Week 4 5 Term 2 2024

 Welcome to week 4! It has been a big three weeks for Term 2 - so much learning together! 

Maths:

Measurement, Space and Statistics:

Earlier this term we have investigated the concept of length and using metric units of measurement including millimetres, centimetres, metres and kilometres.  We have also learnt about converting units of length between the different measurements and using our knowledge of place value and the importance of 10 in our number system.  We have also learnt about different types of angles and how they relate to 2D shapes and objects in our environment.  We have also learnt about directions, compasses and this has tied in with our geography continents and countries unit in HASS.  Later this week we will delve into reading different graphs and interpreting visual data.  

Number:

Last week we began to extend our knowledge about fractions and have started to develop our understanding about how to read and write fractions, what the parts of a fraction are called and what they represent and what equivalent fractions are.  We have even started to look at proper, improper and mixed fractions.  The best bit has been seeing how division relates to fractions! We will continue to look at parts of whole numbers later this term as we delve into decimals.  

English:

We are learning all about non-chronological or information reports in reading writing (and even HASS!).  We have looked at the features of any non-fiction text and how information reports are structured.  There are many language features that are evident in information reports and each week we are learning about these features, identifying these in our reading texts  and gaining skills in writing them in sentences.  Our next step is to learn how to research, take effective notes and organise our facts into well-structured and detailed paragraphs.  Our mentor text about Quokkas has been an interesting read and a great way for us to learn about the features of a biological report before we start to focus on our Noongar totem animal, the Waitj (emu). 

By now most parents have seen our Cold Task biography "All About Me" on Seesaw.  These writing pieces have been used to inform us about individual and group strengths and areas of need to assist our planning of learning in writing this term.  

Class novel: In addition to our small group guided reading groups which have focused on information report texts, we have a new novel study " The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane".  This is a beautiful story by Kate DiCamillo and was loved by last year's group of Year 4.  Novel studies are a great way to introduce and learn about different literacy devices, develop comprehension skills and engage personal responses to this shared text.  

We are only five chapters in so far but it was a lovely experience during Thursday's day-long blackout to huddle together around the window and read and discuss two more chapters about Edwards first journey on the Queen Mary and the start to his adventures.  

Laptops

A gentle reminder to have a regular system in your household for charging laptops each night and remembering to keep them in bags to and from school rather than carrying them as the weight of them inside bags seems to prevent them being forgotten being brought to school.  While we don't use them for long periods each day, we are using them most days for a couple of tasks throughout it and forgetting them or having them flat often results in your child missing out on participating or completing multiple tasks.  

Just a reminder that no homework tasks require the use of the laptops unless advised directly by teachers but it can be a great insight if parents wish to ask their students about their learning on their laptops and have a sneak peek into our class OneNote (ask your child to help if needed :)

Library Bags

Just a reminder we have LIBRARY on a Monday and the students need to bring their bags to be able to borrow. Books and bags are welcome to be kept in trays on Thurs or Fri if they are likely to be forgotten.  We have noticed a slight decline in the borrowing last term and were hoping this reminder helps it increase again. 

Character Strength:

Judgement

St Alphonsus left his career as a lawyer to follow God. St Alphonsus was a practical person, who dealt with the concrete and not the abstract.

Do you think things through?

Are you open-minded and think about all sides of a situation.

Upcoming Events

Friday 10th May - Year 3R Prayer Assembly in the hall @ 2.15pm

Sunday 12th May - Mother's Day
Tuesday 14th May - Scholastic Book Fair
Wednesday 15th May - Scholastic Book Fair
Friday 17th May - Student Free Day
Monday 27th - 31st May - National Reconciliation Week

Monday 27th May - School Photos

Tuesday 28th May - School Photos

Thursday 14th June - Cross Country

Thursday 20th June - OLC's Got Talent

Thursday 27th June - Whole School Mass

Friday 28th June - Last Day of Term

Thank you for your continued support and assistance, 

Penny 

 

Week 1 Term 2 2024

 Dear Parents,

We hope you had a wonderful Easter and holiday break.

Wadandi Totems 🌨💧🍂🍁

We are now in the season of Djeran - This is when the weather starts to get cooler and the leaves turn orange and fall off the trees. We are very lucky that Josh Whiteland from Koomal Dreaming has approved every classroom with a native flora and fauna and their traditional Noongar name. This term, we will be spending some time learning about the significance of these. Please see below for the Wadandi Totems assigned to 4K.

	Plant	Wadandi Name	Animal	Wadandi Name
4k	Native Plum	Koolar	Emu	Waitj

Homework

The Year Four Homework book will go home today and Week 1 and Week 2 need to be completed and returned by Friday of Week 2 27th April.The students are asked to complete approximately 15 minutes of reading per night (Mon-Thu) and record this in their Reading Log. There are also 6 parts of Mental Maths to be completed across the whole fortnight. They will be due at the end of each even numbered week and we will endeavour to send out a text the day before as a reminder.  The Maths homework continues to be achievable this term and focuses on organisation and there is strong focus on times tables recall. 

Writing

This term our writing program focusses on informative texts. We will be learning how to write structured paragraphs and other language features of information reports.

HASS

We were so delighted with the brilliant designs the students created to solve the problem of the 'Ducks Crossing the Road' last term as the students delved into the world of laws, rules and communities.

This term the students will move from 'How to Change the World' to the theme of 'Where in the World?' The students will learn geographical concepts and ideas as well as mapping as they start to find their way across the globe and zoom into some far away countries. Continents, landforms, flora and fauna are just some of the topics the students will explore.

Uniform

Please check in with the school website or parent handbook sent with the recent newsletter for any last-minute questions and make sure that your child adheres to our guidelines around hair and fringe length. Both boys and girls must have their hair off their face and tied up if it falls below their collar. There is also details about the types of shoes that can be worn and information regarding jewellery.

Physical Education/Sports Uniforms

Tuesday mornings will be the time for Year 4K Sport lessons with Mrs Mandy Sinclair throughout this year. Please wear sports uniform on Tuesdays this year and Wednesdays sports uniform for dance and coloured faction shirts sports uniform on Fridays.

Library

Library book exchange continues each Monday. Year 4's will be required to bring their Library books and bags in order to borrow. They are welcome to bring in their books and bags any day throughout the week and keep them in their tray if Monday mornings are a forgetful time in your household.

Important Dates for Term 2

• Monday 15th April - Term 2 Commences
• Thursday 25th April - ANZAC Day Public Holiday
• Friday 10th May - Year 3 Prayer Assembly
• Sunday 12th May - Mother's Day
• Tuesday 14th May - Scholastic Book Fair
• Wednesday 15th May - Scholastic Book Fair
• Friday 17th May - Student Free Day
• Monday 27th May - School Photos
• Tuesday 28th May - School Photos
• Friday 31st May - Year 5 Prayer Assembly
• Monday 3rd June- WA Day Public Holiday
• Thursday 13th June - Cross Country
• Friday 14th June - Year 3 Prayer Assembly
• Thursday 20th June - OLC's Got Talent
• Friday 21st June - Year 2 Prayer Assembly
• Thursday 27th June - Last Day of Term

Thank you for your continued support and assistance in your child's learning.  We look forward to another wonderful Term in Year 4!

Penny 

Week 7 & 8 Term 1 2024

 Dear Parents, 

Well, here we are on the home stretch for Term 1! Time has flown so fast and I can't believe we are here already!

Eucharist Mass Sunday

We look forward to celebrating this important Sacrament with our candidates. Please arrive at 8:15am ready for the 8:30am mass. It would be lovely to have as many prayer buddies as possible to join us for the mass.

Parent Interviews Day Friday 22nd March

An email was sent to all parents from Kindy to Year 6 with a link to our booking system for our first interview day.  There are still some spots left for parents I have not met with yet this term and we request those parents who have not booked in yet or contacted me via email to please choose a session time.  The meetings will only be for 10 minutes but they are a great opportunity to check in with me to see how they are going, their current learning achievements and goals and learning/work habits this year so far.  Please email me if you feel you would like to discuss more complex issues that will not be able to be discussed and actioned within these time limits.  

Interschool Swimming

Several students in our class have been invited to attend the Interschool Swimming Carnival on the 26th March.  Please refer to the note from Mrs Sinclair sent home today and return the permission slips.  Any questions please email mandy.sinclair@cewa.edu.au

Seesaw Term 1 posts

A sample of your child's current writing skills was shared last fortnight and a copy of their IPI reading assessment will be shared at the end of next week.  Next week there will also be a sample of their place value number skills shared on Seesaw. These are samples of your child's current achievements so far this term.  Please let me know if you have any issues accessing these posts of your child's learning and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.  

Project Compassion Colouring Competition 
We are running a voluntary colouring competition to raise money for Project Compassion. There is a $2 entry fee and all monies are to be placed in our class Project Compassion boxes to be collected. 

Important Dates

Sunday 17th March -Sacrament of First Eucharist 

Thursday 21st March - Harmony Day

Friday 22nd March - Parent Teacher Interviews (Student Free Day)

Sunday 24th March - Palm Sunday

Thursday 28th March - Last Day of Term 1 

Friday 29th March - Good Friday

Sunday 31st March - Easter Sunday

We look forward to finishing of this term sharing our prototypes that will solve a local problem in our community. Keep an eye out for this amazing HASS project in the near future!

Kind regards,

Penny, Annie and Megan 

Week 5 Term 1 2024

  Welcome to Week 5!

Thank you to the parents that came to the Cybersafety information session last week with Nola Marino - it was very informative and as a parent of teenagers myself, it was very informative on the internet and cyber world our children are living in and what we can do to help them use it safely. This week's big events for our class is the Eucharist workshop on Tuesday 27th February from 5 - 6pm and the middle/upper school faction swimming carnival on Friday. We can also enjoy a lovely long weekend after that on Monday! 

A few reminders for the week:

Parent Child Eucharist Workshop

Tomorrow, this Tuesday evening all Eucharist candidates are asked to come to the hall for the Parent-Child workshop from 5 - 6pm.  This will be lead in a similar style to the workshop that you participated in for Reconciliation last year.  Just bring yourselves and no preparation needed.  Please email amie.meyer@cewa.edu.au if you are not able to attend this workshop of if you did not attend the Commitment mass last Saturday at the church.   

Friday Swimming Carnival:

Please make a note on family calendars and come to school prepared on Friday for the swimming carnival with the rest of the Year 4 to 6 students with swimming gear ready to go underneath and faction uniform on top. Please see the note from Mrs Sinclair sent home last week about the Swimming Carnival on Friday 1st March  All information regarding the carnival is in that letter, but students will leave school on the bus at 8:45 so please ensure that you are on time.  They will need to be self sufficient with food, snack and water as there are no canteen facilities.  Students will then return to school, leaving at about 1;40 to ensure they are back and organised for any buses. contact mandy.sinclair@cewa.edu.au if you have any queries about participation.

Seesaw

Our first seesaw post will be released over the next couple of days with a sample or two of your child's writing based upon their writing over the last few weeks.  This is an example of sizzling start paragraphs that are used to open narrative creative writing with the purpose to engage the reader.  A rubric with their current abilities in line with Year 4 English curriculum expectations is attached so that you are able to identify their current achievement and future writing goals.  

Before School:

Please note if your child arrives before 8.30am, they are to wait quietly in the courtyard (outside the main office) until the class doors are opened at 8.30am.  I will open the doors and collect them from the lining up area at 8.30 and ask students not to wait by the doors to enable smooth and calm morning starts.  I also encourage parents to make our bag zone also the 'hug goodbye' area rather than at the class door as it gives your child time to walk the verandah on their own and settle into the classroom calmly as we are now in Week 5 of routines and ready to start our morning tasks independently.  Feel free to send me an email in the mornings or a note with your child if you want to let me know anything.  

Laptops

Laptops are up and running!  All systems have been going ahead with them used several times throughout the days last week in class.  Thank you for having them ready and charged each day.  A reminder that Mrs Johnson will be our laptop technician to help us out with any problems beyond my knowledge and she works on Mondays and Thursdays.  

Students have been told about 'linked internet' use at school and we have let them know that no open searches will be allowed in year 4 - safe links or access directions will be provided in their learning and the reasons why using the internet safely is important.  I have also discussed several times the immediate consequences that will occur if laptops are not used correctly and clear expectations about how laptops are to be used. There will be no warnings or chances and we will contact you with a technology infringement for students to bring to you to sign and let you know the consequences for their laptops not being used as directed - this includes going onto apps or extensions without teacher approval when other tasks have been clearly set. A reminder that no homework tasks will be set requiring laptop use this year unless notified by teachers.  

Some laptop reminders from last week:

We recommend you take some time to make a family plan about how laptops and any other devices they may have will be used by your child at home and how internet access will happen in your home with parent supervision and guidance.  Please also have a dedicated a charging zone for their laptop in your home that will be used each night and keep the charger equipment at home set up.  There is a light on the charging side of the laptop that shows if it is charging (amber) and fully charged (white light).  There are no spare chargers available for your child at school so it is essential that your child comes to school each day with their laptop charged.  Please encourage your child to pack their laptop inside their school bag (the slot inside the back of the bag is made for this capability) as the weight of it helps your child recognize on the mornings it may be forgotten to be put in.  There are no shoulder straps this year for the laptop bags.  

Homework

4K had great success with homework completed for the first fortnight.  This is week 5 and it is expected that your child will have completed Week 5 and Week 6 pages by the end of next Friday 8th March.  We will send a reminder text next Thursday to get used to the fortnightly format.  

Uniform day reminders for 4K:

Monday and Thursday - formal uniform

Tuesday and Wednesday - sports uniform

Library day is Monday

Please read our previous blogs for any further information about school events and class routines.  

Thank you for your support and assistance,

Penny 

Upcoming Events

1. Tuesday 27th February - Parent Child Workshop Eucharist 5-6pm 
2. Monday 4th March - Labour Day Public Holiday
3. Friday 22nd March - Student Free Day - Parent Teacher Meetings
4. Sunday 24th March - Palm Sunday
5. Thursday 28th March - Last Day of Term 1

Week 4 Term 1 2024

Welcome to Week 4!

Thank you to the candidates, prayer buddies and parents who came to our Year 4 Family Mass and Eucharist Commitment last night.  The pizza from Peace Pizza was a lovely way to end the warm evening together.  Next fortnight, Tuesday 27th February from 5 - 6pm,  we will have our Parent and Child Eucharist workshop for our candidates in the lead up to our first Holy Communion in Week 7.  

A few reminders for the week:

Tuesday Swimming Time Trials:

Please make a note on family calendars and come to school prepared on Tuesday for the time trial morning with the rest of the Year 4 to 6 students with swimming gear ready to go underneath and faction uniform on top.  There are still a few permission forms to come back please bring them in tomorrow.   Please see the note from Mrs Sinclair sent home last week about this Tuesday's Time Trials 20th Feb and the Swimming Carnival on Friday 1st March and contact mandy.sinclair@cewa.edu.au if you have any queries about participation.

Cyber Safety Presentation

Please consider attending tomorrow night's Cyber Safety Parent Information Session presented by Nola Marino on Monday 19 February at 6.00pm in the School Hall. Parents of students in ALL year levels are welcome to attend.  Great timing with the Year 4 laptops arriving home on Monday.

Before School:

Please note if your child arrives before 8.30am, they are to wait quietly in the courtyard (outside the main office) until the class doors are opened at 8.30am.  I will open the doors and collect them from the lining up area at 8.30 and ask students not to wait by the doors to enable smooth and calm morning starts.  I also encourage parents to make our bag zone also the 'hug goodbye' area rather than at the class door as it gives your child time to walk the verandah on their own and settle into the classroom calmly as we are now in Week 4 of routines and ready to start our morning tasks independently.  Feel free to send me an email in the mornings or a note with your child if you want to let me know anything.  

Laptops

Forms are signed and handed in and laptops are all updated ready for your child to bring home tomorrow!  We have been really lucky to have had two one-hour school sessions last week getting to know how our laptop works, how to log in and how to access the student dashboard and beginning to get to know our class notebook.  

With a laptop as a learning device comes great responsibility too! We have discussed the signed user agreements so your child clearly understands the expectations with these being used at school.  We have also had a discussion about internet safety use at school, the importance of accessing the internet safely and let them know that no open searches will be allowed in year 4 - safe links or access directions will be provided in their learning and the reasons why using the internet safely is important.  I have also discussed the consequences that will occur if laptops are not used correctly and clear expectations about how laptops are to be used.  A reminder that no homework tasks will be set requiring laptop use this year unless notified by teachers.  

We recommend you take some time to make a family plan about how laptops and any other devices they may have will be used by your child at home and how internet access will happen in your home with parent supervision and guidance.  Please also have a dedicated a charging zone for their laptop in your home that will be used each night and keep the charger equipment at home set up.  There is a light on the charging side of the laptop that shows if it is charging (amber) and fully charged (white light).  There are no spare chargers available for your child at school so it is essential that your child comes to school each day with their laptop charged.  Please encourage your child to pack their laptop inside their school bag (the slot inside the back of the bag is made for this capability) as the weight of it helps your child recognize on the mornings it may be forgotten to be put in.  There are no shoulder straps this year for the laptop bags.  

Homework

Your child has now brought home a homework booklet to complete some daily reading, mental maths review and some times table work.  Later this term we will also send home some multiplication flash cards to help your child build their recall skills which will assist their skills to solve larger number problems.  It is expected that your child will have completed Week 3 and Week 4 pages by the end of this week and bring it in on Friday 24th Feb to mark a part of it in class.  We will send a reminder text this Thursday to get used to the fortnightly format.  

Uniform day reminders for 4K:

Monday and Thursday - formal uniform

Tuesday and Wednesday - sports uniform

Library day is Monday

Please read our previous blogs for any further information about school events and class routines.  

Thank you for your support and assistance,

Penny 

Upcoming Events

1. Sunday 18th February - First Sunday of Lent
2. Monday 19th February - Nola Marino Parent Cybersafety Presentation
3. Tuesday 27th February - Parent Child Workshop Eucharist 5-6pm 
4. Monday 4th March - Labour Day Public Holiday
5. Friday 22nd March - Student Free Day - Parent Teacher Meetings
6. Sunday 24th March - Palm Sunday
7. Thursday 28th March - Last Day of Term 1

Week 3 Term 1 2024

 

Dear parents,

Welcome to Week 3 - this is when 'the real Year 4' really starts now that swimming is done and routines and expectations are really put into place.  

Uniform day reminders for 4K:

Monday and Thursday - formal uniform

Tuesday and Wednesday - sports uniform

Library day is Monday

Big events this week: Please refer to the email I sent this morning:

A message from Our Lady of the Cape PS Dear Year 4 parents, This weekend there will be a commitment mass at our church on Saturday 17th February at 6pm.  This also co-incides with our OLC staff commissioning mass.  If your child is a candidate and taking their first Holy Communion, during the mass, Father will invite you and your child up to recite the promises as outlined in the sheet your child brought home yesterday.  There will be copies for you on the night so these sheets may be kept at home.  Mrs Meyer came in yesterday during religion to talk about our Eucharist sacrament and the lead up to our first Holy Communion mass which will be on Sunday morning 17th March.  If you cannot attend the commitment mass this Saturday then please contact Mrs Meyer to attend another upcoming mass to make the commitment ceremony promises.  If your child is not a candidate and is a prayer buddy then attendance is very welcomed but not required.  Thank you for your support and contact me via email if you have any questions about your child's participation in the Eucharist sacrament this term.   Penny King

Homework:

Your child has now brought home a homework booklet to complete some daily reading, mental maths review and some times table work.  Later this term we will also send home some multiplication flash cards to help your child build their recall skills which will assist their skills to solve larger number problems.  It is expected that your child will complete Week 3 by the end of this week and Week 4 pages by the end of next week and bring it in on Friday 24th Feb to mark a part of it in class.  We will send a reminder text the day before to get used to the fortnightly format.  

Presentation Night information:

Unfortunately the link was broken to the previous blog post was broken to people without a google drive and attempt two wasn't successful either! I will email it out separately with my one drive later this week.  Please note however, most information in these slides has already been included in the long blog posts before, so have a read through to hopefully answer any questions you may have.   

Swimming Trials and Swimming Carnival:

Today your child will bring home a note from Mrs Sinclair about the time trials event next Tuesday 20th Feb and the upcoming swimming carnival on Friday 1st March.  Please read though the information and bring back the permission slip before next week.  Any queries regarding participation or further questions please email mandy.sinclair@cewa.edu.au

Laptops distribution:

Unfortunately there will be a delay in the laptop deliveries to your child and they will be taking them home on Monday 19th February in their laptop cases and charging cords.  Please leave charging equipment at home and have a dedicated point where laptops will be kept and routine for how they will be charged each night. 

Mrs Johnson and I will try to give them a trial run with using the laptops, how they work and the features with all of the students on Thursday but they will need to remain here until all laptops are fully prepared unfortunately.  There are also still a few forms to be signed and handed in please before the laptops can be given to your child.  Please use this extra time before next Monday to go through the user agreements so your child clearly understands the expectations with these being used at school (and we highly recommend you also create a family home agreement for all devices as well).  

I think that's it for the next fortnight of events!  Again please feel free to email me if you have any questions.  

Thank you for your support and assistance,

Penny 

Parent Information Night

  Hi Everyone, 

A big thank you to all those who were able to attend. We understand that it might have been a bit difficult for some people to attend due to other commitments, so we are very privileged to be able to present this to you in an online capacity as well as in person.

We would love for you to have a look through the presentation so you are informed about the ins and outs of Year Four. 

While they are very lengthy, I also ask that you take some time to reread through the Week 1 and 2 blogposts as they also contain some information that will be useful throughout this year including library times, sports clothes days, Eucharist sacrament dates and religion learning for this term.  I also ask that you review the two laptop documents - OLC laptop user agreement for at school and the laptop device information booklet document that was emailed out earlier this week by Mrs Johnson, and highly recommend taking time to talk to your child about technology use and family at home for all devices.  Please find below the link to access the powerpoint presentation and click on the hyperlink:

Year 4 Parent Information 2024

Thank you again for taking the time to go through the presentation. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the year ahead, feel free to email us. 

Maths, maths, maths!  We've started our year long learning with a bang, learning about place value, our number system and the relationships with ten.  In Year 4 the expectation is that students understand place value for 5 digit numbers and beyond.  We've also learnt a few games you can play at home with just a few dice or playing cards.  Our favourite at the moment is 'Squeeze' by Paul Swan and Michael Minas from Love Maths.  Maybe we could play a game at home with you and show you how we can squeeze you out and win using our place value knowledge and strategic thinking?  

Thank you for your support and assistance.

Kind regards,

Penny