Classroom Updates

March 2-13th

Math- We have successfully finished our last chapter on area and perimeter. Students took their chapter test this week and we look forward to sharing their results with you in our upcoming conferences. Chapter 7 will be our fractions unit! Students will explore how whole numbers can be divided into equal parts. They will also learn to identify, model, and compare fractions using visual models such as fraction circles, number lines, and area models. Students will practice understanding fractions like 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 as parts of a whole and begin to recognize equivalent fractions. Through hands-on activities, games, and real-world examples, students will build a strong foundation in fraction concepts while strengthening their problem-solving and mathematical reasoning skills.

Literacy-Our fairytale unit is in full swing! Over the last few weeks, we have read multiple fairytales and learned about their elements, including good vs. evil, magic, royalty, and the "power of 3." After being exposed to classic fairytales, we compared them to "fractured" versions of those stories where something about the characters, point of view, setting, or problem/solution was changed. Some of the stories that we read include Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Little Pigs, Rumpelstiltskin, and The Princess and the Pea. Next week, students will start writing thier original fairy tales from all the learned components.

Social Studies- Students have been presenting thier slide shows on either their influencal black American or President. We have been very impressed with how serious the 3rd graders have taken this project. Please ask your child who their report is on and what they have learned during their research!

Hebrew - I Hebrew we continue learning Hebrew prepositions, such as לך, לכם, לנו, and more. Students are practicing how to use these words correctly to show who they are speaking to or who they are addressing, including distinguishing between masculine- זכר and feminine- נקבה, singular - יחיד and plural- רבים forms. They are also learning new verbs and vocabulary words to expand their Hebrew language skills.

Judaics- In Judaics we learned about Purim and its customs and mitzvot. Students learned about the Mishkan and the special clothing of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) during our Parashat HaShavua lessons. We reviewed the 10 Commandments and the vessels made to be used in the Mishkan. Students continued working on Chumash skills by learning about parts of words and being able to identify the techilit (prefix) and shem etzem (noun) in a word.

February 9th-27th

Literacy- During this past week we kick off our fairytale unit during our reading and writing blocks! We are reading a variety of fairy tales and discussing their unique story components including good vs. evil, enchanted settings, the use of magic, the “power of 3’s” and the moral of the story. We also will dive into how fairytales originated and have been passed through genterations. During the upcoming weeks, students will begin composing their original fairy tale using components learned. We can’t wait to see what they will come up with!

Math- In our math rotations we have being learning about area and perimeter, two ways to measure shapes.

Perimeter is the distance around a shape. To find the perimeter, we add the lengths of all the sides. For rectangles, we can use a shortcut:
Perimeter = 2 × length + 2 × width.

Area is the amount of space inside a shape. We measure area using square units, like square centimeters or square units. Students learn to count squares to find the area of rectangles and other shapes. For rectangles, we can use a formula:
Area = length × width.

Students practice solving word problems, drawing models, and comparing shapes. They also learn that shapes can have the same perimeter but different areas, or the same area but different perimeters.

By the end of the chapter, students understand how to measure and calculate area and perimeter and explain the difference between them.

Social Studies-

Our third graders are stepping back in time for our latest Social Studies unit! Students have officially kicked off their biography research projects, where they are tasked with exploring the life and legacy of either an influential Black American or a U.S. President.

From civil rights icons to world leaders, our students are busy gathering facts, identifying character traits, and uncovering how these individuals changed the course of history. To showcase their learning, each student is designing a slide show presentation that highlights:

Early Life: Where it all began.
Major Accomplishments: The "big moments" that made them famous.
Legacy: How their hard work still impacts our lives today.

We are so proud of the curiosity and empathy our students are showing as they celebrate the diverse voices that have built our nation.

Hebrew- The students are learning about Purim! We read a story in Hebrew about the holiday and discussed the main events and characters together in class. Through reading and conversation, students are building their vocabulary and strengthening their comprehension skills while learning about the traditions and meaning of Purim.

Judaics- In Judaics we prepared for Kabbalat Shabbat by learning about the Curiosity (Sakranut), one if the DJDS Divrei Chaim as well as the middot, Ahavat Torah (Love of Learning) and Cheker (Inquiry). We learned about Purim and its customs and mitzvot. Students learned about the Mishkan and the special clothing of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) during our Parashat HaShavua lessons.

January 12th-30th

Reading-

In reading class, our third graders have been enjoying the read-aloud The Candy Shop Wars, which has provided a strong foundation for thoughtful discussions about character development, making predictions, and building tension in a story. Many students are also wrapping up their first book club groups and preparing to begin their next books. In addition, students learned how to properly address, write, and send a postcard, strengthening their real-world writing and communication skills.

Writing-

In writing, our third graders worked on crafting small moment memoirs using their computers. Students learned how to choose meaningful personal experiences and develop them with clear details, strong word choice, and thoughtful organization. By drafting, revising, and editing digitally, they strengthened both their writing skills and their confidence as young authors.

Math-

Our third graders are completing our current chapter focused on multiplying and dividing with digits 6–10. Throughout this unit, students strengthened their understanding of fact families, practiced solving multi-step word problems, and used bar models to represent and explain their thinking. By applying these strategies, students developed greater confidence and flexibility in problem-solving while deepening their overall number sense.

Social Studies-

In social studies, our third graders completed a unit on government and the three branches of government. Students learned about the roles and responsibilities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches and how they work together to create and uphold laws. Through discussions, activities, and real-world connections, students developed a stronger understanding of citizenship, leadership, and the importance of civic responsibility.

Hebrew-

Our third graders enjoyed reading a new Hebrew story about a family. After reading, students answered comprehension questions and discussed the story together in class. They then wrote a paragraph in Hebrew about themselves and their own families. At the end of the activity, students will type in Hebrew for the first time.

Judaics- In Judaics we finished our unit on the Torah Family Tree with each student completing a Torah Family Tree with the main Torah charachters from Adam and Chava through Miriam, Aharon, and Moshe as connected to our Parashat HaShavua learning each week. Students have used their skills in navigating in a Chumash to complete a parasha scavenger hunt of questions from each aliyah in each week's parasha. We have learned about Tu BiShvat, the 7 special fruits of Israel, and the source from the Torah that mentiones them. Ask your child to share the Devash packets they brought home and what they learned about Tu BiShvat and Parashat Beshalach.

Semester One 2025/2026 Content Covered

3rd Grade

Here is an overview of the content that has been covered across academic areas over the course of the first semester:

Reading

One of our goals for our students is to foster a love for reading. During our first semester, the students have had an opportunity to learn about different genres of books, engage in literacy based reading groups, and investigate reading comprehension strategies, including questioning and inferencing. While reading their book club novels along with various other independent and group texts, the students learned to assess the importance of reading information and self-monitor for fluency and understanding. The emphasis of our reading comprehension is metacognition: encouraging students to use various strategies when drawing meaning from the text, recognize and discuss elements of different text structures, and make critical connections between texts. We reinforce our learning and engage students’ comprehension skills with read-alouds, independent reading, and pair reading.

Writing

Throughout this semester, the third grade writers have been working on increasing their stamina with focused writing. Our main focus of work this semester has been implementing our new Writing Revolution curriculum by practicing descriptive writing, free writing, and personal narrative writing. Students have been strengthening their skills in the six traits of good writing, which include ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Throughout the semester, students learned about the different parts of speech, focusing mainly on nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Students showcased their learning this semester by writing “juicy” sentences using the different parts of speech during our Melvin Bubble project. To begin our exploration of personal narratives, we studied mentor texts, “Because of Winn Dixie,” by Kate DiCamillo, and “Owl Moon,” by Jane Yolen. The class took note of the descriptive language and organization of writing a narrative.

Math

Using the Primary Math curriculum, our mathematicians have worked their way through various concepts that strengthen their number sense, computational skills, and depth of mathematical understanding. We first explored comparing and ordering numbers up to 10,000, including how to read, write, and represent numbers up to 10,000 in various forms. Our mathematicians computed addition and subtraction up to 10,000 using “stack math” and regrouping strategies. We learned how to read, label, and draw bar models to illustrate and solve two-step, real world problems. Students also learned how to use various strategies to strengthen their skills in multiplication with a focus on understanding fact families. These fact families helped students understand how multiplication problems can be arranged to also solve related division problems.

Hebrew

This year, we have introduced a Niflaot program for elementary school students in 3rd grade to learn Hebrew as a second language. As part of this innovative program, students are exposed to Hebrew every day as it is spoken in Israel. Our goal in Hebrew class this semester has been to create a strong community of learners where students have gotten to know each other using Hebrew words and phrases. Students have been reading for comprehension so that, as a group, we can discuss the text in authentic and meaningful ways. We have spent a lot of time working with question words and formulating authentic questions, which has enabled students to have thoughtful conversations about texts and experiences. This allowed students to hear authentic Hebrew conversations and discuss real-world situations using learned Hebrew vocabulary. We work mostly with the present tense, but occasionally retell stories or texts in the past tense as well. Students have worked to improve both their spoken and written fluency in Hebrew.

Judaic Studies

The third grade Judaic scholars have examined character development through hands-on activities and discussions on the Denver Jewish Day School Divrei Chaim (Words to Live By) and middot (Jewish values). Also, through interactive weekly discussions of parashat hashavua (the weekly Torah portion), students explored how to apply the teachings of the text to their everyday lives and are learning about Midrashim. Students are learning how to navigate inside of a Chumash. The students are developing skills to identify Hebrew word types and word parts. These skills are being used to examine and focus on understanding Biblical text, prayers, and brachot (blessings) in their original Hebrew. Tefilah (prayer) studies during the first semester were focused on special prayers and brachot related to holidays, as well as learning Asher Yatzar. Students have participated in weekly Shacharit (morning) services. Throughout the year, the students are absorbed in the Jewish calendar, beginning with learning about the month of Elul and the concept of teshuva, returning to your best self. This led into discussing, practicing, and experiencing customs, rituals, prayers, stories, and food for all of the Tishrei holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah) and Chanukkah.

Science

During the first semester of science, students studied the different elements of weather and how they form, as well as the various types of climate found around the world. They explored the four seasons and examined how weather and climate affect different regions and communities. Students also compared historical and current climate patterns to understand how weather has changed over time. This content was taught through a variety of learning modalities, including presentations, videos, interactive charades and Pictionary-style games, worksheets, and Kahoot activities. As part of this learning, students completed a research project in which they selected a country of their choice and investigated the seasons, weather patterns, and climate elements experienced in that region.

Social Studies

During our first semester in social studies, our main focus was geography and civics. Students developed spatial understandings, perspectives, and personal connections by using various types of geographic tools such as maps, compass rose, legends/keys etc. . Through class discussions and activities, students compared and contrasted the characteristics of different continents, regions, and communities. We also discovered how these will vary in a given cultural, physical, political, and economic landscape. In addition, throughout this year we have been relating our civic duty to our school Middot and have used school activities such as class discussions and role playing to understand that respecting the views and rights of others is a key component of a democratic society. We concluded this semester by learning about the different branches and components that make up our government.

Music

At the beginning of the school year, the Third Grade worked on how to have fun in music class while following Divrei Chaim. Third graders performed the song “Sakranut” at Kabbalat Shabbat. We sang various songs for the Jewish Holidays. At the beginning of the school year, we also read the book “The Fruit is Mine!” by Anuska Allepuz. The theme of the book was that everyone is unique in their own special way, and how important it is to help and support each other, and we had projects and different activities integrating all specials classes. Students also went on the field trip “Behind the Scenes at the Opera” and attended different workshops about costumes, make-up, and how artists create different scenes. Students learned songs and practiced for the school-wide show "The Maccabee Time Machine: A Chanukah Musical,” singing the song “Powerful Greeks”, that they wrote lyrics for. They also learned choreography and staging for the show. Students also worked on “Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah” which they sang at the end of the show. Next semester, students will start playing their recorders, learning notes, and different songs by playing alone and in groups.

Art

This semester in third grade art, students explored the elements of art and learned how artists intentionally use them to communicate ideas and emotions. Students studied all of the elements of art—line, shape, color, texture, value, form, and space—and practiced using them across multiple projects. These concepts were revisited throughout the semester to build understanding and consistency in artistic choices. Students learned about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and his expressive style. Inspired by his use of bold color, energetic lines, symbols, and words, students created chalk pastel artworks that emphasized movement and personal expression. This project encouraged experimentation, symbolism, and confidence in mark-making. Another major project focused on still life drawing using only black lines. Students carefully observed real objects and used line variety to create detailed compositions without relying on color. This strengthened observation skills, patience, and understanding of contour and detail. Throughout the semester, students practiced reflection, planning, and revising their work. They learned how artists use the elements of art intentionally and how careful observation improves drawing skills. These experiences helped students grow as thoughtful, expressive artists with stronger technical control.

Makerspace/Technology

This semester, we deepened our technology, design, and problem-solving skills through digital tools, spatial reasoning, and collaborative building. Students practiced typing and used Google Docs and Google Slides for basic design and presentations, while continuing to learn digital citizenship and Chromebook stewardship. They researched inventions and learned about various innovative ideas and thinkers. We explored mapping and geography using Google Earth, where students viewed historic satellite imagery of our campus and imagined what it will look like in the year 2050. Students developed spatial reasoning and visual communication skills through 2D-to-3D translation of Lego designs and 1-to-1 scale drawing. Connected to Jewish holidays and teamwork, students collaboratively designed and built a minimum-dimension kosher Sukkah, incorporating pre-carpentry skills with Makedo tools. Throughout all their work, students demonstrated space stewardship by maintaining sketchbooks, working independently with materials, cleaning up carefully, and helping care for the makerspace classroom.

Farmette

Third grade students had an abundance of beautiful weather and harvests to be fully engaged outdoors during first semester Farmette classes. Students witnessed the full growth cycle by harvesting and eating plants they started back in the spring. A rainbow of a harvest was collected and eaten this season - tomatoes, kale, zucchini, bok choy, beans, and so many chives! One week was steamed beets, another was making pesto, and the next was salted tomatoes. We spent numerous classes observing the variety of insects that share the farm space with us - catching bugs, studying and drawing their anatomy closely with magnifying glasses, discussing their purpose, habitats, and life cycles. With the birth of Daisy (the goat), students practiced empathy and care for her, along with our other farm animals. Cat love is strong and enables students to give them responsible care while engaging with animals that bring them a sense of calm. Third graders put their work ethic to the test by moving loads of mulch and spreading it to cover our huge daffodil bed and planting multiple garlic beds. On the creative side of classes, we made painted garden signs, floral clay pressings, and sun reliefs. Throughout all of these classes, students practice safe and efficient use of farm tools, how to feed and care for our animals, initial prep and cooking skills, where our food comes from and how we can enjoy eating it, and how to express their curiosity and creativity in an outdoor environment.

Physical Education

We completed a soccer, volleyball, and basketball unit during our first semester. We focused on continuing to grow our confidence in each activity by building our fundamentals, gaining a better understanding of long-term goals for each individual sport, as well as taking time to reflect on our personal achievements each day and recognizing talent in others. Teamwork and communication were also the main focal points of each unit, emphasizing how we can work more effectively together to achieve success as a team. In between units, we continued to foster a passion for physical fun through class favorites like Capture the Flag, Crazy Potatoes, and Sharks & Minnows.

Wecome Back-Happy 2026 !

As third graders returned from winter break, they smoothly transitioned back into classroom routines and learning. We picked up right where we left off by continuing to strengthen multiplication and division skills through practice, problem solving, and math discussions. In writing, students launched a Small Moment memoir unit, learning how to focus on meaningful personal experiences and develop them with detail and reflection. In social studies, we began exploring the three branches of government and their roles, laying an important foundation for civic understanding. Students also worked thoughtfully to complete several projects from before the break, demonstrating responsibility, perseverance, and pride in their work as we started the new semester. In Judaics, third graders began reviewing the chumash skills, and learned about Parashat Shemot. In Hebrew, we have started a new unit called “בית חדש” (New House).
In this unit, the students are learning about different rooms in a house and what can be found in each room. Through reading, writing, and discussion, they are expanding their Hebrew vocabulary in a fun and meaningful way. The students are showing great curiosity and enthusiasm as they explore this new topic!

Hooray for First Semester !

How are we already at Winter Break!? We have been so proud of our third grade class and how well they have adapted to this school year over the past few months. Upon reflection, of our first semester of third grade, students engaged in a wide range of academic experiences that built strong foundational skills while fostering creativity and curiosity. In mathematics, they strengthened their understanding of addition and subtraction up to 10,000 and worked diligently to learn and practice multiplication and division facts. In literacy, students enjoyed three engaging read-aloud texts and participated in book clubs centered on the works of Roald Dahl, developing comprehension, discussion, and critical thinking skills. Through writing, they responded to a variety of prompts that encouraged clear expression and imaginative thinking.

Across content areas, students explored geography by designing their own theme park maps, applying spatial reasoning and map skills in a creative way. In science, they learned about different types of weather and climates around the world, deepening their understanding of how environments vary globally. In Hewbrew studies, students learned about the Jewish holidays, practiced Hebrew vocabulary, and made meaningful connections to traditions and values. Throughout the semester, students consistently demonstrated enthusiasm, perseverance, and a remarkable level of creativity in all areas of their learning. In Judaics we have continued using our Parashat HaShavua Glasses to focus on one or two aspects in each week's parasha and continued to work on our Torah family tree as we get to know more of the main characters in the Torah. We are exploring family dynamics and sibling relationships in the Torah. Students also continued working on how to learn from Midrashim and how to identify in a Midrash what is from the Torah and what is there to add more details or explain more and helps us learn the Parasha more deeply. Students have deepened their knowledge about Chanukah and had a fun Channukah party with second grade. Happy Chanukah!

December 1st-December 5th

Art- Basquiat-Inspired Chalk Pastel Project

In this project, third-grade students studied the expressive style of Jean-Michel Basquiat, focusing on his use of bold line, words, symbols, and layered imagery. Using chalk pastels, students experimented with line quality, contrast, color layering, and intentional mark-making to communicate meaning and emotion. They were encouraged to move beyond realism and make purposeful artistic choices, incorporating text and symbols to visually tell a story. This project strengthened skills in visual storytelling, creative risk-taking, and personal expression while deepening students’ understanding of contemporary art and artistic voice.

Reading- We have begun our THIRD read aloud of the year, "The Candy Shop War," by Brandon Mull. This is an exciting story about a small town's candy shop owner, Mrs. White, who gives a group of children special candy that gives magical powers in order to complete special tasks. We have also learned about and worked with prefixes and how letters at the beginning of a root word can completely change a word's meaning. We are well on our way with our book club books. Book clubs play an important role in third grade reading because they help students grow as thoughtful, confident readers. In small groups, students practice discussing stories, sharing ideas, and listening to different perspectives. These conversations build comprehension, vocabulary, and critical-thinking skills while also fostering collaboration and empathy. Book clubs make reading social, meaningful, and fun—helping students deepen their understanding and develop a lifelong love of books.

Writing- In writing, we are working towards completing our unit basked on the book Who is Melvin Bubble? This project is all about writing from different perspectives, including those of inanimate objects. Each student is creating a story where they are taking on the perspective of their own toys, household items, accessories, etc. The students have LOVED this project and we can’t wait to share their stories when we are done!

Math- Third graders have been building a strong foundation in multiplication and division by exploring how numbers can be grouped, shared, and broken apart. They are learning to use strategies such as skip-counting, arrays, equal groups, and number lines to understand what these operations really mean—not just memorizing facts, (although ultimately that is what we all end up doing). This week, students, solved real-world word problems, recognizing the relationship between multiplication and division, and began to develop fluency with basic facts. We are rounding out this chapter and look to take our chapter test next week.

Science- In our third grade climate and weather unit, students explore how the atmosphere works, the causes of various weather conditions, and how weather affects our daily lives. They learn to observe and measure weather conditions, identify patterns over time, and understand the difference between weather and climate. Through hands-on investigations, they explore tools like thermometers and rain gauges, study adverse weather events, and consider how people prepare for and respond to changing conditions. This unit builds their skills as young scientists while deepening their understanding of the world around them.

Hebrew - This week, we started a new unit in the Niflaot workbook called “How Much Does It Cost?” (?כמה זה עולה). Students are learning new words such as money, store, tent, and how much. We began the unit by projecting an illustration of a shop window and asking questions about the picture, such as “What do you see?” and “Who is in the picture?” Students point to the items in the illustration, say what they are, and practice asking and answering “How much does it cost?” in Hebrew.

Judaics- In Judaics we finished our unit on the Asher Yatzar blessing and are now saying during our Tefilah service. We have continued using our Parashat HaShavua Glasses to focus on one or two aspects in each week's parasha and continued to work on our Torah family tree as we get to know more of the main characters in the Torah. Students also continued working on how to learn from Midrashim and how to identify in a Midrash what is from the Torah and what is there to add more details or explain more and helps us learn the Parasha more deeply. Students are learning more about the people in the Torah and their family dynamics. Students have begun reviewing and learning about Channukah. We learned about the difference between a Menorah and a Channukiyah and what makes a Channukiyah kosher to use on Channukah.

*Ask your third grader whether a Channukiyah must have a Shamash.

November 1st-November 21st

Reading- In reading we have finished our second read aloud "James and the Giant Peach." The third graders LOVED this book and all the fun characters. We have been practicing write short, effetive summary of the book this week. We also are well on our way with our book club books. Book clubs play an important role in third grade reading because they help students grow as thoughtful, confident readers. In small groups, students practice discussing stories, sharing ideas, and listening to different perspectives. These conversations build comprehension, vocabulary, and critical-thinking skills while also fostering collaboration and empathy. Book clubs make reading social, meaningful, and fun—helping students deepen their understanding and develop a lifelong love of books.

Hebrew - In Hebrew, we have finished our first unit and are excited to begin Unit 2! This week, we read the story “הארנב והצב” (“The Tortoise and the Rabbit”). The students answered questions about the story, discussed its message, and explored the characters’ actions and motivations. The highlight of the week was watching the students act out and present the story to their classmates. They were creative, expressive, and had a lot of fun bringing the tale to life! We are proud of their hard work and enthusiasm.

Judaics- In Judaics we have continued talking about the year and learning how to find a date on the Jewish calendar and finding our Jewish/Hebrew birthdays. Students learned about the prayer Asher Yatzar that we say for how wisely our bodies were made and how grateful we are that our bodies are working properly. Take a look at the photos of the humans the students made as we learned how the first human was created from a lump of clay and how the wording in breishit is used in the Asher Yatzar blessing. We have continued using our Parashat HaShavua Glasses to focus on one or two aspects in each week's parasha and continued to work on our Torah family tree as we get to know more of the main characters in the Torah. Students also continued working on how to learn from Midrashim and how to identify in a Midrash what is from the Torah and what is there to add more details or explain more and helps us learn the Parasha more deeply. Students loved making and eating red lentil soup for Parashat Toldot.

*Ask your third grader what Yaakov traded the red lentil soup for.

October 6th-October 31rd

Reading- In reading, we have started our new book club groups! Every student has been reading a book by Roald Dahl- "Charlie and Chocolate Factory," "Matilda," "Twits," "Magic Finger," and "The Enormous Crocodile." Ask your child what book they are reading! We also are well on our way in our next read aloud, "James and the Giant Peach." Students have been LOVING all the fun and lively characters in all of these stories.

Writing- Our next project in writing has been based on the book "Who is Melvin Bubble?" This project is all about writing from different perspectives, including those of inanimate objects. Each student has been creating a story in which they are taking on the perspective of their own toys, household items, accessories, family members, etc. This is a very fun project that encourages creativity and imagination!

Math- In math, we have completed our second chapter, Addition and Subtraction up to 10,000. Once all have completed the test, we will send those home. We have sent home a home-school newsletter about our new chapter on multiplication and division.

Skills your child will practice include:

writing multiplication equations for equal groups
multiplying by 2, 5, 10, 3, and 4
solving word problems involving multiplying by 2, 5, 10, 3, and 4
writing division equations
relating division by 2, 5, 10, 3, and 4 to multiplication
solving word problems involving dividing by 2, 5, 10, 3, and 4

Social Studies- In social studies, we are wrapping up our unit on mapping by creating our own theme park maps. These maps have to include a title, detailed map key, compass rose, and several theme park features. Students loved coming up with unique rides and themes for their park! We are looking forward to our next science unit, weather!

Hebrew - The students continue to work hard in Hebrew class, learning new words and practicing how to use them correctly in sentences. For example, לי, לו, לה,לכם, לכם ולנו. We also spend time reviewing body parts in Hebrew - רגליים ,ראש, גב, בטן, אף, ידיים and more. We played games and drew מפלצת (monster) with all the body parts according to the instructions.

Judaics- We continued learning about the Fall Tishrei holidays, learning about customs and mitzvot for Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah. During Sukkot we visited the school Sukkah and learned the brachot (blessings) we say when eating in the sukkah. And students had the opportunity to shake the arba'at haminim (Lulav) and say the corresponding blessing. Third graders learned how the four species shaken can represent different parts of our body and how they can each help us to do mitzvot and that the arba'ah haminim are a reminder that we can do a mitzvah with our whole body. The students made a sukkah decoration of the arba'at haminim with the bracha for shaking them. For Simchat Torah we celebrated in the Lower Division with singing and dancing, doing hakafot (circles) with a real sefer Torah. As we entered the month of Cheshvan students learned about Cheshvan, the blessing of rain, and every student made a raindrop sharing how they can bring joy into the month of Chesvan. #NoMarInThisCheshvan showing that although some call this month MarCheshvan (Bitter Cheshvan) the month can be sweet and filled with joy. You can see these raindrops in the hallway from the Lobby. We have also continued reviewing the shanah (Jewish year) and the holidays that happen in each month. We will continue talking about the year and learning how to find a date on the Jewish calendar by finding our Jewish/Hebrew birthdays. We have used our Parashat HaShavua Glasses to focus on one or two aspects in each week's parasha. We have begun to make a Torah family tree as we get to know each main character from the Torah, and we are learning how to learn from Midrashim and how to identify in a Midrash what is from the Torah and what is there to add more details or explain more and helps us learn the Parasha more deeply.

September 22nd-October 3rd
Math- In math we have begun our second chapter, Addition and Subtraction up to 10,000. Students have been practicing regrouping along with being able to create bar models to help understand real life word problems easier.

Reading- In reading, we finished our first read aloud of the year "Because of Winn-Dixie." We used this book as an introduction to external and internal character traits. Students learned how a character's actions, words, and feelings help us determine their traits. We also spent the week learning about summaries and the different between a retell and summary. We learned to create a thorough summary, you need to include the setting, main characters, the overarching conflict, and finally resolution.

Writing- In writing we have continued to create our super sentences using our knowledge of verbs, nouns, adverbs, and adjectives. We have also been incorporting our new curriculum, "The Writing Revolution," taking our simple fragments and expanding them by asking Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Ask your third grader what their super sentence is about!

Social Studies- Students have learned the seven continents of the world, and have spent the last couple of weeks researching a continent of their choice to prepare for a class presentation. This last week the students presented on their group's continent- This did a fantastic job and we all learned some very interesting facts from around the world.

Judaics- We have been busy learning about the Fall Tishrei holidays. Students learned all about the customs an itzvot for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We practiced the sounds that the Shofar makes and continued discussing the concept of Teshuva, being your best self. Students discussed the do's and don'ts of Yom Kippur. We walked to the creek to dofor a meaningful Tashlikh. Students have begun learning about the next Tishrei holiday of Sukkot.

September 8th-September 19th

Math- We have finished our first chapter in math! Students completed their chapter tests this past week on place value and rounding. As soon as everyone has completed their test, we will be able to send those home. Your child has also brought home a letter on our next chapter Addition and Subtraction up to 10,000, which we will begin next week.

Reading- In reading, students have continued to build their reading stamina by taking time to read independently each day. Students are now independently tracking how many minutes they are reading. Many students have even asked to take home tracker sheets so they can monitor their reading away from school. We also have been diving into our chacter study using the mentor text and read aloud, "Because of Winn Dixie." We have taken a couple of important charters from the book and have discussed these characters strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and importance to the story. Ask your child who their favoirte character is in this story.

Social Studies- We have been discussing what different types of communites look like-Rural, Suburban, and Urban. We learned how each of these communites are simliar and different. Student's have also discussed what community they live in and how it would would look if they lived in a different type of community. We have also begun our unit on geography answering the bigger question, how is my community similar and different to other unique communites aroud the world. Students have learned the seven continents of the world, and are currently working in groups to give a presentation to the class on their given continent.

Hebrew- We continue to review the Hebrew cursive letters and the vowels.

We have begun learning about Rosh Hashanah. As a class, we reviewed the holiday vocabulary that students learned in 2st grade (רימון, תמר, דבש, תפוח, יין/מיץ ענבים, שופר). In class, we discussed the guests who come to celebrate the holiday together and learned how to say “guests” in Hebrew in its various forms, including masculine, feminine, singular, and plural.

We read a story, “אורחים בראש השנה” (Guests in Rosh Hashanah), and answered the questions related to the story.

Judaics- We have been busy learning about the month of Elul and it's themes and customs: hearing the shofar, selichot, Teshuvah, Tefilah, and Tzedaka. Students have also been engaged in learning all about Rosh Hashanah and created a small "placemat" they can use and teach you all about what they have learned. We did an apple tasting, trying four different types of apples and voted on which apple is the best for having a sweet new year.

August 22th-September 5th

Reading- In reading, students have been working on growing their reading stamina by taking time to read independently each day. We track how long students can read without getting distracted or closing their books. The more we practice reading and the strategies that good readers follow, the more stamina we will build! We also have been diving into our first read aloud "Because of Winn Dixie," by Kate DeCamillo. This is a heartwarming story with lively characters which will help us with our character study next week.

Math- We have been working our way through our first chapter in Math, Number Sense up to 10,000. During this past week, we have been reviewing place value and comparing and ordering numbers. Next week, we will work on rounding numbers to the nearest ten, and rounding number to the nearest hundred. We will also review how to identify different number patterns on a number line.

Writing- In August, we created shields that are hanging above each student's cubby. These shields represent each third grader and their families, interests, and likes. If you have not had a chance to see your third grader's shield, take a peek next time you are in our hallway! More recently, we have begun learning about the about the 5 most common parts of speech: nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and pronouns. We are using this learning to create Super Sentences that are full of "juicy" details and include each part of speech at least once.

Hebrew- Students start the beginning of the year by completing a booklet ״היום הראשון שלי בבית הספר״ (My First day at school). Over the past few weeks, the students have been reviewing cursive and aslo what we learned last year in 2nd grade.

Each student received a username and password to log into the נפלאות״" curriculum in Hebrew.

Here is the link: https://ivritil.cet.ac.il/

Judaics- Students are being re-familiarized with the Jewish calendar. We have explored the Divrei Chaim and created Mandala representing themselves as and which Divrei Chaim most represent them. We have learned about each week's Parasha and learned lessons to apply to our lives, connecting to each week's parasha. We have discussed looking at our lives through the lens of the Torah and how each parasha has so much to learn. By using parashat HaShavua glasses, we can focus on one or two aspects to incorporate into our lives. And each student has begun making their own pair of Parashat HaShavua glasses.

August 19th-22rd

First Week of School!

We had an amazing first week of school getting to know our new third graders. We played many get-to-know-you games, shared stories about our summers, and learned some of the ins and outs of being a third grader at DJDS. Some of these 3rd grade highlights include: class dojos, a new schedule, eating lunch with the "big kids," and squiggle work.

Third graders were excited to play Hebrew games, start a Judaics mandala, talk about place value (up to 10,000!), and start a new aloud book, Because of Winn Dixie. We are looking forward to a wonderful 2025-2026 school year!

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