Building Our Classroom Community

"Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much"

                                                               - Helen Keller

Welcome to Grade 3!

In the first few weeks of school, we’ve been working hard to get to know one another. We’ve had great conversations and shared ideas about what it means to be a classroom community—a place where we listen, help each other, and work together.

School Wide Anchor Text

This year, our whole school is reading a special book called "I Am We: A Book of Community." It teaches us about kindness, friendship, and standing up for what’s right. We’ll be reading and talking about this book all year long as part of our Health and Wellness learning.

No Hands Cup Challenge!

We did a fun teamwork activity called the No Hands Cup Challenge!

In small groups, we had to build a pyramid using plastic cups—but there was a twist! We weren’t allowed to touch the cups with our hands or our bodies.

Each person held a string that was tied to a rubber band. We had to work together to move the cups by pulling the strings to open and close the rubber band. It was tricky, but we practiced great teamwork and problem-solving.

We learned that when we cooperate and communicate, we can do amazing things—just like a real community!

Classroom Intentions

After a rich conversation and an opportunity to vote, students have decided their classroom intentions for this school year will be:

• We are doing the best we can
• We are kind
• We are respectful
• We are experts

Wellness Learning Intention:

Students examine and describe development related to personal growth.

Success Criteria:

• I can work collaboratively with others.
• I can act responsibly, make good choices and work in a timely manner.

Possible Questions to Ask Your Child:

• What was the favourite part of your week back at school?
• What task did you enjoy the most this week? Why?
• When you did the cup challenge, how did you contribute to your group? What was challenging about this task? What helped your group be successful?
• In your classroom community, what are some of the intentions you came up with and what do they mean?