Teaching Team

Just a reminder that you can contact us via Compass or email to make an appointment if you would like to discuss your child’s learning.

Term 3 Curriculum

Respectful Relationships  

We will be starting the Term focusing on our ability to be active participants in collaborative groups for our transition to the Reciprocal Reading program. Reciprocal Reading requires student voice, accountability, teamwork, respectful interactions and collaborative discussions, with students rotating through various roles of Group Leader, Predictor, Clarifier, Summariser, Questioner to help delve deeply into the text. Some students are active listeners but need to develop their confidence to become active participants and share their valuable ideas with others. Others love sharing their ideas but need support to be an active listener and inclusive group member.

As part of our Wellbeing focus and commitment to Cyber Safety, Year 4s will be engaging in an incursion with Project Rockit on 18th July 2023. The incursion titled, ‘Unite’, builds a shared understanding of what online bullying is and how it impacts those targeted. Students are empowered with strategies to promote a culture of taking action to support each other. The big idea: “Each one of us has the power to challenge bullying, even in the smallest and simplest ways.” You can find further information directly on their website https://www.projectrockit.com.au/

Reading 

This term, we are extending our learning in the comprehension areas of summarising and retelling. We are doing this through identifying the main idea and analysing texts, focussing on the characters’ motives and author’s message. Within independent reading and teacher conference groups, we are strengthening our strategies for skimming and scanning and reviewing key ideas. We are also developing our ability to refer to specific evidence from a text to justify what we identified as the author’s argument or main idea. Students will continue to participate in purposeful reading tasks: 

• one teacher-led Guided or Reciprocal reading group
• and four groups completing the independent reading task, where students will apply the strategies from the learning focus of the mini lesson to their own text. 

Writing

This term we are exploring the traits of ideas, organisation, and word choice through mentor texts and mini- lessons and applying these skills to our own writing. Students will generate ideas from their own personal experiences, research and imagination and use these to support their purpose and main idea. Students will work on organising their writing in a way that moves the reader through the text sequentially and cohesively, with attempts to engage the audience. We will be focusing on deliberate and purposeful vocabulary choices that enhance the meaning of a text, and incorporating new vocabulary from a range of sources. Students will continue to have weekly writing conferences within the Writer’s Workshop.

Conventions – Spelling – Speaking and Listening 

During our conventions sessions, we will continue to work on spelling, grammar, punctuation and handwriting. We will be building etymological knowledge about word origins, supporting spelling through the application of generalisations such as ‘doubling’ (e.g. running), and investigating how quoted (direct) and reported (indirect) speech works in different types of texts. Throughout the term, spelling word lists may be provided for practice at home for students who require support with their writing. In Term 3, our Speaking and Listening focus is on identifying differences between the language of opinion and the language of factual reporting.

Mathematics

In Numeracy, students will investigate equivalent fractions by counting, locating and representing quarters, halves, thirds and mixed numerals on a number line. In our money unit, students will solve problems involving purchases, with and without digital technologies, and calculate the change to the nearest five cents. We will use Banqer Primary to integrate financial literacy into our program. Students will have their virtual bank account with a weekly ‘income’ and expenses related to classroom roles. As a class, we will learn about and experience various financial concepts first-hand, highlighting how making sensible financial decisions is an important life skill.

Later in the term, students will apply their knowledge of multiplication facts to explore the area and perimeter of regular and irregular shapes using informal and formal units. Students will also compare objects and shapes using standard metric units (mm, cm, m, etc.) to calculate perimeter, area and volume. We will then use scaled instruments and standard metric units to measure and compare lengths, masses, capacities and temperatures.

Other Learning Areas (OLA – Civics and Citizenship)

This term the Year 4s will be exploring Civics and Citizenship by investigating the purpose of local government and the services it provides to the community. They will gain knowledge of the three levels of Government in Australia and the roles and responsibilities of each. Students will consider the purpose of creating rules for groups and how rules and laws affect them. Students also explore how individuals participate in their community, cultural diversity and how belonging to different groups can shape personal identity.

Book Week

Week 7 (starting 21st August) is Book Week. This is a much loved calendar event at NMPS and this year the theme is ‘Read, grow, inspire…’. The whole school book parade is scheduled for Thursday 24th August, which is a great opportunity to celebrate all the wonderful, creative ideas and costumes across the school, teachers included! Further information will be provided closer to the date via Compass.

Brekky BBQ – Celebrating special people in our lives

On Friday 1st September (Week 8) students will be able to invite and join their special person in their life, for breakfast at NMPS. Food and beverages will be available for purchase on the day and it is a wonderful opportunity for the community to get together and recognise the special people in our lives. Further information will be provided closer to the date.

Home Learning Expectations 

Year 4 Home Learning continues this term. Students are strongly encouraged to read for 20 minutes per night. This could be a chapter book, SORA or Reading Eggs (unfortunately EPIC does not provide home access after 3pm). 

Needs-based homework will also be provided to students. For example, a spelling focus, or multiplication and division fluency activities. We strongly encourage students to engage in Doodle Maths at home. This is another great way for students to practise their mathematical fluency at home, with the aim of staying in the green zone.

Please speak with your child’s classroom teacher should home learning become an area of concern or challenge for your family.

Seesaw

In Term 3, Year 4 students will continue the use of Seesaw to share their work. Teachers will not be providing feedback via Seesaw to students. Students will choose a piece of work they would like to share to post to their class blogs weekly that can be accessed by parents through their class links. 

Parent-Teacher Interviews 

At the end of Term 3, Parent-Teacher Interviews will be available for families to celebrate student learning. These will be held on Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th September, 2023. Further information regarding bookings via Compass will be shared closer to the dates.