Upcoming Dates and Announcements:
CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
- October 3rd – Early Dismissal (11:30 am)
- October 6th – No School (Fall Long Weekend)
- October 10th – Special Persons Day (More details coming soon!)
- October 18th – Vantoberfest!! (See the email from the school)
- October 20th – 3rd Grade Field Trip to Meadowcroft. (More details coming soon)
In math, our students took on the challenge of adding numbers up to four digits! It was big, bold, and sometimes a little tricky, but our mathematicians rose to the occasion. They practiced lining up numbers carefully, carrying over when needed, and checking their work to make sure their answers made sense. You should have seen their proud smiles when those large sums came out correct—it was a wild math week!
In phonics, we focused on a “lazy” vowel sound called the schwa. This sound is sneaky because it doesn’t always sound the way we expect. We zeroed in on the schwa o—like in the words “lemon” or “button.” Students pointed out our “lazy” vowel sound when reading our fluency passages together and put their knowledge to work during our Wednesday centers as they practiced their spelling words.
Our Deep Dive into science was especially exciting. We became amphibian experts by studying the life cycle of frogs. Students were fascinated to learn how frogs start as eggs, hatch into wiggly tadpoles, and eventually grow legs and lungs to become adult frogs. We even began adding to our own zoology books, where each student is acting like a scientist-author by recording facts and drawings!
Writing was filled with both structure and creativity this week. We continued working on our memoirs, focusing on adding rich details, describing feelings, and stretching small moments into meaningful stories. To celebrate, students shared their writing with classmates, offering compliments and encouragement. On Friday, we had our beloved Free Write Friday—a time when students get to write about anything they choose. The creativity flowed with stories, comics, poems, and even “how-to” pieces!
In SEL (Social-Emotional Learning), we explored coping skills. Students shared strategies they already use—like deep breathing, taking breaks, or talking to someone they trust. Then, we colored calming pictures while reflecting on how art can be a way to release emotions. It was a peaceful and meaningful way to end the week.
For reading, we reached a huge milestone—finishing our very first class novel, Third Grade Angels! The students were so invested in the characters and themes of the book. Next week, we’ll celebrate with a creative project that will tie together what we’ve learned about friendship, kindness, and responsibility.
Friday brought another highlight: working with our Cougar Buddies in first grade. This week, we teamed up to help with their apple science experiment. Our third graders loved guiding the younger students, asking questions, and being strong role models. It was heartwarming to see how proud they were to be the “big kids.”
Finally, we want to send a big thank you to all the families who joined us for Parent Partnerships this week, both in person and on Zoom. Your support, encouragement, and collaboration make such a difference. We can’t wait to continue these meaningful conversations with more families next week.
And of course—we are counting down the days to our field trip to Meadowcroft on October 20th! This hands-on historical adventure will be a wonderful way to extend our learning beyond the classroom.
What an amazing week in third grade—full of math, memoirs, frogs, and fun. We can’t wait to see what next week brings!
Have a great weekend and see you on Monday!
Madison and Paula
