The 3rd Grade Buzz

February 8, 2026

Valentine's Class Parties

Friday 2/13 at 1:00pm

Valentine's Exchange: If you would like to send in Valentine's for your child's class, please be sure that there are enough for all the student's in their homeroom class. (20) We are not sending home a class list this year. The Valentine's do not need to be addressed, you can just put from your child's name. In class we will be decorating paper bags to hold their Valentine's. If you want to make a fancy box or bag, feel free to do that at home and bring it in the morning of the party.

Baby Picture needed for the Valentines Party

We have a fun activity planned for our Valentines Party where students will get to see baby pictures of their classmates and will try to guess who it is. In order to do this, we need your help by sending in a cute digital baby picture of your child. The picture needs to be school appropriate, so no pictures in diapers :) Pictures between the ages of 6 months-2 years work great. Please email a picture to your child's homeroom teacher by Friday, February 6th. Thank you!

alyssa.robey@gcisd.net

bryan.hendrickson@gcisd.net

laura.walker@gcisd.net

Hooray for Presidents’ Day!

No school on Monday, February 16th! Take a break, have fun, and maybe pretend you’re the president for the day—top hat optional!

Perot Field Trip

We are excited to announce 3rd grade will be going to the Perot Museum for our Field Trip this year on Wednesday, March 25th. Save the date if you are interested in being a chaperone.

Keeping Up with Grades in 3rd Grade

As we enter the new semester, here’s a quick reminder on the GCISD grading policy for third grade: Grades reflect each student’s progress in a TEKS-based curriculum and include a variety of learning activities in core subjects, as well as enrichment areas. Formative grades showing progress during learning and summative grades measuring mastery through tests, writing, and projects. If a student earns a failing grade on an assignment or test (excluding semester exams), reteaching and reassessment opportunities are available. Students may redo assignments or retake tests within five school days of when the grade was posted in Skyward, and earn a replacement grade up to a maximum of 70, supporting growth and success throughout the semester.

English Language Arts

This week students will be learning...

Reading- This week in reading, students will focus on asking and answering questions, identifying the central idea, and using text and graphic features. Using TEKS 3.6A, 3.6B, 3.7C, and 3.7E, students will ask and answer questions before, during, and after reading to build understanding. With TEKS 3.6G, 3.7C, 3.7G, and 3.9Di, students will identify the central idea of a text and explain how key details support it. Additionally, through TEKS 3.6G, 3.7C, 3.7F, 3.9Dii, and 3.10C, students will use text and graphic features such as headings, captions, diagrams, charts, and bold words to locate information and better understand what they read.

Grammar-This week, students will strengthen their grammar skills by learning how adjectives tell what kind and how many (TEKS 3.11Div), using this, that, and articles correctly in sentences (TEKS 3.11D), and reviewing plural nouns during spiral practice (TEKS 3.11Diii). Students applied these skills in speaking and writing to make their sentences clearer and more descriptive.

Math

We began Unit 6- Fractions this week! Students are having a blast discovering what fractions are and using manipulatives.

This week the students will be learning...

I can organize data into a variety of graphs and analyze the data to solve problems. (TEKS 3.8B)
I can represent fractions, using number lines and strip diagrams.

(TEKS 3.3E)

I can represent fractions, using concrete objects

(TEKS 3.3A)

I can use concrete objects and pictorial models to represent fractional parts of a set. (TEKS 3.3 B)

To help your child at home with these skills-

Practice their multiplication facts/ skip counting. (Students can log onto canvas for a link to our songs and online flashcards)
Work in independent practice workbook on pages section J- Represent and Interpret Fractions

(pg. 113-122) to begin. Will be moving onto sections K, L and M later in the unit.

Practice division and multiplication multi-step story problems.

Check out our problem solving model!

This is a tool we call 'UPS Check!' Using this model helps the students better understand and create a plan before solving when they come across story problems. I HIGHLY encourage you to practice using this model with them while solving story problems.

Social Studies

3.3B GEOGRAPHY. The students can identify and compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify the physical environment in which they live such as deserts, mountains, wetlands, and plains.

Resources:

Studies Weekly Newspaper and App *Week 17 Modifying and Adapting to the Environment

Science

3.10C Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable processes that change Earth over time. The student is expected to model and describe rapid changes in Earth's surface such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides.

Resources:

McGraw Hill Chapter 6 Lesson 2 Rapid Changes to Earth