February 23-26 Weekly Update

Hello Families!

This week in Grade 3 has been another wonderful week of learning and meaningful classroom experiences. Students have been engaged, curious, and working hard across all subject areas!

• March 6 – Last day for Purdys Chocolatier Fundraiser orders

• March 5-12 – School-Wide Story Telling / Medicine Wheel Residency

Here are a few highlights from our week:

Pink Shirt Day:

We read stories about the meaning of Pink Shirt Day and participated in a schoolwide assembly. Students learned about kindness, inclusion, and standing up against bullying. Ask your child about the significance of Pink Shirt Day and how they can show kindness to others.

Black History Month:

We read a story about Martin Luther King Jr. and learned about his message of love, peace, and fairness. He encouraged people to treat one another with kindness and respect. Ask your child what they remember about his dream. 

Literacy Centers:

Students continued to participate in literacy rotations this week. Ask your child which rotation they enjoyed the most and what they learned.

Writing:

This week, students focused on editing their writing pieces. They worked on expanding their ideas, improving organization, and strengthening their sentences. We also continued building foundational skills such as correct capitalization and punctuation.

Math:

Students used a multiplication chart to support multiplication and division. They began solving word problems using the RICE strategy (Read, Identify, Compute, Explain). We practiced skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s to strengthen multiplication as repeated addition, and learned a fun trick for the 9 times table. Ask your child to show you the 9s trick!

Science:

Students are learning how layers of the Earth give us clues about the past. They explored how fossils form and how scientists use fossilized bones to learn about dinosaurs that once lived in Alberta. Ask your child what they discovered about Alberta’s dinosaurs!

Health and Wellness:

Students are learning that we all have different roles in our lives. Some roles last a long time, and others may change. They brainstormed the roles they have now (such as student, sibling, friend) and imagined what roles they might have in the future as adults.

Mini Dragon Parade:

A big thank you to Mrs. Qi for creating the beautiful dragon and for sharing it with our class. For many students, it was their first time dancing with a dragon, and they were full of excitement! The classroom was buzzing with energy as they proudly took part in the mini Dragon Parade in the classroom. It was a joyful and unforgettable experience for our students!

Thank you for your continued support at home!

February 17–20 Weekly Update

Dear parents, 

This week in Grade 3 was a busy week full of learning and celebration as we recognized Lunar New Year, Ramadan, and Black History Month while celebrating the diversity in our classroom!

Here are a few highlights from our week:

Meeting a Real Author!
Students had the exciting opportunity to meet Ms. Melissa Allan, author of Brave Like a Buffalo, and ask thoughtful questions about the writing and publishing process. Through this experience, they gained valuable insight into the journey of becoming an author, including how writers develop ideas, revise their work, collaborate with illustrators, and bring their books to publication. Ask your child what message they learned from Brave Like a Buffalo and which part of the story stood out to them most!

Writing:
Students explored persuasive writing by reading various mentor texts and learning how to identify strong opinions supported by clear reasons, as well as recognize weaker arguments. They enjoyed brainstorming creative ideas to convince Mrs. Brinson to allow a class pet. Students began the writing process by drafting their ideas and practicing self-editing to improve clarity, organization, and strengthen their writing.

Literacy Centers:

Students rotated through literacy centers. Ask your child which literacy center they enjoyed the most and why.

Math:
Students are learning to multiply and divide by 0 and 1. They are also practicing the strategy of breaking numbers apart to make multiplication and division easier while building stronger number sense.

Science:
Students are learning to identify how human and animal activities impact the Earth’s surface. We discussed how actions such as construction, farming, and other changes can alter land and environments over time. Students are organizing their understanding using charts in their visual journals to record and reflect on their learning.

Lunar New Year:
Students read a legend of Nian, the Chinese New Year Dragon and learned about Lunar New Year traditions. They participated in a school-wide activity where they walked around the school to read and solve riddles about the zodiac animals. Ask your child how the villagers scared away the Nian and what they learned about the traditions.

Visual Arts: 

Students had a wonderful time decorating colorful dragon scales, learning how to draw a dragon, and preparing for our Dragon Parade!

Ramadan:

Students read stories about Ramadan and shared what they learned about its traditions and significance. They talked about fasting, prayer, acts of kindness, gratitude, and the importance of family and community during this special month.

Health & Wellness:
Students began a new unit on “Our Roles in Various Places.” They are exploring their roles and responsibilities at home, at school, in the community, and learning how their choices and actions can positively impact others.

Reminders:

• February 24 – Report cards open for viewing
  

• February 25 – Spirit Day: Pink Shirt Day
  

• February 27 – Non-instructional day – No school