Third Grade Newsletter
September 2026
Greetings!
Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! We are very excited to begin what is sure to be a fun-filled, learning-rich, community-building journey. We are here for every student, everyday. We look forward to working with you so every child feels successful. Here's to a great year!
Attendance
Please remember attendance matters! It is critical that students arrive to school on time. As a reminder, arrival is between 7:50-8:20. Morning announcements start at 8:15 and instruction begins at 8:20.
Thank you for all of your support!
Important Dates
- Thur, September 3rd: BTSN Grades 1-5 5:00-6:00
- Mon, September 7th: Labor Day - No School
- Tues, September 8th: Instrumental Music Parent Information Night - 6:30 at TJ High
- Monday - Friday, August 31st - September 4th: School Safety Week
- Tuesday, September 1st: PTA Meeting: 5:00 p.m.
- Thursday, September 3rd: BTSN 1-5: 5:00 p.m.
Headphones
Students will be using headphones as part of their access to iReady and other various assignments on their Chromebooks. Please be sure your child has headphones that are NOT Bluetooth (meaning they must be plugged in to the Chromebook for use) and labeled with your child's name. Thank you!
Multiplication and Division Fact Fluency
Multiplication and division math fact fluency is an important foundation for intermediate math success. Below are a few tips and ways for your student to practice.
Before students can practice their math facts, it is important that they know and understand the strategies behind each fact. Here is a great resource that reviews each strategy that we teach in the classroom. Once students are able to understand the strategy, they will move to applying the strategy and practicing the strategy to build their fact fluency! We will be sending home fact practice for students to work on. Below are a few links that students can use to practice their facts. There are also numerous math fact practice apps that are available to download on devices that would also provide practice.
Graded and Non-Graded Work
FCPS requires that a student receive one graded assignment per week per subject and for that grade to be recorded in Schoology. Teachers may choose to grade more than one item.
Other papers may come home that are not graded. They may have a stamp or a sticker but will not have a percentage grade and will not be entered into Schoology. These papers come home as a way to further communicate what your child is learning. Unless noted on the paper, please keep these at home.
September Learning
ELA:
Module 1: What a Character!
Our classes are building their knowledge about story characters and what makes them unique, with a focus on the realistic fiction genre. We are reading texts about interesting characters who are true to themselves when faced with a challenge. Children will also write an expository essay about how authors make their characters interesting to readers.
Explore the Genre
The genre focus in this module is realistic fiction. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre.
Ask your child to read to you each day and make time to read together.
Look for texts that:
Spark your child’s curiosity.
Tie to the module topic.
Tell about characters who are unique, just like your child.
Reflect problems or concerns that your child may recognize or need to confront.
Build Vocabulary
Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary.
Reinforce the topic words individuality, unique, feature, and personality in everyday conversations with your child.
Use prompts like these: What is one way you are unique? Describe a feature that you look for in a friend.
Word Hunt Look for words with the prefixes mis–, un–, and non– and the suffixes –ful and –less in books, magazines, online texts, and environmental print.
MATH:
Your child will...
Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.
Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g., interpret 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 groups of 7 objects each. For example, describe a context in which a total number of objects can be expressed as 5 × 7.
Lesson 2 Parent Letter English, Parent Letter in Spanish
Lesson 3 Parent Letter English, Parent Letter in Spanish
Lesson 4 Parent Letter English, Parent Letter in Spanish
SOCIAL STUDIES:
Geography and Economic Development In Maryland--In this unit students answer the compelling question, “How does where you live shape how you live?” The unit will focus on the geography and economy of Maryland. Students begin by learning about the different physical and human- made features found in Maryland. Then they learn about the specific geographical features found in the different regions of Maryland. Next, students learn about the economy in the different regions of Maryland. They explore how the economic development in Maryland impacts people and the environment.
Teacher Contact Information
Mrs. Bowman-casey.bowman@fcps.org
Ms. Jones- laura.Jones@fcps.org
Mrs. Pruett- laura.pruett@fcps.org
Ms. Osmolenski- mary.osmolenski@fcps.org