The Grade 2/3s have had an excellent start to Term 4! Students have returned ready to learn, embracing new challenges and demonstrating our school values of Community, Aspire, Respect and Excellence. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm, curiosity and collaboration across the curriculum.

In Literacy, we have finished our mentor text, Off We Go Around Australia by Roland Harvey. Students explored how authors and illustrators bring stories to life through descriptive language, imagery and engaging illustrations. They strengthened their reading fluency and comprehension, expanded their vocabulary and practised writing more detailed sentences using coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. We have now begun reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, where students are making predictions using evidence from the text, learning to use apostrophes in contractions and exploring the language features of persuasive writing. Students are developing their ability to generate persuasive points and construct interesting, well-developed sentences.

In Maths, we have been exploring patterns and fractions. Students have been identifying rules in additive patterns and representing them using pictures, repeated addition and multiplication. We have also been investigating fractions by partitioning shapes, collections and lengths into equal parts. Students are learning to represent and compare fractions, including halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, eighths and tenths, and explain their mathematical thinking using a range of models and representations.

Our Inquiry learning has focused on how everyday materials can be physically changed. Students have been predicting and investigating what happens when materials are twisted, bent, stretched, scrunched, torn or poked. They have been recording their observations, comparing flexible and inflexible materials and developing their scientific thinking through hands-on investigations.

In Respectful Relationships, students have been exploring how people can be hurt or treated unfairly, the emotions associated with these experiences and the importance of empathy, fairness and respect. They have also discussed how people may be treated unfairly because of their gender, helping to develop their understanding of inclusion and positive relationships.

A highlight this term has been our pen pal project with residents at Calvary Care Barongarook Gardens in Colac. Through our Literacy and Respectful Relationships learning, students have been building connections through letter writing and preparing resources and games to share with their pen pals. We are very excited to visit on 27 October to meet them in person for the first time! We also celebrated Loud Shirt Day, with our Junior School Council organising a gold coin donation fundraiser in support of children with hearing loss. It was wonderful to see our school community come together for such a worthwhile cause.
We are also getting excited as we prepare for our upcoming Talent Quest and Market Day! These events provide wonderful opportunities for students to showcase their talents, share their creativity and contribute to our school community.

It has been a fantastic start to Term 4, and we are incredibly proud of the effort and enthusiasm our Grade 2/3 students continue to demonstrate. We look forward to more learning, exciting experiences and special memories as the term progresses!

- Miss McLaren