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
THANK YOU
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our amazing students on such a busy but successful term. We have completed NAPLAN, participated in athletics and swimming, celebrated special days such as Harmony Day and Crazy hair and sock day, and worked really hard to make both social and academic progress throughout the term. Thank you to our parents and families for your continued support in helping your child/children achieve success and happiness.
NUMERACY IN YEAR 3/4
Number and Algebra
It has been a busy term in Mathematics!
To begin the year, we spent a few weeks focusing on Place Value; unpacking what numbers actually mean, and how we can organise and understand numbers.
We explored what makes a number odd or even; using a 100’s chart to look for patterns and then creating rules to help us quickly work out whether a number is odd or even.
We put 4-digit and 5-digit numbers on place value charts and explored the value of each digit. We also discussed using zero as a place holder, and that each column on the place value chart can only hold nine digits.
We then learnt about Snappy the crocodile, and how she eats big numbers. She helped us compare two numbers and decide which number was bigger.
We then began exploring addition, and strategies we can use to solve addition equations. We spent time determining what addition is and the vocabulary used in addition. Throughout our two week unit of addition, we explored multiple strategies to assist students in adding single digit, 2-digit and even 3 and 4-digit numbers together. Later in the year, we will revisit these strategies with more complicated problems and bigger numbers.
Before diving into subtraction, we spent a lesson exploring the connection between addition and subtraction. Specifically, understanding the relationship between addition and subtraction means students can check their answers, or use the operation they are more confident with (usually addition) to solve the opposite equation. This is another topic we will revisit later this year.
To begin subtraction, we unpacked and defined what subtraction is and the language used in subtraction. We then explored different subtraction strategies and began to solve subtraction equations involving 2-digit numbers. When we revisit subtraction later this year, we hope to solve subtraction equations involving bigger numbers and borrowing!
Measurement and Geometry
To finish the term, we have begun Measurement and Geometry. Our students have started to explore how we measure length and have begun practicing measuring various objects using various instruments. This week we are beginning to look at area. The students will learn what area is, and how to work out the area of an object by counting squares on grid paper.
Don’t forget to continue practicing your times tables at home! Let your teacher know when you’re ready to be tested.
HARMONY DAY
Harmony Day is celebrated annually on 21st March in Australia. It is a government-declared observance day that began in 1999, coinciding with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Our students were encouraged to dress in an outfit that represents their culture or in the traditional Harmony Day colour of orange. Students also enjoyed bringing an item that reflected their culture. Classes discussed what the day represents and how we can all get along.
SWIMMING
The Year Three and Four students had a great week of swimming lessons at Knox Leisureworks. On Thursday, students participated in their water safety day. Each child was encouraged to wear clothing over their bathers to swim in.
HOMEWORK
The homework in the Year 3/4 level generally consists 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. We encourage students to practice spelling these words daily as homework.
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 expected that your child has their diary at school every day.
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