Hello! Welcome back to Term 3 – 2009. I hope everyone has had an enjoyable break and are now ready to take on the next 10 week term.
The purpose of this class update is to provide everyone with continued information about our classroom as well as keep you up to date with events going on within our school. I apologize to those parents who felt they lost touch a little when unfortunately I did not find the time last term to update our classroom webpage. Time can pass so quickly when there is so much to do in a day.
General
As from the start of the year, this semester Currumbin and Tallebudgera classrooms will continue to be working as a combined multi-age Year 4/5 classroom within Stage 2.
Thank you to those parents who took the opportunity to attend parent/teacher interviews during Term 2. I believe interviews provide the opportunity for you to discuss your child’s progress with me and view their work. Should you wish to discuss your child’s progress at any stage please arrange a suitable time to come and talk with me.
As always I would encourage parents/carers to support and guide their children throughout their school days; take an interest in their day, always be positive about school (regardless of your past experiences), make sure they have completed set work neatly and on time, and be sure that they know you have a standard of behaviour and attitude that is expected of them. This time is integral in your child’s development into a happy and well rounded adult; ensuring that they are developing good work ethics and a positive approach to learning will guide them through the rest of their life.
Curriculum areas for this term.
Work in the Key Learning Areas are becoming more challenging and certain concepts may take longer to understand. Learning will be gradual and repetitive and I encourage all children to always have a go and that we learn from our mistakes.
This Term we will be integrating the theme Systems around us. This will be integrated into all Curriculum areas and the children will discover many interesting facts through many exciting activities relating to Space and Australian Government.
Literacy and English
The children are working very hard on developing their writing and editing skills. This term we will be looking at editing our work and children will become very familiar with the following.
Think: What do I want to write? What is my sentence?
Listen: What sounds can I hear? Writing down the sounds I hear.
Check: Do I have the right number of words for what I wanted to write? Does my sentence make sense? Have I used the correct punctuation? Am I happy with my spelling attempts?
This term’s focus genre for writing will be explanation – which outlines how something occurs, works or is made.
· Children will have guided reading sessions daily.
· Children will develop a deeper comprehension and word attack skills.
· Children will use the internet to research information on Moon Phases and Rules of Government.
· One hour writing daily – journal and explanation writing genres.
· Spelling: Year 4 and Year 5 word lists. Some children will have individual programs.
· Visual presentation of work. Concentrating on developing cursive handwriting.
· Sentence building and structure - improving written sentences.
· Punctuation; speech marks, commas and continued development of capital letters and full stops.
Numeracy:
· Numbers to 9999
· Operations; addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
· Introduce and consolidate multiplications in 2s, 5s, 10s, 4s and 8s.
· Space; 2D shapes, 3Dshapes, Length, Volume, Mass and Area.
· Time; Telling minutes past and half past, 5min and 10 mins. Matching analogue and digital times.
· Money; problem solving with change.
· Data; starting line for vertical axis and regular spacing in graphs
Science: Earth and Beyond - Spinning in Space
SOSE: Rules and Laws – Australian Government
Technology: Internet research activities.
Arts: Visual Arts – drawing, collage and design. Media - presentations
Music: Half hour lesson with specialist teacher
HPE: Half hour lesson with specialist teacher
Lote: half hour lesson with specialist teacher – Japanese Year 4/5 plus Year 5 German
Library: Half hour lesson with specialist teacher
RE: Half hour lesson
Homework
This is nightly and will begin Week 2. It will consist of reading, language associated to class work activity page and a Maths homework sheet as provided by your child's Maths teacher. It takes the format of weekly contracts which is handed out on Mondays and to be returned on or before Friday. Please encourage your child to complete homework using a sharp lead pencil and in neat cursive handwriting. Homework is the responsibility of the child and consequences for incomplete homework will be to complete the work in their play break.
Learning is optimised where there is an effective partnership between home and school. We’ll strive to achieve best efforts and tolerance of others and explore many ways to learn. As the year progresses we will be advancing in known concepts as well as introducing new concepts in all key learning areas. I look forward to another term full of fun, enchantment, growth and discovery with your children.
Leave of absence
During this term I will be taking some long service leave (1 week) to visit family interstate. I would like to reassure parents/caregivers that your child’s education is always of high importance and to ensure continuity and established routines within the classroom Louise Jackson will be following my planning whilst I am on leave.
Thought for today, tomorrow and the future;
Remember everyone is an individual and we all have areas that we are better at than others. Be proud of your child’s achievements.
Yours in education
Brenda Veenbaas
Classroom Teacher
Yours in education
Brenda Veenbaas
Classroom Teacher
