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 One Newsletter

 

 

Dear Grade 3/4 Students and Families,

Welcome back to another exciting school year. I hope you and your family had a wonderful

holiday and are looking forward to the school year. This year we have 24 students in the

class: 14 Grade 4’s and 10 Grade 3’s. A special welcome to Morgan (Grade 3) and Nikolas

(Grade 4) and I hope you have a happy year in our class.

This year as there is a grade 2/3 and 3/4, I will be working closely with Mrs Bowen. We

have developed our term planner which covers all areas of the curriculum along

with our assessment timeline and all our extra-curricular activities. We will be planning

together on a weekly basis.

We have timetabled one session per week where all the Grade 3 children will work

together with either Mrs Bowen or I, and the Grade 2 and 4 children will join together. The

Grade 3 children will also have one Sport session per week and will join the 3/4and 5/6

children for this. The Grade 3 children will also be joining together with the Grade 4’s for

our weekly Religious Education session.

This term, our Integrated Unit is called ‘Learning to Learn,’ where we will look at goals for

our learning, the ways we learn best and how we can maximise our learning across all

curriculum areas. We will continue to develop our knowledge of Tribes, De Bono’s Six

Thinking Hats and Habits of Mind.

The Literacy Block will include Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening. This block is of

2 hours and is made up of 1 hour of Reader’s Workshop and1 hour of Writer’s Workshop. We

have also allocated a Spelling and Grammar session each week. Differentiated learning

occurs throughout the Literacy block as children are working on various tasks at their own

level.

The children will require a Writer’s Notebook (an A4 Visual Diary) this year. Grade 4’s

received one in their book box but the Grade 3’s did not. Could all Grade 3 children please

purchase one (around $3.50 from a Newsagent, Big W or Office suppliers) and bring it to

school as soon as possible. Many thanks for this.

The children will have Music with Mrs Kitching on Wednesday. On Thursday the children

will have Library with Mrs Kitching and P.E with Mr Gower. Could children please wear

appropriate footwear and clothes for P.E. The Religious Education session is on Friday.

The education of your child is a joint commitment between teachers and parents. If you

have any questions or concerns about your child please come and see me. I am

usually available before or after school or ring and make an appointment to see me. Our

‘Meet the Teacher’ interviews will be on the 21st and 22rd February. Forms regarding this will

be sent home soon.

Kind regards,

Helen Burgess.

 

 

Up and Coming Events

Feb 16th – Swimming Sports

Feb 21st & 22nd – Meet the Teacher Interviews

Feb 24th – Welcome Back BBQ

March 9th – Curriculum Day – Pupil Free Day

May 15th – 17th - NAPLAN for Grade 3 students

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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