A new confidence in their ability to meet the world is one of the hallmarks of the Class 4 child. At this age, the children seem to step forward with renewed strength—full of energy, curiosity, and an eagerness to truly see the world. Their gaze is more awake, more outward, and they take in their surroundings with a fresh clarity that signals this important stage of their unfolding.
Where earlier years were shaped through imaginative play or purposeful physical activity, Class 4 children now begin to meet the world through a growing sense of place. This year, we had the unexpected—but truly fortuitous—opportunity to bring both Class 4 groups together for a five-day camp at Mibanbah (Black Rocks). It proved to be a deeply nourishing and quietly transformative experience.
The children rose to the challenges and the length of the camp with courage, humour, and enthusiasm, and they have not stopped talking about it since. At ten, they orient themselves differently—more consciously, more independently, and with an emerging awareness of where they stand in relation to one another and to the wider world. A full five-day camp provided the perfect landscape for this shift to come alive in real and meaningful ways.
In Term 4, we journeyed through a rich Main Lesson on the Human Being and the Animal. We began with the threefold structure of the human being — head (nerve-sense), heart (rhythmic), and hands (metabolic/limb) — as our foundation. Here the children came to recognise that the human hand is one of the most distinctly human forms in the natural world. This led to some lively class debate, particularly from our young soccer enthusiasts who were convinced that the human foot deserved equal, if not greater, prestige!
From here, we explored the form of selected animals, studying how movement, habitat, and physical structure shape each creature’s way of being in the world. The children discovered that each animal expresses a specialised strength — such as the kangaroo’s powerful hind legs or the eagle’s extraordinary vision — while the human being, in contrast, carries a more balanced and harmonised form. Our upright posture, free hands with opposable thumbs, and the gifts of speech and reflective thought enable us to adapt, create, and transform our environment. These ideas were experienced not only through story and observation, but also through poetry, drawing, painting, movement, and even gleeful rounds of “guess-the-animal” mime.
To complete our Viking-like conquering of Class 4, we have been preparing our class play, Loki – Doer of Good & Doer of Evil. This story has suited this particular group of children beautifully, reflecting so much of the journey we have shared this year. Each child has had moments of embodying the gifts, challenges, and mischief of the Norse gods. It has been a full year—every action met with a trial, every trial with understanding, and always, somehow, with forgiveness. A special year for a special group, made even more special through the shared experiences that have shaped them.
As they lift their gaze toward Class 5, the students have also begun stepping into their future buddy roles with great pride and enthusiasm. Over recent weeks they have visited the Library to read to the incoming Class 1 cohort, and last Thursday they enjoyed an especially sweet reading session with the Sunflowers Preschool children. It was a joy to see how upright, sensible, and gently attuned they were to the little ones in their care. They took the responsibility earnestly — each pairing themselves with a “wee sweetie” and reading with warmth, patience, and genuine interest. Their excitement afterwards was palpable; nothing quite makes you feel more grown up than sharing your time and your stories with someone many years your junior.
It has been a year of stretching, exploring, and grounding, and it is a joy to witness the children’s growing assurance as they take this next step in their journey. Class 5 and Mount Olympus—here we come!
Lisa Hylan
Class 4 Teacher
