Year 3 Camp Round-Up

On Camp, the Year 3s settled as the bus tyres hit the road and we made our way to Top Fun Shack. Any nerves settled as they enjoyed some time playing golf, bowling and competing in the arcade area. By the time we arrived at camp, only the excitement remained, and we dived into activities that did not seem to stop until our return to school. Add to that spending time with friends in the cabins, eating together, bingo, trivia, Red Faces and a glow-light disco and you get the exhausted and elated children that came home at the end of term.

The students are looking forward to sharing their experiences with you at the Week 3 Assembly. Mark that date in your diary!

Inquiry

Our unit of study for How The World Works has been a fascinating deep-dive into biology. Students have enjoyed learning about the different parts of the body and what effect food has on our physical state. This term, we are further exploring the role of exercise in helping our body systems to function.

In Week 5 we will be transitioning to our next unit of study, How We Express Ourselves.

Please enjoy these photos from our first week back at school.

Numeracy

It is an exciting time. as we have just commenced another unit on Fractions, Decimals and Percentages. Connections between their real-world experience and maths are quickly and powerfully made. Over the coming weeks, keep an eye out to have a chat with your children about these concepts as they naturally occur at home.

Examples:

· Fractions – “We’ll leave in quarter of an hour”; 2 quarters of football is half time.

· Decimals – calculating how much some small purchases will cost or height/weight measurements

· Percentages – Discounts at shops and estimations. “When is dinner? I think I am about 80% finished”

All these mini-discussions will help students recognise the everyday value of learning Fractions.

Literacy

One thing the students always know is on the daily agenda is Literacy. For the entire year, after recess on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays we have a dedicated literacy block that is specifically designed to build students' skills and capabilities with literacy. The session is run by 4 to 5 teachers for our small cohort of Year 3s. It has been exactly the kind of small group-focused program needed after years affected by lockdowns. It runs alongside our regular classroom literacy and integrated literacy experienced during Inquiry sessions.

A massive thank you to all the teachers who have helped make this possible this year!

• Jasmine Richards
• Bronwyn Burrows
• Kate Bird
• Sue Hastings
• Lisa Rix

Currently, we’re also writing an Information Text about our Human Body Systems, a recount of a day that was impactful and memorable, and a poem about a significant school experience from the year.

Book Week

Special guests, incredible costumes, a crazy assembly, and a love of reading: Book Week is one of the best events of the year and the students have adored every second. We were off to a great start this week with our first special guest on Tuesday, author Patrick Guest.

Further information about Patrick's books can be found on his website.

CRAIG KENNER
Year 3 Teacher