Year 4T News

It's hard to believe that we are close to the end of Spring Term, with the time zooming by faster than the speed of light. There's been a bustle and busyness to the term that has seen the remarkable lads of 4T engage with an impressive sense of commitment and caring, toward each other and the rigors of their learning.

The boys in 4T have spent the better part of the term creating and innovating through their unit of inquiry about the scientific process. This has allowed them to don their inventor's caps and discover the amazing extent of their thinking abilities. The lads quickly realised that there was strength in numbers and collaborated on a number of experiments to design and create scientific marvels

In order to establish themselves as true scientists and inventors, the lads unravelled the mysteries of the scientific process. They knew, that in order to be successful in their thinking that they would have to follow certain tried and true steps, like famous scientists before them. Questioning and predicting, planning and conducting, processing and analysing, evaluating and then communicating became the formula, which was then applied to a bunch of highly entertaining constructions.

Our young enthusiasts turned their minds to making the fastest balloon rockets that zoomed around the room, the speediest marble roller-coasters that dipped and zipped, and the most powerful ping-pong launchers that projected far and wide. There was also a delicious investigation into the science of popcorn as we measure the water content of a single kernel. Finally, the boys were fascinated by the process of biomimicry as we looked to see how science learned from the wonders of nature and engineered environmentally friendly items for technological advancement. I have no doubt that many of these bright and curious lads will be on the scientific frontiers in years to come.

Following hot on the heels of this unit, was our final inquiry of the year, which linked directly to the management of finite resources and their impact on the survival of plant and animal species. Inspired by the ocean environmentalists, Tangaroa Blue, we took action by heading straight for the sandy shores of City Beach. Here, we participated in a clean-up with a view to understanding the types and amounts of waste that affect our shores and marine life. Collections were categorised and weighed and the resulting data was delivered to the foundation for use in their war on waste. Second, we were incredibly fortunate to hear from guest speaker, Ruth Cairns, from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. With a focus on the reintroduction of many endangered and vulnerable native Australian species, we gained valuable insight into what this group does for the ecosystem at large.

It is safe to say that the boys enjoyed a tremendous term filled with opportunity and discovery. They are curious souls, every one of them, and bring to their learning a unique brand of enthusiasm. What a joy it is to work with such vibrant, creative and engaged lads. One can only look forward to the last miles of Spring Term, knowing full well it will be an exciting road to the finish.

Mrs Rebecca Turkich
Year 4 Teacher