ENGLISH

In Year 3, students will be focusing on extending independent reading both at school and at home. Through the study of the text Fantastic Mr Fox, students will explore how narratives set up expectations for the reader using predictable structure and familiar characters and situations. Students will analyse excerpts of the text and use these as the basis for their own innovation. Students will also plan, draft, and revise a narrative sequel to Fantastic Mr Fox using an orientation, complication, and resolution structure.

Spelling, Grammar, and Handwriting will be undertaken alongside Writing and Reading in Term 1. Students will revisit and continue to perfect their NSW Foundation handwriting in preparation for learning to join over the course of the year. Learning and understanding both common and proper nouns and solidifying existing grammar knowledge is the aim of Grammar in Term 1. Students will also learn to identify and use various punctuation marks and grammar rules to assist their reading and writing. Students will be implementing the Soundwaves Spelling program through classroom tasks.

MATHEMATICS

In Term 1, Year 3 students will consolidate and extend their number knowledge. Students will concentrate on place value and understand the value of numbers to build knowledge to apply to the four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The students will also be investigating data, measurement, geometry, statistics, and probability.

GEOGRAPHY

This term, Year 3 will be focusing on Geography, where they will be concentrating on reading, creating, and using a variety of maps. They will learn about the different types of maps, such as political and topographical maps, weather and environment maps, as well as transport, street, and city maps. Students will have the opportunity to learn about Australia and its geographical features as well as world geography. They will look at the features of a world map, such as the Equator, Tropics, and the International Date Line, and gain an understanding of the world’s continents and Australia’s place within a global context. This unit provides a unique opportunity to discuss travel to foreign cities and how maps are used to navigate the streets, find attractions, and use public transport.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Every day, we see or use things that have been melted or frozen, heated or cooled. In Science this term, we will be exploring the concept of melting and the way materials can change their state under a range of different conditions. Students will learn that matter exists in various states, such as solid, liquid, and gas, and will look at how a liquid or solid exposed to temperature can alter the material’s appearance. Through discussion, multimedia, collaborative experiments, and hands-on investigations, students will explore the concept of melting and develop their skills in applying scientific language to explain their understanding of concepts. Students will also have weekly Technology lessons with Mrs Cindy Pedrana, where they will learn about cyber safety and develop their creative digital skills.

PASTORAL CARE

In Pastoral Care, Year 3 will be learning about Growth Mindset. Recent advances in neuroscience have shown us that the brain is far more malleable than we ever knew. Research on brain plasticity has shown how connectivity between neurons can change with experience. With practice, neural networks grow new connections, strengthen existing ones, and build insulation that speeds transmission of impulses. Individuals who believe their talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts). This is because they worry less about looking smart and put more energy into learning.

VISUAL ARTS

Welcome back to another exciting year of creativity! I am thrilled to continue sharing my passion for art with our K–6 students in our newly relocated Primary Art room, now in JS1 (the former Primary Staff Room). Over the holidays, we moved everything into this fantastic new space, and I can’t wait to see the incredible artworks that will be created here. Throughout the term, students will explore a range of materials, techniques, and artistic concepts, developing both their skills and confidence in self-expression. As always, class sets of art smocks are available to protect uniforms, so students can focus on having fun and getting creative! I look forward to another wonderful year of artmaking and can’t wait to see what our students achieve.

This term, Year 3 students will explore how artists represent the world around them using different techniques and ideas. They will work in pairs to create aerial maps of their local community, experimenting with acrylic and watercolour paints alongside collage for added depth. Inspired by Australian artist Ken Done, they will also draw and paint the historic Echuca bridge, learning about perspective concepts such as foreground, midground, background, and the horizon line. This unit encourages creative expression while building technical skills and appreciation for local landmarks and artistic styles.

ITALIAN

Ciao! Benvenuti! This year, Miss 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!

PDHPE

Year 3 students will participate in a PDHPE unit called Ready, Set, Go, which will begin with a variety of team-building activities that will allow them to get to know both their peers and teachers better whilst building trust and confidence. Students will commence with problem-solving and cooperative games, with the focus on developing communication skills and the importance of teamwork. Students will also be developing their fitness for the Annual School Cross Country and hand-eye coordination skills through participation in an exciting tennis program. Students will also reflect upon their own and others’ techniques and engage in small group workshops to better understand their own and others’ performances. The importance of sun protection, safety, and inclusive peer interactions in PDHPE will also be a focal theme throughout the term.

MUSIC

This music unit exposes Year 3 students to the famous works of Camille Saint-Saens’ ‘Carnival of the Animals. Students are encouraged into listening and movement experiences and are prompted to analyse the music from Carnival of the Animals, reflecting on  intended stories and musical features  including tempo, tone colour/timbre, pitch/melody, dynamics, structure and texture. The unit provides an understanding of the orchestra and orchestral instruments, the role of the conductor, and develops students’ music appreciation. Students also use available instruments and the voice to imitate the effects heard within the music of Carnival of the Animals, to create music and soundscapes with a deliberate message.

Passionate and interested singers in Year 3 are also warmly invited to join the highly celebrated Junior Singers Choir, who feature at assemblies and community events across the year. Students are encouraged to head to JS4 for more information and to sign up for a spot!

RVE

Students in Year 3 will have one lesson of Religious and Values Education each week with Mrs Megan McMaster. In Term 1 the students will be learning about the Kingdom of God. We will be exploring the idea of a kingdom and how we can apply this to Jesus as God’s perfect King and what His kingdom looks like. This leads into a discussion of Jesus as a generous King who gives his life at Easter and who through his resurrection rebuilds a relationship with humanity. These lessons will include worksheets, games, videos, music, stories, drama, prayer and craft activities.

LIBRARY

During our fortnightly library lessons in 2025, we will explore different elements of the library by focusing on the following three literacies: Literature, Library, and Information.

In Term 1, we will review the rules, routines, and how-to’s of the library. We will also explore how to locate books on the shelf using call numbers, with a focus on fiction texts and how they are organised. This will also involve students exploring the structure of narrative and persuasive texts.

I am looking forward to reconnecting with Year 3 in the Resource Centre.

Please don’t forget to let the Resource Centre staff know if you would like your child to participate in the PRC for 2025: library@moamagrammar.nsw.edu.au.

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.

MAG Primary Newsletter Year 3

Honour and Excellence

Term 1 2025 · 07 Feb 2025

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