3rd graders have been busy preparing for this day over the past 3 weeks! This project is a loved tradition here at St James!

I especially nurture this unit of study because of the many academic objectives that are accomplished! After choosing a person of interest, students learned how to research a topic and take detailed notes using google search, library books, and publications. From birth to death, or current life, each famous American is honored through this project!

Concluding the research, each student typed a final summary (a requirement piece to display on their boards). After the hard work was completed, the real fun begins! A tri-fold presentation board was created at home using information from their research.

And finally, presentation day! Coming to school dressed as their Famous American, each student gave a 90 second presentation for their parents, teachers, classmates and all students on campus, Primary - 8th grade! It’s such a special time for students looking forward to being in 3rd grade as well as the past students who have participated in this biography project! Witnessing the St. James comrade, is a joyful thing! I appreciate this opportunity for all students to come together and support one another!

“Grandparents & Special Friends Day” is such a special tradition we continue to hold on campus each year! This is a morning full of laughter, hugs, refreshments, and performances. Our students PreK-8th grade invited their loved ones to Chapel, followed by grade performances that showcased educational stage presence. This year, our class recited the books of the Bible in chronological order. We have taken a few minutes after our daily devotion, since the 1st day of school, to learn this. You may watch the performance below!

After Chapel and performances, we invited our Grandparents to our classroom to share what we’re currently learning and give them a sweet gift! Alcohol ink coasters were so much fun to design and made beautiful keepsakes for their loved ones!!

Our 1st Annual Thanksgiving “I Am Thankful For Float Parade” was a hit! Students designed mobile floats representing what they are thankful for and showcased them to parents. From sports, music, and Jesus, the variety and creativeness was such a joy to watch!

Poetry Cafe is a fun way for students to showcase their creativity in 3rd grade here at St. James! The Poetry Café is valuable because it developes a love for poetry, of course, but it also strengthens their own writing, teaches them how to learn more deeply, and helps them develop public speaking and performance skills, all of which will serve them for the rest of their lives.

We spent the first 2 weeks studying poetry and learning literary elements.  My students were introduced to a lot of new vocabulary including: rhythmic pattern, rhyme, alliteration, imagery, and many more poetic words.  We spent each day during reading studying a certain element, and then in writing, trying it out.  Each student wrote a poem in the following formats: Cinquain, Acrostic, Shape, 5 senses, and Limerick.

We kept all of our poems in a Poetry Folder. This morning we invited our parents to join our performance in a Poetry Cafe style. The beatnik culture inspired us to transform our classroom and dress as if we were actually in an open mic night of a coffee shop! These 3rd graders read poems they have written over the past few weeks and it was such a special event!