Goodbye Year 4

Well it's the end of the year and wow! What a fantastic year it has been. I really have no words to express how proud and happy Ms Alison and I  have been with Year 4. We have had one of the best years in our teaching careers and for that we thank all of you and your parents. The effort and progress you have all made is nothing short of of outstanding. As promised I have added all the movie trailers from yesterdays show. Enjoy your holidays and I'll see you all soon.

Spelling Bee

Today was the MP2 Spelling Bee and it was clear that there are plenty of  fantastic spellers in MP2! Each house had strong teams of Year 4 and Year 3 children but at the end of the day Hue was unstoppable. They were the clear champions. If you want to have any of the photos you can download them here.

Super Storyboards

Today Year 4 learned how to use a camera to capture different types of shot. They then used this knowledge to create a photographic storyboard that used a range of shots. Clearly they had fun and learned lots too.

You can download the photos here. 

Year 4 Google Homework Trial

Hi Year 4. For the next few weeks the majority of your homework will be completed online. This may mean that you will have to write blog posts or it may mean using the new Google Drive features that we are testing. This week you will have to complete your English homework using a Google Drawing and your IPC/Information Literacy homework using a Google Drawing too. I have embedded two videos below that will help you.

Features Homework Help

Images Homework Help

Making a wormery

Last week in Science, we had great fun creating a habitat for worms. First of all we cut the top off of a large bottle, then we put tape around the top so that we didn't cut ourselves. We put small pebbles at the bottom to help with the drainage and then put a layer of sand in. After that we added a layer of soil, followed by another layer of sand and another layer of soil.  At the top we added some leaves and grass from the playground. Worms also like to eat vegetable peelings, eggshells and uncooked food waste.  They don't like citrus fruit, meat or cooked food. We covered our bottles with clingfilm and wrapped black paper around the outside to create an under the ground habitat for our worms.

Our Classroom Shelters

As an Entry Point for our new topic all about Habitats, we made our own shelters. Each shelter has a roof and walls. They also have some decoration and one or two practical additions, like fires for cooking and storage spaces for food. Do you have a favourite and why?

Science Keys

This week in Science we learnt how to follow and make a key. We made a key to help us identify animals native to Vietnam and then tested it to make sure it worked.

Mot Thoang Vietnam

Mot Thoang Vietnam is cultural centre where people can learn all about the crafts and houses from the different regions in Vietnam. The children were interested to learn about the many different houses and were great at asking questions to our tour guide to find out more. The trip was a success and soon the children will be using their notes from the trip to create some information pages during their English and IPC lessons.

Sustainability Assembly

Congratulations to all the children in 4X! We thought it was an impossible mission, but we pulled it off! What a great assembly.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Our new IPC topic is Habitats. We will be learning about different human habitats around the world. Look at the map below and you will be able to see some places around the world that I have lived. Over the next few weeks we will be building up this map to include all the places that 4X and their families have lived.

View Where in the World have 4X lived? in a larger map

Long Hai Oscars!

A big thank you to all the parents who came along to support our Long Hai Oscars this morning. It was a perfect ending to a fun-filled term. Congratulations to all children who received 'Oscars'. They were all well deserved!

Swimming Gala

Please remember that tomorrow is the Swimming Gala!  You should bring your swimming kit to school and wear your PE shorts and house t-shirt!  The Gala starts at 10am if any parents would like to come along and support this event.

Adventure Exit Point Instructions

View Year 4 Adventure Group in a larger map


On Tuesday afternoon Year 4 will be going on an expedition in District One and District  Three. The task of each group will be to navigate from their starting point to the snowflake on the map. Click on the pins to discover which group you are in and where you can earn bonus points for a photo. It might be a good idea to think about the best route you could take from your starting point. The instructions in each pin explain which roads you can not use.

On the day it will be hot so please come to school wearing your PE shorts and your house t-shirt. You will also of course need your water bottle, hat and have sun cream to put on. Each group will have two teachers to make sure that you are all safe when crossing roads. It is going to be the best exit point of the year and I can't wait!

Adventurous Exit

For our exit point Year 4 will be going on an adventure around Ho Chi Minh City. Each group will be given a map and have the task of using it to navigate to a specific location in District 1. All the groups will have a different starting point in either District 3 or 1, and then have to make their way on foot. Ms Alison and I would welcome any help that parents would like to offer. If you are willing to come on the adventure and help the children please let us know. The Exit point adventure will happen on  Tuesday afternoon next week at 12:15. If your mum or dad are willing to help please ask them to contact Mr Mike or Ms Alison so that buses and taxis can be organised. We need to know by the end of the day tomorrow. 

Long Hai Oscars

Next Friday is mufti day and there will be a special occasion in Year 4. That's right it's the day everyone has been waiting for..... The Long Hai Oscars! Ms Alison and I would like all the children to come wearing fancy clothes ready to receive their awards from the Long Hai residential. Amongst the many coveted  awards, there will be awards for Coolest Dude, Messiest Room, Best Belly Flop and more. The awards will give the opportunity to see videos and photos that have never before been shared with children and parents and so everyone is invited. We would love to have as many mums and dads there as possible. It will take place at 10:45 on the last day of term and when it is over the children can be taken home. I look forward to seeing you all there. I will certainly be wearing my bow tie!

On our way home!

Cake for breakfast again?

Shhhhh... Don't tell the parents!

Fun fun fun!

Mr mike threw Year 4 into the pool! More action shots to follow...

Year 4 water balloon fun!

One Final Swim!

The girls in B block have packed our bags and tidied our rooms and are having one last swim before heading back to school!

Last night in Long Hai!

Wow! What a night! We have had some wonderful performances in the talent show and seen some superb dance moves at the disco! Everyone is now thoroughly exhausted and off to bed! See you all tomorrow.

Afternoon Activities

The afternoon has been fantastic! Year 4 started by completing a construction challenge and I think, by the photographic results below, you can see it was a huge success. Well done to Sam's group who managed to build the tallest tower! After construction it was time for our last visit to the beach to play some games to celebrate Nine's birthday. The children had a great time and right now they are al getting ready for the talent show tonight. I'll keep you posted! 

Beach Day & Night

Year 4 have just had lunch and everyone is either resting in their rooms or eagerly practising for the talent show later this evening. The day started with  birthday cake for Nine and then went to the beach for the group activities. As you can see from the photos everyone is having fun and enjoying the Long Hai experience. Later today after some construction challenges Year four will be going down to the beach to play some party games to celebrate Nine's birthday in style!

Beach Fun

We have had a very busy morning at the beach. After completing four different activities, we cooled down with a swim and games in the pool! So far we have enjoyed cake for breakfast - thanks to Nine having a birthday, a treasure hunt, some sketching, making beach art and playing T-Ball. We are showering and heading to lunch before we celebrate Nine's birthday properly with some great (but rather silly) party games! Tonight is also our talent competition and disco so lots more photos to follow.

Bright & Ready For Morning

I think I was the last to wake up this morning. Well... now I think about it Shu and Yoo Min were so fast asleep that Ms Alison and I knocked on their door, opened it, turned the light on, did a dance and sang a song but still they were asleep! Everyone else was up a ready and most had bed hair! We're about to have lunch after a really great morning on the beach. Once we have eaten I will post new photos from the morning's activities.

Wakey wakey, rise and shine!

After a peaceful night, we are all ready to jump out of bed and start another fun-filled day!

Beach Afternoon

Year 4 have made it to the resort and after a  meal in the restaurant have also had a great afternoon on the beach. The children enjoyed being amongst the waves and building sandcastles. I'm Sure Ms Sue will find it difficult to judge a winner!

Fun on the beach!

What a great first day we have had at Long Hai! We have played in the waves, built super sandcastles and had a splash in the lovely shady pool. Now we are showering and relaxing in our rooms until dinner at 6pm - although some of us have enough snacks to feed a small army for a month!

Long Hai, here we come!

After months of anticipation, our residential trip to Long Hai is nearly here. We will come to school at the normal time on Monday, but must remember to wear our Long Hai t-shirt, and bring our bags (that we have hopefully packed by ourselves and asked someone to check). Parents, please make sure you have the emergency number written down - you can find it on our studywiz page if you need to - and that you check here or Mr Mike's blog to see photos and maybe videos about all the fun things we are doing. Children should be collected from school on Wednesday at 1:30pm.

Our Explorer Presentations

We have started presenting our research projects about explorers. When we have all shown our work, Mr Mike will help me to put the presentations on my blog and our wiki page. Well done to those children who have already shown theirs. They have been very informative and well delivered.

What's Your Angle?

Today in Maths we worked together as one big class to learn all about angles. We learnt how to use a protractor to measure angles. Everyone worked really well with their partner and so choosing someone to take home Edwina was really difficult. Well done to everyone and congratulations to Kenny and Anh Vu who will take our ' Working Together' animal home.

How does it end?

In English today we listened to the beginning of a story about the balaclava boys by George Layton. We worked in groups to decide what the ending could be.  Watch our improvisations of the endings and make a comment to show what you think about them.

Wonderful Work!

We do lots of great writing in 4X and are always thinking about ways to make our work more interesting to the reader.  Here is a diary entry that Nine wrote in Big Writing. Read it and make a comment about what you liked best. Click here.

Is there an issue and dilemma?

Watch the cartoon above. I would like you all to comment below to say what you think about the cartoon. You can write any comment you like, but remember, the best comments create or continue a conversation and make other people think deeply. If you not sure what to comment try to think of some answers to the questions below. 

Who has the dilemma?

What issues do you think are in the story?

Who is your favourite character?

Did you like the ending?

If you could change the ending what would you change it to?

What was good about the cartoon?

What can we learn from the cartoon?

What makes your heart beat faster?

During the Science lesson today Year 4 all investigated what happens to heart rates when the human body begins to work harder. They set up their own investigations and decided in groups what type of activity they should do to make their bodies work hard. It was a fun a lesson and everyone discovered just how hard a heart must work when the human body exercises more. 

An Interview With Ernest Shackleton!

Aim High!

This week we have been reflecting on our writing and trying to find ways that we could improve it.  Everyone has come up with two writing targets to work towards to help improve their written work.  Can you remember yours?

Tet Dance

Here is a video from today if anyone missed 4X's wonderful perfomance. 

Think before you crease.

Today Year 4 had a very thought provoking session with Mr Steve. Every child was given a piece of paper and asked to say nasty words and phrases to it, maybe hurt it or even stamp on it. Even after apologizing to the paper and trying their best to make it better, no one could undo what they had done. The children were encouraged to think about how their actions in the past may have hurt others and left a crease in life. We all do things that we regret. Hopefully children at TX will think twice before they say or do something that may hurt another.

What happens during Golden Time?

Can you guess what words from our school aide memoir we were doing during Golden Time on Friday? We certainly had lots of fun working together to build a really tall tower!

Mapping the World!

In IPC this week, we have been exploring the relationship between globes and maps.  Here is the website that we used in class. Can you work out where Moley will go next?

A skeleton in the closet?

In science this week we have been learning all about the bones in our body. We put together a skeleton and then labelled the bones that we learnt the names for.

Adventure Disaster (A Year 4 Horror Movie)

Today in English I would like you all to watch the horror movie below and turn it into a playscript. Take care to listen to the exact words and remember to the stage directions too.

High Expectations!

What an adventure we had this week!  As part of our new IPC unit 'Adventurers and Explorers', we visited the local climbing wall and had a go ourselves.  At first the task seemed very daunting, but after watching some of the braver children in our class have so much fun trying to scale the huge wall, we ALL wanted a go!

Can you find an explorer or adventurer?

It is easy to think of lots of male adventurers and explorers, but not so easy to think about some female ones. Later in our IPC topic we will be thinking about why that is, but for now I would like to see if anyone can research to find out the names of some female explorers or adventurers. If you discover any, then write them in the comments below.