Year 4

Our new Grade 4 students had an excellent start to the year! 

There were some understandable nerves (and excitement) as they walked through the door, wondering what the year would bring. But it didn’t take long before everyone was settling in, getting to know each other, and embracing our class norms with a positive, growth mindset.

Since then, we’ve been moving right along. We’ve completed our early year assessments and have already started exploring our first topics in literacy, math, and RE. Alongside that, we’ve worked through some “getting to know you” activities, had a lesson on wellbeing and recognising our emotions (using the Zones of Regulation), and shared plenty of laughs along the way.

I’m sure the students went home with stories about my “picking sticks” practise, where I randomly assign them to different groups or tables each week. They took it on with great enthusiasm, understanding that working with a variety of people is an important real-life skill.

One of the highlights so far was our discussion about how learning happens in the brain. We talked about how mistakes are a natural part of the process—and actually necessary for learning. When our brains struggle with something, they adapt and grow. 

We agreed that instead of focusing on getting things “right” or “wrong,”  it’s important to recognise that we’re all on a learning journey, and right/wrong are just part of that repetitive learning cycle. This will be a theme throughout the year as the students take on more challenging tasks, hopefully, with a “let’s try” attitude, rather than feeling anxious about their mistakes. We'll work hard to encourage each other, and stay clear from any competitiveness with each others' learning. We're a team of learners in here! 

Looking forward to all the learning and fun ahead!