Year 3/4
Welcome
Dear Families,
It has been a pleasure to welcome students back after the holiday break and see them settling smoothly into the school routine. Term 3 is anticipated to be an exciting term with our Art Show and Book Week, including an Author visit and Book Week parade.
Inside the classroom, students are engaging with a wide range of topics across all learning areas, with a strong emphasis on building their skills in Reading, Writing, and Mathematical problem-solving.
Kind Regards,
The Year 3/4 Teachers
Our Learning this Term
English
Year 3
The Year 3 novel study will be on The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. As part of this unit, the literacy block will be combined in a two-hour session that integrates both literacy and literature. This approach allows students to engage more deeply with reading and writing through a rich and cohesive learning experience. The structure of the literacy block is as follows:
- Daily Review: A brief, fast-paced review of previously taught content.
- Literacy Skills: This component covers instruction across grammar, handwriting, reading fluency and spelling.
- Vocabulary: Our focus is on new vocabulary from our novel. We learn the words definitions as well as incorporate them into our complex sentence structure.
- Writing: This term, students will be developing their persuasive writing skills by learning how to create convincing arguments using strong evidence, persuasive language, and well-structured paragraphs.
Year 4
This term, our Year 4 students will be exploring the novel, The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. Throughout the unit, students will participate in a two-hour integrated literacy block that combines literature and literacy learning. By connecting reading, vocabulary and writing, students will build their comprehension, language skills, and confidence as readers and writers.
The literacy block includes:
- Daily Review: A short review to reinforce previously taught knowledge and skills.
- Literacy Skills: Explicit teaching of grammar, handwriting, spelling and reading fluency to strengthen students' core literacy skills.
- Vocabulary: Students will investigate new and interesting words from The Wild Robot, learning their meanings and using them accurately in spoken and written language.
- Writing: This term, students will be developing their persuasive writing skills by learning how to create convincing arguments using strong evidence, persuasive language, and well-structured paragraphs.
Homework: Reading Daily, Weekly Tasks
Students are expected to read for 15-20 minutes each night and record their reading in their diaries.
Please record the reading using the following format:
Title:
Time Read:
Pages:
Parent signature:
After completing the reading, it would benefit your child to talk about what they have read.
This ‘verbal processing’ helps them remember and think through the book's themes.
Ask questions before, during, and after a session to encourage reading comprehension.
For example:
- Before: "What are you interested in about this book? What doesn't interest you?"
- During: "What's going on in the book? Is it turning out the way you thought it would? What do you think will happen next?"
- After: "Can you summarise the book? What did you like about it? What other books does it remind you of?"
You may also like to visit the local library and select books that interest your child.
Homework: Curriculum Tasks
Homework tasks will be presented to each child for the week. The classroom teachers allocate the tasks based on the prior week's curriculum. Tasks are assigned to take no more than 20 minutes per session.
Homework tasks for this term commenced in Week 2. The last week of homework will be handed out to be completed in the second-to-last week of term, Week 8.
Mathematics
Daily Review: Students take part in a one-hour Mathematics lesson each day. Lessons begin with a 10-minute session of Daily Review. This part of the lesson revisits both current and previously covered topics, giving students the opportunity to practise and reinforce their understanding. The goal is to help transfer this knowledge into their long-term memory.
Maths Rehearsal: During this time, students build fluency in mathematical skills by engaging in group games and activities. At the same time, teachers work with small focus groups to provide targeted support on specific concepts.
To start the term, students engaged in a Multiplication & Division unit exploring how to represent equations using bar models. They were then taught how to create number sentences from worded problems and finished the unit solving two-digit equations using a place value chart. Our current unit looks at recognising angles as a measure of turn. Students are identifying right angles and big and small angles.
Other mathematical concepts to be covered this term are:
- Measurement - Angles and Time Telling
- Number - Multiplication and Division and Decimals
- Measurement - Mass and Capacity
Religious Education
During the first half of the Term, the students will be learning about the Catholic Social Teachings and what each teaching helps us to help those around us.
The Catholic Social Teachings are: Preferential option for the poor, Human dignity, Care for our common home
Subsidiarity and participation, The Common Good and
Solidarity. In the second half of the Term, the students will be learning about Jesus as healer, and this will include work on a Winter Appeal.
Inquiry
This term in Inquiry, students are exploring Australia's unique geographical features and the close connections our country shares with its neighbouring nations. They will investigate Australia's landscapes, environments and population, before comparing Australia with countries such as New Zealand and those in the South Pacific. Students will also learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' connection to Country, explore how Australia is connected to the wider world through trade, travel and culture, and complete a research project on one of Australia's neighbouring countries.
Specialists
Library
Book Week is Coming in Week 7!
We are looking forward to celebrating Book Week in Week 7 of this term! The 2026 Children's Book Week theme, "Symphony of Stories," celebrates the way stories bring people together, with every book adding its own unique voice to the wonderful world of reading.
Our celebrations begin the week before Book Week with a very special visit from one of Australia's favourite authors. On Monday 17 August, students in Grades 3–6 will meet Morris Gleitzman, who will share his journey as a writer, talk about what inspires his stories, and discuss the books that have made him one of Australia's most loved authors.
Students are welcome to bring a favourite book from home to have it signed by Morris Gleitzman. The book does not need to be one of his—it can be any book they love.
Book Week festivities will continue throughout Week 7 with a variety of exciting literacy activities, finishing with our much-loved Book Week Parade during Friday morning assembly on 28th August. We encourage all students to begin planning a costume based on a favourite book character or story. Costumes can be simple, and even sports clothing can be used if it connects to a book.
We can't wait to celebrate the joy of reading with our students and see all of their wonderful, creative costumes!
Library lessons will help the 3/4 students to build their reading, thinking, and communication skills through completing activities about the nominated Book week texts such as:
- 📚 Identifying and discussing characters, their actions, feelings, and how they change throughout the story.
- 💬 Exploring the main message, theme, or lesson and supporting ideas with examples from the text.
- ✍️ Responding to stories through discussions, written reflections, and creative activities.
- 🎨 Creating artwork inspired by characters, settings, or important events in the story.
- 🌟 Sharing personal opinions about books and explaining their ideas using evidence from the text.
We look forward to our Book Week Parade on Friday the 28th of August.
Best wishes,
Mrs Nicole Milne
L.O.T.E. Italian
Ciao a tutti e bentornati a scuola.
Dear parents, welcome to Term 3.
The students begin this term by revising, recycling and consolidating previously-acquired language through written and oral activities. They will continue to develop their skills in Italian and build on their vocabulary knowledge in a unit of work which is centred on shopping –. Lo shopping. They will learn the names of various shops in Italian : e.g. La gelateria - the icecream shop, la pasticceria- the cake shop.
They will also learn the vocabulary for the goods that are sold in each shop: e.g. il gelato, la torta. The students will be able to identify the similarities and differences in common types of shops and what they sell : Il bar- the café, il supermercato – the supermarket and will complete a Venn diagram to show their findings.
The students will be introduced to new language structures: Che negozio é? What shop is it? É una gelateria. It is an ice cream shop.
They will also be working on their art activity for the Art Show and their poster for the Dante Alighieri Poster Competition- My perfect day.
During the lessons the students will continue to participate in singing songs and playing language and grammatical games to reinforce new grammar and language structures. The students are also encouraged to keep up with the Duolingo program in order to increase their vocabulary knowledge.
Cordiali saluti,
Signora White
Art
Welcome back to Term 3! I hope all of our Grade 3/4 families had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday break.
Last term was a busy and creative one in the Art Room as students explored the exciting world of Pop Art. They learnt about a variety of influential Pop Art artists and experimented with bold colours, patterns and creative techniques to produce vibrant and imaginative artworks.
This term, our Grade 3/4 students will be exploring the work of Wassily Kandinsky through his famous Concentric Circles. Using oil pastels, students will investigate the element of colour by experimenting with warm, cool, complementary and monochromatic colour schemes. This project will encourage students to develop their understanding of colour theory while creating bold and expressive artworks. We are also looking forward to creating something special for Father's Day, giving students the opportunity to make a meaningful keepsake.
Excitement is building as we continue preparing for our School Art Show in September. We warmly invite all families to attend our Opening Night on Tuesday 1 September, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, where students' artwork from across the school will be proudly displayed. It promises to be a wonderful evening celebrating the creativity and talents of our students.
A heartfelt thank you to all of our families who have generously donated newspapers and paper towel rolls to the Art Room. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps bring many of our creative projects to life. If you have any spare newspapers or paper rolls at home, we would love for you to continue sending them in throughout the term.
Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to another exciting and creative term in the Art Room!
Warm regards,
Milena Santoro - Art Teacher
Physical Education
Welcome to Term 3
During this term in Physical Education, Grade 3/4 students will participate in a variety of fitness activities,
as well as cooperative games. Students will continue to develop their understanding of positive teamwork,
communication, and effective collaboration through a range of engaging activities and games.
3/4 students are currently preparing for the school athletics day coming up on Friday 31st July, where they will be
participating in a number of events including Long Jump, High Jump, Shotput and 100m sprint. This will be an opportunity for them to demonstrate some of the skills we have been learning in PE in the weeks leading up to the event.
Mr Heenan
Performing Arts
Hi 3/4 Students and Families and welcome back to Term 3 Performing Arts!
I was very proud of the achievements of students during the first two terms of the year, students should be very proud of themselves. This term we will be continuing our learning on music theory. Students will be reviewing their understanding of notation and note value, to better prepare them for reading music. Starting this term we’ve been focusing on dynamics (loud and soft in music), understanding the meaning behind the Italian dynamics terms (e.g. piano, forte etc) and their symbols on musical notation. Students have been listening to the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and evaluating the dynamics, identifying if the music is being played quietly, moderately soft or loud, or very loud. They’ve also been replicating sounds based on dynamics, following the notation whilst drumming to the beat.
Students will be applying this theory to a variety of instruments, learning the song Rainbow Connection before our wonderful Rainbow of Possibilities Art Show in Week 8.
Lastly, we’ll be covering a drama unit towards the end of term. Students will be working on analysing the literacy within a script. By identifying script writing conventions such as stage direction, punctuation and dramatic language, students will be extracting meaning from scripts and applying it to their acting. Once they have an idea about these conventions, they’ll be using them in their own work to write a short script and perform it.
To help develop your student’s understanding, ask them to read as many books (or better still, scripts of plays) to identify what characters are feeling/thinking at that moment.
Happy performing!
Mrs Emma Cooper
Key Dates
July
Friday, 24th 3/4N Assembly
Friday 31st Sports day
August
Wednesday 5th Sushi day
Saturday 8th Working Bee
Friday 14th School Closure day (this week is Bullying No Way week)
Monday 17th Visit for Grades 3-6 from Author Morris Gleitzman
Monday 24th Book Week
Friday 28th Book Week Parade
September
Tuesday 1st Art show 6pm (Opening night)
Thursday 3rd Art show
Father’s Day stall
Friday 18th End of Term 3 1.30pm
As dates can be subject to change, please check the school newsletter weekly.
How to Contact Us
All of the 3/4 team members can be contacted at the following emails. When sending emails, we politely request that there is an understanding that emails will be responded to within a 48 hour time frame and within the hours of 8.00am-4.45pm.
Sarah De Guzman - sdeguzman@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au
Grace Accetta - gaccetta@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au
Han Nguyen - hnguyen@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au
Rosemary Restaino - rrestaino@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au
Emma Cooper - ecooper@saclaytonsth.catholic.edu.au