Classroom News

Grade 3 & 4

Welcome back to Term 3! We have a very exciting and busy term ahead of us with the Year 4 going off to camp at Phillip Island early next month. The annual BPS House Athletics for 3-6, Book Fun Day and Swimming all to happen in this jam packed term. 

In Readers Workshop, students will focus on improving their comprehension of text by using a range of strategies such as asking questions before, during and after reading. Being able to identify the themes in the book and using evidence in the text to support their thinking. Investigate vocabulary and use contextual clues to assist with understanding. We will be exploring a variety of mentor texts in Reader's Workshop which explore Indigenous life in Australia prior to European arrival and the experiences of the First Fleet and settlers in Australia. Students will also continue to work on their sticky connections to their own iPick books.

In Writers Workshop, the Year 3 & 4 students have been focusing on Recount Writing which is enabling students to share their past events/experiences. Students have been looking at the key features that go into a recount such as the 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When and  Why), and time connectives which enable students to link their events in time. The students have also been learning how to write an effective reflection that voices our opinions and feelings on what we have experienced in the conclusion. Coming up in Writing this term, we will be exploring Biographies and their structure and language features. The students will be expected to write a biography of a notable explorer which is linked to our topic of Australian History.

In Maths this term, we are examining multiplication, and exploring various strategies that can be used to solve multiplication. These strategies include grouping, repeated addition, arrays, compensation, and vertical multiplication. Over the coming weeks, we will also be exploring division, and the relationship between division and multiplication. A strong understanding of how division and multiplication relate to one another, as well as a wide variety of strategies to choose from when completing equations will help students feel confident in their ability to solve problems efficiently and accurately.

For Integrated Studies we have been learning about the early history of Australia. Students have started with how First Nations people lived before European settlement and they were able to explore this at our Melbourne Museum excursion. Over Term 3 we will continue to learn about their history along with the early history of colonial Australia. Concepts such as timelines, changes in technology and culture and the stories of people through various periods will be investigated over the term. 

Important Dates:

House Athletics - 25th July

Daylight Disco - 31st July

Crow Kids - 3rd & 4th August

Camp - 7th-9th August

Writing competition - 18th August

Book Fun Day - 30th August

Fathers Day Stall - 3rd September

Swimming - 4th-15th September

Footy Colours Maths Day - 15th September

Last Day of Term - 15th September