Curriculum Overview
English
In Year 3, students will continue to build confidence and stamina as independent readers, both in the classroom and at home.
A strong focus will be placed on establishing clear reading routines and expectations, including selecting texts that are appropriate for each student’s reading level and purpose.
Students will also learn and practise a range of comprehension strategies to help them better understand, discuss, and respond to what they read.
Maths
In Term 1, students will consolidate and extend their understanding of number, with a strong focus on place value and number relationships.
Students will represent numbers in a variety of ways and use this knowledge to support learning across the four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Science and Technology
In this unit, students will explore the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas through engaging, hands-on investigations and experiments.
They will identify and classify materials and investigate how heating and cooling can cause materials to change state.
Throughout the unit, students will work scientifically by making observations, asking questions, and using scientific thinking to explain what they discover.
PDHPE
This term in PDHPE, Year 3 students will engage in the unit “Ready, Set, Go.” Students will begin with team-building and cooperative challenges that develop confidence, communication and the value of working together. Lessons will focus on building fitness for the Annual School Cross Country while developing coordination and game skills through our tennis and soccer programs, including passing, movement and teamwork. Students will also take part in problem-solving activities and small group workshops where they reflect on their own and others’ techniques to improve performance. Safe, respectful and inclusive behaviours will be reinforced throughout the term, with sun protection and personal safety embedded within PDHPE lessons.
History and Geography
In Geography, students will explore Australia as a unique and special place, learning about its major natural and human features and the significance of place to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Through the unit lessons Australia is a Special Place, Mapping Australia, Natural Features of Australia, and Human Features of Australia, students will develop an understanding of how Australia is organised into states and territories and how people interact with different places.
Students will use maps to locate important places and features, uncover mystery icons, and learn more about the stories behind them. Throughout the unit, students will build geographical skills using maps, graphs, and simple data, while exploring key concepts such as place, space, environment, and sustainability.
Music
This term, Year 3 students will develop their musical aptitude through a range of engaging activities involving singing, movement and listening.
In Term 1, students will explore Camille Saint-Saëns’ orchestral work Carnival of the Animals, gaining an in-depth understanding of how music can tell a story. Through focused music appreciation, students will analyse and interpret selected pieces, discuss the composer’s intent, and identify the instruments featured and the roles they play within the music.
Students will also participate in singing, creative movement and improvisation activities, with learning experiences informed by the Kodály concept and Orff Schulwerk approach. There will also be a choral focus throughout Term 1, culminating in a performance opportunity at the end of the term.
To learn more about our extra-curricular music program and what instruments are available to learn through private tuition, please go to our school website.
Visual Arts
This term in Visual Arts, Year 3 students will explore beach landscapes and coastal environments through drawing, painting and design.
Students will experiment with a range of materials, including acrylic paint, pencils and mixed media, to learn how artists represent places and ideas.
Students will create an artwork inspired by aerial beach photographs, learning how to blend colours to show ocean movement and add texture to represent waves.
They will also plan and design a decorative foreground element, using patterns and colour to add meaning and personal expression to their work.
Throughout the term, students will use their visual diaries to practise skills, plan designs and reflect on their learning, while developing confidence with art tools and techniques.
They will also view and discuss artworks, learning how artists communicate ideas to audiences through visual choices.
Religious and Values Education
Year 3 students will have one Religious and Values Education lesson each week with Mrs Megan McMaster.
In Term 1, students will explore the concept of the Kingdom of God. They will investigate what a kingdom is and how this idea helps us understand Jesus as God’s perfect King and what his kingdom looks like.
This learning leads into an exploration of Jesus as a generous King who gives his life at Easter and, through his resurrection, restores relationship with humanity.
As students discover this foundational story of Jesus it provides the model of living out the values of God's Kingdom which are the origin of our schools core values of respect, integrity and compassion.
Lessons will include a variety of learning experiences such as worksheets, games, videos, music, stories, drama, prayer and craft activities.
Italian
Ciao! Benvenuti!
This year, Mrs Williams will be teaching Year 3 Italian.
We will work through each term in each year level using ‘Key Questions’ to guide the curriculum. We know that the most effective way to teach children another language is to do it through fun, interactive, hands-on ways, including music, conversation, picture storybooks, and drama, with a strong focus on verbal communication and pronunciation.
Our wish is for our students to enjoy Italian and feel confident in their ability to learn another language as well as various other cultural and geographical information. We will often send home memory/matching cards, song lyrics, and stories for your children to share with you, which is a great way to reinforce their learning in a fun way with their family.
Our Term 1 ‘Key Question’ is: Quando è il tuo compleanno? (When is your birthday?) Please encourage your children to share some of the Italian words and phrases they know or ask them to sing you a song!
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden
Expect some keen kitchen helpers at home this term as our Year 3 students begin the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program.
Our budding chefs will learn about the kitchen and how to safely work within this new classroom environment.
The focus of the program is to teach and nurture a love of fresh ingredients and healthy meals. Using seasonal produce often grown in our school garden, students will learn how to grate, slice, dice, cook, assemble and eat a variety of foods.
The greatest part of the program is the opportunity it provides to see students move out of their comfort zone, try new foods and work together with their classmates.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care in Year 3 focuses on building strong connections, positive relationships, and a supportive classroom culture where students feel safe, valued, and motivated to learn.
Through ongoing work with The Get Happier Project and William Glasser’s Choice Theory, students are encouraged to develop a positive mindset, make responsible choices, and recognise that their actions impact both themselves and others.
A strong emphasis is placed on intrinsic motivation, helping students take ownership of their learning and behaviour while forming respectful and trusting relationships with peers and teachers.
These lessons support students in developing confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging within the school community.
NAPLAN
In March, Year 3, 5, 7, and 9 students will participate in NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy).
NAPLAN is a nationwide measure that determines whether young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning.
NAPLAN is made up of tests in the four areas (or ‘domains’) of:
Writing - 40 minute test
Reading - 45 minute test
Language Conventions 45 minute test
Numeracy 40 minute test
Students will use their class computer to complete the Reading, Language Conventions and Numeracy domains and the writing test will be handwritten.