Year Four News 

Welcome

The Year Four Team would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our parents, caregivers and students. With your support and partnership, we look forward to a positive and productive year ahead! Term One is in full swing as students settle into their classrooms and establish a learning environment.

Reading

During the first few weeks of term the Year Four’s have been immersed in the First 20 Days of School whereby they learn the routines and expectations set in the classroom. Within Reading, students develop the practice of ‘Reading is Thinking’. During this time students acquire the language of discussing their thinking and practise various reading strategies. Students are expected to know which strategies to use for effective comprehension. The challenge is for students to realise how using these strategies has helped them in their reading. It’s encouraged that students continue to use these while reading at home. 

Writing

The Writer’s Notebook is unique to each student as they get to choose what gets put into it. It’s a powerful tool to spark imagination and generate writing ideas. Students have been developing their own Writer’s Notebook and working through the writing process to develop published texts of writing. Students are encouraged to bring in ‘seeds’ that will engage them in writing. A ‘seed’ can be, but not limited to images, overheard conversations, observations about the world, memories, reflections, articles, photographs, facts, questions, objects, sketches of places and timelines of important events. Students can bring in items from home to place in their Writer’s Notebook.

Mathematics

In Mathematics, students have been building a productive mathematics community. Students have been establishing protocols and setting routines for learning. This enables students to become reflective problem solvers. Students have been learning to explore a variety of experiences within a mathematics class such as collaborative groups or independent tasks.  The inclusion of the proficiencies of understanding, fluency, problem-solving and reasoning in the curriculum is to ensure that student learning and student independence are at the centre of the curriculum.  Students have been unpacking each proficiency to further develop their learning.

To extend the student’s knowledge of the International Baccalaureate, the Year Four’s have been unpacking the Learner Profile attributes. In doing so, classes have been creating and developing their classroom essential agreements which outlines the expected behaviours in the learning environment. Alongside this, students have been in discussion of using a Growth Mindset and the importance of effort in the classroom in order to be successful in their goals. 

Reminders

• Hats are required in Term One during recess and lunch. 
• Students are required to bring their devices each day charged.

Communication

Parents are welcome to communicate with their child's classroom teacher via email. It is the expectation that we will aim to reply within 48hrs. 

4A Deanna Kotevski- deanna.kotevski@saltwatercollege.vic.edu.au

4B Elycia Ang

Elycia.Ang@saltwatercollege.vic.edu.au

4C Paul Bliss

Paul.Bliss@saltwatercollege.vic.edu.au

4D Christina Assaf

Christina.Assaf@saltwatercollege.vic.edu.au

4E Eliverta Qafzezi

Eliverta.Qafzezi@saltwatercollege.vic.edu.au 

Kind Regards,

The Year Four Team