Grade 3 - 4

 

Hello everyone, my name is Helen Burgess and this year I am teaching Grade3/4. There are 21 children in the class of which 15 are Grade 3’s and 6 are Grade 4’s.

In our learning this year, we build on the foundations of the previous years. Students in our grade can be working on Level 2, 3 and 4 of VELS.

We work a 2 hour Literacy block each day as well as an hour of Numeracy. The Literacy block is made up of Speaking & Listening, Reading & Writing. In the 2 hours we spend time doing quiet individual reading, listening to me read the class serial and Reader's and Writer's Workshop. Readers Workshop is a series of activities that involve comprehension, conference reading with me, language and vocabulary, artists and illustrators and reflecting and responding.  The Writing hour involves all students participating in ‘Writers Workshop’ where they draft, write and publish their individual writing. Word study, spelling and grammar are also taught weekly.

In the Numeracy block, students work on the areas of Number, Measurement and Space, Chance and Data and Problem Solving. The students complete 2 hours of Number per week and 1 hour of the other areas. Multiplication tables and mental maths are also practised daily through games and activities.

The rest of our day is then taken up with Integrated Studies, Art, Sport, Specialist subjects (Music, P.E & Library), I.C.T (information and Communications Technology) & Religious Education. Each of these subjects is part of VELS (Victorian Essential Learning Standards) that all Primary schools in Victoria work by. Also integrated into these subjects are Personal and Social Learning and Interdisciplinary Learning (Thinking Processes).

So our days are always busy, full of learning and fun. Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns with your child’s learning.

Grade 3/4 Term Three Newsletter

Dear Grade 3/4 Parents & Students,

Welcome back to another busy term!

This term our integrated unit is ‘Sharing the Planet.’ Our focus questions are:

· What impact do I have on my world?

· How can I contribute to improving my world?

· What can I do personally, as a community and globally to help my world?

Students will be working with a partner to do an in-school project on ‘Sustainability.’ They will have a number of home tasks to complete throughout the term on sustainability around their home and local environment.

In Literacy this term we continue to develop our independent reading and writing through the use of Writer’s and Reader’s Workshop. These workshops allow each student to work individually and at their own level and pace. Our main focus this term is on Poetry, non-fiction books, persuasive and factual writing. The Premiers Reading Challenge finishes on 31st August and all students are using their reading time at school to read as many books as they can. Students will also be doing a class talk this term.

In Maths, we are consolidating our knowledge in multiplication, decimals, fractions and introducing division. In class we are enjoying games that are improving our speed and accuracy in basic facts and multiplication tables.

With Miss Elliot in ICT, the students are working on the computer and using ‘Moviemaker’ to make a short film about ‘Their School.’ The students really enjoy this hour enhancing and developing their ICT skills and knowledge.

Third term is always our production term. The students are already in the swing of things and learning all their songs. In the next couple of weeks there will be auditions for the main roles for the students in our grade and they are all excited about this. Our dance lessons will be with Sarah Fitton commencing on Tuesday for half an hour. Many thanks to Sarah for helping us hone our dance skills in preparation for production. Keep an eye out for all the notes and information about production that will be sent home. Art this term will complement our unit topic and the production.

Come in and visit us in class anytime and see how we learn.

Regards,

Helen Burgess

 

Posted by Laura McKenzie Aug 05, 2010

Grade 3/4 Term 2 Newsletter

 

Welcome back to Term 2.   I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday and are ready for the term.   As usual the term is jam packed with activities.

Our theme for the Term is ‘Growing Up & My Well Being,’ which will encompass three weeks of ‘Milestones I reach in my health/growth development,’ three weeks on ‘Nutrition’ and two weeks of ‘My Community and my well being.’   I am trying to organise some extra physical activities such as yoga and a fitness session to help us with our physical well being.  We will also be looking at healthy diets and how to eat well.  Fruit and vegetables beware!

To commence our unit, each student needs to bring to school 4 photos of themselves.  One as a beautiful newborn, as a toddler doing something, a photo from kinder and finally one of them as a Grade 2 or 3 student.  The photos need to be brought to school as soon as possible. Thanks.

In Literacy we are continuing to work on our writing styles and skills in writer’s workshop.  In reading we are completing a range of new and exciting activities.  We are working on developing our thinking skills when reading and writing to improve our comprehension skills.

In Numeracy we continue to cover a range of topics through many hands on and exciting activities in the areas of Number, Space, Measurement, Problem Solving, Chance and Data and Working Mathematically.

The grade 3’s will be completing the NAPLAN test in May.  The areas tested are Numeracy, Reading, Writing and Spelling and Grammar.  The children will be completing practise tests and becoming familiar with the format and delivery of the NAPLAN tests.  The Grade 4’s will be completing school based tests at this time.

Each student will be expected to do a project this term as well as a short oral class presentation.  The dates and topics for the project and class presentation will be sent home later on in the term.

 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns with or about your child’s academic, social and emotional development.

 

Regards,

Helen Burgess

 

 

 

Posted by administrator Apr 02, 2010
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