nativity and Christmas carols have been a very special part of our school tradition. This year, some of our Year 4 Blue students will be involved in a very reverent reenactment of the Nativity Story, the story of the birth of Jesus. This will be followed by some Christmas Carol singing. The students have even applied small movements, using the skills they learnt through the performance this year. The performance will highlight the message to follow the star that leads us to the birth of Jesus. We look forward to seeing you at this special whole school event.

Reminders

Thank you!

All of the teachers and learning support staff would like to take this moment to say a BIG thank you to all of our students and families for everything that they have done this year. 

To our parents, thank you for your unwavering support and partnership. Your involvement in your children’s education and your commitment to our school’s values have been instrumental in creating a nurturing and faith-filled environment. We are blessed to have such a dedicated and caring community.

To our students,  we would like to congratulate you all on a fantastic year. You have worked so hard this year, and we are proud of all that you have accomplished. It has been a pleasure & a priviledge for us to be a part of your learning journey. We hope this break brings you time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the magic of the season with your families. 

We look forward to welcoming everyone back in the New Year, ready to embrace all the possibilities that 2026 holds.

Year 3/4 Team:  Tina, Jannine, Josh, Hayley, Leeza, Anthony, Anastasia, Helen, Anna, Amelia,  Gabby, and Sandy