Merry Christmas!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!  Time certainly does fly when you are having fun!  This past week has been  quite memorable.  It began with a spectacular presentation on Christmas in Sweden from our very own Mama Ann.  She read us a story about Christmas in Sweden and showed us how celebrations light up in Sweden.  It was an experience we won't soon forget!

The fun continued on Tuesday when the Third Grade Class went to see the Old Globe's Production of Dr. Suess' "How The Grinch Stole Christmas".   What an amazing experience!  Thank you, Parents!  This was an outstanding field trip and I know the class thoroughly enjoyed the play.  We all left singing and ended our Grinchy experience with treats from the Steele Family and a little story hour from Mrs.  FitzCluster.

Tuesday's excitement ended with an amazing author visit from "Fuddles" creator, author and illustrator, Mr. Franz Fischer.  The entire Junior Yard listened to Mr. Fischer read one of his stories and to his process of creating a short story and the inspiration behind his work.  It was a great time had by all!

Holy cow, what a busy week!  It was a great week of fun that ended with smiles all around.  

This coming week is promising to be just as busy as the Third Grade class prepares for their contribution to this year's SMA Christmas Pageant.  Be sure to attend Tuesday night's performance for a great holiday show with plenty of laughter and singing.  

Wednesday is our last day of school and this year the Junior Yard is throwing one big Christmas party with a Polar Express theme.  I can hardly wait to watch this new holiday classic with my fabulous Third Grade Class.  It should be fun as the students are able to attend school wearing their cozy, winter pajamas, sip on hot cocoa and munch on yummy popcorn while watching a movie.  Yes, it sounds good to me!

With so much activity this week, a consistent schedule is hard to plan for.  Therefore, I will not be posting a Curriculum Update, but please know, the class and I will be working hard as we study Religion, Math and Reading each day.  Thank you for your understanding!

Lastly, I wish to thank all of  you for your generosity in helping me to celebrate my birthday this year.  What amazing treats to add sparkle and shine to my daily outfits.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!  My absolute favorite gift was the heartfelt wishes expressed in the birthday card from all of you.  In all of my years of teaching, (this is year 17- yikes!) I have never received a card that has meant so much to me.  I feel so blessed.  Thank you, again.  You made my day!!!!!

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.  May the love and the spirit of the season be with you and your loved ones as we celebrate the birth of our Jesus.  Take care and God bless!!!!

Merrily Yours,

Ms. Eileen Griffin

Your Third Grade Teacher

P.S.  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn

Who Likes Christmas? We Like Christmas!!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Can you believe it?!?  Our field trip week has arrived at last!!!  This Tuesday the third grade class will take a trip to Whoville and revisit the tale of Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  I can hardly wait to see the reactions of our class.  They are going to love it!  Thank you, parents for making this happen.  You have truly given your child a real holiday treat they won't soon forget.

In addition to our field trip on Tuesday, Stella Maris Academy will also play host to author Frans Vischer.  The class has been studying his Mr. Fuddles books in our school library with Mrs. Caughey.   A flyer was sent home last week with book purchasing information.   Please refer to the flyer for ordering information if you are interested in purchasing a book to have autographed by Mr. Vischer.  An autographed book always makes a great gift.  This author event will take place Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 P.M. in The Gathering Hall.

As I am sure you can imagine, the Christmas spirit has taken hold of the third grade class schedule and much of what I had hoped to accomplish last week has been pushed back to this week.  Please excuse the repetition, but know your third graders are still working hard to become the best third grade class they can possibly be.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Curriculum Update for the Week of December 9, 2013:

Religion:  Advent Penance Service for grades 3-5 on Monday morning;  Please review prayers; Continue chapter 8- The Marks of the Church; The Popes, Bishops are the successors of the Apostles

Reading:  Continue to read and discuss the novel, Who Is Stealing the Twelve Days of Christmas?;  Complete comprehension activities

Math:  Reading and using graphs with multi digit numbers; Using graphs to solve time and measurement problems;  Using graphs to represent and organize data

English/Language Arts:  Continue contractions as verbs;  Writing:  "How Can I Be A Hero?";  Spelling test on Friday

Social Studies:  Continue unit of Christmas Around the World:  Sweden, Germany and Mexico

***** A BIG thank you to Mr. Goldman for coming in and talking with the class about the holiday and traditions of Chanukah.  The class had a fantastic time listening to a story about the history and traditions of Chanukah.  We were even given the opportunity to play the dreidel game!  Thank you, Mr. Goldman!!!!

Science:  Continue to study the parts of a plant and how they grow and develop

Art Literacy:  Continue to study and write about the art work of Grandma Moses

*****  Another BIG thank you to Mrs. Daly for coming in each month to present some fantastic art work to our eager third graders.  The projects and presentations are always so much fun. Thank you, Mrs. Daly!!!!!  We appreciate all of the time you so willingly give us.

Well, I hope all of you had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed some indoor family time on Saturday as we all tried to stay dry during our BIG winter rain storm.  Enjoy the rest of  your Sunday evening!

One last thing,  be sure to come by the third grade classroom to see our class Christmas tree.  Thanks to Mrs. Goldman, the students were able to create their own Christmas ornaments to help decorate our tree.  It looks fantastic.  Thank you Mrs. Goldman!!!

Last, but certainly not least, have a fantastic week and thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn. Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...

Dear Third Grade Parents,

This really is the most wonderful time of the year!  I love the preparation and anticipation leading up to the celebration of Jesus' birth.  It really is a gift I am happy to share with my students as we count down the days of the Advent season.  It truly is a time of miracles in faith.

As the third graders and I move forward with our academic lessons, I am expecting our fair share of holiday interruptions.  Please bare with us as we do our absolute best to cover all of the topics listed in this week's Curriculum Update.  Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Curriculum Update for the Week of December 2, 2013:

Religion:  Begin Chapter 8- The Marks of the Church; Jesus chooses the Apostles to lead the Church;  Various Advent activities

Math:  Read and Create pictographs and bar graphs;  Read and create bar graphs with multi-digit numbers; Use graphs to solve time and measurement problems;  Focus on mathematical practices

Reading:  Whole group novel study of Who is Stealing the Twelve Days of Christmas? - Read discuss chapters 1-11 and complete comprehension activities

Social Studies:  Begin unit on Christmas around the World, beginning with Israel, India, and Sweden

Science:  Continue Chapter 3- plants and how they use leaves to make food;  How plants use roots and stems to grow

Language Arts/Vocabulary Workshop:  Begin unit 3 of Vocabulary Workshop- Completing the sentence and matching the meaning;  Grammar- contractions and contractions as verbs;  Spelling test this Friday


I am looking forward to the next two and half weeks as the third graders and I  prepare for the Christmas holiday. It's such a magical time of fun and innocence.  I love it!

Please be on the look out for the Old Globe field trip permission slips.  They will be handed out tomorrow.

Have a fantastic week.  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy a fantastic place to learn!  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,

Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I hope you are all enjoying the last few hours of a relaxing weekend.  I know I am.  It is going to be a busy week in third grade as we prepare to finish up our lessons and and gear up for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.  I know the students are looking forward to a whole week of family fun and entertainment.  I cannot wait to hear all of their stories when we return.  Until then, there is a little bit of school work to wrap up.

With the shortened week due to Parent-Teacher Conferences, I am posting a condensed curriculum update.  I can honestly say I am going to try my best to cover as many subject areas as we can, but I cannot make any promises.  I do know the third graders and I will be covering the subjects of religion, reading and math every day.  I am hoping to cover Social Studies and Science every other day.  Please look over this week's Curriculum Update and as always, please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or concerns.

Curriculum Update for the Week of November 18, 2013:

Religion:  Continue Chapter 6- The Liturgical Calendar and the celebrating the life of Jesus Christ

Reading:  Continue to read and discuss the story, "The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring";  Reading Comprehension test on Wednesday;  Read and discuss Thanksgiving Day themed picture books

Math:  Telling Time; Time Before and After the Hour; Adding and Subtracting Time; Solving Word Problems Involving Time

Social Studies:  Continue to learn about Native Americans and their communities

Science:  Balloon puppet due Tuesday;  Continue Chapter 6:  Classifying Plants

Spelling:  Test tomorrow!!;  No test on Friday

I would like to thank Mrs. Steele for coming in this week to be our Secret Reader.  The third graders and I learned so much about eating smart and making sure we eat healthy snacks.  Mrs. Steele read the picture book, The Bernstein Bears and Junk Food.  It was a great way to learn how to take care of ourselves and our bodies. Thank you, Mrs. Steele!

I am looking forward to meeting with all of you this week during Parent-Teacher Conferences.  It will be a pleasure to sit with all of you and discuss the academic and social growth of each of your children. Until then, have a fantastic week and thank you for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy a fabulous place to learn!  Take care and God bless!  Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!!!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin

Your Thankful Third Grade Teacher

Happy Veteran's Day!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Happy Veteran's Day!

Thank you to Mrs. Ornelas who came in last Friday as our Secret Reader.  She did an amazing job reading in Spanish and translating the story, "The Emperor's New Clothes" by having the students act it out.  It was a fantastic experience and the class truly enjoyed the time.  Thank you, Mrs. Ornelas!

Here is this week's Curriculum Update!

Curriculum Update for the Week of November 11, 2013:


Religion:  Chapter 5 Quiz Thursday!  Begin Chapter 6- The Church Year and the Liturgical Calendar

Math:  Metric units of liquid volume;  Customary units of weight and metric units of mass;  Solving word problems involving liquid volume and mass; Telling time

Reading:  Read and discuss the story, "The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring";  complete comprehension activities and go over selection vocabulary- crops, decorated, vacant, mound, patch;  Comprehension quiz on Friday
Continue in guided reading groups and read, Who Was Johnny Appleseed  and Who Was King Tut

Science:  Classifying plants- flowering plants and non flowering plants

Social Studies:  Review Chapter 2;  Begin Chapter 3- Native Americans and their communities

Grammar:  Contractions; Vocabulary Workshop:  Unit 2 test Friday

****Due to the shortened week, the Spelling test will be next Monday!!!!!

I hope everyone has a fantastic week!  Take care and God bless.  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy a fabulous place to learn.

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Curriculum Update

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I cannot believe it is already November!!!!  Where has the time gone?!?!  I am just astounded by the fact that time is flying by and the Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations are literally just around the corner.  These are exciting times ahead and I am looking forward to sharing the days leading up to the holidays with my third graders.  I have some fun and exciting ideas up my sleeves and I cannot wait to share them with you….!!!

In the mean time, I absolutely must thank Mrs. Calva-Ortiz for organizing our class Dia de Los Muertos celebration.  What a fantastic time had by all.  Thank you to all of her assistants as well.  All of you made the day special and quite memorable.  I should have pictures of the altar and an "action" shot just as soon as I am able to upload them.

****  Just a small request:  Parents, if your child has a particular food allergy or special dietary needs, could you please send in a ziplock bag of special snacks for your child to have during our class celebration times.  I want to make certain students do not feel left out during these fun times.  Thank you so very much!

Here is this week's Curriculum Update as we begin the 2nd quarter of the school year.

Curriculum Update for the Week of November 4, 2013

Religion:  Finish Chapter 5- the ancestors of our faith: examples of holiness;  Review Chapter 5 key terms and points- martyrs, Gospels, apostles and saints;  Chapter 5 Quiz on Friday

Math:  Continue to review multiplication  and division facts; Unit 2 Review; Test on Wednesday;  Begin Unit 3:  units of measurement

Reading:  Continue guided reading groups- Who Was Johnny Appleseed group:  read and discuss chapters 2-4;  Who Was King Tut group:  read and discuss chapters 2-5;  Whole group reading story, "The Legend of Damon and Pythias"; discuss and complete comprehension exercises

Vocabulary Workshop:  Finish Unit 2;  This week's spelling list will be the vocabulary words from unit 2;  Vocabulary Unit 2 test next Monday

Grammar:  Continue complete subjects and complete verbs; Begin Direct Objects

Social Studies:   Continue reading about and discussing ways to care for our resource and how to protect them

Science:  Review of Simple and compound machines;  Begin Chapter 3- How do plants change-  Discuss and complete pinto bean experiment

I hope all of you have a fantastic week and enjoy the new fall-like weather.  Thank you for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy a great place to learn!  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,
Ms.  Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Happy Fall!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Praise the Lord, the ITBS Tests are officially over!  I am so proud of our hard working third graders.  It was a hard working two weeks, but I am certain it will pay off and allow us to see our areas for growth and our areas of strengths.  I will be sending the results home just as soon as we receive them.

This week will be a "normal" work week in that aside from our special "All Saints' Day Mass and Parade" on Friday, our day to day academic schedule will resume to include all subjects.  I am looking forward to being back on track and digging in before the big holiday rush.  With that being said, please take a look at this week's Curriculum Update to get an idea of what we are learning in Third Grade.

Curriculum Update for the Week of October 28, 2013:

Religion:  Begin Chapter 5- The Apostles lead the Church;  The Disciples of Jesus share the Good News; How the followers of Jesus stand up for their faith;  Saint Report is due this Friday

Math:  Making sense of two step word problems; Multiplying with multiples of Ten; Review of multiplication and division facts; focus on mathematical practices; Building fluency with 0's-10's multiplication/division facts

Reading:  Review reading story, "Team Mates", a story about Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese;  Comprehension Test on Wednesday

Language Arts:  Complete Subjects and Complete Verbs; Direct Objects; Writing:  My Favorite Time of Year- personal narrative; Vocabulary Workshop:  Completing the Sentence and Word Associations- Unit 2 Test next Wednesday;  Spelling Unit 6 Test on Friday- The list will be sent home on Monday to allow for the students to prepare and practice using their words.

Social Studies:  Junior Achievement Class #2 with Mrs. Tejeda on Monday;  Continue Chapter 2- our changing environment; Caring for our resources and ways to protect them

Science:  Finish Chapter 2 and review simple and complex machines; Review the concepts of technology and the design process

Finally, I would like to give a big thank you to this week's Secret Reader, Max's very own bodyguard, aka, his dad- Mr Goldman.  The class had a fantastic time listening to him read three very sweet and funny picture books- "The Story Blanket", "The Boss Baby", and "Mustache Baby".  The class also enjoyed creating a fun project with the baby pictures they brought in.  I won't spill the beans as our fabulous room mom is busy creating a group display of these fun looking photos.  I cannot wait to see it!

Well, that is all for now.  Don't forget, this Friday is All Saints' Day!  The school will attend mass on Friday and have the annual parade of saints.  Please be sure to come and join us for this special celebration.  

Have a fantastic week!  Thank you for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  I feel so blessed and fortunate to be a part of this community.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,

Ms. Griffin

Your Third Grade Teacher

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Happy Sunny Saturday!  What a beautiful fall weekend we are having… I love living in San Diego!  We are truly blessed in more ways than one, that's for sure.

Last week's ITBS Testing went well, but I know the class and I will be thrilled when it will all be over. The students are handling it like champs though.  This week will be the final wrap-up and if all goes well, the class and I should be done with testing on Wednesday morning.  Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we go in for the final stretch.

This week will contain a little more class content so, I am posting a Curriculum Update for this week.  Please note, that we may not be able to cover all of the areas or topics that I am posting in the update.  You may see them again next week as I do not want to overload the students (and myself).

Curriculum Update for the Week of October 21, 2013:

Religion:  Finish Chapter 4; Study Guide review; Chapter 4 quiz on Friday

Reading:  Continue in Guided Reading Groups and finish individual group novels of Bunnicula and 43 Old Cemetery Road;  Read and discuss the story "Teammates"- The Story of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese;  Introduce reading vocabulary words- exist, extraordinary, apathetic, intimidate, experiment, and humiliate

Language Arts:  Review prepositions, compound subjects and compound verbs

Vocabulary Workshop:  Continue introduction to Unit 2 words; Complete the sentence and Match the Meaning

Math:  Continue to drill and review multiplication facts and building fluency with 0's-10's; Equations and Word Problems; First Step Questions for Two Step Problems

Social Studies:  Map skills;  Urban and Suburban Communities

Science:  What is a Machine?  Define Simple Machines and Complex Machines and how they are used today and in the past

This week the third grade class will continue to work on their first Art Literacy project.  Thank you to Mrs. Daly and Mr. Fretwell for giving so much of their time to get this project started.  I cannot wait to see the finished product.  Thank you to all of the amazing parent volunteers who came to help last Monday.  I am just so grateful for the active participation of the third grade parents.  You are amazing!

Speaking of parent volunteers, I also wish to thank Mrs. Miranda for being our Secret Reader for the week of October 11th.  The class enjoyed writing and drawing pictures about what they hope to be when they "grow up".  It was a lot of fun to listen to their dreams.

This week, the Third Grade Class enjoyed listening to Mrs. Bokhari read two trickster tales from the Pacific Northwest and from Hawaii.  She even threw in two class favorites, Skippy Jon Jones… Mummy Trouble and Puff The Magic Dragon.  The class and I had a terrific time!  Thank you, Mrs. Bokhari!  We especially enjoyed your Skippy Jon Jones voice!

Last, but certainly not least, another thank you must go out to Mrs. Miranda for starting the Third Grade Junior Achievement Program.  This week's lesson tied in perfectly with our Social Studies unit on Communities.  It was a fantastic presentation and I know the week's to come will garner some great discussions.

Phew… As you can tell, last week was VERY busy in third grade, but it was also a great week of learning and smiles all around.  Thank you, parents for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy a great place to learn.  It truly is a group effort!  Have a fantastic week.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,

Ms. Eileen Griffin

Your Blessed Third Grade Teacher

Happy Columbus Day!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Happy Columbus/ Discoverer's Day!  I trust everyone enjoyed the extended holiday weekend and enjoyed some much needed time off as we head into a busy week for our third graders.  

Tomorrow is the beginning of ITBS Testing and it will continue throughout the next two weeks.  With this in mind, I am trying to scale back the weekly lesson plans and keep things light as the students will need all of their mind power and energy to do well on the tests.  The ITBS Tests do not count toward the report card grades, but they are an excellent way for us to assess their progress.  The results of these tests are a tool to guide the path for the school year and to "see" the third graders' individual strengths and areas for growth.  This is why I cannot stress enough how important it is for each student to be in attendance every day while testing is occurring.  Thank you for your assistance and support in this matter.  Remember, should you have any questions or concerns with regards to these tests, please do not hesitate to contact me.

As I said above, this week will be a scaled back version of what we normally cover during a week in third grade.  For this very reason, I will not be posting a Curriculum Update for this week.  Just know, the third graders and I will be studying Religion every day as well as Math, particularly multiplication/division facts.  Reading, Language Arts, Social Studies and Science will be alternating throughout the days ahead.  There will still be nightly spelling homework as well as a test this Friday.

Lastly, The Third Graders received the format for their Saints' Day Report.  It will be due on November 1st.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week of fall time fun.  I love this time of year and I am looking forward to squeezing in some fun fall themed educational activities throughout the coming days.  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy a fantastic place to learn!  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Happy Sunday!  I trust all of you had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed your family time together.  I know I did and I am ready for another week of learning and laughter.

Just a quick reminder, last Friday was the deadline for turning in your deposit of $15.50 for the third grade field trip to the Old Globe's production of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  Unfortunately there are still a few families who have not turned their deposit in.  If you still need to turn your's in, please do so ASAP to ensure their is a spot available for your third grader.  This is an experience I do not want anyone to miss out on.  Thank you!

Don't forget, this week begins the Scholastic Book Fair in the school library! There is sure to be something for everyone to enjoy!

Here is this week's Curriculum Update!

Curriculum Update for the Week of October 7, 2013:

Religion:  Begin Chapter 4- The Christian Church begins;  Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit; The Church begins on Pentecost; The early Church grows; The story of Saul and how he became Paul; Guidelines for a short "Saint Report" goes home this Thursday.

Math:  Continue Unit 2-  Solve area word problems; Multiply and divide by 8;  Write word problems and equations;  Multiply and divide by 7;  Square numbers;  Quick quiz this week on multiplying by 6, 5 and 4.

Reading:  Continue guided reading groups:  Bunnicula  Group will read and discuss chapters 3-5;  43 Old Cemetery Road  Group  will read and discuss chapters 4-6;  Finish reading and discussing whole group reading story, "Rugby and Rosie"  Comprehension test on Wednesday;  Continue read-aloud of Judy Moody  and complete comprehension activities

Language Arts:  Grammar- Imperative sentences;  Review prepositions;  Vocabulary Workshop:  Begin Unit 2- Introduce vocabulary words and their definitions;  Match the meaning

Science:  Begin Chapter 2-   Read and discuss what is technology and  what is a machine

Social Studies:  Begin Chapter 2-  Read and discuss the life and work of John Muir;  Natural resources on the land, inside the Earth and the importance of water;  Daily Geography and a review of map skills

Looking Ahead:
Please remember, on Tuesday, October 15th, the third graders will begin the Iowa standardized testing. Please make every effort not to schedule any vacations or medical/dental appointments during this time or during the morning testing period.  Make-up tests can be very difficult to schedule. Thank you in advance for your support in this matter.

I hope all of you have a fantastic week.  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy a great place to learn.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Blessed Third Grade Teacher

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Holy cow! Family Fun Night was amazing.  What a fun time for all of us to come together as a school community and to celebrate the start of what I know will be a fantastic school year.  It really was a great time had by all and I was so happy to see so many of you.

A BIG thank you to Mrs. Bonakdar for coming in to be last week's Secret Reader.  The third graders had a terrific time listening to her read some picture book favorites, "The Spoon", The Paper Bag Princess" and "Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs".  Secret Reading is quickly becoming a class time favorite!

Don't forget, there is no mass this Monday.  All school mass will be on Friday instead.  Also, the $15.50 deposit for the third grade class field trip to the Old Globe's production of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is due by next week.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns with regards to this field trip.  Last, but not least, be sure to review this week's Curriculum Update listed below. 

Curriculum Update for the Week of September 30, 2013:

Religion:  Finish Chapter 3- Jesus comes again; The Golden Rule; Chapter 3 Test on Thursday

Math:  Finish Unit 1- Focus on Mathematical Practices; Review Unit 1; Unit 1 Test Thursday

Reading:  Read and discuss the story, "Rosie and Rigby"; Complete comprehension exercises and review story vocabulary;  Meet in Guided Reading groups and begin new chapter books, Bunnicula and 43 Old Cemetery Road

Science:  Finish Chapter 1- The tools scientists use and how they stay safe

Social Studies:  Daily Geography; Finish Chapter 1- Communities, landforms and the regions of California;  Community Scrapbooks due on Monday, September 30th!

Language Arts:  Continue to learn about verbs, compound subjects, and compound verbs;  Begin Idioms unit- what they are and how they are used throughout the English language.

Vocabulary Workshop: Unit 1 Test on Monday!  Begin Unit 2- introduction to the words and using them in context

Well, as you can see, the third grade will have another week of great learning and sharing.  I hope your week is terrific.  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,

Ms. Eileen Griffin

Dear Third Grade Parents,

It was a pleasure to meet with so many of you this past Thursday.  Thank you for coming to Back to School Night and for taking the time out of your busy schedules to hear what third grade is all about.  I had a great time chatting with all of you and I am looking forward to the events that are in store for this 2013-2014 school year.  If you were unable to attend Back to School Night, please be sure to stop in to the third grade classroom and sign up for the November Parent-Teacher Conferences.  I still have some afternoon spaces available!

Thank you to Mrs. FitzCluster for coming in to be our Secret Reader this past Friday.  The class had a fantastic time as she read Dr. Suess' Oh the Places You'll Go.  What an inspiring choice to read at the beginning of the school year.  The third graders loved it!  They also had a blast as Mrs. FitzCluster ended our day with a little team work on completing map puzzles.  Check out the pictures below.

And now, Without further ado, this week's Curriculum Update is listed below.

Curriculum Update For The Week Of September 23, 2013:

Religion:  Continue Ch3- The Last Judgement; Corporal Works of Mercy; Jesus teaches us to love one another;  There will be a test next Monday on Chapter 3

Math: Creating word problems; Review multiplication and division facts and building fluency with 's, 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, 9's and 10's; focus on mathematical practices

Grammar: Continue study of Subjects and verbs; Begin compound subjects and compound verbs

Vocabulary Workshop:  Homophones; Idioms and their shades of meaning; Unit 1 Test on Friday

Science:  Continue Chapter 1- How scientists use tools and stay safe; Chapter 1 test next Wednesday

Social Studies:  California's regions- coastal, dessert, central valley and mountains; Chapter 1 Test next Friday

Reading:  Review the story and vocabulary from "The Tree House"; Comprehension and Vocabulary Test Tuesday;  Continue to work in guided reading groups and complete comprehension exercises as we take a closer look at character traits.

Well, that is all for now.  Don't forget, there is mass tomorrow morning and this Friday is Family Fun Night.  I cannot wait to see what this special night is all about.  Have a fantastic week and thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,

Ms. Eileen Griffin

Your Third Grade Teacher

Weekly Reminders and a Curriculum Update

Dear Third Grade Parents,

What an amazing weekend of sunshine!  I hope all of you were able to get outside and enjoy this beautiful city we call home.  We are definitely blessed in more ways than one!

Here is a quick update for this week's events:

Don't forget, this Thursday is Back to School Night and while I know you are aware of the third grade policies and procedures, I would like to extend a warm invitation to all of you to visit with me for a brief time as I am excited to share the updates and plans for this school year.  I hope to see you all on Thursday!


Curriculum Update for the Week of September 16, 2013

Religion:  Chapter 2 Quiz on Wednesday- Study Guides will go home Monday;  Begin Ch3: Christ will come again; Bible story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead

Reading:  Read and discuss the story, "The Treehouse" and complete comprehension exercises that focus on character traits;  Reading Vocabulary Words for this week are: magnificent, height, marvelous, peered, beautiful;  Comprehension/Vocabulary Test on Friday

Guided Reading Groups are just getting underway in third grade.  I have split the class into 4 groups to enable the students and I to work together in small groups.  This will allow us to really dig into our reading selections and to develop the students' ability to become strategic readers.

Math:  Multiply and Divide by 3; Multiplication and Area; Multiply and Divide by 4; Building Fluency with 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, 9's and 10's; Quick Quiz on Thursday

Social Studies:  Continue to study Chapter 1- Landforms and Man-Made Features of Land; Daily Geography Week 3

Science:  Continue Chapter 1- How scientists answer questions, kinds of investigations, The Scientific Method; How scientists communicate- keep records, plan an experiment; graphs and collecting data

Language Arts:  Continue Unit 1: Synonyms and antonyms, word associations, homophones; Subjects and Verbs; Continue to work on personal narratives

Spelling:  Test this Friday;  This week's spelling homework will follow last week's pattern of Monday- write each word 3 times, Tuesday: List the words in alphabetical order, Wednesday: Use each word in a sentence, Thursday: Study for Friday's test

Lastly, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Zoey's Grandparents for being our very first Secret Readers for the 2013-2014 school year.  The class loved every minute of it as they read, "The Best Story", "Tutu Knows Best" and "Too Many Toys".  Here are a two shots of our readers in action:

What a great time had by all!  

If you would like to be a Secret Reader, be sure to send me an email with at least 3 possible dates you would be able to come in.  Secret Readers are scheduled on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Friday of each month at 11:30 AM.

Well, that is all for now.  I hope you have a fantastic week.  Thank you for all you do to make SMA a great place to learn.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,

Ms. Eileen Griffin

Your Third Grade Teacher

Curriculum Update!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Well, as we begin our third week together, I am anticipating a smooth week of familiar routines and a general sense of pattern.  I hope you will be able to feel your third graders settling in and becoming comfortable with the start of this new school year.  I know last week I felt we were coming together as a classroom community and enjoying our time learning from one another.  It was a great week and I am expecting the same for this week.  Please review the Curriculum Update below and please let me know should you have any questions.


Curriculum for  the week of September 9, 2013:

Religion:  Continue Chapter 2- Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of God; Jesus dies and rises to save us;  Practice quiz on Friday (not graded) to prepare for Chapter 2 Test next Tuesday.

Language Arts:  Prepositional phrases; objects of the preposition; Finding the subject and verb of a sentence

Spelling:  Our first spelling test will be this Friday on words with the short "e" sound.  Nightly spelling homework includes: Mon- write each word three times, Tues- put the words in alphabetical order, Wed- write 7 sentences using at least one spelling word in each sentence, Thurs- Study spelling list.

Reading:  Comprehension test on last week's story, "Gloria Who Might Be My Best Friend";  Read and discuss the story, "Angel Child, Dragon Child".  Learn and practice using reading vocabulary words: jangled, twittered, gleamed, darted, scrawled, and margins;  Reading Vocabulary quiz on Thursday; Comprehension Test on, "Angel Child, Dragon Child" on Friday

Math:  Continue to review multiplication facts for 2s, 5s and 3s; Multiplying and dividing by 9; Word problems using multiplication and division; Review multiplication facts for 9s and 10s

Social Studies:  Physical features of land;  Reading a landforms map;  Human Made features of land; Daily Geography

Science:  The skills scientists use;  How scientists answer questions; Different kinds of investigations, the scientific method and models

Writing:  Continue to work on personal narratives

Please remember to sign up to be a secret reader.  11:30 AM slots are available for the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Friday of each month.  Be sure to email me with at least 3 possible dates in which you are available to come in and share your love of reading with our fabulous third grade class.  Remember, once your date is confirmed, be sure to keep it a secret as it is to be a surprise.  Thank you!

Lastly, Scholastic Book Club orders are due this Friday.  If you care to place your order online, just click on the link on the right sidebar.  Feel free to order the old fashioned way by sending in a paper order accompanied with a check made out to Scholastic Book Clubs and I will send it in for you.

Well, I hope all of you enjoyed our beautiful city this sunny weekend.  Have a fantastic week!  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

PS.  Thank you to our Third Grade Desk Fairy who donated a HUGE pack of Glade plug-ins.  Our room smells just lovely.

Third Grade Schedule, Scholastic Book Orders and Secret Readers!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Phew! It has been a hot week!  I am proud of the third graders as they have been troopers and have been working as hard as they possibly can given the uncomfortable temperatures this week.  With that said, I have had to make a few adjustments to our quiz schedule.  Tomorrow's scheduled reading comprehension test will be given next Monday.  I want to make certain I review the key points of the story with the class so they are able to complete it with the confidence that they are prepared.  Due to the interruption of pictures, there was a small number of students who were unable to complete their vocabulary quizzes today.  Rest assured, they will have the opportunity to complete them tomorrow.

I  have had a few inquires with regards to the third grade specials schedule.   Please see the list below to avoid any confusion as to what is required for each day.  I know today's uniform was a little confusing given pictures/P.E./the heat, but I think the students and I worked it out pretty well, all things considered.

Monday: Art

Tuesday:  Spanish

Wednesday:  Spanish and P.E.

Thursday:  P.E, Computers, Library, and Music

Next up, Scholastic Book Club Orders!  Yesterday I sent home the September book orders from Scholastic and have updated the third grade online ordering option.  Our third grade online ordering code is HBMQZ.  This will ensure proper delivery and class credit for free books to add to the classroom library.  Please let me know should you have any questions with regards to ordering through Scholastic.  Of course, please feel free to order the old fashioned way and send in your paper order with a check made out to Scholastic Book Clubs and I will order it for you.

Last, but certainly not least, Secret Readers will begin this month.  I am looking for parents to sign up to come in and share their love for reading with the third grade class.  Secret Readers will come in on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Friday of the month.  The time will be at 11:30 AM.  Please email me with at least three possible dates you would be willing to come in so I may schedule you for a time that is convenient for you.  Please note, that if Fridays at 11:30 do not work with your schedule, I will be willing to make an adjustment to ensure you are able to come in at least one time during the year.  Secret Readers is an important time for the children and it means the world to them when they are able to share their parents with the whole class.

As always, thank you for your support and dedication to Stella Maris Academy.  Your dedication helps to make it an amazing place to learn.  Have a fantastic evening.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,

Ms. Eileen Griffin

Your Third Grade Teacher

Curriculum Update

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Well, the third graders and I are off and running.  Last week was a fantastic start to what I am certain will be a successful year of learning and creativity.  I am so proud of how quickly and eagerly our class was ready to begin.

Thank you again to all of you for your warm welcome and offers of support.  I cannot tell you how blessed I feel to have such supportive parents.

This week will be our first week of full days and as you will see in the curriculum update below, we will be busy in the third grade classroom.  As I stated in my back to school letter last week, the curriculum update is always subject to change.  Please use the update as a general guide of information.


Curriculum Update: 9/3/13-9/6/13:

Religion:  Finish Chapter 1- Jesus as a young boy growing up in Nazareth; Jesus as the son of Mary and Joseph; The public ministry of Jesus;  Chapter 1 review;  Begin Chapter 2- Jesus teaches us about God's love; The Story of the Mustard Seed

Language Arts:  Continue study of prepositions and begin to identify prepositional phrases and the object of the preposition; Finding the subject and the verb of a sentence

Vocabulary:  Begin unit 1with introduction to the words and their meanings, their synonyms and antonyms

Reading:  Continue to read and discuss the story, "Gloria Who Might Be My Best Friend" and complete comprehension exercises.  There will be a reading vocabulary quiz on Thursday and a comprehension quiz on Friday.  The reading vocabulary words are : tease, lonely, seriously, collection, stiff, and probably

Math:  Continue to study the 5 and 3 times tables;  Exploring the use of arrays; Commutativity; Writing equations for equal groups; Multiplication and arrays

Social Studies:  Begin unit 1, Chapter 1:  Finding your location; map skills; Physical features; Communities;

*** Guidelines and templates for the first social studies class project will go home later this week.  Please read through the guidelines carefully and be sure to contact me with any questions or concerns you might have.  This project is meant to be low key and a fun, creative way for the students to learn more about their local community.

Science:  What questions scientists ask; What skills and tools scientists use.

Writing:  Begin unit on personal narratives.  This is a six to eight week long unit that studies the elements and style of personal narratives.  I am looking forward to watching the third graders discover their memorable small moments and to see them capture the memories with their own personal writing style.

It looks like it will be a busy week, but I know the third graders and I will work hard to accomplish all we can.  Please be on the look out for the social studies project guidelines and templates.  I will send them home on Thursday afternoon in the white homework folder.

I want to thank the Martinez Family for donating 2 fans to the third grade classroom.  They are a big help during these final, hot summer days.

Thank you also to the McSherry Family for donating a Barnes and Noble gift card.  I was able to purchase a few books to add to our classroom library.

I hope all of you are enjoying the final days of summer and sunshine.  Have a fantastic week!  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Welcome to Third Grade!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I would like to take this time to thank all of you who were able to attend last night's Meet the Teacher Night.  I cannot tell you how overwhelmed and touched I was by your warm reception and enthusiasm for the start of this new academic year at Stella Maris Academy.  I am truly looking forward to working with all of you to make this year a success for our third graders.  It is going to be fantastic!

I would also like to introduce you to our class blog, The Third Grade Star Report.  This is where you will be able to find all of my weekly curriculum updates so you have a general sense of the topics we will be covering in the classroom throughout the week.  Please keep in mind, this is meant to be a general update and at times, you may see topics carry over into the following week.  This will all depend upon how the topics are received in the classroom.  For example, at times I have found the students are so engaged in a topic they are just not quite ready to let go.  This is when I let them take real ownership of their learning and we may continue to dig a little deeper.

The Third Grade Star Report is also a means of keeping everyone informed of what is happening in the third grade classroom (field trips, celebrations, special activities, etc.).  Please be sure to check the blog each week.  You may also want to take advantage of "following" the blog by email.  The tab to the right allows you to sign up for all blog updates to be delivered to your email inbox.  This will ensure you never miss a blog post.

More detailed information with regards to the third grade policies and procedures will be sent home with your student on Monday.  Please be on the lookout for it as the behavior section does require parent and student signatures of acknowledgement and understanding.  Your child will bring all of the information home in their white Stella Maris Academy Homework Folder.

Once again, thank you so very much for your warm reception at Meet the Teacher Night.  I am excited and eager to begin this journey with you and your children.  Thank you for entrusting me to assist you in the spiritual and academic growth of your children.  I am truly blessed to have this opportunity.  Enjoy the remaining days of your summer vacation.  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher