Monthly Special Projects

•      Memorize a monthly Prayer starting in September.
•      Memorize and present a monthly  Poem starting in September.
•      Students will have special projects each trimester.

Curriculum:  

• iReady Math and Reading:  All students are asked to work on passing 2 or more lessons a week in both Math and Reading using iReady My Path.    
• Science:  Our Science series has the students learning about many different aspects of science such as: food webs, conservation of nature, Ecosystem, Human Body Systems and many more topics. 
• Religion:  Our series “WE BELIEVE” has us learning about these FOUR main concepts: Jesus Gives Us the Church, We are Members of the Church, that The Church Leads Us in Worship, and  We are Called to Discipleship.
• Second Steps:  Second Steps is a series that helps students develop empathetically towards other people’s feelings.  They will also learn strategies to control their tempers and impulses.   Second Steps will be taught once a week in place of Religion
• Growing with God:  Growing with God is focused on safety, as well as physical and spiritual development.  This program helps children learn the skills they need, gain confidence to keep themselves safe, and establish and maintain healthy relationships.  Growing with God also supports parents as they guide their child to stay safe and make healthy moral choices. 
• Before the program is put into use a letter giving parents the option to choose NOT to have their child in the room during the class will be sent home.  Dates (subject of each lesson) the program will be put into use will be listed on the letter. If you choose to opt out please sign the letter and return to school the next school day.  If you choose to opt out your child will spend the class time in the office or another classroom doing work.  Growing With God class sessions usually last 30 to 45 minutes. 
• Math:    Our INTOMATH series has the students working with:  Multiplication and Division Strategies, Addition and Subtractions applications, Fractions, Measure and Data, and Geometry.      
• Simple Solutions Math:  The students will continue with the next level (Grade 3) in Simple Solutions Math.  Students will have one lesson a night for homework.  These lessons will be corrected at the beginning of each Math class.   Completed lessons are worth 2 points toward the overall math grade.   Every Friday the students will take a quiz with similar problems.  
• Simple Solutions English:  Using the English Simple Solutions program, students will review and practice these skills:   
• Reading:  During Third Grade we use passages from  iReady that are geared towards the priority standards.  These passages will be read in small groups.  Students will then answer questions independently.  
• Phonics  Modern Curriculum Press Phonics Series to help strengthen our knowledge about long and short vowels, initial and ending blend, compounds, syllables, diagraphs, r – controlled vowels, contractions, plurals, suffixes, dipthongs, diagraphs, prefixes, base words, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, homographs and lastly dictionary skills.  
• Spelling:  Rounding out our language arts curriculum is our spelling series called:  Spelling Connection.  Word lists are introduced and sent home on Monday to study at home.  The students will take two weekly assessments:  The spelling words are used in analogies, to solve riddles, sort into syllables and many other activities.  The students will be completing their daily work on Google Classroom in the Classwork Section.  If they do not finish the work in class it will become homework.  The students will have the book in their backpacks and are asked to complete the work for the next day.    We have spelling homework on Tuesday and Thursday nights.   This homework will be a hardcopy and brought home in the student’s homework folder.  Please be sure that your child completes the work NEATLY and returns it on time.   

Specials

Monday:  Spanish and TLC

Tuesday:  Mass, Gym and Music

Wednesday:  Art

Thursday:  Spanish

Friday:  Gym

Our classroom rules are put in place to help everyone have a happy and successful school year.

1. Listen Carefully
   2. Raise your hand and wait to be called on before speaking.
   3. Follow all directions promptly.
   4. Work QUIETLY!!
   5. Respect yourself, others and property
   6.  Keep hands and feet to yourself

Homework:
Daily classwork that is not completed will automatically become homework and is due back the next day. Each day please spend at least 20  minutes listening to your child read out loud. After your child has read for 20 minutes, they should then write a 2 – 4 complete sentence summary about the reading.  They should read an entire book from cover to cover and fill in the logos.  

Daily homework should take about 30 minutes. PLEASE be sure your child turns in their homework when it is due. Also be sure that their first and last names appear on the pages. These two items are GREAT habits to start in the younger grades and keep practicing throughout their lives.

Study, Homework and Organization
One of the biggest responsibilities your child will have this year is developing good study skills. Filling in the assignment notebook first thing in the morning is a big part of developing these skills. As the day progresses homework assignments and special messages will be added at the end of the day. I will be checking everyone’s books and sending them home. Please be sure to sign the day’s page so that I know you have seen the entry your child has made.

As your child is doing their homework PLEASE encourage them to use their BEST handwriting and do their work NEATLY!!! PLEASE also be sure to read the directions with your child to be sure they understand what they need to do on the assignment. PLEASE be sure they complete all directions on the page.

Fieldtrips
This year the third grade will be going on at least two field trips with the fourth and fifth graders. These trips have yet to be determined.