Third Grade Newsletter- Week 1
August 28, 2026
Looking Ahead
10/2 Student Hoilday- Parent Teacher Conferences
10/5-10/9 Episcopal School Week
10/6 Blessing of the Pets
10/8 Spirit Dress Day
10/9 Student Holiday
10/12 Student Holiday
10/23 Spirit Dress Day
10/28 Class and Individual Picture Day
10/30 EARLY RELEASE 2pm, Halloween Party Day
Class News
Dear Third Grade Families,
Goodbye September and hello October! We are so excited to welcome the fall season and all of the excitement, learning, and special traditions that come with it. We are especially hopeful for temperatures and the many wonderful opportunities October brings to our school community.
We are looking forward to seeing you at our Parent-Teacher Conferences on Friday, October 2nd. We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with you, celebrate your child’s growth, and partner together as we continue to support their learning and development.
There is so much to look forward to this next month! Episcopal Schools Week, October 5–9, is a special time to celebrate the Episcopal identity and community that makes our school so unique. One of our most beloved traditions, The Blessing of the Pets, will take place on October 6th. We know this is always a special and joyful event for our students and families. More information about Episcopal Schools Week and the Blessing of the Pets will be coming soon.
As we transition into this beautiful fall season, we are excited for all that lies ahead in third grade. From new learning and growing friendships to special school traditions and opportunities to come together as a community, October is sure to be a wonderful month!
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We are so grateful to be on this journey with your children and look forward to a fantastic October together!
Warmly,
The Third Grade Team
WHAT WE ARE LEARNING
Math Focus for Next Week: Next week, our 3rd grade students will learn different mental math strategies to add 2-digit numbers. They will practice making 5s and 10s, adding tens and ones, and breaking apart numbers to make addition easier. Students will also explore patterns in addition and use these strategies to solve problems more efficiently.
Find out more in the School-to-Home Connections!
ELAR Focus for Next Week:
Reading: Third Grade Detectives (a short chapter book)
Identify important clues in the text.
Make predictions about what might happen next.
Make inferences about characters' actions and motivations.
Use specific details from the text to support their thinking.
Revise their predictions as new information is revealed.
Spelling
- Our first spelling test is THIS THURSDAY, October 1st
- If your child's list has been misplaced, the list of words is below
- Writing: We will continue to work on our responses to questions. How do we restate the question and answer it using examples from the the text?
Science Focus for Next Week:
What is Happening in Science/STEM?
Forces Around Us is still the focus in third grade. Students are learning that forces are all around us! We will focus on the playground equipment to illustrate and label what force is being used when they slide, climb, swing and kick balls.
Academic Language We Are Using This Week
force, balanced forces, unbalanced forces, patterns, push, pull, friction, gravity
Social Studies Focus for Next Week:
- Interpreting maps- What does a legend or key on a map help us with?
- Creating maps!- Students will create maps using key elements that we have learned
Click the word "Homework" above to access our homework page
A huge Hilltop THANK YOU to our wonderful parent volunteers for serving as your grade-level Class Captains! Please be sure to join the 3rd Grade Group on the St. Luke’s App to stay connected and receive important updates and communication throughout the year.
Stacie Koonhow - stacie_harris@hotmail.com
Angie Shotzberger - angie.shotzberger@gmail.com
FAMILY PORTAL
Click to access your child's grades, attendance, schedules, and school directory.
SEESAW
A window to your child's classroom and learning journey.
XTRAMATH
Click to access the XtraMath website. Use the login information provided on the take home sheet. If you need the login, message Ms. Zertuche.
IXL
Click to access the IXL website. Use the login information provided on the take home sheet. If you need the login, message Ms. Zertuche.