From the Year 3 Classroom

It has been a busy and meaningful couple of weeks in Year 3! 

Our students enthusiastically participated in our Cross-Country events last Thursday. It was wonderful to see so many students demonstrating determination, resilience, and excellent sportsmanship. We are very proud of each and every child for giving it their best effort and supporting one another. We have also been recognising and celebrating Reconciliation Week. Students have been engaging in learning experiences that help deepen their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, and the importance of respect, unity, and reconciliation in Australia. 

!!!Special Request!!- We are about to start Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone as our new after lunch novel. Students are most welcome to bring in a copy from home to follow alone with if they would like.   

We hope all families enjoy the upcoming King’s Birthday long weekend. A great chance to relax and spend time together. Thank you for your continued support. 

Reading 

In Reading, students have been developing their skills in summarising texts. We have been learning the important difference between retelling (telling everything that happens) and summarising (focusing on the most important ideas). 

Students have been introduced to different strategies to support their summarising, including TAM-K (Title, Author, Main idea, Key details) for non-fiction texts and the framework Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then for fiction text. These tools help students identify the key elements of a text and organise their thinking clearly. Throughout this unit, students have practised summarising a variety of texts, building their understanding and confidence in identifying main ideas and important details. 

Reminder Reading Diaries are due each Friday. It is a minimum requirement for Grade 3 students to be reading for a total of 60 minutes over the course of the week, 1hr of reading and signed by a parent/guardian. For your child to develop and improve their reading, please ensure that it is a Good Fit book they read, i.e. one that is not too easy and not too hard.  

Spelling  

In Spelling, students have been learning about important spelling patterns and rules. We have focused on the “drop the e” rule, helping students understand how words change when suffixes are added. We have also been practising the long ‘u’ and ‘oo’ sounds, building confidence in recognising and using these patterns in their writing. 

Our current tricky words are: tomorrow, surprise, and different. Students are working hard to spell these correctly and use them accurately in their everyday writing. 

Writing 

In Writing, students have been engaging in an exciting research task on an Australian native animal. They have independently gathered and recorded key information about their chosen animal, including its classification, size and appearance, habitat and lifestyle, diet and eating habits, breeding and babies, as well as some interesting fun facts. 

Using their research, students are developing their skills in writing an information report, organising their ideas clearly under subheadings. This has been a great opportunity for students to practise structuring factual writing and presenting information in a clear and engaging way. 

To complete the task, students are transforming their written reports into a creative PowerPoint presentation, allowing them to publish and share their learning in a fun and visually appealing format. 

Maths 

In Mathematics, students have recently completed a unit on patterns. Throughout this unit, they explored and identified number patterns, including doubling and halving, and developed an understanding that multiples form predictable patterns. Students worked hard to recognise, describe, and continue these patterns, strengthening their number of sense and problem-solving skills. We have now begun our new unit on data. Students are learning to identify and work with different types of data, including categorical data and discrete numerical data. Students will also use online sources, such as the Bureau of Meteorology, to read and interpret real-world data. Students will explore a variety of ways to represent data, including different types of graphs, and learn how to interpret and discuss what the data shows. This will support their ability to make meaningful connections between mathematics and the world around them. 

Timetables Challenge 

Year 3 students have been enthusiastically taking part in our Times Tables Challenge, working hard to master each multiplication set with confidence and accuracy. Students will be tested, and they are only signed off once they can fluently and confidently recite the full times (out of order) they’re working on. To support their progress, students will be bringing home practice sheets to help build fluency. Strong times tables knowledge is important because it underpins so many areas of maths, including division, fractions and multi‑step problem‑solving, and gives students the number sense they need to tackle more complex concepts. It is also a curriculum standard to learn at least 2 X, 3 X, 4 X, 5 X, 10 X, 11X by the end of Grade 3. Please have your child practice daily to help improve their automatic recall. There are house points and exciting prizes up for grabs, adding an extra layer of motivation as students strive to achieve their personal best. 

Congratulations to Pippa O’Donoghue and Eva Wollington for becoming Multiplication Masters! 

Library Schedule 

Here is our Term 2 Library Schedule. Just a reminder that students are welcome to go to the Library anytime to return or borrow books. Students still need a library bag to take books home with them.   

Week 8-3S 

Week 9- 3E 

Week 10-3C 

Inquiry:  

We are well into our Inquiry unit, “Where in the World Are We?”. Throughout this unit, students have been exploring Australia’s neighbours and identifying the countries that are closest to us on the world map. Students have been learning to list and locate Australia’s neighbouring countries, building their geographical knowledge and map skills. We have also been engaging in discussions about the relationships we share with these countries, including how we support our neighbours and how they support us in return. This learning is helping students develop an understanding of Australia’s place in the wider world and the importance of cooperation and connection between countries. 

Religion  

In Religion, we have begun a new unit titled “Celebrating the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.” Students are learning about the ways individuals can use their actions to support the mission of the Church and help build a strong and caring community. As part of this unit, we have explored the scripture Acts 2:1–4, which describes how God sends the Holy Spirit. Students have been identifying the main characters, setting, and key events in this passage, helping them develop a deeper understanding of their meaning and importance. This learning encourages students to reflect on how they can use their own gifts to support others and contribute positively to their community.