Mixtures….Do Oil and Water Mix??

Through our newly adopted Science curriculum, StemScopes, students are given many hands-on opportunities to explore the concepts being taught!

The Monsters of 17 Murray Lane….

This narrative writing project asked students to write about the first time they met the monster that lived in his/her bedroom at 17 Murray Lane (a fictitious address). Students went through the entire writing process, from gathering ideas and brainstorming, to writing the rough copy, and finally the publishing step!

Oct. 30th- National Candy Corn Day

On October 30th, the country celebrates its favorite vegetable with National Candy Corn Day. In 3rd grade, we celebrated with a fun STEM activity. The Candy Corn Tower Challenge sparked excitement as each group planned a design for the tallest tower! Upon completion, students wrote a reflection and drew a picture of their final product.

Fun Fact: According to the National Confectioners Association, various candy companies and candy makers will produce nearly 35 million pounds of corny candy this year!

STORY BOOK CHARACTER DAY: 10-31-2019

It’s a tradition here, in the Lower School, to dress as your favorite book character on Halloween! Prior to public presentations, 3rd graders gave an oral book report to their classmates. This is always a memorable event!!

Patriot Day is an annual observance on September 11 to remember those who were injured or died during the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. Many Americans refer to Patriot Day as 9/11 or September 11.

In honor of 9/11 victims, St. James Lower School came together for a minute of silence and prayer. Educating students about this event in history.

3rd graders also read the book, “September Roses”.

On September 11, 2001, two sisters from South Africa are flying to New York City with 2,400 roses to be displayed at a flower show. As their plane approaches the airport, a cloud of black smoke billows over the Manhattan skyline. When they land, they learn of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. All flights are canceled; the sisters cannot go home, and they are stranded with boxes and boxes of roses.

In the days that followed September 11, Jeanette Winter was drawn to Union Square and saw, among the hundreds of memorial offerings, twin towers made of roses. In the pages of this small and vibrant book, she tells a moving story.

We began our poetry unit of study by creating an Acrostic Poem titled, “America”.

Oh Canada!

We’ve had an exciting week learning all about Canada! Students can …….

• locate Canada on a map

• recognize Canadian currency

• recall facts about the Maple Tree

• recognize Canada’s flag

  PD’s parents recently traveled to Canada and knew we’d be studying the country, so……..they brought back a bag of PURE MAPLE CANDIES for us to taste!!! Wow-e-wow they were delicious!!! Well, a few of us would disagree ;)

3rd graders are setting goals and learning about the educational uses of our class set of Chromebooks! We have an exciting journey ahead of us!!

MATTER, MATTER EVERYWHERE! Look at those science skills :)

Our 1st day of school team building activity, Save Sam, was so much fun to watch! Each group had to work together and complete a challenge. Communication was key!

SURFACE TENSION & BUBBLES 

The surface tension of water provides the necessary wall tension for the formation of bubbles with water. The tendency to minimize that wall tension pulls the bubbles into spherical shapes. 

Mrs. Wagy and her students visited our class and made this a special science lesson that we will all remember!

READER'S THEATRE

Of course, we wouldn't end our year without a final Reader's Theater performance! 

This one, in particular, was on the set of a live game show called, "Know Your State". We even invited the 2nd-grade class to watch! 

As students continue their repeated readings of the script, they are improving their reading skills and comprehension. They also will have the opportunity to practice speaking skills, such as pronunciation, inflection, expression, and varied volume. Since the activity is meant to practice reading, students don't need to memorize their lines, which keeps the spotlight on the reading practice, not the performance.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

3rd graders were fortunate to have their very own Chromebook in the classroom this year! We have utilized the Chromebooks by working on programs such as Khan Academy, Typing.com, Google Documents, and Wikipedia. Below, the students are researching questions for an assignment called, "Research Scavenger Hunt". Learning how to browse the internet is just as important as finding the answers you are looking for!

MUSIC TO OUR EARS

Tuesdays are my favorite!! All school meets in the cafeteria for Chapel and we are given the opportunity to learn more about Jesus through the teachings of Father Doug. As an added bonus after Chapel, the Lower School (grades 1-3) attend choir class. Although we teachers take turns sitting in during this time, I have LOVED every minute of the time I have done so!! Their amazing and precious voices truly speak love! The camaraderie between these children is beautiful to witness. Not to mention, Mrs. Tipton is planting knowledge these students will carry with them throughout life! Sigh! :)