From the Year 3 Classroom
Welcome back to Term 2!
We have had a great start back in Year 3. The children have settled in well to school routines and have returned with a positive attitude towards their learning. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm, resilience and willingness to have a go in the classroom.
This term, students are already engaging well with their learning across all areas, building on skills from Term 1 and working hard to achieve their personal best. We are looking forward to a busy and exciting term filled with new learning experiences and opportunities for growth
Reading
Our new text this term is ‘Yirra and her Deadly Dog Demon’. It is a text written by Anita Heiss and the students of La Perouse Public School. During the text we have encountered several themes, some that are culturally sensitive, that we have explored including ‘the mish’, the mission being a place where Aboriginals were sent to. On Thursdays and Fridays, we continue reading related non-fiction texts, including the development of the Aboriginal flag and famous Aboriginal people in history.
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
We have been learning about compound words, suffixes and prefixes and open and closed syllables.
Tricky words we are learning right now- every, please, chocolate, different, people, believe
Writing
In Writing, students have been developing their informative writing skills by creating a factual recount about the Aboriginal Flag. Through this task, students learned about the flag’s history, colours and significance by taking notes from reliable resources. We also have been practicing how to organise information in clear sentences and clear paragraphs by using topic sentences, supporting detail, and concluding sentences to achieve this structure.
Maths
This term, students have been exploring fractions by learning that fractions represent equal parts of a whole and practicing unit fractions of shapes and collections, including identifying halves, quarters, thirds, fifths and tenths in both objects and diagrams. They have combined fractions to make one whole, calculated complementary fractions to find what is needed to complete a whole, and used a range of representations such as shapes, collections, number lines and symbols to build a strong, flexible understanding of how fractions work in everyday situations.
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.
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 3- 3E
Week 4- 3C
Week 5- 3S
Week 6-3E
Week 7-3C
Week 8-3S
Week 9- 3E
Week 10-3C
Week 11-3S
Inquiry:
We have begun their inquiry unit “Where in the World Are We?” by learning about the states and capital cities of Australia and creating their own labelled maps. They have loved sharing the places they’ve visited and making connections to their own experiences. Over the coming weeks, students will continue exploring Australia by locating significant natural and human-made places on a map, researching a unique natural Australian location, and recording their findings in a report. This unit helps students build their geographical knowledge, develop research skills, and understand more about the country they live in.
Religion
Our first unit for Term 2 is ‘Circle of Life’ and students will learn that Jesus is with us during both joyful and difficult times. They will explore feelings of sadness, loss and change, as well as hope and new beginnings. Students will also learn that God is always with us and that people are sent into our lives to help and support us. A strong focus will be placed on showing care, kindness and support to others when they need it.
Regards
Team Year 3