News

February 2-  Here we are at the halfway mark of the school year! It's so hard to believe.  We have a few new units on the horizon, so I am sending some info about what we will be doing this month!

-In math, we have finished up with the N9, N5, N6 and N8 outcomes that mostly cover working with adding and subtracting of three digit numbers. I would like to stress how important it is that your child has a quick recall of basic addition and subtraction facts. When we are doing multi-step math, such as regrouping, fast and accurate recall really helps them along.  Tomorrow I will be sending home the work we did from these units with comments so you know how your child is doing. Please look for this package in the backpacks! This month we will begin the N10 and N11 outcomes, which cover multiplication and division.  Students are not required to memorize times tables in grade 3 and only work with facts with products up to 36.  Please take a look at the math tab to read more about these outcomes.

-Our Realistic Fiction writing unit is coming to a close.  The students are busy this week publishing their chosen story.  After publishing, we will share our stories with other classes.  The next writing unit we will start, is Information Writing.  In this unit, students learn to write  non-fiction stories about a topic they already know well. They learn the purpose is to teach others. Please see more under the writing tab for more on this unit.

-In reading, we are also moving into non-fiction.  This is a unit most students love! We will be reading lots of non-fiction books so be prepared to be peppered with interesting facts about random topics at home!  The focus for this unit is understanding and using text features.  Students will spend time learning how text features can help them to find and retain the information they read about.  We will also be learning about how to find the main idea and supporting details in non-fiction books.

-We will soon be finished with our social studies work and will be moving into some science! I usually start with a unit on magnets and we will do some  hands on work at school to explore magnetism. 

-Over past month and into February, we have a number of visitors to the class from different programs.  In January we had a visit from the PEI Milk Association, to learn more about where milk comes from.  Last week and today, we are having Abby visit us to speak about the "Thumbody" program.  This program teaches us about the importance of mental health and understanding our feelings.  Later this month, we will also have a visitor joining us from the Junior Achievers program.  During her presentation, the students will learn a little bit about how our econonmy generates money and how money cycles through vendors, employers and employees.  I have been so proud of the respect our class has shown towards the visitors we have had so far.

-On Thursday, February 12th, we will have a Valentines card exchange in class.  The list of names is as follows:

Cylus, Frankie, Elliyah, Thea, Harold, Madelyn, Asher, Violet, Sophia, Whittaker, Gage, Arleigh, Sage, Cedar, Grayson, Noah, Ayla, Alora

If you have any questions about what we are doing in grade 3, please reach out anytime! Take care- Tiffany 

January 5- Happy New Year everyone! I hope the holidays were restful.  We were happy to be back in the class today seeing friends and picking up where we left off in December.  Just a few things to start 2026 with...

-Today I will be sending home a green slip of paper for a January pizza order. Please note orders are due Jan. 16th and the pizza day will be Jan. 23.

-In math we are moving into the N8 outcome.  This outcome teaches students more about adding and subtracting with triple digits.  I will be teaching the traditional horizontal method, with regrouping but the aim of the outcome is for students to ultimately draw from a variety of strategies.  This outcome also includes work with both solving and creating story problems.  You can see more about this outcome under the math tab. Continuing to practice skip counting by 2, 5, 10, 3 and 4 will go a long way once we start our mulitiplication unit!

-The focus for both reading and writing is a continuation of where we left off.  Students are still working their way through creating Realistic Fiction stories.  Within this writing unit, we will learn more about the mechanics of using quotation marks and the importance of balancing using dialogue in a story.  I tell them that using dialogue is like using salt...too much and it ruins the story (or food), not enough and the story (or food) is bland.  Our reading strategy is focusing on solving multisyllabic words. We are learning to solve longer words by considering each syllable and then blending them back together.

That's all for now! Please remember to send your child with gloves, a hat and snowpants...it's very chilly out there! Take care- Tiffany

November 25- Good day everyone! Here we are at the end of another month!  I very much enjoyed connecting with parents last week and sharing the grade 3 successes we have experienced so far 😊.  A few new units of study are starting up this week, so here is some information about what we will be learning:

-In math, we will be covering the N5, N6 and N7 outcomes.  These outcomes involve mental math strategies for adding, subtracting and estimating double digit numbers.  The focus in on mental math, not the traditional horizontal equation with cross outs for regrouping.  I am going to include some helpful videos here so parents get a glimpse into the strategies.  I know  I wasn't taught like this back in the day! Just click on the blue text to get to a video.  Also, check out these outcomes under the math tab for more information and activities to try at home.

Addition- Make 10 and Compensate Strategy      and   Left to Right Strategy

Subtraction- Think Addition for Subtraction Strategy   and   Compensation Strategy

-In writing, we will move on to the next unit, Realistic Fiction.  This is a fun and exciting writing unit that gets students flexing their creative writing skills. Students will learn how to develop a fictional character and take them on a journey up the story mountain to experience a problem and resolve it by the end of their story.  The Realistic Fiction unit continues the revision learning they started in the first term and also lends well to practicing more dialogue in writing.

-In our Social Studies unit we are continuing our exploration of Atlantic Canada.  We are learning about this specific region of Canada, it's landforms, agriculture and bodies of water.  We will also take a deep dive into the culture of PEI. Ask your child where we went on out virtual fieldtrip today!

-Fundations is ticking along! Be sure to look for homework that goes home to review concepts taught, but please keep in mind this is considered optional review work.

That's all for now! Take care and reach out if you have any questions- Tiffany

November 14- Hi Everyone! Just a few quick updates to send along...

-On Tuesday, Nov. 18 we will be going to the book fair to preview the selection. On Wednesday, Nov. 19, students will be able to purchase books.  The fair will also be open during parent teacher times if you would like to stop by.

-In math we are working on metal math skills for solving basic addition and subtraction facts.  In grade 3, students are expected to know their doubles facts so that we can build on them  and use them to quickly solve other facts.  For example, if we know 6+6=12, we can solve 6+7 by thinking 6+6+1.  We can also solve 6+8 by thinking of 6+6+2.  The students are becoming more aware of the commutative property or "turn around facts".  If we know 5+3=8, we also know 3+5=8.  We also start thinking about addition facts as a quick way to solve those sometimes tricky subtraction facts.  So to solve 13-7, we can think  7+?= 13.  For fun ways to practice facts at home, check out the N9 outcome under the math tab.

-Students have chosen a special writing piece to take to the very end of the writing process! Students have been busy this week publishing a story to show off at parent teacher interviews.  I am so proud of how much their writing has improved already!

-We have almost finished reading "Because of Winn Dixie".  Students love discussing the themes encountered in this book and sharing their own personal connections.  We are also paying close attention to the character development of the protagonist as well as the role of the secondary characters.  Students are encouraged to apply similar thinking to their own independent reading.  Our next novel is called "Dyamond Daniels" and we will do some comparing and contrasting between the main characters of these two novels.

-Just a reminder that the cold weather is upon us! The K-3 playground is particularly windy on most days.  Hats and mitts and a warm jacket go a long way to keeping the kids happy outside.

If you have any questions about what we are doing in grade 3, please reach out!- Tiffany

October 26-  Good afternoon families!  We almost have more leaves on the ground than in the trees!  Just a few updates to keep you in the loop as we near the end of the month:

-In math we are working through the N1 outcome which focuses on skip counting.  Although students have been introduced to skip counting in previous grades, in grade 3 we learn how to skip count forwards and backwards to 1000 by 5, 10, and 100, starting on any number.  This means students have to start paying attention to the patterns in place value.  We also learn to count on and back by 25 (starting on multiples of 25), 3, and 4.  Skip counting skills are foundational for understanding multiplication, which will be introduced later this year.  Try to build skip counting into games at home, passing time in the car, or everyday activities at home.  Look up the N1 outcome for ideas under the math tab!

-Our True Story writing is coming along nicely! A big focus for writing in grade 3 is the writing process, especially revision.  Students are learning to write their stories in an organized sequence, use interesting transition words (to get away from "and then", "and then", "and then"), use dialogue, and spend most of their writing time on the heart of the story.  Once the ir first draft has been written, they use post it notes to revise areas that they could "level up" with a little more attention.  I have been having so much fun reading about their past experiences and sharing my stories from childhood as well!

-We have now started our "Character Studies" unit in reading.  This unit begins with the sharing of the beloved novel, "Because of Winn Dixie".  I have read this story year after year and always enjoy watching the students fall in love with the loveable furry character, Winn Dixie.  Students will learn important strategies for reading longer stories like realistic fiction novels, such as noticing how what the main character does and says tells us about her, how secondary characters play an important role, and how to keep track of the story line as we read a story over an extended period of time.  There is more information about this unit under "Reading" in the literacy tab.

-During our Humanities time, we have been focusing on mapping skills.  Next, we will be learning more about aspects of life in Atlantic Canada.

-Fundations is rolling along.  We are currently in the middle of unit 2, learning about suffixes.  As always, I look to see how students carry over the knowledge into their "real life" writing.  That is to say,  remembering these rules in isolation for unit tests is really only part of it.  Being able to apply what they know about phonics to their everyday reading in writing is the point, and I try to encourage that cross over of skills daily.

-Finally, I have three things outside of curriculum to note:

1. Thursday we will have a "Backwards Day" in grade 3 as a reward for students going the extra mile to create a positive classroom culture.  Students are looking forward to doing activities out of order that day, and can wear clothing backwards if they'd like.

2. On Monday I will be sending home permission forms for the annual Remembrance Day poster contest.  Please note that I can not pass in your child's poster without the form.  Posters will be passed in on Nov. 3.

3.  With Friday being Halloween, students are welcome to wear costumes to school.  As usual, masks and weapons are not permitted.  I am asking families to NOT send in treats on Halloween.  The Home and School will be providing a yummy treat that day and we will all get our fill of sugar in the evening!

Please reach out if you have any questions about what we are doing in grade 3!  Take care- Tiffany

October 16-  Hi everyone, Happy October!  Our little province is bursting with colours this month! We have been outside together as a class enjoying the fall colours and collecting leaves and fall items for a couple of art projects that were sent home.

Just a quick note about some work you will see come home tomorrow.  We have completed our N2, N3 and N4 math units, so tomorrow I will be sending home the collection of worksheets that went along with these units along with a comment as to how your child is getting along so far in math.  Please note that along with the worksheets you will see we do a LOT of other math activities together in class.  These activities include daily whole group work/practice on individual whiteboards, small group work with me, as well as a multitude of hands on math games to play with a partner or small group.  Playing hands on games with dice, cards, spinners etc. is a fun and interactive way for students to get comfortable with new concepts being taught.  Online math games don't fit in with my teaching philosophy, so we don't use math websites in class.  After students have had lots of practice, we show what we know on worksheets, which is what you will see come home tomorrow.  Math concepts will constantly be reviewed throughout the year, giving your child a full year of opportunity to solidify their learning.  If you have any questions about your child's math learning, please feel free to reach out!

Take care- Tiffany

September 29-   Hello everyone! On Wednesday I will be sending home a package of work that we call "morning work".  I just wanted to explain to you ahead of time, what this work is.  

When students arrive at school, they have a morning routine to get them settled into the day.  They are reminded to have their water bottles and homework bags in the classroom, use the washroom if needed, sharpen a pencil and exchange books for reading time/ reading homework.  The children have very quickly picked up on this daily routine 🙂.  

Their next step is to sit in their seat and start their “morning work”, which is a worksheet that reviews concepts that have been taught.  They are expected to try their best and finish what they can. Throughout the day and the rest of the week, they are reminded to finish any outstanding morning work if they have some free time before they colour, draw or do other free time activities.  Not every worksheet will get completed, and that’s ok.  If I feel  enough work is not being completed because your child is wasting time,  I will let you know.  If incomplete worksheets come home and you want your child to finish them, that is entirely up to you but not required.

We have been doing this routine since the beginning of September but this is the first package of morning work I am sending home because I wanted to give the students some time to settle into the expectation. I collect morning work every Friday and it goes home the following week.  This batch happens to be math, but that changes throughout the year.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out! - Tiffany

September 22-  Greetings from Grade 3! We have had a wonderful first month together at SKC! I am starting to feel like one of the gang with this group :) The kindness and caring that these students show one another on a daily basis is truly special! We have taken September to ease back into school, learn some new routines, and warm up our learning muscles after the summer break. We are really ready to roll now, so here is what's happening...

-In math, we have been focusing on the N2 and N4 outcomes which involves representing numbers in different ways and learning what 1000 looks like.  Ask your child how many hundrends make 1000, how many tens make 1000, and how many ones make 1000. For more details on these outcomes, check our math tab at the top. We are going to start the N3 and N1 outcomes next, which teaches using place value to compare and order numbers and the N1 gets into skip counting.  Skip counting will lay the foundation for mulitplication and division later in the grade 3 year. 

-Today we launched the first official writing unit "Crafting True Stories".  In this unit, students are introduced to the use of a Writer's Notebook.  The Writer's Notebook will become our place to keep writing ideas, try out different ideas, draft stories, and practice revising.  Today they were so excited to get their notebooks and create their own personal "shields" to decorate the front page. You can ask your student what they put on their shield and what their writing goals for grade 3 are.  One student's goal is to write a chapter book, and another student shared that they would like to know how to stretch their writing out more.  During this first unit, students will write true stories that really happened to them. Sometimes we call these stories "retells". We will learn some strategies for coming up with ideas for these stories, focus on clear beginning, middle and ends to our stories, and learn how to focus our writing to bring the most important parts to life!  For more information about this writing unit, check out the writing tab.

-During our reading time, we have been practicing the routines of the Reader's Workshop time.  During this time, we have been revisiting strategies for being independent readers such as book choice, how to tell if a book is just right, when to abandon a book, and expectations for independent reading time.  Now that the students are able to sustain independent reading for 25 minutes, I have begun guided reading groups.  Guided reading allows me to read with small groups of students and target the reading skills they need to continue to grow as readers.  Next week, we will begin our first reading unit, "Character Studies".  For more information about this unit, check out the reading tab.

-Social studies is our first subject in Humanities.  In grade 3, we spend time learning mapping skills, and trying to get a sense for where PEI is located in Canada.  Time is spent learning about our PEI culture by looking at elements such as history, arts, dance, food and language.  

-Fundations has begun! Woo-hoo! I can feel the excitement!  We spent a week doing a quick refresh and now we have begun Unit 1.  The program will run similarily to past years. Most units take 2 weeks to cover and has a check-in at the end to see if futher teaching or review is needed before we move on.  I will be sending Fundations "homework" home, but I consider this work to be optional extra-practice. 

-Last but not least, we have filled out class marble jar for the first time! This means we will have a class reward in the very near future.  Stay tuned!

That's all for now, if you have any questions about what we are doing in grade 3, please feel free to reach out! Take care- Tiffany

September 10-  Hello everyone! I hope you have all been settling into the school routine now that we are almost a week in.  We are moving and grooving in Grade 3! The students are doing an exceptional job with learning the expectations of the classroom, figuring out where things go, and rising to the demands of listening and focusing throughout the day. I am one lucky teacher!  

This is just a quick note to let you know a few things:

-We will have our first fieldtrip on September 19th.  This is a half day fieldtrip where we travel to several farms in the area to learn about agriculture.   There will be a permission form coming home today with all of the details.

-Cross country has begun and grade 3 is the first year students can join.  There are many excited students in the class who have signed up.  Cross country involves almost daily runs at first recess, taking part in the district race (held at SKC) and possibly going on to provincials in Mill River.  For more information about cross country, please contact Mr. Bell or Mrs. Campbell.

-Homework will begin next week.  In grade 3 homework consists of 15 minutes of reading each evening. I do not require students to fill out a reading log or have parents sign anything.  A big focus for reading in grade 3 is learning to choose a "just right book", so I don't monitor or choose the books students choose for home reading. I give advice and suggestions while they choose books, but I prefer to mimic the experience of going to the library and choosing a book for enjoyment.  Sometimes the books they choose will be better shared with a parent or read by a parent, and that's okay too. If your child has a book from home or local library they prefer to read, that is also okay.  If you are finding the selection unsuitable, please let me know!  Fundations homework will not begin for another couple of weeks, because we are starting with a review in class. When we are ready to begin Unit 1, I will send an email to let you know to expect the home practice.

Take care and please feel free to reach out at anytime- Tiffany

September 3- Congratulations! You made it to our Grade 3 website!  As explained in the Welcome to Grade 3 email, this is the place where I will be posting news and information about what's happening in grade 3.  I do not post school wide news and reminders here, as it is just too difficult for me to keep on top of it.  For school news, make sure to visit the SKC website or Facebook page.

To get the ball rolling, we will be engaging in some activities to get the students back in to the routines at school.  We will review some concepts from Grade 2 during our math lessons and then begin with the  3N1 and 3N2 outcomes in math.  To become familiar with these outcomes and see how you can help your child at home, please check out the math tab on this website.

I am going to combine the reading and writing to get us started in the first 2-3 weeks.  We are going to explore the well loved authors Robert Munsch and Kevin Henkes during our reading time and use these stories to springboard into writing about our own personal experiences.  This unit will also give us a chance to practice the expectations during reading and writing time and refamiliarize the students with writing conventions (letter formation, spelling, punctuation, complete sentences).

Our afternoons are mostly comprised of  Fundations, Humanities, Gym/Music, Read Aloud of class novel and flex time.

Please check out the home tab on this website to learn more about homework expectations in grade 3.  When homework gets started  I will send out more information.

Reminders- Please make sure your child has a water bottle and headphones (dollar store brand works great).  We have 1 microwave in the class for heating lunches.  Please note I do not have condiments or bowls/plates for the students and the kitchen also does not supply these.

That's it for now, but if you have any questions about what's happening in grade 3, please get in touch!-Tiffany