Grade 3/4

It’s hard to believe we’re almost halfway through the year! We have had a productive and settled second half of Term 2. We celebrated Hoody Up Day, recognised National Reconciliation Week, had a number of students represent our school in Colac Division Cross-Country and enjoyed the delicious offerings at the JSC-run Biggest Morning Tea. Parent/Teacher conversations gave us the opportunity to connect with families and discuss student growth, learning and achievements throughout the semester.

We also said goodbye to Miss Liv as she headed off on her exciting adventure in America. We are incredibly grateful for the care, support and calm presence she brought to our classroom each day. Her gentle approach and ability to build positive relationships with students will be greatly missed in Grade 3/4.

In English, students are well and truly into our Sounds-Write routine. We have been reviewing complex spelling patterns and identifying words with up to five syllables. Through our Morphology work, students have continued extending their vocabulary and understanding of words by exploring how morphemes work together to change the meaning of words and how combining suffixes can create new words. We have also been exploring complex sentences, using subordinating conjunctions to join two clauses. Students have been crafting creative sentences that highlight their understanding of sentence structure while developing more detailed and engaging writing pieces.

We recently completed our text-based unit on The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. Students explored themes of friendship, courage, sacrifice and acceptance throughout the novel. They also completed information reports on iron, highlighting their understanding of its properties, uses and importance in everyday life. To conclude the unit, we watched the film adaptation The Iron Giant, where students made thoughtful comparisons between the book and film.

We are currently reading Wongutha Tales by Mary Albert. These Barwoo Dreamtime stories have provided opportunities for students to explore important messages, cultural perspectives and traditional storytelling. It has been wonderful to see students making connections between the stories, our Inquiry unit and the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’.

In Maths, we have continued to strengthen number fluency through a range of activities that support mental maths strategies. Students have been working with fractions and applying their understanding to identify equivalent fractions, create mixed numerals from improper fractions and use their knowledge of multiplication and division to calculate fractions of a whole using a range of strategies. Our current focus is 3D shapes. We have been exploring the features and properties of 3D objects and developing and interpreting two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects.

Our Inquiry focus has remained on the Colonisation of Australia and developing an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ perspectives, histories and cultures. Students have engaged thoughtfully throughout this unit and have continued to develop empathy, understanding and respectful perspectives through discussions, research and collaborative learning experiences.

In Respectful Relationships, we have continued developing positive coping skills through class discussions, role plays and reflective activities. Students have explored helpful coping strategies, building resilience and responding positively to challenges and difficult situations.

We are excited for our upcoming Learning Showcase and look forward to welcoming families into our classroom to share and celebrate some of the learning and work students have completed throughout the semester. Thank you for your continued support throughout a busy and successful semester in Grade 3/4. We wish all families a safe and restful holiday break and look forward to another term of learning, growth and exciting experiences together in Term 3.

- Mrs Welsh & Mr Burrell