With only a few weeks left in Term 3, Year 3 is in a busy (and exciting) stretch of learning and special events. Below is a quick look at what’s coming up, followed by subject updates from our classrooms.
Coming up in Year 3
Cyber Safety Incursion
Father’s Day shop
Literacy Week activities (including our annual Book Parade and Buddy Groups)
Year 3 Team Building Days
Students can spend their well-earned Brookside Bucks at the SWPBS Shop
Literacy
Students have been travelling back in time through our Historical Narratives unit. By blending historical facts with creative storytelling, they are learning to create believable characters and settings that feel far removed from their everyday lives.
They are also becoming more confident with narrative structure—orientation, complication, and resolution—and it has been wonderful to see their imaginations bring history to life.
Alongside this, we have launched a new non-fiction unit based on The Mess That We Made. Students are exploring the global impact of pollution through engaging texts and short films, while learning to identify key non-fiction features such as technical vocabulary and unique layouts.
We are approaching these topics in a way that feels empowering: rather than feeling overwhelmed, students are focusing on practical changes and brainstorming innovative ideas for the future. They are also strengthening essential literacy skills—taking effective notes and structuring informative paragraphs—with a strong sense of responsibility and hope for the world they live in.
Mathematics
In Mathematics, students explored Shapes and Their Properties by creating, representing, and describing 3D objects using spatial language. They built 3D shapes with a variety of materials and examined different 2D perspectives (front, back, side, top, and bottom views) of 3D objects.
Students also practised using precise positional, directional, and distance vocabulary to give and follow instructions describing object locations and relationships
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We also continued developing understanding of Multiplication and Division through hands-on activities. Students used visual strategies such as bar models and arrays to work out problems, and they practised underlining key information in worded problems to clarify what the question is asking, recognise number patterns, and justify their mathematical reasoning.
Humanities – Geography
In Humanities, we’ve been exploring Australia. Students have been mapping our states, territories, and capital cities, and identifying the surrounding oceans, famous landmarks, mountains, major rivers, and local wildlife.
We also looked at our neighbours in New Zealand to learn what makes them unique, and we have been diving into local history to see how our community has changed over time. Using old photos, maps, and stories, students compared life in the past to how we live today and reflected on the people who helped shape the place we call home.
Science
In Science, students investigated physical phenomena by examining how heat energy is produced, transferred, and measured. Through hands-on experiments, they explored different sources of heat—including friction, electricity, and solar radiation—and observed how heat moves from warmer objects to cooler ones.
Students applied scientific inquiry skills by making predictions, conducting fair tests, recording observations, and drawing evidence-based conclusions about how thermal energy affects everyday materials.
Science Week open morning
On our Science Week open morning, we made Oobleck—a big thank you to the parents who came in to help us.
It was not just a bit messy rather a lot, but once we got it into the bag, we could play with it and explore its unusual properties. Oobleck behaves like both a solid and a liquid: it flows like a thick liquid when handled gently, but it hardens into a solid-like state when sudden force or pressure is applied.
Health
In Health, students have been exploring emotional literacy—learning to identify, label, and manage a range of emotions. They practised recognising how different feelings can present physically in the body and discussed how different scenarios may influence emotional responses.
To support self-regulation and positive interactions, students investigated practical strategies for coping with strong emotions and continued developing positive communication skills to build healthy, respectful relationships with peers.
A Smooth Start Every Day
Thank you to families who have been prioritising a punctual start—arriving just a few minutes before the bell makes a big difference. It gives children time to settle, connect with friends, and begin the day calmly rather than feeling rushed.
Those first moments are when we have time to greet each other complete our morning circle, share daily events, prepare our equipment, and begin morning activities. When a student arrives late, they often miss the “roadmap” for the day, and it can be difficult for the class to pause and regroup teachers have often started their group work with individual groups and students.
We really appreciate your support in helping students start the day calm, connected, and ready to learn.
Helping at Home
You can keep the learning momentum going with simple routines and everyday conversations. A few ideas that make a real difference:
Complete nightly reading and Study Ladder tasks
Share a story together and talk about what happened (characters, problem, solution)
Practise addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division through quick real-life problems
Explore and describe 2D and 3D shapes you notice at home and out in the community
Discuss family traditions and local stories to build background knowledge for Humanities and writing
Explore how objects stay warm or cool (and why) to connect with our science learning
Encourage children to name feelings and use positive problem-solving strategies with friends
Thank you for your ongoing support. When families and teachers work together, students are best placed to reach their full potential.
Warm regards,
Year 3 Team
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Year 4
In Reading, we have just finished reading an incredible book called ‘Leo and Ralph’ by Peter Carnarvas. We have explored a range of comprehension strategies and built our vocabulary up tremendously.
In Writing, we have been working hard on writing our very own Narratives using figurative language and sensory language.
In Maths, we have begun our Probability unit and explored how decimals are used. We are excited to conduct some of our probability experiments using spinners, dice and random sample bags.
In Science, we have learnt about the properties of materials. We explored how different types of materials can be transparent, conductive and water resistant, absorbent or repellent. We experimented with different types of fibres to see how they react to water and we did a COOL experiment to explore the properties of metal by making aluminium boats. We tested them to see which one would hold the most marbles. Congratulations to Robin & Zayan from 4B for winning the boat competition, holding a total of 45 marbles! Check out some of our designs below!
Year 4 Team
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Year 5
Our Year 5 students have been busy with lots of exciting learning!
In Reading, we have continued reading Tom Appleby, Convict Boy, a historical fiction novel that explores the experiences of a young convict travelling from England to Australia during the time of the First Fleet.
In Writing, students have been learning about hybrid texts and how narrative and informative voices can be combined within the same text.
In Maths, we have continued developing our understanding of fractions, decimals and percentages, as well as learning about probability.
A reminder that our upcoming Science
Incursion is on 15 September. Please ensure payment and consent are completed by 8 September so your child can participate.
Kind regards,
Grade 5 Teachers
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Year 6
📚 Reading
In Reading, students have been exploring the novel Once by Morris Gleitzman. Through the text, students have developed their comprehension skills while building an understanding of the experiences of people during the Holocaust.
To further support their learning, students
visited the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, where they were able to make meaningful connections between the novel, historical events and real-life experiences.
✏️ Writing
In Writing, students have been learning about historical narratives. They have explored how authors combine historical facts with fictional characters and events to create engaging and believable stories. Students have worked through the writing process to plan, draft, revise and edit their own historical narratives, with a focus on descriptive language, character development and historical accuracy.
➗ Maths
In Mathematics, students have been developing their understanding of fractions and space. They have explored how fractions can be represented, compared and used in different mathematical problems. During our Space unit, students have investigated properties of shapes, angles, transformations and spatial reasoning through a range of practical activities and problem-solving tasks.
🌏 Humanities
In Humanities, our Year 6 students have been building their financial literacy. They have explored taxation, including why we pay taxes and how tax money contributes to services within our community. Students have also investigated ways to keep money and financial information safe, particularly when using online banking and digital services. These lessons have encouraged students to think about responsible and informed financial decision-making.
🔬 Science
In Science, students have been investigating reversible and irreversible changes. They have explored how different materials can change and considered whether these changes can be reversed.
We also celebrated Science Week with a fun hands-on milk and vinegar experiment! Students made predictions, observed the changes that occurred and used their scientific knowledge to explain what they discovered. It was a fantastic opportunity to bring our learning to life through experimentation and investigation.
It has been wonderful to see our Year 6 students approaching their learning with curiosity, creativity and enthusiasm throughout the term!
"In Year 6 we are cool because we thrive at school."
