From the Year 3 Classroom

Welcome back, we hope all our families had a restful and enjoyable break. It is hard to believe that Term Four is already upon us, as the saying goes, ‘Time flies when you're having fun!’ Term Four is likely to be remarkably busy with lots of things on the calendar already.

Reading

We have begun our first novel which is ‘The One & Only Ivan,’ by Katherine Applegate. As we read this novel will be focusing on comprehension strategies and figurative language which will lend itself to our persuasive writing. We will also continue to work with students on stamina reading, fluency and their own areas of need regarding their reading.

Just a reminder reading diaries are to be returned each Friday.

Writing

This week in class, our young writers are diving into the world of persuasive letters! Students are learning to identify key features that make persuasive writing impactful—like strong opinions, emotive language, and compelling evidence. Our focus topic is one that sparks thoughtful discussion: Should animals be used in circuses? As students gather notes and explore different viewpoints, they’re building the foundation for writing their own persuasive letters. We’re excited to see their voices shine as they advocate for animal welfare with passion and purpose!

Maths

We begin our maths with revision of addition and subtraction with a focus on strategies used. The strategy we will revise has the acronym CUBES and we use both the bar model and number lines to demonstrate our understanding.

🧠 What is the CUBES Strategy?

The CUBES strategy helps students solve math word problems step by step. It’s like having a checklist to make sure you understand the problem before solving it.

Here’s what each letter stands for:

C – Circle the numbers Look for all the numbers in the problem and circle them. These are the clues you’ll use to solve it.
U – Underline the question Find the part of the problem that asks you what to do and underline it. This tells you what you’re solving for.
B – Box the math words Put a box around words like total, altogether, how many more, or difference. These words help you know what kind of math to do.
E – Evaluate and draw Think about what steps you need to take. You can draw a picture or diagram to help you understand the problem better.
S – Solve and check Do the math and then check your work to make sure it makes sense!

DON’T FORGET TO KEEP CONSISTENT WITH TIMESTABLES PRACTISE!

Inquiry

This week we will begin our new Inquiry Unit in Geography. We will learn all about Australia, it’s features, locations of places and our neighboring countries. Down the track we will be able to have a go at using mapping conventions such as compass directions, coordinates and scale.

Religious Education

Our Source of Life Unit we commence the term with is ‘For Creation Praise’. In this unit students will gain a deeper understanding of how we can come to know God through our appreciation of nature and recognise God’s divine presence in the wonder and work of creation. The students will also be given insight into their responsibility to care for and to conserve our world.

Award Winner

Congratulations to our Term 3 Spelling Bee finalist Georgia Cjepa, Jack Cummins, Demi Pearce, Issac McMillan and Pippa Whinray and our Spelling Bee Champion Romi Carlie.

Congratulations Miller Lewis for becoming a Multiplication Master!