Level 4: Connect
Welcome:
Welcome Level 4 Families to Term 3...an exciting term with lots of athletcis, swimming and camping! We have hit the ground running this term and the students, thus far, have been fantastic in their approach to all the new challenges this term has presented already.
We were really proud of our Level 4 students at the athletics this week. Most of them participated extremely well and attempted all activities on offer- even the 800 metre race! Thanks to all the parents who helped on the day. We really appreciated your assistance.
Plese don't forget that swimming begins next week. If you can offer your services to help us on the bus to and from the pool, please return the form that was sent home last week to your child's teacher.
Here's to a wonderful Term 3...
Homework:
To align with the rest of the school, Level 4 students will no longer be receiving formal homework as they had been in Terms 1 and 2. Instead, you will find lots of ideas for 'homework' each fortnight here in our newsletter that you might like to have your child complete at home.
Our expectation is that students will still be involved in nightly reading: being read to, reading independently or reading to someone else. Mathletics tasks will continue to be set each week with a focus on content we are covering in class (such as fractions this week)!
Camp:
Thanks to families who have paid and given permission via Compass for camp. Don’t forget under the resources tab, you will find all the extra info such as the camp packing list, medical authority form, camp behaviour contract and the link to your child’s medical information. Please print out the behaviour contract and return to your child’s teacher as soon as convenient. If you require a paper copy, please write a note in your child’s diary and teachers will send a copy of the contract for you to fill in at home and return. Also please remember that if your child is to take any medication whilst at camp, we need a medical authority from a doctor (see form in resource section).
This week you should have received an email with a camp dietary link. (The email was sent to the primary parent email address only. You may have inadvertly received the same email twice, one can be deleted thanks.) This dietary information goes directly to camp. Please ensure this is done soon- especially if your child has dietary requirements - so the camp staff can cater for your child’s dietary needs.
Thanks to the overwhelming number of parents who requested to be a parent helper on camp. Unfortunately, we can only take three parents and, as advised, the parents of students with medical needs take first priority. You will be informed on Monday whether we will need your assistance at camp. Thanks again for offering.
Hopefully all of our Level 4 students will attend camp. It is such a great opportunity for children to develop their independence, their social skills, teamwork skills, resilience, sense of responsibility and so on. If you have any questions about camp, please don’t hesitate to see your child’s teacher. Thank you.
Literacy:
The students have been delving into the text The Dream of the Thylacine by Margaret Wild. The students have been investigating the use of emotive language to convey meaning and impact in a story. In the upcoming fortnight, students will be analysing language patterns, word choice and the purpose and function of language. They will also have the opportunity to apply these language conventions to their own writing. We are also starting our new Class Novel Picasso and the Greatest Show on Earth by Anna Fienberg.
As an extra home task, your child may like to write a summary of what has been read in class so far and share their writing with you.
Maths:
This past fortnight and upcoming fortnight, we will continue to be exploring fractions. Students will be working with fractions in various ways, including problem solving, modelling and representing fractions in various was including proper and improper fractions, mixed numbers and equivalent fractions. Students will also be practising locating and ordering them on a number line. See below for a game students may like to play at home.
Here's a link to a valuable website where students can practise their maths too: https://app.problemo.edu.au/student/sandpit
Students may select from a vaiety of fun and educational activities at a level that suits them!
Inquiry:
We have begun our unit of inquiry all about Geography and Sustainability! It’s been an exciting couple of weeks thus far studying what sustainability is all about, places we have visited around the world and the biggest threats to our planet Earth. Students are researching a whole host of different problems that our earth is facing such as global warming, pollution, deforestation and lots of biodiversity. In small groups, students will present their findings to the rest of their class. Exciting times!
Throughout the term we will be looking closely at Australia, South America and Africa- including specifically terrain, population, animals, natural resources and climate to name but a few.
Please ask your child to share some of their new understandings with you. We’re sure you will be surprised by their wealth of knowledge!
Kitchen Garden Program
The students were very excited and enthusiastic to commence cooking and gardening classes this term. Mr Marco will be working with our Level 4 students this term in the kitchen with cooking and in our SEPS garden. Students were highly engaged in the process and were very excited to try their creations! It was pleasantly surprising to see all students willing to try the Teriyaki Chicken Yaki Udon Noodles despite mentioning it had veggies there were not so keen on!
There will be no excuses now to encourage your children now to help with the meal prep at home!
