Spotlight on Learning

Dear Grade 3 Families,

The Grade 3 students had a fantastic Week 2 and have been working hard on lining up and entering the building in a safe and respectful way. They are showing great commitment to our school-wide expectations of Safety, Respect, and Learning, and it has been wonderful to see them supporting one another and setting a positive example.

In Religious Education, we explored the Gospel of Matthew 5:14–16 and chatted about the strengths that help each of us shine God’s love. The students loved talking about how their light can brighten our whole community. In English, we kept reading Yirra and Her Deadly Dog, Demon and worked on sentence types, note‑taking, and learning more about the history of the Aboriginal Australian flag. In Mathematics, we continued building our understanding of fractions. In our Integrated unit, students investigated what makes up a town — its climate, animals, and vegetation — and enjoyed comparing different places.

In Auslan, students have been growing their vocabulary and are now confidently putting signs together in short phrases rather than single words. 

Students are excited to share their song and take part in a range of activities with you at our Mother’s Day Morning Tea on Friday, 8th May 2026!

Learning for the Week Ahead

Religious Education:

In Religious Education, students are exploring the scripture passage from Matthew 5:16, “You are the light of the world,” to consider how mothers use their strengths to shine like Jesus in their everyday lives. Students are also practising their Mother’s Day song and preparing gifts for the Mothers and Special Persons Morning Tea. 

English:

In English, students will continue to read, spell, and analyse words with the suffix “-ly,” and form accurate diagonal joins from the letter “q.” They will explore adjectives in sentences and develop reading fluency with accuracy, appropriate pace, and expression. Students will also expand their vocabulary and use conjunctions such as because, but, and so to extend and complete their ideas.

 In writing, they will strengthen their ability to write clear topic sentences with supporting details and understand the purpose and structure of a factual recount, including planning and writing a body paragraph. Students will also continue reading Yirra and Her Deadly Dog, Demon by Anita Heiss, a story set in La Perouse, New South Wales.

Mathematics:

In Mathematics, students will learn to identify and represent fractions of shapes, including halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, and tenths. They will develop their ability to recognise equal parts and accurately show these fractions in different shapes. 

Integrated Curriculum:

In Integrated Curriculum, students will continue researching the chosen Australian town and will complete a slideshow detailing the geography of that town. When we look at the geography of a town, we are discovering its features and how people use and care for the space around them including vegetation, animals, climate zone and how people may adapt to the climate.

Auslan:

In Auslan, students will continue to focus on how eyebrow movement is used to indicate whether a question is open or closed when signing. They will also revise how to sign words and phrases from Units 3A and 3B, including vocabulary related to English, Mathematics, and Sports.

Social & Emotional Learning:

In Social & Emotional Learning, students will learn about trusted adults and how to seek help when needed. They will be able to identify at least two trusted adults at school and describe how these adults act, speak, and make them feel safe and supported.

What you can do at home:

• Ask your child to identify the four different sentence types and provide examples from books they are reading.
• Encourage your child to explain whether we use full sentences when taking notes and why.
• Continue to make reading together each night a special routine - ask questions about what your child has read to strengthen comprehension skills and deepen understanding wherever possible.

Important Reminders:

• Please ensure that all belongings are clearly labelled.

• Please ensure students bring enough food each day to stay full, focused, and ready for learning.

• Mother's Day Morning Tea 8:30 - 9:30 on Friday, 8th May 2026.

Enjoy your weekend,

The Ephesus Team

Contact Us @Ephesus

ephesus@cranbourneeast.catholic.edu.au (all teachers) or