What's on this week...? (Term 3, Week 5)

Firstly, well done to all the swimmers. You all worked really hard to learn or improve a very important skill. This week we are back to the normal timetable (see below). We will be continuing our science unit, and we turn our attention from soil to rocks. In maths, we continue to look at number patterns as well as multiplication. We will be learning a new writing genre this week - Information Reports. We are already half way through the term!!!!! Have a great week.

Monday
Music
Indonesian (alternating fortnights)
Assembly

Tuesday
PE

Thursday
Library
Art

Friday
Indonesian (alternating fortnights)
Grade 3/4 Sport
LAB

Studying Soil

Today, 3/4F took a good look at soil! The students examined three very different types of soil and wrote down what the features of the soil were. Some of the features were sandy, clay, brown, lumpy, hard, soft, gritty and many others. This generated some good discussion about why soils are different and why this is important for scientists. Here are some pics:

What's on This Week...? (Term 3, Week 4)

This week, our super star swimmers continue to wade their way through their lessons. I'm sure they're all looking forward to their Friday Fun Day! Today we examined three soils, each from different locations, to determine their different features and why soils are different. We made soil solutions from the soil brought in from home ready for next when we will examine them again in detail when the solutions have settled to see what different soils are made up of. In Maths, we look at number patterns and in English we finalise our camp recounts, typing them on the computer and adding some pictures of this fun event. This week's timetable remains the same as last week's due to the continued swimming program. Have a great week!

Science Homework Reminder

As part of the first week's homework, students were asked to collect approximately 1 cup of soil (taken from a natural area) and bring it to school, preferably in a glass jar. Students were also asked to bring in different types of rocks (small in size) and bring these to school. Both these elements are important to this week's science activity, so could parents please remind children to collect these items and bring them to school on or before Thursday.

What's on This Week...? (Term 3, Week 3)

After a wonderful camp experience last week, we are moving straight into swimming this week and next week. In Maths, we focus on addition and subtraction. In Literacy we will write a recount of camp, continuing with explanation writing and some of us (those not going swimming) will begin writing and learning about the Commonwealth games. We also continue our new science topic (Beneath our Feet) looking at soil samples the children have brought in (please bring these in on Tuesday 29th July). Swimming week also brings about another timetable change for the next two weeks. The new 3/4F timetable now looks like this for the next two weeks:

Tuesday
PE
Music

Wednesday
Indonesian

Thursday
Library
Art

Friday
LAB

Have a great week.

Camp is here!

There is only one more sleep until camp! YAY! There were some very excited kids this afternoon as we talked about all the amazing things we will be doing over the next three days at camp! Please remember to arrive at 8.30am and make your way to the hall and find your class. The buses will not wait for late comers so please be on time! Remember also to pack morning tea and lunch for your child for tomorrow as the camp does not provide this.

I look forward to seeing you all in the morning ready for heaps of fun!

Mr.Fraser

3/4 Swimming

Just a reminder to parents that the 3/4 swimming program begins next week (Monday 28th July 2014). If your child is participating in this event, and you have yet not paid in full, please do so by the end of this week so your child will be able to attend every session. Our session time is from 11:45am and we will return at 1:30pm.

What to Bring:
- Swimming uniform (please have this on under your school uniform in the morning).
- A towel.
- Thongs (to change into before they go to the pool).
- A plastic bag (to put wet bathers and towels in after swimming).
- Spare underwear to change into after swimming.
- Goggles.
- A bag to carry it all in.

What's on this week...? (Term 3, week 2)

This week is camp week!! We will leave for camp on Wednesday and return on Friday. It will be a lot of fun! There are some reminders about camp below. Your child should have brought a reminder notice home on Thursday. On Monday and Tuesday before we go to camp, we will continue to look at place value in maths and continue our literacy rotation activities which focus on the Commonwealth Games and Geology. In Week 3, we begin the swimming program. Please prepare your child for this.

Camp Reminders:

On the departure day of the camp (Wednesday 23^rd July) students need to arrive at school at 8:30am.

Pack morning tea and lunch for the first day (no lunch will be provided by the camp this day).

Water bottle with water in it.

Medication (if required) – in a container that is clearly labelled with name and dosage instructions. This must be given to Miss Ellis on the day of departure.

Waterproof coat or jacket.

Pillow case and sleeping bag (or sheets and doona).

Slippers (outdoor shoes are not allowed inside at the lodge).

All personal items (including underwear) and baggage should be clearly labelled with your child’s name.

 

Please note

NO mobile phones, portable music devices, UMPCs, tablets or personal game consoles are to be brought on camp.

Chewing gum, chocolate, lollies or any other food are NOT PERMITTED and may place other children with allergies at risk.

If your child suffers from travel sickness, barley sugars or other similar lollies, are permitted but must be placed in a sealed bag with your child’s name. Your child needs to have this in their backpack on the bus and then give to Miss Ellis on arrival at the camp.

 

Welcome to Term 3

Hi 3/4F Families,

Welcome back to school! I hope you all had a wonderful, fun and relaxing holiday with your kids. This term we will be doing some exciting. Next week, we head off for camp and the following two week we have our swimming program. This term we once again have a science and history focus for inquiry. 'Beneath our Feet' is an Earth Science topic which looks at rocks and soils and related areas and 'From Flinstones to Star Wars' is our history topic that looks at the history of transport. Should be a lot of fun! The timetable remains the same this term. The 3/4 newsletter will be sent out shortly with more details about what is happening this term. I hope you enjoy the term.

Mr.Fraser

Have a Great Holiday

Hi All,

I hope you all have a great holiday. The students have worked very hard this term and deserve the break. Next term is busy with camp, swimming and all the other bits and pieces we will be doing. I look forward to seeing all the kids back here on Monday 14th July.

Regards,
Mr.Fraser

Balloon Science

Today our mini science lesson was on Force and Friction. The children learnt about these concepts during our balloon races. Here is some of the fun:

Final Day of School Arrangements

Tomorrow is the last day of term. We will be finishing earlier than normal at 2:30pm.

Swimming Forms and Deposit Due Back Tomorrow (Fri 27th June)

Just a reminder that if your child will be participating in the swimming program next term, to return the form and the deposit tomorrow (Friday, 27th June 2014).

34F Trivia Night Hamper

Just a reminder to donate items for the 3/4F trivia night hamper. The theme for our hamper is 'Pamper Package' so we are looking for products such as soap, candles, towels, hand cream etc. We only have a few items so your help would be appreciated.

What's on this week...? (Term 2, Week 10)

We have made it to the last week of term 2!! This week in Maths, we will revise time, money, place value and multiplication. In Literacy we begin to look at Explanations and will continue these in term 3. We will complete a fun science activity later in the week and continue to work through Mookii World in LAB. We finish early on Friday, so stay tuned to Mitchat for finishing times. Have a great final week.

Term 2, Week 9 Timetable

This week is planning week. As a result, the timetable is different. The grade 3/4 teachers are planning for next term's activities on Monday so all the specialist classes will be held on Monday. Here is what this week looks like:

Monday
PE
Indonesian
Music
Art
Assembly

Tuesday
Library

Wednesday
LAB
CRE

3/4F Chance Games

This week, we have focused on chance and how this effects the outcomes of games. We have made board games to demonstrate our understanding. Here are some of the finished products. We will test them all next week.

What's On This Week...? (Term 2, Week 9)

This week is the second last week. This week is also planning week, so the timetable will be different with all the specialist classes on the one day. I will let you know the timetable as soon as it comes to hand. This week in Maths, we will finish and play our chance games. These are looking great and the kids have demonstrated an improved knowledge of chance events. We will also look at collecting and recording data. In Literacy, we complete our focus on procedural writing and begin to look at explanations. We complete our science unit (Melting Moments) and continue to work through the MookiiWorld in the computer LAB. Nearly holiday time - Two weeks to go!

What's on this week...? (Term 2, week 8)

This week we celebrate the Queen's birthday with a day off on Monday! For the remainder of the week, we continue working on our self evaluations and finish off procedural writing in literacy. In maths we look at chance and begin by looking at how chance games work, playing lots of these games and then making our own chance game. On Thursday we will run our second last lesson of the 'Melting Moments' unit called 'Break it up'. In this lesson, students will implement their new conceptual understandings developed throughout the unit about how materials are affected by heat. Even better, this lesson involves chocolate!!! On Friday, we have grade 3/4 sport and LAB (in which the children will continue to work on their Mookii World activities. Have a great week.

3/4F's Homophones Pair Tree

3/4F have been learning about homophones over the last couple of weeks, and finally our 'pair of pairs' tree has fruited. Check out all the homophones that have grown!

Tessellation Ties

We continued exploring tessellations today by making tessellation ties (something that Dads would be proud to wear)! Here are some of the results... Can you see what 2D shapes have been used?

Tessellation Fun

This week we are learning about 2D shapes and how they can be used to make tessellations. Yesterday, the students began by playing with a range of shapes to make tessellated patterns. Here are some examples.

 

Camp Forms Due

Just a reminder that camp forms are due tomorrow (Friday 6th June). If you have not already returned your child's forms, please ensure that they are returned by this date so we can guarantee your child receives their required dietary needs.

Payment (first instalment or the lot) is due on Friday 13th June.

Thanks.

Mr.Fraser

Science Day

On Friday last week, our school held its science day. Students dressed up in all sorts of scientific outfits from solar systems to animals to scientists. The students had a great time participating in a whole range of different scientific activities and experiments. We finished the day with a fashion parade and a big bang (the good old Diet Coke and Mentos trick). It was a wonderful day. Here is our class!

What's on this week...? (Term 2, Week 7)

This week the students will begin looking at 2D shapes and how they can be used to form tessellations. As we head towards the end of the semester, we begin to reflect our first two terms and begin writing our self evaluations. In ICT, the students continue to wok on their Mookii World activities. We move into our 4th and 5th lessons of our Melting Moments science unit, called 'Freeze it' and 'Sometimes Solid'. As the grade 5/6 students will be at camp this week, there is a slight change to the timetable with art being moved to Wednesday morning. Finally, we continue our class rotations where students have the opportunity to work with a different teacher and different students while completing a range of different activities (either Autumn art with me, robotics or stop-motion video). Another exciting week. Enjoy it.

What's on this week...? (Term 2, Week 6)

We are now half way through the term now! Time is flying! This week is a short week as Monday is a curriculum day. We will continue our procedural writing by making our pet rocks using a procedure written by a friend. Please remind the children to bring their materials for their pet rock on Tuesday. We will also continue learning about homophones. In Maths, we continue to look at measurement, focusing on temperature and capacity. On Wednesday the children will attend a cyber smart presentation. We will also begin our class rotations where students will be completing a different activity with the other 3/4 teachers. Finally, we continue our melting moments science unit as well as the Mookii World activities on EduPLEX. Have a great week.

Reminders

Dear parents,

This is a busy term and there are lots of things going on at school. Here are a few reminders:

- Monday 26th May is a Curriculum Day and students are not required to come to school.
- School photos will be held on Tuesday 27th May. Please remind the students to wear correct school uniform, including black school shoes.
- Premier's Reading Challenge consent forms - Please return these ASAP.

Thanks for your help!

Mr.Fraser

Measuring length with paper planes

This week, we have been learning about measurement. After doing some informal measuring in the class, and learning about how to read and use a measuring instrument like a rule and a tape measure, we headed outside to test our skills. That's right we threw paper planes! Not just for fun of course, but to see whose plane could go the furthest. We measured the distance with measuring tapes and wrote our four attempts into our maths books. Next stop: graphing the data to see whose plane went the further. The unofficial MPS record now stands at just over 21m. FUN!

Pet Rock Procedures

Hi Everybody,

Just a reminder that your materials for your pet rock are due on Tuesday. As this weekend is a long weekend for the students, you will have plenty of time to collect what you need. Please collect an odd shape stone that looks like an animal. You also need to collect materials that will be used to decorate your stone to turn it into a pet (such as buttons for eyes, wool for hair, a matchbox for a bed etc). Have fun!

Mr. Fraser

Grandparent's/Special Friends Day

Thanks to all the grandparent's and special friends for attending today. The kids all enjoyed their time with you and making our spaghetti structures. Here are some of the pictures from the day.

What's on this week...? (Term 2, Week 5)

Firstly, well done to all the grade 3 students for completing NAPLAN. You all tried hard to complete the tests to your best ability and should be proud of yourselves.

This week, we return to a normal timetable. This week is also education week, and we kick it off with our open day on Saturday, followed by Grandparent's/special friends day on Monday and finally a working open day on Thursday. We also begin our new inquiry topic called 'Melting Moments' where students will develop an understanding of the properties of materials and how they change state under different conditions. In maths, we look at measurement (with a focus on length this week) and in Literacy (for the next two weeks) we begin looking at procedural writing, homophones and tense. In ICT, the students continue to make their way through the Mookii World, learning new computer skills along the way. Some of the students will also be doing the Robotics session on Friday. Another busy week. Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all those amazing mums out there! 3/4F hope you all have a great day.

What's on this week...? (Term 2, Week 4)

Welcome to NAPLAN week! This week, the focus for the grade 3 students is on the four NAPLAN tests (Language Conventions, Writing, Reading and Numeracy). As a result of NAPLAN, the timetable is different just for this week (see below). The grade 4 students will be at a specialist class while the grade 3s are completing their testing. Other than NAPLAN, the students will be presenting their Celebrations Research Projects and completing their fables. No homework will be allocated this week.

Grade 3 parents - To help your child perform their best:

• Get them to bed early the night before any tests.
• Eat a good breakfast the morning of he tests.
• Arrive at school before the bell on days of the tests to ensure they have a calm start to their day.
• Discuss any concerns your child may have and reassure them that all we want them to do is their best.
• Let them know you are proud of all their hard work at the end of the day.

More information about can be obtained at www.nap.edu.au.

Week 4 Timetable

Monday
Music
Indonesian

Tuesday
8:45am: NAPLAN - Language Conventions (Grade 4s to PE)
11:15am: NAPLAN - Writing (Grade 4s to Art)

Wednesday
8:45am: NAPLAN - Reading (Grade 4s to Indonesian in the Library)

Thursday
8:45am: NAPLAN - Numeracy (Grade 4s to Music)
Art
Library

Friday
Grade 3/4 Sport
LAB

Have a great week. Good luck to all the grade 3s!

Mother's Day Stall

The Mother's Day Stall is on tomorrow and Friday. Please remember to bring your money and a shopping bag if you want to buy something for mum!

Celebrations Research Project Due on Friday

Hi All,

Just a reminder that the Celebrations Research Project is due on Friday (9th May). Please remember to bring it to school with you on Friday morning.

Thanks.
Mr.Fraser

Hand Perimeters

This week in Maths, we are learning about area and perimeter. Today, to help learn about perimeter, we traced around our hands and used string to measure the perimeter of our hands. The largest hand perimeter was William's with 103cm. We also worked out the area inside the hand by counting the 1cm squares. Here are some of the results.

UMPC Reminder

Just a reminder that if your child takes their UMPC home it must be brought back to school every day with a fully charged battery. The UMPCs are used almost everyday, especially this week as i will be running some online tests, so it is important that students remember bring them. Thanks.

 

What's On This Week... (Term 2, Week 3)

This week, we will be preparing the grade 3 students for NAPLAN. We will complete some sample tests so the students know the format to expect. Our focus for maths is Area and Perimeter. In English, we will practise writing persuasive writing in preparation for Mother's Day (I can't way too much), and we will also complete a Mother's Day science experiment. We continue our MookiiWorld activities during LAB as well as grade 3/4 sport on Friday. Finally, CRE begins on Wednesday this week for those that are doing it. Have a great week!

Time Activity Web Link

This week we are looking at time. Some of the children played this time game on this link. It is a good one to play at home.

http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/clock/tell_time_all.htm

What's on this week...? (Term 2, Week 2)

For maths this week, we will be focussing on time. In English, we continue to write our fables and we also look at time connectives to help make our writing more interesting. We have our first lab session this week, and we will continue with EduPLEX. We will complete a science activity on Thursday and on Friday the students have grade 3/4 sport. Enjoy the week.

ANZAC Day in 3/4F

Today we celebrated ANZAC day ahead of tomorrow's ANZAC Day celebrations. We discussed what ANZAC Day means to us all and made poppies to remember all those that served in the war. Lest We Forget.

Pattern Quest

Today, in Maths, we were learning about patterns. The students enjoyed playing this pattern game and wanted the link posted onto the Blog Spot. So here it is:

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/math-games/pattern-quest/

ANZAC Day Holiday

Just a reminder that because this Friday is the ANZAC Day public holiday, there will be no school on Friday.

Term 2 Timetable

Here is the 3/4F timetable for term 2. It is also visible on the main page of this blog.

Monday

Music

Indonesian (fortnightly)

 

Tuesday

PE

 

Thursday

Art

Library

 

Friday

Indonesian (fortnightly)

LAB

Grade 3/4 Sport (TBC)

What's on this week? (Term 2, Week 1)

Welcome back 3/4F! I hope you've all had a wonderful break and are ready to begin term 2. This week, we begin looking at patterns in maths. In English, we focus on apostrophes of contraction possession. We also begin to write fables, which are short stories with a hidden meaning. Although we don't have George to help us with EduPLEX this term, we will continue the EduPLEX program during our LAB time. The children will work their way through 'Mookii World' which is lots of fun. Later this term (week 5) we begin our first major science topic called 'Melting Moments' (and yes it does involve chocolate!!!). But for the first 3 weeks, we extend last term's topic of celebrations to give the children a chance to complete a research project to present to the class. This will be handed out tomorrow and be completed at home as part of their homework. The children will receive a slightly revised homework format this term as well. Homework will begin tomorrow (Wednesday as normal) and will be handed in on Monday (as normal). So a big week, but lots of fun! Enjoy it!

Term 1 Done!

Well, we have come to the end of term already. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe break. I look forward to seeing you all again in Term two. School begins on Tuesday 22nd April. Remember that Friday 25th April is a public holiday (ANZAC Day) so there will be no school on that day.

Mr.Fraser

My Story My Content - Short Film Conest

Some of you may be interested in this. Click on the image to go the web site.

Chinese New Year

This term, 3/4F have been learning about celebrations (both local and international). This week, we finished off our Chinese New Year lanterns with Chinese messages (thanks to Reyna, William and Wenhao) and information about when and why it is celebrated and what it means to the Chinese. The children did a good job. You'll notice that most are red as this is the traditional colour of Chinese New Year.

Cross Country Results

Well done to the 3/4F super runners for completing the Cross Country. Congratulations especially to these students for finishing in the top 10 (I think I got them all and in the correct order):

Grade 3:
2nd - Belle (9 year olds)
4th - Reyna (9 year olds)
5th - Millie (9 year olds)
7th - Phoebe (9 year olds)
9th - Max (9 year olds)

Grade 4:
4th - Shafia (11 year olds)
6th - Callum (10 year olds)
7th - Daniel (10 year olds)
7th - Lily (10 year olds)

Here are some pictures from the big race! Well done everyone!