Year Three/ Four
Communicating with the Year Three/Four Team
We look forward to partnering with you in 2023, and welcome your input:
Melinda Rowe (Class 34A) Melinda.Rowe@education.vic.gov.au
Lachlan Prasad (Class 34B) Lachlan.Prasad@education.vic.gov.au
Michelle Wright (Class 34C) Michelle.Wright@education.vic.gov.au
WELCOME BACK
We would like to say a big, warm hello and welcome back. It is so lovely to see the students settle into their new classrooms and see new friendships forming in the level. The students have settled in beautifully and have made a brilliant start to the year.
We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Lachlan Prasad to the Year Three/Four level. Feel free to pop your head in and say hello to him if you get a chance.
START OF YEAR ROUTINES
Throughout our first couple of weeks we have been setting up our expectations and routines, getting to know each other and discussing our school values. We have unpacked what it means to show respect, be resilient and demonstrate responsibility.
The students did a great job creating their own personal shields. These included their hobbies, heritage, pets, sports and favourite subject.
As part of our Berry Street program, students all create ready to learn plans. It is important to understand what this means and how we can get ourselves ready to learn.
During wet day timetables, students have the opportunity to interact with friends across all three classes. Some activities that are popular include four square, chess, colouring, twister and connect four.
HOMEWORK
The homework in the Year 3/4 level generally conists of daily reading, learning times tables and learning specified spelling words.
READING
We recommend that your child reads daily and records their reading into their diary. This should include the book title, author and pages read. Ideally, the child should be reading to a parent if possible as this helps with fluency, expression and comprehension.
SPELLING
When students complete progress monitioring or cumulative review spelling assessments, any words that students had trouble with, are then used as spelling words. These words will be written into your child's diary.
TIMES TABLES
Students have now completed a times table assessment to check their understanding and knowledge. Students have been instructed to start learning a particular set of times tables. Your child should be learning these out of order and be able to have an automatic response when the question is asked of them. Once they are confident in knowing the set of times tables, your child will then let their teacher know they are ready to be tested. If they are able to show confidence in recalling the set of tables, they will then receive their next set of times tables to learn.
DIARIES
Please note that it is exected that your child has their diary at school every day. These are frequently used for checking log in details, writing in important information and writing in their daily reading. We ask that a parent checks and signs these diaries at east once a week.
INQUIRY IN TERM ONE
This term we have introduced a new focus topic: Digital Technology. Throughout the term students will learn all about digital technology. They will learn how to log onto devices, save files, use a range of programs as well as the Google suite including Google Classroom, Google Docs etc.
Key Understandings:
- The key role that digital technologies play in our lives
- How to safely interact in online platforms
- How to use digital technology
- What coding is and how to use simple code
Our Key Questions:
- What is digital technology?
- How does digital technology help us in our day to day lives?
- How do I safely use digital technology in the online environment?
- What is coding?
- How do I create simple coding?
- What is data and how can it be represented?
Brain Breaks
As part of our Berry Street Program, we include brain breaks throughout the day. We recently had a five minute lego challenge where each group were given a small pile of lego bricks and given five minutes for each group to come up with a creation. Other brain breaks may include Just Dance, singing, getting some fresh air outside or a quick inside game.
All classes have been discussing what makes an excellent student and an excellent teacher. These ideas then have helped us to write our class behaviour matrix.
34A Behaviour Matrix
34B Behaviour Matrix
34C Behaviour Matrix
SPECIALIST TIMETABLE
Please find below the times that each class are scheduled to have their specialist classes. Please note that these times are subject to change for example during swimming weeks etc.
34A
Tuesday 2:40pm: Science
Wednesday 9:40am: PE
Thursday 1:20pm: Visual Art
Friday 11am: Performing Arts
Friday 11:50am: Japanese
34B
Tuesday 2:40pm: Performing Arts
Wednesday 11am: PE
Thursday 9:40am: Visual Art
Friday 11am: Japanese
Friday 11:50am: Science
34C
Tuesday 2:40pm: Visual Art
Wednesday 11:50am: PE
Thursday 9:40am: Japanese
Friday 11am: Science
Friday 11:50am: Performing Arts