Farewell to a Fantastic Grade 3 Year!

As we wrap up an incredible school year, it’s hard to believe how much we’ve grown, learned, and accomplished together in Grade 3!

This week, we celebrated one of our favourite traditions – the final Run and Scream! Back in October, students set personal goals for how far they could run, and this week they proudly measured just how far they’ve come. It was amazing to see the determination, energy, and smiles as students surpassed their goals and cheered each other on.

We also came together for a final farewell assembly, where we reflected on our memories, shared our gratitude, and said goodbye to some of our teachers. A special goodbye went out to the incredible Mr. Newman – his kindness, humour, and dedication will be missed by us all.

Thank you to all of the students, families, and staff who helped make this year so memorable. Wishing everyone a summer full of fun, rest, and new adventures. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for each of you!

Warmly,
The Grade 3 Team

Celebrating Community: A Week of Western Fun, Firefighters and a special guest Jay Genaille!

This past week was full of excitement, learning, and community spirit in our Grade 3 classroom community!  Students participated in several special events that helped us explore what it means to be part of a caring, connected community.

We kicked off the week with a pancake breakfast, where students, families, and staff came together to share a delicious meal. This was a great way to build connections and celebrate the traditions of the Calgary Stampede. As part of our Social Studies curriculum, students are learning about the communities they belong to, and the pancake breakfast was a perfect example of how food, traditions, and gathering spaces help bring people together.  Thank you to Andrew Sibbald Parent Association for organizing and Batter Boys for coming out and cooking the delicious pancakes.

We were especially excited to welcome some community helpers from the Calgary Fire Department!  Firefighters visited our school with their fire truck to teach us about safety, emergency preparedness, and their important role in the community. This experience tied in beautifully with our Health learning, as students asked questions, explored the equipment, and gained a better understanding of how we can stay safe and help others in emergencies.

All of these events supported our celebration of Neighbour Day, a special time in Calgary where we focus on kindness, belonging, and helping those around us. Students reflected on how these experiences show what it means to be a good neighbour—by showing respect, working together, and giving back.  Please remember to be extra kind and say hello to your neighbours on June 21st for Neighbour Day.

Later in the day, we laced up our boots for Western Sports Day! From chuck wagon races, barrel racing to lasso games, students participated in fun, active challenges that highlighted cooperation, fair play, and perseverance. These activities connected to our Physical Education outcomes, encouraging students to develop movement skills and positive social behaviours during team-based games.  Thank you to the grade five’s for organizing and running the stations.

We are so proud of our students for their enthusiasm, curiosity, and community spirit throughout the week. What a memorable way to learn and grow together!

On Thursday we had the incredible opportunity to welcome Indigenous hoop dancer Jay Genaille to perform for our students, and it was a truly unforgettable experience. Jay shared the powerful 13-hoop dance, a mesmerizing display of athleticism, storytelling, and cultural tradition. Each hoop represented a piece of life’s journey—connection, balance, and unity—and students were captivated not only by the beauty of the performance but also by the deeper meanings behind each movement. Jay’s presence and words fostered respect and understanding of Indigenous culture, leaving a lasting impact on everyone in the room.

Building Lacrosse Skills and Making Connections

In Physical Education this week, our Grade 3 students have been exploring the exciting sport of lacrosse, one of Canada's national sports! Students have been developing fundamental movement skills and applied them in a game-like situation. The primary focus has been on sending and receiving objects with control, spatial awareness, teamwork, and following the rules and etiquette of gameplay.

Throughout our lacrosse unit, students have practiced several key skills:

Cradling and Stick Handling: Learning how to hold and move the stick effectively to control the ball while on the move.

Skills & Tricks

• Scooping
• Trapping
• Spin the Stick
• Paint the circle
• Underhand Passing
• Double Passes
• Throw & Catch

Passing and Catching: Practicing accurate passes to a partner and safely catching with the lacrosse stick.

Shooting on Goal: Developing control and accuracy when aiming for the net.

Team Play and Positioning: Understanding how to move into open space, work together as a team, and apply strategies during mini-games.

These skills build coordination, confidence, and cooperation, which are essential for physical literacy.

Connections to Other Sports

Lacrosse has been a great opportunity to make connections to other sports we’ve played in the gym. For example:

• Passing and catching in lacrosse is similar to skills used in basketball and handball.
• Dodging and movement strategies resemble those used in soccer and tag games, where spatial awareness is key.
• Shooting techniques can be linked to aiming in sports like hockey or ringette.
• Teamwork and communication are universal across all our physical education activities, including volleyball, cooperative games, and relay races.

By making these connections, students recognize how the skills they’re learning in one sport can help them improve in others, encouraging a deeper understanding of movement and a greater appreciation for physical activity.

Practice Ideas for Home (with or without equipment):

With a lacrosse stick (if you have one):

Wall Ball: Practice throwing and catching against a wall to improve hand-eye coordination.

Cradle Challenge: Time yourself cradling the ball while walking or jogging.

Target Practice: Aim for a specific target (like a laundry basket) to work on accuracy.

Without a lacrosse stick:

• Ball Toss and Catch: Use any soft ball to play catch, focusing on tracking and reacting to the ball.

• Agility Ladder or Chalk Patterns: Practice footwork by hopping, jumping, or side-stepping through patterns on the ground.

• Dodging Practice: Set up small objects (pillows, cones, etc.) and weave through them to practice changing direction quickly.

• Sock Ball Scoop: Use a large spoon or plastic scoop with a rolled-up sock ball to simulate picking up and tossing—great for developing coordination!

Lacrosse helps students develop personal fitness, gross motor skills, and positive social interaction, all of which are key parts of the Grade 3 outcomes. We encourage students to keep active at home with fun challenges and skill-building games. Whether with a stick or without, there are so many ways to grow as a young athlete!

Let’s keep moving, keep learning, and have fun!

Thank you to Coach Dan for coming to Andrew Sibbald to teach us about Lacrosse. Some of the students were building their skills and others were playing for the first time.

Thank you to the parent association for this amazing opportunity.

Fractions Fun

This week in math, we’ve been continuing to explore fractions. Fractions help us understand how to divide things into equal parts, like sharing a pizza or measuring ingredients in a recipe!

We learned that a fraction shows part of a whole. For example, if you cut an apple into 4 equal pieces and eat 1 piece, you’ve eaten one-quarter or 1/4 of the apple. We talked about numerators (the top number) and denominators (the bottom number) and how they show us how many parts we have out of the total.

Students made the connection between fraction and our last unit on time. For example: quarter to, quarter after and half past are all fractions!

We also practiced:

• Naming and writing fractions like 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4
• Showing fractions using pictures and number lines
• Comparing which fractions are bigger or smaller

Practice at Home!

Want some extra practice? Here are some fun things you can try at home:

Pizza or Pie Night: Ask to help cut the pizza or pie. How many equal slices are there? What fraction did each person eat?

Baking with an Adult: Look at measuring cups. How many 1/4 cups make 1 cup?

Fraction Scavenger Hunt: Find objects you can divide—like crackers, Lego bricks, or paper—and label their fractions.

Draw It Out: Fold paper into equal parts (like halves, thirds, and quarters), then colour in different fractions.

Online Fraction Games: Try websites like Toy Theater or Math Playground for fun fraction practice.

Mathematics Learning Outcome:

I can interpret fractions in relation to one whole.

Student Learning Objects:

• I can interpret fractions in relation to one whole.
• I can identify the numerator and denominator of a fraction in various representations.
• I can name a given fraction.
• I can express fractions, including one whole, symbolically, limited to denominators of 12 or less.
• I can compare the same fraction of different-sized wholes.
• I can compare different fractions of the same whole that have the same numerator and different denominators.
• I can relate a fraction less than one to its position on the number line, limited to denominators of 12 or less.
• I can compare fractions to benchmarks of 0, ½ and 1.

Persuasive Writing

This week in grade 3, students have been working on what it means to be a persuasive writer. We started by reviewing what makes a good paragraph and how to be a good revisor and editor.

We began by watching a short video that identified what is persuasive writing and when it is used. Once we had an idea of what persuasive writing was, together as a class we wrote a persuasive paragraph on why we thought ice cream is the best dessert. (Mrs. Braun got to choose the dessert.)

Students were then tasked to write their own persuasive paragraph on the food that they thought was best. They began by brainstorming, then they used our new revised persuasive writing hamburger template to plan. Finally, students worked in small groups to help each other revise and edit their paragraphs.

On Thursday students were asked to write another persuasive paragraph this time about what animal they felt would make the best pet. They were reminded that their paragraphs should start with a sentence that clearly states their opinion, that contains at least three supporting sentences that provide evidence to back up their belief, and a final sentence that reiterates their stance.

Then on Friday, students were asked to choose their favorite paragraph they had written and revise it ensuring they included persuasive and transition words. They then wrote a good copy to take home to share with their parents. Students were also asked to use a rubric to mark themselves on their paragraphs. (Many students did not have their Communication Books at school, please help to remind them to bring it back to school on Monday.)

On Friday we were also really excited to finish our read aloud “There’s an Owl in the Shower.” Mrs. Braun found a news video which showed the controversy between the loggers and the environmentalist that were trying to save the spotted owls which inspired the author Jean Craighead George to write the book.

Next week, students will be tasked to write a longer persuasive piece that connects with “There’s an Owl in the Shower.”

English Language Arts & Literature Learning Outcome:

Students investigate writing and research processes that support informed written expression.

Student Success Criteria:

• I can create written text for a variety of audiences and purposes.
• I can use organizational processes, methods, or tools to support the creation of written texts.
• I can include a range of sentence beginning and types to vary and add interest to writing.
• I can create drafts of writing that maintain audience interest by focusing the number of ideas in sentences and limiting repetition.
• I can revise my written texts for accuracy, clarity, or appeal by adding, removing, or changing words or sentences.
• I can edit my writing for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
• I can read my written text aloud to check for writing fluency.