Altona Green Primary School Newsletter

Term 4 Curriculum Newsletters

Prep

Literacy

In Literacy this term, our Prep students are learning to write their own simple narratives using the sentence structures they have learned this year. We will explore the role that characters, settings, problems and solutions play in forming interesting stories, using these story elements to create our own simple tale. With an aim to expand our spoken and written vocabulary, we are learning about synonyms that help us reach up high for better or more specific words.

 

In preparation for Sounds-Write in Year 1, we have begun our bridging units exploring how one sound can be spelt using different spellings. We will continue to read and spell words with four and five sounds using the single-letter, consonant digraphs and trigraph (tch) spellings we have learnt throughout the year. Partner reading is practised daily with an aim to grow our reading fluency and automaticity. This can be further developed by reading with your child at home. 

 

Mathematics 

In Mathematics, through Daily Review, we are continually strengthening and revising learnt concepts such as counting forwards and backwards, writing number bonds, solving addition and subtraction equations, and telling time to the hour on digital and analogue clocks. This term, we will expand on our number and place value knowledge as we compare and order numbers up to 100 and beyond by identifying tens and ones and representing numbers using unifix and base ten blocks. We will learn to add and subtract within 20 by using concrete materials and also investigate sharing collections into equal groups. We will collect and represent data through picture graphs and will be applying our learning to help us further our understanding of weather patterns. Students will also expand on their knowledge of different measurement areas such as volume, capacity and area and learn how to use the correct vocabulary to measure and compare these units informally.

 

Inquiry: Weather in my World

For our Earth and Space Science unit ‘Weather in my World’, we will observe and record characteristics of weather. We will also investigate how weather affects our daily lives, the role of weather forecasts, and the strategies we can use to predict changes in the weather. As students take on the role of Weather Reporters in the classroom, they will share their observations and how the weather influences our decisions about what to wear and the things we are able to do.

 

Supporting Learning at Home: 

We ask that you please continue to read with your child every night, practise handwriting and counting forwards and backwards to 100 and beyond. 

Grade 1

Grade 1

In Term 4, students will continue to build on their knowledge of phonics through participating in the Sounds Write program daily. We will continue building our knowledge that sounds can be represented by 1, 2, 3 or 4 letters. A scope and sequence of the different spellings we will be focussing on has been sent home to families. 

 

This term in Reading, Writing and Viewing we will have a particular focus on narratives by deepening our understanding of the structure of well-known stories including fairytales. We will work towards innovating these familiar stories by changing key features e.g. changing the characters, setting or ending to create our own stories. Throughout this study, we will be learning about how authors successfully begin narratives by introducing the setting and characters. We will also work on developing different ways to transition throughout the parts of our narratives by furthering our knowledge of  time and sequence words e.g. first, next, finally, at last, later on. Students will extend their writing by adding detail through descriptions, uplevelling their vocabulary to use a range of adjectives and adverbs and including a range of conjunctions e.g. because, but, so. We will also focus on past tense verbs including action, thinking and feeling verbs as part of our narrative study. Students will continue to work on editing sentences to ensure that they are complete sentences, and contain correct punctuation including capital letters, full stops or question marks. 

 

In Numeracy, students will develop their ability to read, interpret and model numbers to 1000. They will learn to write related number bonds to 1000 by partitioning hundreds, tens and ones. Students will continue to build on their ability to use a range of strategies when solving addition and subtraction equations to 100 including using vertical written algorithms, number lines and mental strategies. They will begin to learn about simple fractions e.g. dividing lengths into halves and quarters and differentiating between lengths that have and have not been divided into halves and quarters. They will develop their understanding of division by using concrete materials to share a collection into a given number of groups and state how many are in each group. Students will interpret data in horizontal and vertical picture graphs by identifying the biggest and smallest values and by answering ‘How many...?’, ‘Were there more...?’ and ‘Were there less...?’ questions. They will estimate the area of surfaces and then measure and record the area using informal units (e.g. sticky notes). We will also work towards developing their ability to give and follow directions to move between familiar locations. Students will continue to have the opportunity to practise and consolidate their understanding of all concepts through participating in Daily Review.

 

During our inquiry topic “My Community”, students will learn that Altona Meadows is a part of Hobson's Bay, which includes natural and constructed features that have changed over time. They will develop their understanding that we share a responsibility to care for our local area. We will be working towards answering the following questions.

  • What are the special places in my community?
  • What services are in my community?
  • How do people use different places in Altona?
  • How can I use a map to navigate my community?

Each week we will continue our work with the Resilience Project focussing on gratitude, empathy and mindfulness. 

Grade 2/3

Term 4 2024 - Year 2/3It’s hard to believe that it’s already Term 4 of 2024. As always, this term is jam-packed with fun and exciting learning experiences for the students.

Excursion – November 11th - Planetarium This term, our Inquiry unit, ‘Night and Day,’ will have students explore the reasons why we have night and day, how the Earth rotates, and how this affects the seasons. To complement the unit, the students will be attending the Planetarium and Scienceworks Museum on Monday, 11th September. Further details will be provided closer to the date.

Reading and Writing Narrative Texts This term, our primary focus in literacy will be on reading and writing narrative texts, with a deep dive into the Roald Dahl novel Matilda. Students will develop their analytical and critical thinking skills as they read, discuss the author’s literary devices, build their inferential skills, and explore the rich vocabulary provided by the text. Our ‘Sounds-Write’ program continues to be an essential part of our literacy curriculum. This program is designed to build strong reading, writing, and spelling skills. Students will consolidate their understanding of the writing process as they produce and eventually publish their own written pieces.

Numeracy Students will continue to develop their proficiency in the four fundamental operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. We will focus on various strategies to enhance their problem-solving abilities, including:

  • Number and Algebra: Exploring different strategies for solving numerical and word problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
  • Money Calculating the total of a collection of Australian Currency, recording the amount using a decimal point and determining the change required from a given amount.
  • Data Collecting, representing investigating and interpreting data
  • Maps: Interpreting maps, understanding the key and scale, and following directions to identify specific locations.

Grade 4/5

This term, our Grade 4/5 students will further explore the key mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They will develop their skills through daily practice and real-world problem-solving scenarios that reinforce these fundamental operations. Students will learn to identify and measure different types of angles, fostering spatial awareness. They will analyse and create graphs, gaining insights into data representation and interpretation. Additionally, they will explore symmetry through practical activities that help them recognise symmetrical shapes and patterns in manmade and natural environments. 

 

In reading and writing lessons, we will focus on developing students’ understanding of persuasive and narrative texts. In persuasive writing, they will learn to identify key features such as clear opinions, supporting arguments, and the use of persuasive language. Students will practise crafting compelling pieces that aim to convince their audience, using evidence and examples to strengthen their arguments. In narrative writing, they will explore the elements of storytelling, including character development, setting, and plot structure. Students will develop their descriptive writing skills to enable them to write vivid and imaginative narratives. We will study the text, War Horse, and analyse techniques used by the author, Michael Morpurgo, that can be used to enhance their own writing skills, comprehension and foster a deeper appreciation for storytelling. 

 

In Inquiry, the grade 4/5 students will learn about the importance of rules and laws as fundamental aspects of their community. They will explore the differences between rules at home and school versus laws that govern society, understanding how laws help maintain order and protect people's rights. We will discuss the roles of different levels of government, the justice system, and the significance of civic responsibility. We will engage in activities that encourage students to think critically about fairness, rules, laws, and justice. This foundational knowledge aims to foster responsible citizenship and an appreciation for the democratic processes that shape our community and country.

Grade 6

An exciting term awaits our senior school in the final part of 2024. Starting with our camp to Canberra in the first week and more importantly, this being our final term in primary school! The year will end with a huge celebration which will include going to ‘Adventure Park’ in Geelong and our traditional graduation, which will be held at school.

 

Mathematics

In Mathematics this term, the students will continue to work on the ‘Ochre Education & the Shaping Minds,’ programs. Here we will start sessions by undertaking daily reviews of numerous concepts and regularly revisit these skills during the term to embed these skills in the learner’s minds. The main skill areas that we will cover this term include working with cartesian planes, calculating the volume of rectangular prisms, constructing and answering questions about line graphs and working with & budgeting money.

 

Literacy

In Literacy this term, the students will start off by reading and writing letters and speeches. This will include organising speeches for graduation with topics including teachers, highlights, particular years and researching. Lessons will include using inclusive language, transition words, emotive language, adjectives and using checklists when editing and revising. The later part of the term will be focused on creating a business, selling smoothies. The literacy aspect of this project will include creating ads & slogans, posters, links to social media, brand advertising and includes an Economic/ Business focus. In our last weeks, we will be writing and designing a ‘Buddy Book,’ for the pupils in grade prep.

 

Theme

This term's themes will be heavily connected with our literacy unit. Themes will include, being a consumer, goods & services, employment and what will work look like in the future. Mid-term, we will introduce our project based on creating a smoothie. Students will generate a name, design the product, market the item and organise customer surveys. A big highlight will be making the smoothie and sharing it with our schoolmates in grades 4 and 5 who will rate our ‘Smoothies.’