Year 4 News
Reading
Over the past fortnight, our Year 4 students have been diving deep into the wonderful world of reading. As a cohort, we’ve been exploring how authors craft engaging and meaningful texts using tools such as pictures, diagrams, dialogue, humour and descriptive language. Through these explorations, students are learning to identify the techniques that make stories come alive.
Students have also been reading the novel, The Boy at the Back of the Class, which has sparked thoughtful discussions and deep connections. Students are developing their metacognitive skills by thinking about their thinking—asking questions, making predictions, and reflecting on how their understanding grows as they read.
It’s been fantastic to see our young readers becoming more confident, curious, and connected to the texts they engage with each day.
“I enjoyed reading our new class novel “the boy at the back of the class” and answering questions” - Abigail 4C
“I love the library!” - Florence 4A
“My favourite book is ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’ because it’s very interesting.” - Arman 4A
Writing
Over the past two weeks, the Year 4 cohort has been learning how to write engaging recounts. In the first week, students finished their recounts they started in week 1 about what they did over the school holidays, focusing on writing in past tense and sequencing their ideas clearly.
Last week, they planned and drafted a personal recount, such as “The day I made a sports team” or “The day I tried something new.” Some students even chose to write imaginative recounts like “The day I became king.” Throughout both pieces, students worked on adding detail, using time connectives, and describing their experiences with the five senses to make their writing come alive. Students have also begun to learn how to write a descriptive text while focusing on learning how they can use their 5 senses, adjectives and figurative language to enhance their writing skills.
“I enjoyed drafting my recount and feel proud of my work” - Lal 4C
“I love imaginary recounts because I can write about whatever I want!” - Pedro 4A
Maths
This fortnight, our Year 4 students have deepened their understanding of fractions even further! They have been working hard on skills such as converting fractions into decimals, finding fractions of a whole number using arrays, and simplifying fractions.
Students have been engaged in a variety of hands-on learning experiences that helped them; identify common factors to simplify fractions, use multiplication and division strategies to convert fractions to decimals and find fractions of whole numbers in real-world context. We are so proud of their effort, focus, and growing confidence in fractions.
“I learnt about simplifying fractions and I feel good about it” - Xavier 4C
“We have been learning about fractions and there's so many things to learn” - Aysha 4C
“Fractions are used at school and are easy to understand once you practise.” - Yousif 4A
Inquiry
This fortnight in Inquiry, our Year 4 cohort has been delving into the big ideas of identity, culture, and influence. Students began by creating their own family trees, helping them to explore their backgrounds and understand the many elements that shape who they are.
As part of our investigation into culture and personal identity, students reflected on their own stories and traditions, celebrating the rich diversity within our classroom. They then extended their focus outward, researching recipients of the Australian Honours (Order of Australia Award) and the Nobel Peace Prize. Through this, students gained insight into how individuals can make a positive impact on the world—and how values such as perseverance, compassion, and leadership can drive change.
It’s been a meaningful and inspiring journey, encouraging students to think deeply about their place in the world and how they too can contribute to their communities.
“I enjoyed colouring the world map and learning about people in our community” - Elena 4C
“The Nobel Peace Prize is for people who are changing lives.” - Paul 4A
Social and Emotional Learning
Over the past few weeks, the Year 4 cohort has been learning about Kindness, Respect, and the Zones of Regulation. Students have explored how to identify and manage emotions in the blue, green, yellow and red zones, and how to use strategies to return to the green zone when needed. They also discussed what it means to keep our hands and feet to ourselves, showing kindness and responsibility by respecting personal space.
More recently, students have been learning about Positive Gender Relations—understanding what violence can look like (physical, verbal, or emotional) and how small acts of kindness, inclusion and support can make a big difference. To finish the unit, students created kindness cards to share positive messages with others around the school.
“Personal space includes allowing for others to focus on their work during learning.” Joseph 4B
“ I can show kindness by helping a friend outside.” Aida 4B
Special Event
Children’s Week:
This week, we celebrated Children’s Week, a special event that recognises the rights, talents, and achievements of children. It’s an important time to acknowledge how valuable children are in our community and to remind everyone of the importance of nurturing their wellbeing, creativity, and voice. To mark this occasion, we took our students out to celebrate with a range of fun and engaging activities.
