Year 4
Reading
This term the students began the year with our ’Learning to Learn’ set up program. This gave the students an opportunity to revisit what the expectations were for reading and helped set the students up for the year. We looked at things such as, how to choose Just Right text, how to record our thinking in our reading journals and how to respond to a range of texts. After the first 20 days of reading, the grade 4s delved into looking at a range of text structures and features. The students learnt about the different structures text have and how their features help us as readers. They also had an opportunity to revise and practice our other comprehension strategies such as Inferring, making connections, visualising and determining importance.
Writing
In writing this term, the grade 4s began the year by setting up the writers workshop. We began working on explanation texts. The students explored a range of explanation text before having ago at writing one themselves.
Mathematics
We began the term with our maths start up program, to help establish and set us up for the year in maths.
We then dived into learning about Time for a week. The students looked at solving time problems using the correct am and pm notation.
We spent a number of weeks focussing on place value. The students practiced making, building, sorting and ordering numbers up to 100,000.
Inquiry
This term, the Grade 4s have been learning about the impact of healthy eating choices on our bodies. They learned about nutrients that help our bodies grow and function properly. Students successfully identified nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates and fats in their food choices. They also looked at the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating to see what a balanced diet looks like and decided what food items should go into a healthy lunchbox. Well done on a great term of Inquiry, Grade 4!
The year 4 teachers are all very proud of all of your efforts and hard work. We wish you a safe and happy Easter break! See you all in Term 2!
ART
Grade 3/4 students have started the term personalising their art journals using a
‘collage’ technique; which is simply tearing pictures, words and ideas from magazines to create an ‘All about me’
personalised art folio cover. They have also designed the front page of their art journals that they use for sketching and creating ideas.
The main focus of term 1 has been about colour theory. We have been learning about the primary and secondary colours and are currently working on complementary or ‘opposite colours’. The students have adopted various techniques and have used mixed mediums to include in their artworks. They have also been introduced to the colour wheel and have experimented with colour order and colour opposites, and have been introduced to the colour blends; which occur in between the primary and secondary colours on the wheel, such as orangy-red. The students have also been identifying the different primary colour groups that create secondary colour groups; secondary colours are formed when we mix two primary colours together. The 3/4 students have been creating wonderful and bright mixed medium designs using a range of techniques and have incorporated their colour theory knowledge. They will finish the term experimenting with warm and cool colours and they will learn how artists, such as Keith Haring and Andy Warhol, effectively used these colours to enhance their artworks. It has been great fun working with paint and colour with the students in the art room this term.
LOTE
Thank you for a fantastic start to the year! In term one, the grade threes and fours learned basic language skills in the Chinese Mandarin language, including listening and speaking, recognising sounds and pronunciation, as well as Chinese character writing. They learned about some Chinese cultures
such as the Chinese New Year celebrations and traditions, like red envelopes,
lanterns and fireworks. They also learned Chinese vocabulary and phrases about bodies. Throughout the term, the students were involved in various activities such as using chopsticks, and learned to sing Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in Chinese. They also explored stories of legend such as the race of the Chinese zodiac animals.
PE
Thank you to all grade 3&4 students for an exciting and efficient start to Physical Education this year. In term 1 we were able to learn about a number of different games and use the associated skills efficiently in these games. Students were able to play several throwing games for distance and accuracy both underarm and overarm, play a modified version of doubles tennis and also concentrate on perfecting our one handed and two handed strike using several types of equipment with a major focus on holding the equipment the right way, setting up our feet correctly and getting the most out of every swing. Great work grade 3&4 students, cant wait to continue to grow with you all in term 2.
SCIENCE
Well done everyone for a fantastic term 1 and start to the year! During term 1, the grade 4’s have explored the life cycle of flowering plants and completed experiments related to the parts of a seed. The students have also had hands-on experiences growing broad beans and making ongoing observations and records related to seed germination. Finally, students have explored the parts of flowers and examined the process of pollination and the creatures that can assist in this process. As our Easter break is fast approaching, enjoy the break and see everyone in term 2.