Year 3 - Year 6

Assistant Principal's Report

Year 3 - Year 6 News

We have completed six full weeks of learning and whilst the weather may have cooled down,  we can tell you the learning continues to be on fire!

In maths, the students are looking at multiple strategies to solve addition and subtraction, including algorithms, with our Year 5 students also solving division using algorithms.   It is important for students to have multiple strategies to lean on, as it allows them to check their answers and deepen their mathematical thinking.  As we get older we tend to favour a particular strategy and problem-solving style. 

Across the school, all students have begun mixing their Free Write choice with Procedural Text Writing.  Procedure writing is a fun genre to explore and of course, it lends itself to delicious recipes and all kinds of creations.  In Year 3, the team have collaborated to give students a rotation of plentiful procedures to trial, including origami and toast.  In Year 4, some classes are exploring creative procedures by experimenting with the formal techniques and features of a procedure, whilst using imaginative topics.  For example, "How to Have the Perfect Farm" and "How to Raise a Family of 5 Children".  It is really exciting to see our students experimenting like this along with the more traditional procedural texts that instruct or teach using explicit step by step instructions.

In the next newsletter, I look forward to sharing some student learning samples with you.

We had a great turn out from our Year 6 buddies this week as we had breakfast together.  It may have been cold but it was still a great chance for staff to continue to spend time with their buddy. Thank you to the Year 6 team for their organisation. 

Our school-wide values of, Respect - Responsibility - Resilience, continue to remain a strong focus. Teachers are purposely using positive reinforcement to instil these values inside and outside of their classrooms.  Why not ask your child how many 'froggy dollars' they have but more importantly, how they can be earned.  At Pakenham Springs, we are focusing on what we want to see and acknowledging children living the values.

Please try to stay warm over the weekend (maybe not those involved in football and netball!) 

Kindest Regards

Jane King and Renee Cotterell

Assistant Principals