3rd Grade

Language Arts:

        The Reading skills taught in third grade focus on comprehension. Students have many opportunities to make connections between multiple texts while reading and analyzing a wide variety of texts and passages. Building vocabulary usage is also an important part of instruction as well as spelling, grammar, phonics, and cursive handwriting. Additionally, a public speaking class is taught by Msgr. Mitchell once a week.

 

Math:

        The common core standards are being taught in third grade with emphasis on conceptual thinking and mental math skills. Place value and the memorization of times tables are also emphasized. 

 

Religion:

         Religion lessons focus on living our daily lives as members of the Church. This follows closely the student learning expectations of our school which are reinforced each quarter with special assemblies and activities. Students also participate in several different Reach-out programs as well as a class retreat day. Making sure that children understand the importance of a “no bullying” atmosphere is also an important part of our religion program at SJC.  

 

Science/Science Lab:

      Using Mystery Science, students begin every lesson that hooks them onto various topics. Engaging hands-on investigations and experiments lead the students through the science and engineering process. Third grade topics include life science, physical science, and Earth science, and they are aligned to NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards). 

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Social Studies:

         Students explore the geographical features and history of California, focusing on local American Indian tribes, the growth of communities, and the basic structure of local and national government. 

 

Computers/Technology:

           Students are guided in writing opinion pieces, expository reports, and narratives using the Six Traits of Writing and Step up to Writing instructional programs. Short research projects are also completed and published in our computer lab. Additionally, in the lab, students work on improving their keyboarding accuracy; creating, editing, and doing advanced formatting in Word documents; and learning how to research the internet. iPads are incorporated into the Math and Reading curriculum. 

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Fine Arts:

          Third Graders enjoy singing and recorder lessons each week! During Fine Arts lessons they learn a musical/play based on the biomes which they perform for their parents at the end of the school year. 

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Art:

          Students attend weekly classes with expansion of art vocabulary and art appreciation. Several projects are based on the Social Studies curriculum as well as the great masters. Students are exposed to a variety of media and the creation of three dimensional pieces. 

 

Physical Education:

         Children participate in Physical Education one hour every week, developing age appropriate basic movement skills, emphasizing team building opportunities, practicing sportsmanship, and learning how to be fit and healthy! 

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Spanish:

          Listening is the first step toward any language acquisition. Therefore, our main focus is getting the students used to the sounds in Spanish. We do this mainly through songs and games.

 

Library:

         Students enjoy visiting the school library each week where they listen to quality literature read aloud by our full-time librarian and have the opportunity to check out books to enjoy at home. Our librarian, who also helps students find information for reports or simply to satisfy their curiosity, is also an invaluable resource for the teachers!