From the Year 4 Classroom

We Made It!  What a busy term! The children have been absolute superstars, and we have told them they are doing an amazing job, not just as learners but as kind and thoughtful humans!  

Here’s what we have been up to over the past two weeks… 

Sacred Heart Day Mass and Artwork 

The children participated in our Sacred Heart Mass beautifully and those receiving Communion did so reverently. Bishop Shan said the Mass and we had several visitors from CES Bendigo. They commented on how our Sacred Heart children engage with the Mass, particularly the singing. Lovely feedback from them. The children then decorated a wire heart (made by Ms. Hillier!), and they look gorgeous. We hope you have seen your child’s masterpiece! 

Year 4 Liturgy and Sacrament Celebration 

The children attended our Year 4 Liturgy as we turned our learning space into a prayer space. We went through the parts of the Mass and joined in with responses. We broke ‘real’ bread to remember what Jesus did and said at the Last Supper. We then shared the bread. Afterwards, they completed a reflection sheet and coloured in bookmarks while we partied!  Thank you for the wonderful supply of food – it was very generous.  

Ahn Do Talk 

Last Tuesday, we listened to Ahn Do answer questions from children about his writing via Zoom. He was very informative and funny! The children created their own characters and have enjoyed writing their own Ahn Do inspired narrative.  

Kensuke’s Kingdom 

We watched the movie, “Kensuke’s Kingdom” yesterday. You may remember this is the first novel we studied. It was interesting to compare the book with the movie. We all had a great time – finishing off the left-over party food was good too! 

In Literacy, we completed our exploration of The Arrival by Shaun Tan. The children engaged deeply with this powerful wordless picture book, unpacking the imagery to understand its meaning and purpose. We also read and discussed an interview with Shaun Tan, gaining insight into the ideas and inspiration behind his storytelling. The children shared their interpretations with partners, and we were truly impressed by the depth and thoughtfulness of their responses. Along the way, they developed strategies for clarifying unfamiliar words, recognising how this supports deeper comprehension. To finish the term, students will independently write a Fantasy Narrative, applying the structure they have learned and drawing inspiration from the mentor text. 

In Math, the children have been exploring key number concepts to build their understanding of how numbers work together. They have investigated fact families to see the relationship between addition and subtraction and learned about the commutative property — discovering that numbers can be added in any order and still give the same result. We also explored how to solve number problems with unknown values, and how to recognise and create equivalent subtraction number sentences. It’s been a great opportunity for the children to apply their thinking and explain their strategies. 

In Inquiry, this week the children will present their projects about British Settlement and the Effects on First Nations Australians to complete this unit of work. They chose to present the information as a Powerpoint, in Clips or as a poster.  

Semester One Reports 

We hope you enjoyed reading your child’s Report with them. They have worked hard this semester. Take a moment to celebrate! If you have any queries, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher. 

Award Winners: 

  Absent - Sebastian Gunther 

Wishing You a Wonderful Holiday Break As we wrap up the first semester, we want to thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. We wish you a safe and relaxing holiday – and look forward to an exciting Term 3! 

Upcoming dates: 

Friday, 4th July – School finishes at 2.15pm 

Monday, 21st July – Term 3 commences