Welcome back to face-to-face learning! I just want to say thank you to all the families for supporting their children during the first five weeks of the term. Since learning returned to the classroom, we have been busy revising our behaviour expectations in the classroom. This fortnight we have been focusing on respect and how we all contribute to making the classroom a respectful place. Respect can be shown in our words, actions and body language when we are interacting with each other.

We will continue to use the laptops in Year 3 to support our learning across different subject areas. Throughout home learning we have used different programs which we will continue to have a place in the classroom. These include Seesaw, which is a brillant tool for sharing learning with families; Studyladder to consolidate taught maths concepts, Mathsonline to revise Year 3 concepts and provide data for future learning. Literacy Planet and Reading Eggs for consolidating taught reading concepts. In order to use these programs, the laptops need to be taken home each day and returned the following day fully charged.

As we get back into a ‘normal routine’, homework will be sent home. It is due to be returned on a Thursday and sent home on the Friday. At this stage, homework does not require the use of a laptop. Homework will consist of reading and recording in the green reading log book, and a maths sheet to revise a concept taught during that week. If you have any concerns about the homework, please email me.

In Maths we have been learning about addition and subtraction strategies that speed up solving problems. The strategies include: using our friends of ten, using a number line and looking at the place value of numbers. Using these stratergies, we are starting to understand the connection between addition and subtraction. We are exploring these concepts by working in groups where the students rotate through activities like studyladder, working with the teacher and maths games.

Throughout this term we have been looking at procedural texts with a focus on recipes. We have explored many recipes and have been learning about the structure, language features and audience of recipes. This knowledge has helped prepare the students to write their own recipes which will be compiled into a class recipe book.

In Religion we have been looking at the heroes of the Bible. These are the figures from the Bible that have had important roles in our history. We started by looking at the armour of God and how we can arm ourselves with protections like truth and peace to live a good life. We have since moved on to look at Moses’ life and how he saved the Isralites from their life of slavery. We look at these stories and think about how we can act like these heroes in our own lives by showing courage and believing in God.

In Science we have been studying the states of matter: solids, liquids and gases; and how heat can change these states. We have looked at how some changes are reversible and won’t affect the product like if water is  frozen then melted it will still be the same. But some changes like cooking an egg cannot be changed back and these are irreversible changes.