3rd Grade

Welcome to Third Grade!
 
The goal in third grade is to create lifelong lerners. We use hands-on, differential learning, and group learning. We strive to use all types of learning including kinesthetic, visual, auditory and reading/writing. The third grader developing a growth mindset believes that their basic abilities will be developed through dedication and hard work. Their brain and talents are their foundation. We provide an envioronment that creates a love of learning and dedicated students. The expectations are that they will become organized, independent, and educated students, which will carry over to all of their academic envionments. Third grade is a year of intellectual growth and independence. In this grade, students explore their environment, conduct research projects across curriculum, conduct science labs, sustain critical thinking discussions in flexible groups to solve mathematical problems or scientific results, and analyze chapter books while practicing our Catholic faith. Our goal is to provide students with tools needed to become positive and responsible citizens in a safe and secure learning environment.

The curriculum is teacher developed and based on the Archdiocese of San Antonio and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and standards. The third grade students are developing their reading comprehension, grammar, spelling skills, and knowledge of synthesizing vocabulary words. The students are working with Texas Wonders reading texts, chapter books, and online reading coprehension sites such as Epic and Commonlit. They also use Sadlier Math, Get More Math and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Studies Weekly Social Studies, Elevate Science, Handwriting, Technology, and Health subjects are blended into their ELAR lessons. Students attend weekly specials in Art, PE, Music, and Spanish.

The students participate in game show reviews such as Kahoot, role-playing, and hands on projects such as the Wax Museum, that promote creativity, outside the box ideas and techniques to enhance their learning.

The teaching philosophy is aligned with Carol Dweck in Growth Mindset, “If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning.”