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!

Weekly Update

Dear Third Grade Parents,

I want to share with you just how proud I am of our third grade class.  The students worked so hard this first week back from Christmas vacation.  They were able to complete all of the lessons I had prepared for them and even completed a few of them a few minutes early to earn a little bit of "free time" in the classroom and on the playground.  I was very impressed by their diligence this week and I am looking forward to another great week of learning.

This week Ms. Seres and I will be leading the class through some team building activities.  It is our hope these activities will build a stronger sense of community amongst classmates and to create a  positive environment conducive to the learning needs of others.  More details will follow as we progress through the activities.

This is the last week of the second quarter grading period.  Any remaining work to be completed from before the Christmas vacation, must be completed and turned in by Monday, January 13th.  This will ensure the work is included in the second quarter grade book.  Thank you for your assistance in helping your third grader complete the activities.

Please review this week's Curriculum Update in order to help your third grader prepare for any and all upcoming tests and quizzes.

Curriculum Update for the Week of January 13, 1014:

Religion:  Finish Chapter 9 and review for the Chapter 9 Quiz on Wednesday;  Begin Chapter 10:  Jesus teaches his followers how to pray

Math:  Round to the Nearest Ten;  Quick Quiz on Chapter 4,  lessons 1-6 on Tuesday;  Explore Multi-digit Addition; The Grouping Concept in Addition; Addition Practice

Reading:  Read and discuss "Penguins" selection;  Complete comprehension exercises, Comprehension Test on Friday;  Guided Reading Groups:  Group 1: Continue to read and discuss Pippi Longstocking- chapters 5-8;
Group 2:  Continue to read and discuss Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Social Studies:  Continue unit on Native American Tribes-  The Cherokee and The Cheyenne

Science:  Finish and review Chapter 4:  The Life Cycles of Some Animals;  Chapter 4 Test on Friday;  Students are to continue to work on their animal research report

Language Arts:  Grammar:  Continue unit on contractions- "your" and "you're", "they're", "their" and "there"; Vocabulary Workshop:  Continue unit 3- choose the correct verb, synonyms and antonyms

As you can see, this week will be busy with end of unit/chapter quizzes and tests.  To help ease the homework load a little, the weekly spelling test will be pushed back to next Monday, January 20th.

I hope all of you have a fantastic week of sunshine and smiles.  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 New Year!!!!!

Dear Third Grade Parents,

Happy New Year!!!!  I trust everyone had a fantastic holiday break and enjoyed some classic, holiday family time.  I know I did!  I feel well rested and energized to make 2014 an amazing year of learning and adventure.  It's going to be great.  I am really looking forward to seeing all of my third graders and creating some new memories to add to our growing collection.  I hope they are excited too.


I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your generosity during the Christmas Season.  I am truly overwhelmed.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!!!!!!!


This week will be a busy week of learning, but I am certain my third graders are ready to get down to business.  Please review the Curriculum Update below to see what this week will hold.

Curriculum Update for the Week of January 6, 2014:

Religion:  Begin Chapter 9- The Church is the body of Christ;  The Church continues to teach the true message of the Jesus

Math:  Begin Unit 4:  Make place value drawings;  build numbers; practice with place value; place value in word problems;  rounding to the nearest hundred

Reading:  Read and discuss the story "City Critters" and complete comprehension activities to complement the selection;  Guided Reading Groups-  Read and discuss January themed articles of interest.

Science:  Begin Chapter 4-  Living Things:  Classifying animals; How animal offspring are like their parents

Social Studies:  Continue unit on Native Americans and the different tribes of North America; Daily Geography

Language Arts:  Finish contractions as verbs;  Begin Vocabulary Workshop Unit 3; Spelling test on Friday! 

Please be on the look out for any and all work your third grader may have missed in December due to sickness or early Christmas vacation plans.  I will be sending the missing work home on Monday and Tuesday to ensure all graded work is completed in time for the quarter's end.  Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

I hope you all have a fantastic week!  I am looking forward to the start of an amazing week.  Take care and God bless!

Sincerely,
Ms. Eileen Griffin
Your Third Grade Teacher