Students in Year 4 are very pleased to be able to share some of our learning with you this week! We have had such a wonderful term so far, jam-packed with literacy, maths, novel studies, fitness and health, travelling the world as part of our explorers unit in History, learning about symbiotic relationships in Science and lots of wonderful and colourful art pieces. We have had a number of wonderful visits to the Church and we look forward to the build up towards Easter. Some of the highlights have definitely been the addition of Mrs Ellen Shannon to take drama on Fridays, Mrs Ryan’s efforts in the Library and the ever-wonderful Cheryl running hockey clinics for sport on Fridays.

Religious Education
Earlier this term in our Religion lessons we have been learning about blessings and the important roles they play throughout our day-to-day lives and as part of the Mass. We looked at alternative ways to pray that are more accessible to children. The methods of praying focus on being still in the mind and inviting God to be with us as we consider the people and things that are important to us. To finish the term we have started to examine different texts within the bible, delving into the Creation Story in Genesis and the wonderful story of Moses being found in the reeds.

English
Our English lessons are divided into four main parts: Reading Comprehension & Fluency, Spelling, Grammar and Writing. Our reading comprehension has included a wonderful novel by indigenous author Jared Thomas. This has given us the opportunity to explore some wonderful and mature themes as well as practice writing in the structure of factual recount. Spelling Mastery will continue in the mornings and will be a great way to start the day, ensuring all students are exposed to explicit direct instruction and are on task from the first bell. Our grammar focus for this term has been primarily around adverbs of manner, time and place (how, when and where) as well as using the conjunctions because, but and so to improve our sentences. Our explicit lessons and daily review have allowed for students to achieve success multiple times throughout the morning and the use of adverbs and conjunctions are taking our writing to the next level.

Mathematics
Year 4 have responded brilliantly to the Mathematics resources Catholic Education have developed in conjunction with OCHRE education.  Engagement has been fantastic  during our lessons and we have enjoyed the opportunity to dive deep into some core number skills, including how to trade and borrow when working with the four operations. The use of MAB blocks and concrete materials has really helped them visualise the process.

Creative Arts
This term in Creative Arts has seen the exploration of a number of wonderful artists including Vassily Kandinski, Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley. We  have experimented with shape, contrast, abstract geometric patterns, warm and cool colours. It has been wonderful to have everyone share their opinions on Art and explore the concept of Art being in the eye of the beholder.

Science
This term in our Biology unit we are learning about how living things require a supply of energy and materials, so they are often dependent on or in competition with other living things. We have recently been learning about life cycles of plants and animals. This week, we began an experiment with the aim of observing the early stages of a plant's life cycle. We planted snow pea seeds in containers and will observe and record data on the growth of the seedlings.

History
Year 4 has really enjoyed learning about the age of exploration. We have been investigating why some European nations began their quest for exploration in the 15th century. We are currently learning about the First Fleet and what it was like for them when they arrived in Sydney Cove in 1788. We have traced some famous voyages including Captain Cook's first voyage to Australia and Christpher Columbus’ failed attempt to sail west to Asia and subsequent discovery of the Americas. We are now working on a research project where we have selected a famous explorer from the age of exploration or the 18th century. After completing an in depth research questionnaire, we will use google slides to compile and present our research findings.

PDHPE
In Health this term, Year 4 is learning all about being safe, in and around water. This has led us to examine the eight ways to stay safe, how to identify dangerous situations near water, what it might be like to be a lifeguard and more. In our sport sessions, we are currently focussing on hockey skills. The kids have really enjoyed the sessions run by Cheryl.

Year 4 Visits the Mayor!
Year 4 were lucky enough to have the honour of being invited into the council chambers for a mock question and answer session with the Mayor himself Mr Matt Hatcher and the wonderful Megan Weyman. A team of 6 “concerned community members” presented ideas for things they would like to see changed or implemented in our community. Another 8 students sat on council and asked thoughtful questions in response. This was an amazing experience for our young students who are transitioning towards leaders in our school and a fantastic example of how they can “be the change they want to see in the world”.