Tonight, our school gym was filled with the sound of music as our annual Christmas concert took center stage. Students have been rehearsing for quite some time and now was show time!
While there may have been some nerves, all students did a wonderful job singing the songs they know so well while having fun onstage.
Congratulations to all!
Advent is important because the advent season is the time leading up to Christmas. Advent means ‘a coming’. Of course, during Advent, we are anticipating Jesus’ birth.
We light the candles in a special order: Purple, purple, pink, purple, and finally white. The first purple candle means the Candle of Hope. The second purple candle is lit as it symbolizes the Candle of Preparation. The third candle is pink and it represents the Candle of Joy. The fourth candle in the Advent Wreath is another purple candle. It stands for the candle of Love. The final candle is called the Christ Candle which is white. The light represents Jesus who is the light of the world.
This is a beautiful way to represent our Lord, Jesus Christ.
How do you prepare for Christmas?
Do you have any family traditions?
This morning as we participated in Mindful Monday, we explored how sometimes it’s hard to be mindful at Christmas time because we’re so focused on all the things we have to do, buy, the places we have to be, and so on. Sometimes we can lose focus on being grateful for what we already have as opposed to what we don’t have.
It is who is around us at Christmas time, including Jesus, that is more important than things under the tree.
Who is someone you’re grateful for,
particularly at Christmas time?
In our 2D Geometry unit, we’ve recently been identifying 4 types of angles:
We decided to go on a scavenger hunt around our classroom to find examples of each type of angle. Students then worked together to made a pic collage to show their findings. We had a lot of fun! Have a peek.
What kind of angles can you find around your house?
Many students guessed correctly…it was Mrs. Jones! She delighted us with not 1…not 2…but THREE Robert Munsch books! Munsch is certainly a favourite Canadian author among many of us!
We loved participating in the reading of each book and laughed and gasped at all the right spots.
Thank you, Mrs. Jones! You were fantastic and we loved you visiting us today.
As a culminating project to our Rocks & Minerals unit, students worked hard to research a famous rock structure of their choosing.
The students chose to research the following structures:
There are so many beautiful rock structures in our own country and around the world. Congratulations to the two young ladies who won the National Geographic Kids contest for best pamphlet! Sylvia Jane from California was so pleased to meet you and present your awards!
All projects were proudly displayed at our Parent Conference Night and students took them home to share their hard work with their families. Bravo Grade 3s!
Do YOU have a rock structure you’d like to know
more about? Is there a rock structure you’d
like to visit?
On Friday, we had our most recent mystery reader come and visit with us. We welcomed Mrs. Fitzpatrick! She did a fabulous job reading the book called Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson.
It was originally published in 1936 so this is a story that has been loved and read by children for many years! It tells the story of a Spanish bull named Ferdinand that does not follow or define himself in the way other bulls do. Rather, he is quiet, peaceful, and happy just sitting under the cork tree, enjoying nature. When he is selected to fight in the bull fights in Madrid, you can imagine what he did…or didn’t do.
The story reminds all of us that we all should be our own unique selves and not who others think we should be.
Here are some fun facts about the book you may not have known:
Simply put, a Venn Diagram is a tool to help us sort things. A man named John Venn (a logician) invented them a long time ago.
Have a look below at the diagram.
We made some of our own Venn Diagrams using hula hoops and various objects we found around the class. Can you guess how we sorted the following items in the pictures?
You will notice one item (a clipboard) placed outside the Venn Diagram. That is because it doesn’t belong in any of the categories within the Diagram.
Students have been working in their teams to sort numbers as well. Have a look at the action. Click on individual pictures to enlarge them:
Recently, Mrs. Sullivan created a Venn Diagram with fiction and nonfiction books. Students had to guess how the diagram was sorted and find other books to add to the Venn Diagram.
What kind of items could you sort into a Venn Diagram?
Each and every one of us is unique–that’s what makes us special! We are like snowflakes–no two are alike. Isn’t that what makes the world so great? We all have different tastes, likes, challenges, strengths, gifts.
Today, we all worked together to build snowflakes. We watched a video showing us how it works. Our snowflakes have 6 points. With a little patience and a positive attitude, we worked as a team to build 5 snowflakes to hang in our classroom.
Great job, Grade 3s! I can’t wait to string them up this weekend. See you on Monday!
Love,
Mrs. Sullivan