3rd Grade

updated 03/16/2026

3rd Grade GATE - Winter 2026 Highlights

What a creative and busy few months it has been for our third graders!

Back in December, students took part in the Snowman Competition through the New Jersey Shore Consortium for Gifted Programs. They designed and built snow characters using at least 50% recycled materials and connected their creations to one of the Seven Pillars of Character. It was truly wonderful to see the creativity and collaboration that went into each project.

When we returned in January, students jumped into logic puzzles from the PETS curriculum, which stands for Primary Education Thinking Skills. These activities strengthen reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving in a way that feels engaging and fun rather than overwhelming. Students practiced identifying patterns, narrowing down possibilities, and explaining their thinking as they worked through a variety of puzzles. It has been great for building both confidence and persistence along the way.

Students have also been busy preparing for our upcoming STEAM Convocation with a focus on the Arts. We explored portraiture and talked about how artists tell stories through their work, and how a portrait can reveal so much about a person through details like clothing, props, facial expressions, and background choices. Students then created their own self-portraits, carefully selecting details that reflect their personalities, interests, and experiences. We also dove into the world of Pablo Picasso and explored how Cubism pushed artists to see and represent the world from multiple perspectives at the same time.

Students are very much looking forward to the STEAM Convocation, where they will participate in hands-on workshops and creative learning experiences led by our eighth-grade GATE students. It is going to be a great day!