CLICK HERE FOR UPCOMING WCDS EVENTS
- November 20th: 9:00-10:00 3rd Grade’s 29 Hour!
- November 25th: Alumni Kickball, Thanksgiving Lunch and Early Dismissal at 12:30 (No Aftercare)
- November 26th-30th: Thanksgiving Break!
- December 1st: Classes Resume at Normal Time
- Save the Date for our Holiday Show!! December 17th, 2025 at 6:00pm
As the crisp autumn air settles in and the leaves begin to change, our third graders are diving into another exciting month of learning! We’ve been enjoying the beautiful fall weather during recess and outdoor activities, but the chilly days are starting to sneak up on us. Please make sure your child comes to school dressed for the cooler temperatures — coats, hats, and gloves help keep everyone cozy and ready to learn.
As we begin the second trimester, our third graders will start receiving grades on their math and language arts work. This is an exciting step as we help them get ready for fourth grade! Beginning November 18th, you’ll start to see graded homework and assignments coming home. Then, during the third trimester, students will receive grades on their report cards. This gentle transition will give both students and families time to get comfortable with the grading process while continuing to celebrate all the wonderful learning and growth happening each day!
Math: We’ve been mastering multiplication by 5s! Students are working hard to earn their “ninja belts” as they demonstrate mastery of each fact set. It’s been so fun to see their confidence grow as they use different strategies to solve problems quickly and accurately. Our ninja math challenges have added an exciting element of friendly competition, and the students are motivated to keep earning those belts!
Reading: We are diving into Chapter 5 of Henry Huggins and focusing on building deeper comprehension skills. Students are discussing the characters’ actions and feelings, making predictions, and sharing their favorite parts. Alongside our novel, we’ve been exploring text features—learning how to identify headings, captions, diagrams, and glossaries, and understanding how these features help us as readers. It’s been wonderful to see students start pointing out text features in all kinds of books they pick up!
Writing: We are continuing our persuasive writing unit, and our third graders are already showing strong opinions and creative reasoning! Students are learning how to write opinion pieces that convince others by using clear reasons, strong supporting details, and thoughtful organization. From deciding the best classroom snack to choosing which season is superior, their ideas have been both clever and convincing. It’s been exciting to watch them grow as confident writers who can express their thoughts with purpose and passion! Next week, we’ll put our new persuasive skills to the test in a fun and festive way — by writing from the point of view of a turkey trying to avoid being eaten on Thanksgiving! We can’t wait to see the imaginative arguments our students come up with to save their turkey selves!
Deep Dive: We wrapped up our Native American Deep Dive in a very special way! Students broke into their own “tribes,” researched different regions, and created group presentations to share what they learned with the class. Each group worked together to showcase unique aspects of their tribe’s culture, traditions, and daily life. Their teamwork and creativity were amazing to see! Next week, we’ll be kicking off our brand-new Explorers Unit, where we’ll learn about the brave explorers who traveled across the world to discover new lands.
Phonics: We’ve been combining our new skills with the endings -ture and -tion. Students practiced identifying when to use each spelling pattern and applied these skills in both reading and writing. They’re becoming stronger, more confident spellers each day! During word work time, our third graders have also been diving into their word work bins with excitement and focus. It’s been wonderful to see them becoming more independent learners—taking ownership of their practice, making thoughtful word choices, and using their time productively. We’re so proud of the independence and effort they bring to this part of our day!
Veterans Day Activities: This week, our third graders learned all about Veterans Day and the importance of honoring the brave men and women who have served our country. We discussed what it means to be a veteran and why we take time each year to show our appreciation for their service and sacrifices. To celebrate, students wrote thank-you letters to one of our very own teachers, Mr. White, who served in the military. Their letters were filled with gratitude and pride, and it was a wonderful way for students to connect personally with the meaning of this special day.
SEL (Social Emotional Learning): In SEL this week, our third graders focused on the important skill of active listening. We discussed what it truly means to listen with our whole body—using our eyes to look at the speaker, our ears to hear their words, our minds to think about what’s being said, and our hearts to show kindness and respect. Students practiced showing they are active listeners through eye contact, nodding, and thoughtful responses during partner and group activities. We’re learning that being a good listener helps us build stronger friendships, understand others, and create a more caring classroom community!
Field Trip Fun:
This week, we also enjoyed a fantastic field trip to the West Liberty Zoo Science Center! The students had an incredible time exploring and learning about a wide variety of animals. The trip connected perfectly to our zoology deep dive, allowing students to see many of the animals we’ve studied up close. It was such a wonderful hands-on learning experience that brought science to life in the best way!
As we move through November, a month filled with gratitude and growth, we’re especially thankful for their positive attitudes and love of learning. It’s such a joy to watch them grow in confidence and independence each week. We can’t wait to continue this learning journey together as we head into more November adventures—filled with thankfulness, teamwork, and plenty of fall fun!
With cozy fall wishes, Miss Madison and Mrs. Buck
**Please contact us BOTH if you have any questions or concerns this school year:
mkmcdonald@wcdsedu.com & pbuck@wcdsedu.comOr Talking Points (send to both if you can)
