Year 4 News
Year 4 Newsletter
Learning in Year 4
Our Year 4 students had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Year 6 PYP Exhibition a couple of weeks ago. They thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the senior students, learning about their inquiry journey, and exploring the range of displays, models, and projects on show. It was a valuable experience that allowed our Year 4 students to see the learning journey of the Year 6 students and gain inspiration from their work.
Math Minds Success & Upcoming STEM Challenge!
A group of talented Year 4 students recently competed in the Math Minds Competition on Tuesday 28 July, proudly hosted by Mentone Girls’ Grammar.
This exciting inter-school event brought together bright young minds from over a dozen local schools for a day of high-energy problem-solving. Working in collaborative teams, our students tackled complex logic puzzles, hands-on mathematical games, and critical thinking trials.
A huge congratulations to our brilliant participants who represented our school so beautifully:
Ally, Alyssa, Audrey, Eliza, Eva, Josie, Liv, and Mia
The event perfectly showcased their logical reasoning, persistence, and fantastic team sportsmanship.
Our students are eagerly anticipating the upcoming STEM Challenge Competition on Tuesday 15 September. Stay tuned for more updates as our BNPS representatives get ready to put their skills to the test once again.
Maths – Fractions
Year 4 students have been working hard in Maths as they completed their unit on fractions. Throughout the unit, students developed their understanding of equivalent fractions and learnt how to represent fractions using bar graphs and number lines.
They also explored improper fractions and mixed numerals, including how to convert between the two. Students used arrays to help them find fractions of a group, developing their ability to visualise and apply their understanding of fractions in different contexts.
The Year 4 teachers were extremely proud of the growth the students demonstrated from their pre-test to their post-test. It was wonderful to see their confidence and understanding develop throughout the unit. Congratulations, Year 4s, on your fantastic effort and progress!
English – Wonder
In English, students have been revising complex sentences and punctuation, with a particular focus on using punctuation correctly when writing direct speech.
This week marks our final sessions for our current text study, Wonder. Students are to be commended for the thoughtful and caring way they have approached this text. They have demonstrated empathy for the characters and have carefully recorded and discussed their ideas throughout the unit.
For their final task, students will write a journal entry from the perspective of one of the characters, exploring an important event and explaining how that event changed the character. It was also wonderful to see how much the students enjoyed watching the Wonder movie last week and making connections between the text and the film.
Inquiry – Communication and Our New Unit
Last week, students completed their summative assessment for our Communication unit by presenting an oral presentation about friendship. Students have thoroughly enjoyed exploring friendship through characters in books and movies and made some wonderful connections between these characters and their own understanding of friendship.
We are now excited to begin our new Unit of Inquiry:
“The choices we make now can affect people, the environment and the future.”
Our new unit will officially kick off on Thursday with a RUSTIE Incursion, where students will explore the importance of reusing everyday items, with a particular focus on bottle lids. We are looking forward to seeing the students develop their understanding of how the choices we make can contribute to a more sustainable future.
Respectful Relationships – Finding Our Inner Calm
Last week in Respectful Relationships, students explored ways to find their inner calm through a range of self-calming and relaxation activities. One of the highlights was the Slow-motion Giant Mirror Game, where students worked together to carefully mirror a partner's movements, practising focus, self-control and observation. The class also participated in relaxing breathing and muscle-release exercises, learning how simple strategies can help reduce stress and bring a sense of calm. It was wonderful to see so many smiles on students’ faces as they practised these techniques together and reflected on how they can use them both at school and at home when they need to feel more relaxed and ready to learn.
Year 4 Sport – Kickball
Last week, Year 4 students began learning the formal rules and skills of kickball in preparation for Year 5 sport next year. Students were divided into their houses and had the opportunity to practise their skills while playing against one another.
Learning the skills and rules of kickball provides students with valuable skills that can be transferred to many other sports. Students practise throwing, catching, kicking, running, striking, fielding, spatial awareness and teamwork. They also develop their ability to communicate with teammates, make quick decisions and understand rules and fair play.
These skills provide a strong foundation for a range of sports, including cricket, softball, baseball, football and other team games. Most importantly, students are learning how to work together, support their teammates and participate positively in competitive situations.
Well done, Year 4, on another busy and productive week of learning, growth and teamwork!