Dear Third Grade Parents,

Well, Christmas vacation is only days away and you can already feel the anticipation of Jesus' birthday celebration in the air.  As you and your families gather together to create new memories, please know you are all in my prayers and I wish you and your's the merriest of Christmases and a Happy New Year.  Enjoy this special time with your little one's!

I am not going to post a curriculum update for this week due to the shortened week and due to the fact that with pageant practice times looming ahead, I am uncertain just how much we will be able to get through.  Please know, that the third graders and I will continue to work hard as we close our lessons in Religion, Science, and Social Studies.  We will begin the new chapters when we start back up again in January.  While there will not be a spelling test this week, there will be a Chapter 10 Religion Quiz on Tuesday.

Don't forget, there is mass tomorrow morning and on Tuesday, the entire school will be performing in the annual SMA Christmas Pageant.  Lastly, Wednesday will be a busy day.  The third grade class will be celebrating Polar Express Day and may come to school in appropriate pajama attire.  We will also be having an ornament exchange with our sixth grade buddies.  Each student should come to school with a $5 (max) Christmas ornament to exchange with their buddy.

I believe that is all for now!  Thank you for all of your support during this busy week.  Your time and patience is greatly appreciated.  Have a wonderful week.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher      

Merry Grinchmas!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

It's finally here, the week the third grade class is going to the Old Globe Theater to watch Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  I can hardly wait to see everyone's reaction to this fun production.  I know they are going to love it!

Just some last minute reminders for this fun day, third graders must come to school on Wednesday in their mass uniform.  This is a fancy event and we want to represent SMA in style.  Lastly, please pack a "brown bag" lunch for your third grader.  We will be eating lunch at Balboa Park before making our way back to school.  Thank you for helping to make this fun field trip possible.  Be prepared to hear some fun highlights after school on Wednesday.

Be sure to look over this week's Curriculum Update to know all we are learning in third grade!

Curriculum Update for the Week of December 8, 2014:

Religion:  Continue chapter 10- different types of prayers; The Church prays at all times:  The Liturgy of the Hours;  Chapter 10 Quiz next Monday 

Math: Review Bar Graphs; Telling Time; Represent and organize data; use graphs to solve time and measurement; continue to review multiplication tables

Reading:  continue in guided reading groups: Chasing Vermeer, The Courage of Sarah Noble, Sarah, Plain and Tall, Stone Fox;  Whole Group- Read and discuss Little House on the Prairie- Ch 5- 9

Science:  Review and discuss Ch 5, Lesson 2 Study Guide; How ecosystems change- natural events and seasonal changes

Social Studies:  Native Americans and their government- tribal councils; Begin Chapter 5- Exploring California

Language Arts:  Continue to work on Advent writing piece; Grammar:  Continue to review compound subjects and compound verbs;  Unit 13 spelling test on Friday

Art:  Finish angel ornaments

Well, it is going to be another busy week of learning in third grade.  I hope everyone enjoys the sunshine we are promised this week.  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

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving Break spending time with family and friends.  I know I sure did.  I am now looking forward to this special time of Advent as we prepare to celebrate the birthday of Jesus.  This has always been a favorite time of year for me.  I cannot wait to share it with my third graders.

Please be sure to check this week's Curriculum Update to see all that we will be up to.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Curriculum Update for the Week of December 1, 2014:

Religion:  Advent introduction- preparing for the Son of God; Saints of Advent- Lucy, Nicholas and Mary; Begin chapter 10:  Jesus teaches his followers how to pray; praying by ourselves and with others;

Math:  Add and subtract time; Solve word problems involving time; Read and create pictographs; Read and create bar graphs with multi-digit numbers

Reading:  Continue in guided reading groups- Chasing Vermeer, The Courage of Sarah Noble, Sarah, Plain and Tall, Stone Fox

Social Studies:  Begin Chapter 4:  A changing way of life for Native Americans; Preserving the culture; Indian Island

Science:  Begin Chapter 5:  What is an ecosystem?;  Places for living things; Parts of an ecosystem; How living things get energy; food chains;

Language Arts:  Spelling unit 11;  Spelling Test on Friday;  Begin Advent writing piece- "How My Family Prepares for Jesus' Birthday

Music:  Continue to practice for Christmas pageant;  Practice recorders and learn new songs

Art:  Continue to work on self-portraits


This week should be a quiet week.  Tomorrow the third graders will be receiving the Sacrament of Penance.  We will be reviewing the steps of penance so each student feels prepared for this special sacrament.  Also, don't forget, this Friday is the first Friday of the month and there will be an all-school mass on Friday at 11:15.  Please feel free to come and join us as we celebrate the mass together as a school community!

Have a wonderful 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

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Let the holiday happiness begin!  This week is promising to be quite busy with learning the best we can despite the four half days and SMA's upcoming Spirit Run this Thursday.  Please be sure to look over this week's Curriculum Update for a tentative schedule of what we are covering this week in third grade.

Curriculum Update for the Week of November 17, 2014:

Religion:  Continue Chapter 9- professing our faith; the Apostles' Creed; the Holy Spirit guides the Church

Math:  Telling time; telling time before and after the hour; elapsed time; Continue to review multiplication tables

Social Studies:  Continue to read and discuss What Was the First Thanksgiving

Science:  Finish and review chapter 4- animal life cycles

Reading:  Continue to read and discuss Ramona Quimby, Age 8- chapters 6-9;  meet in guided reading groups

Language Arts:  continue and finish Thanksgiving paragraph; Spelling test on Friday

Art: Continue to work on self portraits; Art Literacy with Mrs. Daly on Monday

I hope all of you have a blessed and restful Thanksgiving.  Thank you for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless.  See you this week during Parent Teacher Conferences.

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Thank you to all who were able to come and celebrate SMA's annual All Saints' Day celebration.  It was a great day of celebrating our Catholic role models and heroes of faith.  I especially enjoyed seeing all of the costumes and hearing the students' reports.  We still have a few more to get through, but so far, so fabulous.

Thank you, parents for guiding your third grader through the process of creating a power point presentation.  I know it was not an easy task, but I knew the end results would be worthwhile.  The presentations are outstanding!

Tomorrow the third graders and their sixth grade buddies will go on their walking field trip to Casa de Manana to visit with our senior friends and begin the Veterans' Day celebrations a day early.  We are planning to sing some patriotic songs and deliver some decorated cards.  I think it will be a valuable experience of community outreach and I know the students are looking forward to putting their Christian Service in action.

Please be sure to review this week's Curriculum Update!

Curriculum Update for the Week of November 10, 2014:

Religion:  Finish and review Chapter 8;  Chapter 8 Quiz on Friday;  Finish Saint power point presentations

Math:  Metric units of liquid volume; customary units of weight and metric units of mass; solve word problems involving liquid volume and mass; Telling time;  Study 5 times tables!!!

Social Studies:  Continue to read and discuss What Was the First Thanksgiving;

Reading:  Continue to read and discuss, Ramona Quimby, Age 8;  complete comprehension activities for chapters 3-6;  Continue guided reading groups

Language Arts:  Grammar:  End of the unit test on Monday- subjects, verbs, prepositions and prepositional phrases, complete subjects and complete verbs. Students will be able to use their list of prepositions to assist them;  Spelling:  Unit 10 Test on Friday

Science:  Finish Chapter 4-  animal life cycles: butterflies, frogs, and mammals

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

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Happy November!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

This week marks the start of the second quarter of third grade.  As I told the class last Friday, new quarters mean a fresh start and many of the students were excited to hear that, to begin again and to work toward greater successes.  I know they can all do it!

Here is this week's Curriculum Update.

Curriculum Update for the Week of November 3, 2014:

Religion:  Continue Chapter 8- the Apostles lead the Church; the popes and the bishops are the successors of the Apostles;  the Marks of the Church;  Saint Report due Friday!

Math:  Unit 2 Review;  No Unit 2 Test!;  Begin unit 3:  Customary units of measurements; customary units of liquid volume

Reading:  Begin 2nd quarter novel study:  Ramona Quimby, Age 8- chapters 1-3;  guided reading groups- read and discuss group novels

Language Arts:  Finish review of unit 1- subjects, verbs, imperative sentences and prepositions;  Unit 1 Test on Thursday;  Spelling unit 9 Test on Friday

Social Studies:  Read "What Was the First Thanksgiving" and complete comprehension activities and graphic organizers

Science:  Continue Chapter 4- inherited and learned behaviors;  animal life cycles- frogs, mammals and butterflies

I hope everyone has a fantastic week.  Don't forget, this Friday is our All Saints' Day mass and procession.  Come watch the students dressed up as their saints as they parade into the church.  I hope to see you there.

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        

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Yahoo! We are officially finished with the IOWA Assessments.  This week we are continuing on with our regular curriculum schedule.  Please see the Curriculum Update below to see what we are learning in third grade this week.

Curriculum Update for the Week of October 27, 2014:


Religion:  Begin Chapter 8: The Apostles lead the Church with Peter;  The Pope and the Bishops are the successors of the Apostles;  Saint Report due November 7- if for some reason your student does not have access to Power Point, a regular written report answering all of the questions will be fine

Math:  Multiply with multiples of 10; building fluency with 0's-10's;  Focus on Mathematical Practices; Unit 2 Review;  Unit 2 Test next Tuesday!

Reading:  Read and discuss close reading article on the history of the Jack-o-Lantern and complete comprehension activities;  Continue in guided reading groups

Social Studies:  Finish chapter 4- the culture and customs of Native Americans;  Read and discuss "Time for Kids"- complete article discussion questions

Science:  Continue chapter 4- review lesson 1; how offspring are like their parents; learned and inherited behaviors

Language Arts:  Grammar-  review of prepositional phrases, subjects and verbs-Test next Wednesday;  Spelling test on Friday;  Writing piece on "My Halloween Costume"

Lastly, I would like to thank Nino's mom for coming in to read a few "lost" Dr. Suess stories.  It was a fun treat the whole class enjoyed.

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!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Welcome to another week of fun and excitement in third grade!  This is our final week of the IOWA Assessments and come Thursday, the third graders and I should be back on to our normal schedule.  So far the assessments have been going smoothly and the students have been working hard and trying their best to stay focused.  Results should be available some time in November.  Until then, it's onward and upward for the SMA Third Grade!


Here is a tentative Curriculum Update for this week of October 20, 2014!

Religion:  Finish Chapter 5- Review and discuss saints, martyrs, the Gospels and the Apostles;  Chapter 5 Quiz on Thursday;  Begin Chapter 6- the Church Year

Math:  Continue Equations and word problems;  First Step Questions for two-step Problems; Make sense of two step word problems;

****Just a reminder, please be sure to review the multiplication facts with your child every night.  Knowing their facts is crucial to your child's understanding of our daily math lessons.  

Reading:  Close reading article, "All About Pumpkins";  Read and discuss article and complete comprehension exercises

Social Studies:  Continue unit on Native Americans- Trade and government, sharing resources;  Customs, folklore, religion and storytelling;  Time for Kids magazine and comprehension activities

Science:  Read and discuss, "The Life Cycle of a Pumpkin"

Language Arts:  Grammar:  Review of compound subjects and compound verbs; Types of sentences- imperative sentences;  Writing:  Writing piece all about pumpkins;  Spelling Test Unit 7 on Friday

Art:  Cousteau Undersea Collage-  Learn about value and create tints and shades using white, black and blue paints;  Learn about space, in order to create an under sea collage and learn about scientist Jacque Cousteau and his love for the oceans and ocean conservation

Looks like another busy week ahead.  As always, thank you for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Have a fantastic week!  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Happy Columbus Day!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I hope all of you had a fun and relaxing holiday weekend.  Thankfully the weather was perfect in typical San Diego fashion.

This is a big week for the students of Stella Maris Academy.  Please be sure your students are at school each day and on time during the next week and a half as we will begin the IOWA Tests first thing in the morning.  As for this week's Curriculum Update, well…  stay tuned until next week.

This week in third grade should be relatively quiet in terms of new material to be presented.  Due to the IOWA Tests, I am hoping to keep things light and simple.  You will see the occasional math sheet come home to keep those multiplication facts at the forefront, but for the most part, please do not expect to see much homework this week.  The IOWA Tests can take a lot out of the students and rather than overwhelm them, I want to use this week to review or do some fun fall themed activities.  As for tests or quizzes, I am only going to give a spelling test on Friday.

Thank you for checking in every week to keep on top of all things third grade.  I really appreciate your interest and support.

Lastly, if anyone is able to spare the time, the third grade class is still in need of a parent to teach the Junior Achievement Lessons.  If you are able to help, please let me know.

I hope all of you have a wonderful 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

Dear Third Grade Parents,

It's baaaaaaack!  That's right the heat is back.  Hopefully the weatherman is right and things will gradually cool down.  In the mean time, please continue to send a cold water bottle to school with your third grader to keep them hydrated.

Don't forget, tomorrow is the first day of the Scholastic Book Fair at SMA!  The Third Grade class will be visiting the book fair to make out a wish list or, to purchase their "must have" reading material.  I can hardly wait to go shopping myself!

Lastly, please be sure to review this week's Curriculum Update!

Curriculum Update for the Week of October 6, 2014:

Religion:  Chapter 4 Review;  Chapter 4 Quiz on Friday-  The beginning of the early church;  The Holy Spirit comes to the Disciples- Pentecost;  Students should also begin to research their saint and begin to create their Saint Report

Math:  Multiply and Divide with 8; Write word problems and equations; Multiply and divide with 7; Square numbers;  Quick quiz on multiplication facts on Thursday- 3's, 4's, 5's and 6's

Reading:  Introduction to Chris Van Allsburg author study- read and discuss, "The Widow's Broom" and "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick";  Continue to meet in guided reading groups and study the mystery genre;  Elements of a Mystery Quiz on Friday

Language Arts:  Continue to review finding the subject and verb of a sentence;  No Spelling test this week

Social Studies:  Native American Tribes of California; Where early Native Americans Lived

Science:  How plants use flowers and cones to reproduce; The life cycle of plants- flowering plants and conifer plants

Music:  Continue to learn and play the recorders; continue to learn and sing songs for SMA's 2014 Christmas Extravaganza

Art:  Finish  creating student illustrated Christmas card

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

Happy Fall!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

What a lovely fall weekend we had!  With a break in the warm weather and a little breeze to chill the air, I can almost taste the warm apple pie.  I love it!  Hopefully this cooler weather will last a little longer…

This coming week should be another busy one with plenty of opportunities to learn and experience new things.  Please check the Curriculum Update below to see what's in store for your eager learner.

Curriculum Update for the Week of September 29, 2014:

Religion:  Begin Chapter 4:  The Christian Church begins!  Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit; Pentecost;  The story of Saul becoming Paul

Math:  Unit 1 Review;  Unit 1 Test on Tuesday;  Multiply and divide with 6;  Solve area word problems;  Multiply and divide with 8

Grammar:  How to find the subject and verb of a sentence

Reading:  Continue guided reading groups;  Finish Charlie and the Chocolate Factory unit;  Begin focus on Mystery genre;  Introduction to author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg

Science:  Continue chapter 3:  how plants use flowers or cones to reproduce;  the life cycle of plants

Social Studies:  Communities within a state;  Begin Chapter 3:  Native American Tribes of California

Unit 5 Spelling Test on Friday

I hope everyone had a fun and entertaining night at this year's Family Fun Night.  I cannot wait to hear all about it!

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

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Well, we made it!  We survived our latest summer heat wave.  Hopefully this week will continue to cool down so the third graders can learn in comfort.  Thank you for your patience last week with the two minimum days.  This week is promising to get things back on track.

Thank you, again for coming to Wednesday's Back to School Night.  It was great to see so many of you and to give you a quick snapshot of our days in the third grade.


Lastly, I would like to give a BIG thank you to Mrs. Brady who came in last Friday to work with the class in small groups during science class.  The class is conducting their first scientific experiment and we could not have done it so smoothly without Mrs. Brady's assistance.  Thank you, Mrs. Brady!!!!!  Be sure to ask your third graders all about their experiment.  We will make our second observation tomorrow to see how our beans are growing.

Well, that is all for now.  Here is a look at our upcoming week.

Curriculum Update for the Week of September 22, 2014:

Religion:  Continue Chapter 3-  Jesus has power over life and death;  His second coming;  Jesus teaches us to love one another;  Chapter 3 quiz next Tuesday

Reading:  Continue to read and discuss Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- ch 19-30;  Continue to meet in guided reading groups

Math:  Solve and create word problems; word problems with 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, and 9's;  focus on mathematical practices;  Unit 1 Review;  Unit 1 Math test next Monday

Social Studies:  California's regions; landforms of the west

Science:  Continue chapter 3-how plants use leaves to make food;  how plants use roots and stems to grow- types of stems and roots

Language Arts:   continue and finish summer writing piece;  prepositional phrases and objects of the preposition;  Spelling unit 4 test on Friday

Art:  Continue to learn about the work of author/illustrator Lois Ehlert;  Experiment with new ways to create texture with tempura paint; make an original bird collage from painted papers in the style of Lois Ehlert

I hope everyone has 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

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I hope all of you are staying cool and comfortable this weekend.  What a summer surprise!  Please be sure to send your third grader  to school with a nice, tall and cold water bottle!  Tomorrow is sure to be hot and it is important to keep the students hydrated.


Also, this Wednesday is Back to School Night.  I will be reviewing the classroom routine and answer any questions you might have.    I will also have the sign up sheet for Parent/ teacher conferences. I hope to see you there!  If you are unable to attend, please know you are always welcome to email me with any of your questions or concerns.

In the mean time, be sure to check this week's Curriculum Update for this week's schedule of lessons, tests and Quizzes.

Curriculum Update for the Week of September 14, 2014:

Religion:  Chapter 2 Quiz on Tuesday-  faith and trust in God, the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus dies and rises to save us;  Begin Chapter 3- Jesus has power over life and death; Jesus will come again; the Corporal Works of Mercy

Reading:  Read and discuss Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- chapters 19-24;  Guided Reading Groups:  according to your child's group, we will continue to meet in small groups to read and discuss their novel of study.

Math:  Continue Unit 1-  Multiply and divide with 4; Multiplication and area; Review of 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, 9's and 10's times tables and division

Language Arts:  Spelling test on Friday;  Grammar:  Continue unit on prepositions;  Object of the preposition; Writing:  continue to work on summer writing piece

Social Studies:  Continue chapter 1-  California's Regions; landforms of the west

Science:  Finish Chapter 1 and begin chapter 2- How plants are classified

Art:  Focus on artist, Lois Ehlert;  Experiment with new ways to create texture with tempera paint;  make an original bird collage from painted papers in the style of Lois Ehlert

This is all for now.  Have a lovely rest of the weekend.  See you on Wednesday night.  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

Curriculum Update!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Well, we made it through our first week of full days!  The third graders did an amazing job of getting right to it and have worked hard to start the year off right.  I am so proud of them.

This coming week will be another busy week of learning.  Please be sure to check this week's Curriculum Update to see all that is in store for your student.

Curriculum Update for the Week of September 8, 2014:

Religion:  Continue to study Chapter 2- Jesus teaches about the gift of faith;  Jesus dies and rises to save us;  Chapter 2 Review and study guide;  Chapter 2 Quiz next Tuesday

Math:  Multiply and divide with 10; Write equations with variables; Multiply and divide with 9;  Building fluency with 2's, 3's, 5's, 9's and 10's;  Multiplication and division Test Friday on 2's, 3's, 5's, 9's and 10's

Reading:  Continue to read and discuss, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- chapter 13-17;  Discuss reading strategies and complete comprehension activities;

Science:   Continue Chapter 1,  Finish Lesson 2- What skills to do scientist use and how do they use them;  Lesson 3:  How do scientists answer questions?;  Lesson 4:  How scientists communicate- keep records and plan an experiment

Social Studies:  Continue Chapter 1, Finish Lesson 2- Physical features of the land;  Begin Lesson 3- Human-made features

Language Arts: (Grammar/Spelling/Vocabulary Workshop):  Begin Grammar with introduction of prepositions;  Spelling Unit 2 with a test on Friday;  Continue Vocabulary Workshop, Unit 2- Synonyms and antonyms and completing the sentence

Don't forget, there will be mass this Monday at 8:00.  Please make every effort to have your student at school on time. Thank you!  In addition, this Tuesday is our first Pizza Lunch of the 2014-2015 school year.  Be sure to send lunch with your child if you have not signed them up for pizza lunch.

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend, despite the heat.  Please be sure to send a water bottle with your child tomorrow in case the heat persists.  I want to make certain my third graders stay cool and hydrated as best they can.  Thank you!

Lastly,  we are in need of one more parent to come in and help the third grade class with their art.  The class has art every Wednesday at 10:45-11:30.  An extra pair of hands is always helpful when it comes to passing out supplies and answering questions.  Please let me know if you are willing and able to help.  Your time would be greatly appreciated!

Have a wonderful week and be sure to let me know should you have any questions or concerns.  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 Third Grade Teacher

Welcome Back!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Welcome back to SMA!  I am certain this will be another fantastic year of learning.  I am truly looking forward to becoming better acquainted with all of you and your children.

Thank you to all of you who were able to attend last week's Meet the Teacher Night.  The excitement and enthusiasm of the children was contagious and I can see how motivated they are to get their third grade year off to a great start.

If you were unable to attend last week's event, no problem!  Be sure to stop by the third grade classroom sometime this week so I can introduce myself to you.

Lastly, if you have not turned in your classroom supplies, please do so by the end of this week.  The children and I really count on your donations of paper, post-its and most importantly, tissue to get us through the  year.  Your kindness and generosity are most appreciated.

Until next week, please be on the look out for the Third Grade Information Packet that outlines all of the classroom policies and procedures.  It will be sent home tomorrow, Monday, August 25th.

I hope all of you have a wonderful first week back to school.  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

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I can hardly believe we are entering our final week of the 2013-2014 school year.  Time has certainly flown by as it literally seems just like yesterday that I was meeting all of you for the very first time.  I am in shock and a bit sad to be saying goodbye so soon.  This has been an amazing year and it is one I will remember forever.  I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for the third graders and most especially for me.  Your kindness and support have made all the difference.

I know the third graders are ready to cross over to the Senior Yard, but a part of me still wants to hold on to them just a little while longer.  I can only imagine how you, their parents, feel about this major milestone.  Please know, that even though you and your student have passed the third grade, I will always be available to you/them to lend a hand or to lend a thoughtful ear. Once a student enters my classroom, they are always one of my kids.  That's just the way it is!

I will not be posting a Curriculum Update for this week as we will continue to review and wrap up some of the chapters we have been working on.  Of course, there will not be any tests or quizzes this week as well.  Yahoo!!!

Be on the lookout for Mrs. Goldman's Weekly Email Update for this week's schedule of events.

Thank you, again for an amazing year of support and kindness.  I feel blessed and honored to be a part of your child's life and their Catholic education.  Have a safe and restful summer!  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Have you recovered from Spirit Week 2014? I am still reeling from the Teacher bat ball victory over the eighth graders!  Phew!  What a game.  It was definitely a great time had by all.  Hopefully this weekend will be filled with a lot of fun and relaxation.

This upcoming week should be fairly calm as we continue to wrap things up.  Please be sure to check this week's Curriculum Update to see what this week has in store.

Curriculum Update for the Week of June 1, 2014:

Religion:  Begin Chapter 24-  the Catholic Church is world wide;  Being the light of the world

Math:  Continue to review- length in inches, feet, yards, miles, centimeters, meters and kilometers;  review of capacity- quarts, gallons, cups, pints, grams and kilograms; Review of temperature in fahrenheit and celsius

Language Arts:  Continue unit on adverbs of how, when, where and why;  Continue Vocabulary Workshop unit 8;  Spelling test on Friday

Reading:  guided reading group 1:  Continue to read and discuss The Lemonade War:  chapter 10-12;  guided reading group 2:  Continue to read and discuss  Nim's Island: chapters 7-9;  Whole Group:  Read and discuss a science magazine article, "Finding Machu Picchu"

Science:  Continue Chapter 9:  changing forms of energy; how light and matter interact

Social Studies:  Continue Chapter 12;  Making choices about spending money- income, savings;  Making a budget;  Keeping track of money;  Investing in yourself and planning for your future

Well, that is all for now.  Just a reminder, Mass is on Monday at 8:00.  Please make every effort to have your student at school on time so we are able to walk over to the church together.  Tuesday is pizza lunch day and Wednesday the Junior Yard will have their poetry reading in the parish hall at 2:00.  I hope to see you there!

Thank you for helping to make Spirit Week a success.  Your patience and assistance is greatly appreciated!  Have a wonderful weekend.  Thank you for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn!  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,
Ms.  Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Happy Memorial Day!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Happy Memorial Day!  Today is the perfect example of why that sunshine tax is so worth the price.  What a great day of sun and fun.

 I hope all of you enjoyed your long weekend as we remember the ultimate sacrifice our military heroes have made.  God bless them all and their families too!

This week will definitely be a fun filled spirit week!  Please make sure you check last week's E- Notice for the schedule of free dress attire.  I do want to make mention that the class is scheduled to sing a song  for the talent show and since the song is "Happiness" from "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown", I think it would be easiest for each student to wear a solid colored shirt with pants or appropriate shorts.  Feel free to be creative and have your student wear a yellow shirt with black zig zags to match Charlie Brown- just a fun thought, but not required by any means.

This week's Curriculum Update of subject topics is tentative, but all tests or quizzes listed will be on the dates given.

Curriculum Update for the Week of May 26, 2014:

Religion:  Continue Chapter 23- Catholic Christians respect and honor the religious faiths of all; Chapter 23 quiz on Thursday

Math:  Continue year in review:  Telling time; measurement; continue to review multiplication and division facts

Language Arts:  Review adjectives; Begin unit on adverbs;  Vocabulary Workshop:  Begin unit 8- completing the sentence, synonyms/antonyms and match the meaning;  Spelling test on Friday

Reading:  Guided Reading Group 1:  Continue to read and discuss The Lemonade War;  Group 2:  Continue to read and discuss Nim's Island;  Whole Group:  Finish close reading article on the grave of King Tut

Science:  Begin Chapter 9- Forms of energy and energy uses

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

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Welcome Back!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Thank you for checking in each week to see what our third graders will be studying each week.  I really appreciate your effort and support of "staying in the know".

This week will be a catch up week from last week's unexpected interruption.  Please see last week's Curriculum Update for the topics we will be covering.  While the lessons in each chapter have advanced, the chapters have not.

Lastly, the Unit 7 Vocabulary Workshop quiz will be given on Thursday and the Chapter 22 Religion quiz will be on Wednesday

Thank you for your patience and understanding of last week's cancellation of school.  This week should be much smoother and the temperatures are promising to be just perfect.  Thank you again for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

P.S.  I almost forgot-  The Third Grade class won the Junior Yard Competition for bringing in the most $ for the Jogathon!!!  We won "The Day with Mr. Guay"!  Yahoo!  Thank you to all of you for pushing us over the top.  We did it!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Happy Mother's Day to all our fabulous third grade moms.  I hope your day was special and filled with lots of hugs and kisses.  You all deserve a million!  I appreciate all you do for our class and for me.  I would seriously be lost without all of your help and support.  Thank you!!!!!

Please check the Curriculum Update below for this week's topics, tests or quizzes!

Curriculum Update for the Week of May 11, 2014:

Religion:  Continue Chapter 22-  Living out the Good News of Jesus Christ;  The Church works for peace and justice;  Chapter 22 Quiz on Friday

Math:  Quick Quiz on Rounding and estimating in addition and subtraction on Monday;  Two step word problems; properties of multiplication;  patterns in multiplication; the meaning of division

Language Arts:  Adjectives- articles, numbers, descriptive words; Vocabulary Workshop:  Review unit 7-  Unit 7 Quiz on Thursday;  No Spelling Test Friday

Reading:  Guided Reading Group 1:  Read chapters 1-6 of The Lemonade War  Group 2:  Finish reading and discussing Sarah, Plain and Tall;  Begin to read and discuss Nim's Island

Science:  Begin Chapter 8:  what is matter and the states of matter- solids, liquids and gases

Social Studies:  Continue Chapter 8:  Trading with the world; imports, exports, and international trade

Well, this is all for now.  Enjoy the rest of your Mother's Day Weekend!  I hope you are all being spoiled.

Lastly, thank you to Mrs. Goldman for organizing and setting up the First Holy Communion reception and thank you to all of you for your generosity and time to make the event so special for the second grade communicants.  Your support  helped to make the day a truly special event.

Have a fantastic week.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms.  EIleen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Dear Third Grade Parents,

What an amazing weekend of sunshine and fun.  I hope all of you are enjoying our early summer weather.

Please check the Curriculum Update below for this week's tests or quizzes.  Don't forget, this Wednesday is the Third Grade field trip to the Petco Park Science Day and Padres baseball game.  It should be a great day!  Please be sure to remind your child to turn in their permission slip and money tomorrow if they have not done so already.  Thank you!

Curriculum Update for the Week of May 4, 2014:

Religion:  Chapter 19 quiz on Tuesday;  Begin Chapter 22:  Jesus brings God's life and love to all people;  Jesus shares his mission with the Apostles; The Church works for justice and peace

Math:  Review of place value and rounding whole numbers;  Review of adding and subtracting three-digit numbers

Language Arts:  Possessive nouns;  Cumulative review of subjects, verbs, nouns and prepositions;  Vocabulary Workshop Unit 7- completing the sentence and synonyms/antonyms

Reading:  Guided Reading-  Group 1:  Finish reading and discussing The Hundred Dresses;  Group 2:  Continue to read and discuss Sarah, Plain and Tall;  Whole Group Reading:  Continue unit on Greek Mythology-  Read and discuss myth of Arachne

Science:  Review Chapter 7;  Chapter 7 test on Friday

Social Studies:  Famous American Report due Monday;  Continue Chapter 11-  Using resources, resources at work; factories- then and now

Art:  Continue Van Gogh painting project

I hope everyone has 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. Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Happy Easter!!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Happy Easter!!!!  I am looking forward to seeing all of my third graders and hearing all about their Easter vacation adventures.  I trust everyone enjoyed their time together while creating new memories to look back on with fondness.

This week will be a regular week with the exception of the  May Crowning on Friday at 10:45 followed immediately by mass.  Should there be any changes to this schedule, I will post them here.

I will not be posting a Curriculum Update for this week, but please know that there will be a Unit 6 Vocabulary Workshop Quiz on Thursday  and a spelling test on Friday.    The Third Grade Curriculum Update will continue to be posted beginning next week.

Lastly, please know that ALL schoolwork that was given in advance for extended vacations must be turned in on Monday.  Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Hallelujah!  He is Risen

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I just wanted to wish all of you a blessed Holy Week as we prepare for what is the biggest Christian holiday of the year.  If I do not see you before we dismiss for the Easter break, I hope all of you have a restful week and enjoy your family get togethers wherever they may be.  Safe travels to all of you!!

I would like to extend a BIG thank you to Mrs. Goldman and Mrs. Koresaar for helping the third graders transform our classroom into an "out of this world" environment.  Come by one morning to see the stars and planets that have fallen from the sky and have brightened up the classroom.  The classroom looks amazing!  I love it! 

Lastly, I just wanted to let you know the students have received templates for our next project, a famous American Report.  The guidelines are pretty self explanatory on the templates.  The only requirement is that all of the information must come from one biography book.  The internet may only be used for "extra" information such as pictures or fun facts.  The "Who Was…"  biography book series is a great resource in terms of finding the information your student needs.  The due date is May 5.  As always, please let me know should you have any questions with regards to this final project.

Please read through the Curriculum Update below.

Curriculum Update for the Week of April 14, 2014:

Religion:  Finish and review chapter 18;  Chapter 18 Quiz on Wednesday;  Holy Week Activities

Math:  Review of multiplication facts and division

Language Arts:  Begin grammar unit on nouns- common and proper nouns;  Writing:  Brainstorm ideas for Earth Day paragraph and begin rough draft;  Vocabulary Workshop:  Begin unit 6- learning the definitions in context and completing the sentences

Reading:  Both guided reading groups will be reading and discussing  The Hundred Dresses while in their separate reading groups;  Whole Group Instruction:  Read discuss the Greek Myth, "Atalanta the Huntress"

Social Studies:  Finish and review Chapter 10;  Chapter 10 Test on Thursday;  Begin to read Biography book for Famous American Report- Due May 5

Science:  Junior Yard Earth Day Themed centers on Tuesday morning;  Continue Chapter 7:  The Solar System- inner and outer planets; Earth's pattern of movement

Art:  The art of Vincent Van Gogh with a focus on, "The Sunflowers"

I hope all of you have a fantastic week.  Thank you for all you do to help and support Stella Maris Academy.  You truly make it an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless! 

Sincerely,

Ms Eileen Griffin

Your Third Grade Teacher

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I hope all is well.  I just wanted to remind all parents that tomorrow is a mass day and then the third graders will be celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation at 9:30 as well.  With these two visits to church at the start of our week, it can only be a fantastic start to the day and the week.

Tuesday will be the due date for all of the third graders Earth Day Recycled Art Projects.  I can hardly wait to see all of the projects and the clever ideas of our third graders.

Tuesday is promising to be an "out of this world" day.  Mrs. Goldman and Mrs. Koresaar have teamed up to create a few art projects to kick off our science unit of study on the universe and our solar system.  A BIG thank you to these creative ladies for taking my simple little ideas and making them into something I could only imagine.  It should be a fun afternoon of creativity, learning and possibly making a little mess.

Please be sure to  check this week's Curriculum Update below.  Thank you and enjoy the rest of your sunny weekend.

Curriculum Update for the Week of April 6, 2014:

Religion:  Begin Chapter 18- Celebrating Penance and Reconciliation: God is our Forgiving Father, the parts of the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Math:  Compare Units of Fractions; Introduce Equivalence;  Review division facts of 2, 3, 4, and 5

Language Arts:  Unit 5 Vocabulary Workshop Quiz tomorrow;  Continue review of verbs: helping and main verbs; Review subjects and verbs; Begin unit on Nouns;  Writing:  Begin brainstorming for Earth Day themed Paragraph;  Spelling Test on Friday

Reading:  Guided Reading Groups:  Group 1:  Finish reading and discussing "The Wizard of Oz";  Group 2:  Continue to read and Discuss "The Hundred Dresses"- Chapters 4-7;  Whole Group Reading:  Begin close reading of the Tall Tale, "John Henry" and another tall tale on "Stormalong and the Octopus"

Social Studies:  Continue chapter 10:  Read and discuss a short article on Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin; Freedom of Religion- the Pilgrims and the Puritans; Freedom for all- the Civil War and Equal rights for women

Science:  Begin chapter 7:  What is a star; The solar system - the inner planets and the outer planets

As you can see, there is a great deal of learning in third grade this week.  I am looking forward to it and I know the class will enjoy this week's topics.  Have a fantastic week and thank you for everything you do to help make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Curriculum Update!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

This Monday marks the first day of the fourth quarter.  Can you believe it?!?!?  Where has the time gone?  Time certainly does fly when you are having fun!

With the start of this new quarter, please be sure to go through your child's weekly work sent home each Monday.  Going through these papers is the best way to monitor your child's weekly progress and to avoid any surprises come report card time.  The second way to keep up is through Teacher Ease.  I try to update the grades every week, but every other week is my regular pattern.  This is why I say going through the weekly packet is the best way to know how your child is doing on their tests, quizzes and practice work.  Thank you!

Please check this week's Curriculum Update listed below.  Don't forget, this week's mass will be on Friday, not Monday.

Curriculum Update for the Week of March 30, 2014:

Religion:  Chapter 17 review;  Chapter 17 Quiz on Thursday- The parts of the mass: The Introductory Rites, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist and Concluding Rites

Math:  model fractions; locate fractions on a number line;  compare unit fractions;  compare Fractions; introduce equivalence

Reading:  Guided Reading Group 1:  Read and discuss chapters 8-14 of The Wizard of Oz;  Guided Reading Group 2:  Read and discuss chapters 1-3 of The Hundred Dresses;  Whole Group:  Continue Close Reading of "The Dove and the Ant"

Language Arts:  Verb Tenses- present, past and future; Vocabulary Workshop:  Continue unit 5- Test next Monday

Science:  Finish Chapter 6- weathering and erosion;  Chapter 6 Test on Friday

Social Studies:  Begin Chapter 10- Fighting for our freedoms- Spotlight on Cesar Chavez; The 13 colonies, freedom from England

Well, I hope all of you have a fantastic week.  Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.  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

Dear Third Grade Parents,
     Spring has officially arrived at last!!!  I love this time of year.  The extra hours of sunlight bring out an energy in the kids that is just plain contagious.  I am often amazed at just how motivated our third grade students can be and how willing they are to forge ahead and go the extra mile.  They are truly a great class!  I am so proud of them.

With a minimum day scheduled for this Wednesday and Friday, our final week of the third quarter is promising to be quiet in terms of activities.  However, there are three quizzes the students should be prepared for.  Please be sure to check the Curriculum Update Listed below.

Curriculum Update for the Week of March 24, 2014:

Religion:  Chapter 16 Quiz on Monday;  Begin Chapter 17:  The parts of the mass- Introductory Rites, The Liturgy of the Word and The Liturgy of the Eucharist

Math:  Continue to review multiplication facts; Begin Chapter:  Exploring Fractions;  Locate fractions on a number line; Model Fractions

Language Arts:  Continue to work on writing piece, "Three Things I Love About…";  Continue lessons on Verb tenses and Vocabulary  Workshop Unit 5;  Spelling test on Friday

Reading:  Continue to meet in Guided Reading Groups;  Group 1:  Begin to read and discuss The Wizard of Oz  Chapters 1-6;  Group 2:  Finish reading Peter Pan;  Whole Group reading lesson:  Read and discuss a CLose Reading passage titled "Spring"

Science:  Continue Chapter 6-  Weathering and Erosion;  Types of Landforms quiz on Friday

Social Studies:  Continue Chapter 9-  America's Landmarks, monuments and memorials

I would like to thank Mrs. Daley for her Art Literacy lesson on Paul Klee.  The students did a fantastic job creating their own pieces of art work inspired by Klee's unique artistic style.  I cannot wait for you to see them.  The artistic talent in our class is amazing!

Finally, I would also like to thank Mrs. Koresaar, Mrs. Goldman and Mrs. Stiko for creating a special project for the class last Friday.  Their Secret Reader session was a terrific time and we learned all about using the extra things we have at home to make something beautiful.  Thank you, Moms!  We had a great time!

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

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin

Curriculum Update

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I just wanted to quickly pop in to wish you a lucky week!  Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day and the third graders are able to wear their school uniforms with a little green add on to bring luck to their day.

Don't forget that this Thursday is Family Math Night.  It should be a great time for  math, friends and family.  I cannot wait to see what it is all about.  I hope to see you there!

I hope your weekend has been filled with plenty of sunshine and fun.  Please be sure to check the Curriculum Update to see what we are learning this week in the fabulous third grade.


Curriculum Update for the Week of March 17, 2014:

Religion:  Finish and review chapter 16-  Celebrating the Mass and Holy Days of Obligation;  Chapter 16 Quiz on Friday

Math:  Mathematical Practices; Tangrams; Review of multiplication facts 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Language Arts:  Grammar- irregular verbs; verb tenses; Vocabulary Workshop Unit 5- completing the sentence and synonyms and antonyms;  Spelling Test on Friday

Reading:   Guided Reading Group 1:  Continue Because of Winn-Dixie writing piece;  Begin to read and discuss chapters 1-3 of The Wizard of Oz; Guided Reading Group 2:  Continue to read and discuss Peter Pan

Social Studies:  Begin Chapter 9-  National and local symbols;  America's landmarks- the Statue of Liberty, the Capitol, the Washington Monument and various memorials

Science:  Continue chapter 6-  the layers of soil; landforms and the features of the Earth's surface

This week Mrs. Daley will come in for another amazing Art Literacy project.

I wish all of you a fantastic week.  Thank you for sharing your third graders with me every school day. I truly enjoy being a part of their lives as they bring their smiles and hugs to me every day.  It is a real treat!  Thank you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy a fabulous place to learn.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Lucky Third Grade Teacher

Dear Third Grade Parents,

         How blessed our we to enjoy two weekends in a row of perfect spring time weather?!?  I hope you all have enjoyed the great outdoors these last two days.  I know I have!

         This week is looking to be pretty quiet.  Please check the Curriculum Update below to see this week's exciting lessons.

Curriculum Update for the Week of March 10, 2014:

Religion:  This week we will begin Chapter 16 and focus on the meaning and journey of Lent

Math:  Quick Quiz tomorrow on Unit 6, lessons 1-4:  Recognizing Polygons;  Perimeter and Area; Compare Areas and Perimeters; Area of Rectilinear Figures; Solve Perimeter and Area

Language Arts:  Continue Irregular Verbs; Begin Vocabulary Workshop Unit 4

Reading:  Continue to meet in Guided Reading Groups- Group 1: Finish reading and discussing Because of Winn-Dixie;  Begin reading, The Wizard of Oz  Group 2:  Continue to read and discuss Peter Pan

Social Studies:  Review Chapter 8;  Chapter 8 Test on Wednesday!  (Please note the change in day)

Science:  Continue Chapter 6:  The different types of rocks and minerals; What is soil?, The different layers of soil and the kinds of soil

Art:  Continue Navajo weaving project

I hope everyone is out enjoying the beautiful sunshine.  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.

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Here comes the sun…?  I hope so.  Although the rain was a much needed blessing, rain can also be difficult to navigate on a school day.  Thankfully, the third graders handled the rain all in stride last week.  Hopefully, this week the sun will peek out so the Junior Yard, aka "Whoville", can celebrate the birthday of Dr. Suess in a most Suessical way.

Tomorrow morning the entire Junior Yard will work together and rotate throughout the different classrooms to focus on six different Dr. Suess books.  The third grade classroom will focus on Bartholomew and the Ooblek.  Don't know what "oobleck" is? Well, you will just have to wait until tomorrow and learn all about it from your third grader. Tomorrow is sure to be a great day.  I can hardly wait!

In addition to our Dr. Suess day, the third and second grade classes will be hosting the all school mass this Friday.  Please be sure to come celebrate this special mass with us!

Please see this week's Curriculum Update listed below.

Curriculum Update for the Week of March 3, 2014:

Religion:  Continue Chapter 5- Holy Orders and Matrimony: The Sacraments of Service;  Chapter 5 Quiz on Friday;  All School Mass hosted by 2nd and 3rd grade this Friday

Math:  Begin Chapter 6- Triangles;  Parallelograms; Quadrilaterals; Perimeter and Area

Language Arts:  Grammar:  Verb phrases; The Predicate and Subject of a Sentence; Vocabulary Workshop: Word Association;  Word Study and Word Families;  Unit 4 Vocabulary Workshop Quiz on Thursday

Reading:  Continue Guided reading groups;  Group 1:  Read and discuss Because of Winn Dixie;  Group 2:  Read and discuss Peter Pan

Social Studies:  Continue Chapter 8:  The roles of a citizen; Citizens who serve; Terms:  election, ballot, jury, common good, public service;  Chapter 8 Test next Tuesday

Science:  Continue Chapter 6:  Minerals and Rocks;  Identifying minerals and rock groups

I hope all of you have a fantastic week.  Thank you for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  It truly is the best school in San Diego!  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,
Ms. Griffin                                                                        

Your Third Grade Teacher








"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?"

                                          -  Dr. Suess

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I hope you are all well and enjoyed the sunny weekend.  This week in third grade is promising to be a quiet one in terms of tests and quizzes.  We will however, continue to be as busy as ever working hard to learn all we can from one another.  Please see the Curriculum Update below to see what this week has in store for us.

Curriculum Update for the Week of February 24, 2014:

Religion:  Begin Chapter 15:  The celebration of the Sacraments- Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist are the Sacraments of Initiation; The Sacraments of Healing- Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick; The Sacraments of Service to Others- Holy Orders, and the Sacrament of Marriage

Math:  Equations and two step word problems; practice with two step word problems; focus on mathematical practices;  Quick Quiz on Thursday

Grammar:  Irregular Verbs, Helping Verbs and Verb Phrases;  Vocabulary Workshop:  Continue unit 4-  Match the meaning, synonyms and antonyms;

Reading:  Continue Guided Reading Groups-  Group 1:  Read and discuss chapters 15-21 of Because of Winn-Dixie;  Group 2:  Read and Discuss chapters 4-7 of Peter Pan

Social Studies:  Begin chapter 8- Citizenship:  Being a good citizen and the roles of a citizen

Science:  Continue chapter 6-  Weather and Climate;  The different types of rocks and minerals

Well, this is all for now.  Enjoy the remaining hours of our warm, San Diego Sunshine!  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy the amazing school it is.  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,
Ms.  Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Happy Presidents' Day !!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

There is nothing like a four day weekend to re-charge the batteries and help to prepare for another great week of learning.  I trust everyone had a terrific weekend of fun and relaxation in the lovely San Diego sunshine.  I know I did.

Here is this week's Curriculum Update.  Please note that I moved last week's Social Studies Chapter 7 Test to this Wednesday.  I just felt with three tests in Religion, Science and Spelling, adding one more was just too much.  Please be sure to review the Chapter 7 lessons with your third grader.  Thank you!

Curriculum Update for the Week of February 17, 2014:

Religion:  Continue Chapter 12- God calls people to be holy;  Introduce the terms: poverty, chastity and obedience;  Chapter 12 Quiz on Friday

Math:  Word problems with Extra or hidden information; Write first step questions for 2 step problems; Solve two step word problems; Equations and 2 step word problems

Reading:  Whole group:  Read, discuss and complete comprehension activities for a Winter Games selection;  Guided Reading Group 1:  Continue to read and discuss Because of Winn Dixie- chapters 9-13;  Guided Reading Group 2:  Begin to read and discuss Peter Pan- chapters 1-5 (I cannot wait to read this with my third graders.  It is one of my all time favorite stories with great imagination)

Social Studies:  Review Chapter 7;  Chapter 7 Test on Wednesday;  Begin Chapter 8:  Citizenship

Science:  Begin Chapter 6:  Earth and Weather;  The Water Cycle; Weather and climate

Language Arts:  Continue to study verbs; Continue to work on facts and opinions;  Begin Fact and opinion writing piece, "There's No Place Like Home";  Spelling test on Friday

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

Sincerely,
Ms.  Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Hooray for Hollywood….!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

What a pleasure it was to see and chat with so many of you at this weekend's SMA Gala!  Holy cow, SMA really knows how to come together and celebrate our school. I LOVE it!!!  Thank you for your generosity in support of our fabulous school and all of its amazing programs.  I am so proud to be a part this community.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to Mrs. Goldman and Mrs. Stiko for helping to create our lovely class project!!!!  Your creativity is inspiring.

This week the third graders and I will be busy preparing for a few chapter tests.  Please review the Curriculum Update below to ensure you and your child are aware of test dates.  All study guides should be in your their three ring binder under the appropriate subject.


Curriculum Update for the Week of February 9, 2014:


Religion:  Review Chapter 11; Chapter 11 Quiz on Tuesday;  Begin Chapter 12:  God Calls us to Holiness; Vocations to the religious life or to ministries of lay service

Math:  Word problems with unknown addends or unknown factors;  Word problems with unknown starts;  Comparison problems;  Comparison problems with misleading language

Language Arts:  What is a fact and what is an opinion?  Begin opinion writing piece- There's no place like home

Reading:  Guided reading group 1:  Continue to read, discuss and complete comprehension activities for Because of Winn-Dixie;  Group 2: Continue to read, discuss and complete comprehension activities for Ramona Quimby, Age 8;  Whole Group reading:  Complete Close reading article on the Winter Games.

Science:  Final Chapter 5 Review;  Chapter 5 Test on Thursday

Social Studies:  Final Chapter 7 Review;  Chapter 7 Test on Wednesday

Art:  Continue Native American burlap weaving project

I realize this is a big week for tests.  If I find the class is just overwhelmed from studying, I will move the Science test to next Tuesday.  I promise to let you know by this Tuesday via the Homework planner.


I hope all of you had a restful weekend.  Thank you again for your support of SMA at this year's gala.  You are an amazing group of parents!  Take care and God bless.

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third grade Teacher

Go Team USA!!!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Last week's Catholic Schools' Week was a great success.  Thank you to all of you for your continued support and dedication.  It is only with your help that SMA is able to accomplish all it does.  Thank you!

I especially want to thank you for making Teacher Appreciation Day so special.  I had a fantastic day and I absolutely love my clothespin plaque.  It is amazingly precious and I will treasure it always.  I also enjoyed running down to my favorite Kate Spade store to pick out a sweet ice cream themed pouch to help keep my handbag organized.  Thank you for the gift card that allowed me to do so!!!!  You definitely know my weakness.

This week should be a bit calmer.  Please be sure to review this week's Curriculum Update as there are a few tests and quizzes that are scheduled for the upcoming weeks.

Curriculum Update for the Week of February 2, 2014:

Religion:  Continue chapter 11:  The people who serve our parish- pastor, deacon, lectors and altar servers;  parish outreach; worshipping together;  Chapter 11 Quiz next Tuesday

Math:  Solve word problems using addition and subtraction; Word problems with unknown addends or unknown factors; word problems with unknown starts; comparison problems; review multiplication facts

Reading:  Close reading lessons focus on winter olympic topics; Guided reading group 1:  Finish reading Pippi Longstocking and begin Because of Winn Dixie;  Guided reading group 2:  Continue to read and discuss  Ramon Quimby, Age 8

Social Sutdies:  Continue Chapter 7- the local government in California; the services provided by the local government;  Chapter 7 Test next Wednesday

Science:  Finish chapter 5:  how ecosystems change, adaptations;  Chapter 5 Test next Friday

Language Arts:  Continue grammar unit on verbs; Valentine's Day themed idioms

Art:  Native American burlap weaving

Well, that is all for now.  I hope all of you are enjoying your Super Bowl Sunday wherever you are.  Thank you for all  you do to help make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Happy Catholic Schools Week!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

It's baaaaaaack!  Catholic Schools Week has arrived and from what I hear, SMA celebrates the week in style.  I am excited to be a part of this event and to experience it first hand.  Thank you to all of you who have been busy behind the scenes to ensure this week is a great success.  You rock!!!!

In case you have not yet heard, I am asking each student to bring in their own 3-ring binder that is 1 1/2 inches wide.  The students will also need at least 5 subject dividers.  This is to begin the process of organizing our subject study guides and notes so that when tests or quizzes are assigned, there is only one place to look to find just what is needed.  Thank you for helping to make this happen!

I am posting this week's Curriculum Update with the disclaimer that some material may be pushed back depending upon our week's special events.  Thank you in advance for your patience!

Curriculum Update for the Week of January 27, 2014:

Religion:  Chapter 10 Quiz on Tuesday;  Begin Chapter 11- belonging to a parish and making it our home; the people who serve our parish- pastor, deacons, Eucharistic Ministers and altar servers

Math:  Review adding and subtracting three digit numbers with regrouping;  Quick quiz on Thursday- subtraction with regrouping

Reading:  This week we will focus on our guided reading groups:  Group 1- Read and discuss Pippi Longstocking chapters 8-11;  Group 2- read and discuss chapters 5- 7 of Ramona Quimby, Age 8;  Both guided reading groups will have comprehension activities to be completed in class.

Social Studies:  Continue chapter 7- the three levels of the government and the government of cities and towns

Science:  Continue chapter 5- how living things get energy, producers and consumers; how ecosystems change and the causes of an ecosystem change;  Animal Research Project due Friday

Language Arts:  Grammar:  Review when to use:  it's, its, they're, there, their, you're, your, can and may;  Begin unit on Action Verbs;  Vocabulary Workshop: Review Unit 3:  Unit 3 test on Friday

No spelling test this week!!

 I hope all of you had a restful weekend!!!  I look forward to seeing you throughout this week's events. Thank you for all you do to help make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I just wanted to quickly check in to post this week's Curriculum Update.  I hope everyone enjoyed this special three day weekend in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.  The San Diego sunshine made for a lovely weekend of outdoor fun, I am sure.

I would like to thank our recent Secret Readers, Mr. Anaiz, Mrs. Cunnigham, Mrs. Vizcarra and Mrs. FitzCluster.   They have  generously given their time and have shared some fun and entertaining picture books.  Thank you, parents.  Your children are always so proud to share you with their classmates.

Please be sure to review this week's Curriculum Update to see what is in store for your third grader!

Curriculum Update for the Week of January 20, 2014:

Religion: Continue chapter 10-- Jesus teaches the Apostles to pray; the different types of prayer;  chapter 10 review- Chapter 10 quiz next Tuesday 

Math:  Continue chapter 4:  subtract across zero;  review and practice addition and subtraction; Quick quiz Thursday

Reading:  Begin Fairy Tale Unit:  Read and discuss "The Emperor's New Clothes" and complete comprehension exercises;  Comprehension test on Friday; Guided Reading Groups:  Group 1: Read and discuss chapters 7-8 of Pippi Longstocking;  Group 2:  Read and discuss chapter 4-5 of Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Language Arts:  Grammar:  Continue study of contractions;  Review figurative language- idioms and their use in the English Language; Spelling Test on Friday

Social Studies:  Begin chapter 7:  Rules and laws of our community and the government

Science:  Begin chapter 5:  Ecosystems-  What is an ecosystem?

Have a fantastic week of sunshine!  Please be on the look out for your child's report card.  They will go home this Friday.  Thank you for all you do to make Stella Maris Academy an amazing place to learn.  Take care and God bless!