Year 3 News
Welcome back to a brand-new term! It has been an absolute whirlwind of excitement, high energy, and fantastic learning as our Year 3 students hit the ground running. From diving into captivating picture books to making splashy waves outside of the classroom, the energy across our learning spaces has been unmatched.
We are so proud of how quickly the students have settled back into their routines, brought their curiosity to every lesson, and supported one another. Here is a look at what we’ve been up to over the past three action-packed weeks!
Literacy
Literacy has been an absolute hive of rich discussion, creative thinking, and powerful writing!
We kicked off our text study with an engaging picture book, The Mess That We Made. The students embarked on an imaginative creative hook, picturing themselves discovering a hidden, untouched corner of the ocean—and considering what wonders (and environmental issues) they might find. This launched us straight into analysing how illustrations convey deep meaning, unpacking the ripple effects of human impact and ocean pollution, and learning about cause and effect.
The students have also been putting their persuasive voices to work! We’ve taken a deep dive into writing informative paragraphs and persuasive expositions. From crafting compelling introduction hooks to organizing key facts and building strong body paragraphs, our young authors are learning how to make their voices heard on critical topics like marine life conservation.
Alongside our text studies, daily Phonics Plus sessions and daily fluency reading partnerships continue to build strong, confident decoding and reading stamina across the cohort.
Numeracy
Maths has been all about spatial awareness, precision, and mastering the concept of time!
We started by exploring 3D Objects, identifying their features and visualising how they fit into the world around us. From there, we transitioned into an intensive unit on Time. Students have been practicing telling time to the exact minute, understanding the movement of the hour and minute hands, renaming time, and estimating time durations (such as getting a feel for exactly how long a minute lasts!).
To keep our mathematical minds sharp, students have also been engaging in daily Multiplicative Thinking Retrieval and Fact Fluency challenges to strengthen mental math strategies and recall speed.
Special Highlights
Swimming Program & Beyond!
A massive celebration goes out to all our Year 3s for their participation in our intensive Swimming Program at Mentone Grammar School! It is fantastic to see the students represent our school with such pride, showing brilliant independence with their belongings, enthusiasm in the water, and incredible growth in their swimming skills and water safety confidence over this week.