Welcome back to the new school term. This newsletter is to help keep you informed about the curriculum for the grade and the day-to-day activities of the grade.

This term the following teachers will be supporting learning in Year 3.

*Teachers work under the structure of an Enterprise Agreement that includes a number of entitlements. One of these is the engagement in Profession Planning Time (PPT) where they are released from class to carry out other professional responsibilities. Each full time teacher is entitled to the equivalent of 2 hours PPT each week, or a pro-rata thereof for part time teachers. Therefore, all students operate across the school week with at least two teachers engaging in the classroom program of learning.

This Curriculum Outline is designed to communicate what your child is learning so you can support them at home this term. At Good Samaritan, we believe that the partnership between you as parents and our teachers are the most important influences on your son’s or daughter’s education.

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is responsible for setting and monitoring quality teaching, learning, assessment and school standards across NSW public, Catholic and independent schools. NESA also develops Kindergarten to Year 12 syllabuses for NSW schools. Syllabuses identify: the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes students are expected to develop at each stage; what students are expected to know and do; Learning across the curriculum areas: cross-curriculum priorities, general capabilities and other important learning for all students.

At Good Samaritan we have a K-6 Scope & Sequence of learning which supports the implementation of the NESA Syllabuses. Below, is an outline of the Key Learning Area content & skills being taught this term.

This term in Religious Education, Year 3 will:

Easter: A Time to celebrate the Presence of the Risen Lord (Weeks 1-5)

The Church celebrates the important events of the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus through the liturgical season of Easter. The unit recalls the events of the Journey to Emmaus and how the risen Jesus is present with us, through the Holy Spirit; in our relationship with Jesus, in the Word and in the ‘breaking of the bread’. The unit explores the celebration of Easter in the Church. It highlights the importance of Baptism in the Easter season as a sign of new life.

Pentecost: The Holy Spirit Gives us Strength (Weeks 6-10)

This unit explores the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It focuses on the Holy Spirit as the source of strength enabling us to continue the mission of Jesus. The unit looks at the Holy Spirit as the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise not to leave us alone after he had ascended into Heaven. The unit concludes by identifying the mystery of the Holy Trinity as central to our faith.

English is the Key Learning Area where students develop knowledge, skills and understandings about English language and literature. The students will be actively engaged in the development of skills through:

This term in English, Year 3 will be covering:

• Reading & Writing: Persuade Me! 

• To encourage students to acknowledge the opinions of themselves and others in a respectful way
• To demonstrate that we create texts for a specific purpose-to persuade, inform, entertain...
• To develop critical thinking and justify their opinions
• To compose a rich text that follows a particular structure 

• Spelling & Phonemic Awareness: Letters and Sounds
• Grammar, Punctuation & Vocabulary: Developing good persuasive sentences to express an opinion or point of view using topic specific vocabulary, capital letters, end marks, nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs. 
• Reading: Modelled - Explicit teaching of new concepts, Guided - small group instruction to reinforce comprehension and taught concepts, Independent - Students have the opportunity to independently practice taught concepts.
• Serial Reader: David Walliams
• Naplan preparation - exposing children to format of questioning
• Speaking and Listening: Topic Talks - Year 3 will be assessed on a 2-3 minute speech in approx week 7. 

The topic will be communicated to parents in advance. There is no weekly talk time in Year 3 - speaking and listening is integrated throughout all KLA’s.

• Chat to you about what they are reading - ask your child some comprehension questions, their favourite character, what they predict might happen in the story etc. 
• Read to your child when possible - this is important for increasing their vocabulary and understanding as they move into more complex stories.
• Encourage your children to ask questions about what they are reading especially if they don’t know what a word means. This will aid their comprehension and increase their vocabulary for writing tasks.
• Occasionally there may be optional tasks/projects through seesaw.

This term in Mathematics, Year 3 will be:

• Addition & Subtraction - applying known single-digit addition and subtraction facts to mental strategies for addition and subtraction of two-, three- and four-digit numbers.

• Multiplication & Division - recalling multiplication facts of two, three, five and ten and related division facts.

• Fractions & Decimals - modelling and representing unit fractions including ½, ¼, ⅓ and ⅕ and their multiples to a complete whole.

• Length - measuring, ordering and comparing objects using familiar metric units of length.

• Area - recognising and using formal units to measure and estimate the areas of rectangles.

• Time - telling the time to the minute and investigating the relationship between units of time.

• 2D Space - comparing and describing features of two-dimensional shapes, including the special quadrilaterals.

Data - collecting data and organising into categories, creating displays using lists, tables, picture graphs and simple column graphs, with and without the use of digital technologies.Interpreting and comparing data displays.

• Mathematicians take time to think about problems and ideas. Make sure you give your child thinking time when solving any maths problem . You might say: "Have a think about what this problem is asking you".
• Encourage your child to use the strategies they’ve learned. Ask: "Which strategy would you use to figure this out?" and "Can you show me how you did that?".
• Remind your child that they can also draw pictures and create models and use objects to solve problems.
• Praise your child’s effort and thinking rather than praising correct answers.
• Find a quiet place to work with your child away from distractions such as mobile phones, TV or other siblings. Setting these boundaries demonstrates the importance of homework.
• Stay positive. Saying "I was bad at maths too" can actually lower your child’s expectations of themselves. Instead try "We’ll get there" or "We can figure this out together".
• Incorporate maths into your everyday life such as making up problems and investigations, measuring when cooking, counting money, calculating the distance when walking, or the speed when driving in the car.
• Automatic Recall of Multiplication facts is a vital part of most Maths concepts. It is important that your child knows their facts. You could help them by quizzing them, skip counting with them, singing multiplication songs, timing them etc.

The objectives and outcomes of the Geography Syllabus are based on courses of study across Kindergarten to Year 6. The organisation of content for the stages in primary school is as follows:

This term in Geography, Year 3 will look at: 

Places are both Similar and Different - Takes place over 2 terms and covers:

• Significant Indiginous Sites E.g. Uluru, Wave Rock, Kakadu
• Climate Zones and their impact on Environments
• Countries around the world and how they differ from Australia

The outcomes, concepts and skills of the History Syllabus are based on courses of study across Kindergarten to Year 10. The organisation of content for the stages in primary school is as follows:

In Year 3,  History will be covered in Terms 3 and 4.

The outcomes and content in the Science and Technology Syllabus are organised in the following strands and substrands:

This term in Science & Technology, Year 3 will:

Living World - It’s Alive - Takes place over 2 terms and covers:

During this unit, students will understand living and non-living things on Earth. By examining specimens and their observable features, students learn the definitions of living and non-living things. Students also explore the life stages and life cycle of living things. Students examine factors that affect living things; describe relationships between living things and study biodiversity. Students gather and collate information from their investigations and then use this information to inform their audience about the living things on Earth. Students will use their knowledge to make recommendations  about how to improve biodiversity. Students design and produce a product or system to support the growth of an animal threatened by extinction. 

• Different Climates around the world and animals that live in them
• Living things impact the environments of other living things
• How our actions affect climates and environments
• Climate change - Endangered animals
• Possible incursion - Butterfly Experience

The Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus is organised within the following strands: 

This term in Creative Arts, Year 3 will:

• Be taught by Mrs Narelle Nuttall every Tuesday.

This term in PDHPE, Year 3 will:

Students will develop an understanding of respect and what respectful relationships look like and how it feels both in person and online. Students will develop an understanding of consent and will apply this understanding to everyday situations. 

Students will practise positive respectful behaviours to enhance relationships at Good Samaritan, learn strategies to deal with conflict and implement actions to maintain and improve the quality of an active lifestyle. 

Students will demonstrate this understanding by unpacking the following unit inquiry questions:

How do we show respect in challenging situations?

Why are empathy, inclusion and respect important in our relationships?

How can I contribute to promote healthy, safe and active communities?

We ask your child to:

• read daily (15 - 20 minutes) 
• chat to you about what they are reading - ask your child some comprehension questions, their favourite character, what they predict might happen in the story etc. 
• Optional: phonics/spelling work if you would like. Integrate maths/number into everyday situations, going to shops, money, receiving change etc. 

Topic Talks - Year 3 will be assessed on a 2-3 minute speech in approx week 7. 

The topic will be communicated to parents in advance. There is no weekly talk time in Year 3 - speaking and listening is integrated throughout all KLA’s.

Occasional Projects,  seesaw tasks and Maths online activities.

Please support your child to be Ready to Learn each day by ensuring he/she has the following:

• Scissors, glue, writing pencils, ruler, whiteboard markers
• Reading books
• Headphones - If headphones are wireless please ensure they are fully charged.

• Please ensure your child’s ipad is at school everyday and fully charged 

CLASSROOM

Each class uses their co created behaviour matrix as a guide to help support and maintain a safe and positive classroom environment always linking in with our 3 school rules:

• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible. 

These rules are supported by the classroom correction sequence. The sequence is used as a visual reminder for students to support them in getting back on track with learning.

PLAYGROUND

This term our tokens that are handed out for positive behaviours on the playground will be collected in each classroom’s token boxes. This way the students will be able to see as a class what a great job they are doing.

As a school the students have unpacked, role played and practiced positive and respectful ways they can interact with each other on their playground with a set of Social Norms. 

 SOCIAL NORMS FOR OUR PLAYGROUND

Social norm #1: Meet and greet politely.

• Say greetings, introductions, and goodbyes.
• Politely offer and receive compliments.
• Be able to start and finish conversations.

Social norm #2: Take turns talking.

• Listen when others are speaking and look them in the eye.
• Wait if adults are talking. 
• Respond appropriately and at the right time.

Social norm #3: Pay attention to others.

• Stop what you’re doing so you can listen.
• Read people’s emotions through their body language and facial expressions.
• Change your behaviour to match what other people are doing, such as quieting down with the rest of the room.

Social norm #4: Think about others before acting.

• Ask for consent.
• Don’t cut in line.
• Wait your turn.
• Stand a comfortable distance away when talking. 

Social norm #5: Cooperate with others.

• Follow directions when you’re asked to.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Apologise when necessary.
• Be flexible and open to new ideas.

All students are expected to be neatly dressed in their school uniform or sports uniform each day. Classroom teachers will monitor the wearing of the uniform on a day-to-day basis and inappropriate dress will be brought to the attention of the student and, where necessary, parents. 

Students are expected to wear the correct Summer/Winter uniform including the correct footwear.

GOOD SAMARITAN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL UNIFORM

Students are also expected to wear the correct Sports Uniform on sports days:

ALL ITEMS OF UNIFORM MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH THE CHILD’S NAME

Ongoing communication between school and home is essential. The school aims to work in partnership with the home and recognises that parents wish to be informed of any problems. Likewise, there is a need for parents to keep the school informed of any events that may impact on the life of their child at school.

Through this mutual communication we aim to provide a safe and supportive environment for your child.

1. If you have any educational/behaviour concerns about your child always contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. Your child’s classroom teacher will always make contact with you if they have any concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. 
2. Grades and classes across the school are supported by Middle Leaders. You are welcome to contact the Middle Leader/s responsible for your child’s class/grade if you have continued concerns regarding your child’s education or behaviour. The Middle Leaders will also contact you when and if necessary.

Middle Leaders 2021

3. If the issue remains unresolved beyond the Middle Leader then please address your concern/s to the Assistant Principal or the Principal. 

4. Parents may contact teachers by email via the school office (info@gsfmdow.catholic.edu.au) but are asked to understand that a response may not be immediate and certainly cannot be expected beyond the regular hours of the school day or week. 

At Good Samaritan, we believe it is important to speak with parents either in a face-to-face meeting or over the phone when responding to emails that may be of a sensitive nature or, that may require a lengthy response. Therefore, the email response you receive may be of a generic nature. 

5. Parents are asked to understand that teachers primary responsibility throughout the school day is towards the students. Therefore, teachers are unable to engage in discussion when they are in direct supervision of students.

For any absence the school must receive notification of the reason for the absence within 7 days of the return to school. This applies for partial absences as well as whole day absences. Please supply the reason via Compass. In the event that a notification is not supplied the absence will be recorded as Unjustified/Unexplained.

Whole School Term 2 Dates:

Further information regarding events will be distributed closer to each of the dates.

APRIL:

22/04: School Photos

23/04: ANZAC Day Prayer

27/04: Diocesan Cross Country

30/04: Autism Awareness Day

MAY:

3/05-4/05: Principals’ Overnight Retreat

6/05: Mother’s Day Liturgy

7/05: Mother’s Day Stall

11/05-20/05: NAPLAN testing

17/05: Athletics Carnival 

21/05: PUPIL FREE DAY Students do not attend school on this day

22/05-23/05: Confirmation Weekend

23/05: Pentecost

24/05-28/05: Screens Down Week

26/05: National Sorry Day

CEDoW School Director Peter Hill visit to GSFM

31/05: Reconciliation Week

JUNE:

3/06: MABO Day

11/06 Term 2 PB4L Day (Mufti Day)

14/06: Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend

15/06: Sth Coast Netball Gala Day

18/06: Semester One Reports distributed to Parents

21/06-25/06: Parent Teacher Interview Week

25/06: Term 2 concludes