Year 4 Newsletter

Dear Year 4 Parents,

Welcome back after the half-term break! We hope you all had the opportunity to spend some family time and engage in some fun activities!

Just a reminder that this newsletter will be published every 2 weeks on a Friday and sent through the ESF app and stored under the "News" button for future reference.

Please take some time to share it with your child.

The Year 4 Team

A big thank you to the parents that signed up as volunteers for the Science Museum Trip on Monday 7th November! This is part of our current Unit of Inquiry, How The World Works.

Here, the children will investigate the science behind how natural disasters occur around the world by using simulators. They will also have the chance to explore the many other wonderful exhibitions around the museum.

After such a long time where trips have not been possible, we are very excited to provide this opportunity for the children and we are sure they will have a fantastic time.

Clipboards

During the science trip, children will be working in a booklet. Ideally, all children have a clipboard so they can take notes more easily. Please ask your child whether they have a clipboard in school. If you have one at home, please have the children bring them in on Monday. We have a few clipboards at school, but not enough for everyone.

The dynamic changes of the Earth impacts people’s lives.

An inquiry into:

• The structure of the Earth (Form)

• The effect of the Earth’s continuous changes (Change)

• People’s responses to the Earth’s changes (Connection)

  
  

Inquiry questions:

• What are the different geographical features that make up the structure of the earth?

• How has the Earth changed and how does it continue to change?

• How have humans responded to the Earth’s changes?

The second unit of inquiry in Year 4 centers around humans and how they respond to Earth’s continual changes. The related concepts studied are geography, impact and survival. Throughout the unit, the learning will focus on the structure of the Earth so the children have a greater understanding of its form and how the changes are occurring; the impact the changes have on humans and how they manage to adapt to mother nature’s endless powers.

Last week, the Year 4 students had another opportunity for an exciting hands-on, practical lesson by the Science Workshop team. The children made Play-Doh planets that developed their understanding of the different layers below the Earth’s crust, as well as making a simulation tsunami model in a bottle, using sand, coloured water and oil. The highlight of the session was observing a very vibrant chemical reaction that depicted an erupting volcano!

This experience provided students with an insight into making simulation models for their upcoming Mini Exhibitions. Everyone is very excited to have the opportunity to showcase their learning!

A reminder, that our camp provider ‘Oceanic Sports HK’ requires each student to complete a CAMP ENROLMENT FORM which will only take a few minutes to fill out by clicking HERE.

Since last year, Pokemon cards are not allowed in school. In the last two weeks, we have noticed some children bringing in their Pokemon cards. Please remind the children that they should keep their cards safe at home.

Be Sun Smart - Wear a hat!

Every Wednesday, the children go to HKU to enjoy their games sessions. Even though the weather is getting cooler now, we strongly advise the children to wear a hat. Even in November, the sun can be strong and it is important to be sun smart. Please ensure the children have their hats in their bags.

Label clothing

Now that the weather is getting cooler, more children are wearing their cardigans when coming into school. During the day the temperature can rise and children may take off their cardigans. Please label your child's clothing to ensure misplaced clothing is returned to the rightful owner. You can simply write your child's name with a permanent marker on the neck label.

* Year 4 Science Trip on Monday 7th November
* Pokemon cards not allowed in school

* Be sun smart during games and wear a hat

* Label the KS cardigans and jackets

*Bring clipboards on Monday

The full listing of PTA events is available at the school website at https://www.kennedy.edu.hk/pta/