Grade 3 serves students who have turned eight by October 1.    Each week, students attend specialist classes in physical education, art, music, drama, library, counseling and French or Arabic Language in addition to their academic classroom work.

Student Expectations

All AIS-R Elementary school students are expected to follow the AIS-R EAGLE Honor Code, which defines what it means to be an AIS-R EAGLE:  Ethical, Adaptable, Global, Learning, and Environmental.  In addition, third grade students generated a few simple rules that they have agreed to observe at all times.  Rules are generated by the students at the start of each year.

Reading and Writing Workshop

To achieve a balanced literacy program, third grade students practice language skills in the form of journaling, reading to self, reading to someone, listening to reading, working with words (spelling), whole-group read-alouds, novel studies, literature circles and Writer's Workshop.  Students also learn how to pick "just right" books that interest them.

Math

The AIS-R Elementary school uses the Everyday Mathematics program.  Everyday Mathematics connects math to real-world situations through the spiraling practice of basic skills and the use of manipulatives for problem solving and mathematical thinking. This program allows us to use cooperative learning, differentiated instruction, and approaches that meet the needs of multiple intelligences within the class.

With our math program, regular reinforcement of skills will appear multiple times and throughout a course of study. The key principle in regards to spiraling and spacing out skill practice is that proficiency in basic skills are goals that should be achieved long after they are first introduced, giving students needed time for repetition and review.

Program goals for grade three include reading and writing whole numbers up to 1,000,000, reading, writing and modeling with manipulatives decimals through hundredths, reading, writing and modeling fractions and solving problems involving fractional parts, finding multiples of 2, 5 and 10, comparing and ordering numbers up to 1,000,000, demonstrating automaticity with all addition and subtraction facts through 10+10, x0, x1, x2, x5 and x10, using a variety of algorithms to solve problems, making reasonable estimates, collecting and organizing data and creating charts, graphs, tables and line plots, estimating and measuring length, telling and showing time to the nearest minute, and identifying, describing, modeling and comparing plane and solid figures.

Science

The units explored in third grade science are "Classifying Animals", "Changing Matter", "Our Amazing Body", and "Patterns in the Earth's Atmosphere".

Social Studies

The units explored in third grade social studies are "Physical and Human Geography, Working in Our Community, Kid Biz Projects, and Country Reports.

Home/School Communication

Parents and teachers communicate through the daily Homework Journal.  A folder is sent home each evening with homework and notes from the school.

Homework

From Saturday through Tuesday, third grade students will have approximately 30 minutes of homework each evening.  An Everyday Math Family Letter will be sent home before each unit, which explains every unit and provides ways to support your child at home and includes an answer key for the Home Links.  Students should also spend time at home practicing math facts.  We ask students to read daily for about 15 - 20 minutes and encourage parents to read aloud to their child often.  A Word Study Notebook will be sent home for homework.  We ask parents to help practice the spelling strategy each week with their child.

Birthdays

We love to celebrate birthdays at school but please give at least 24 hours notice and please keep it simple.  Small bars, cookies or cupcakes make a birthday easy to celebrate in our busy school day.  Please provide any napkins, plates or utensils needed to help serve your child's treat. Please do not send large cakes.

Reporting and Assessing

Grade three teachers collect learning data through formative and summative assessments.  Formative assessments may be in the form of homework , class work, anecdotal notes, observations, questioning, discussion, etc.  Summative assessments will take the form of unit or chapter tests, final assessments, final rubrics, performance assessments, etc.  Progress Reports may be sent home up to four times a year and Report Cards are sent home at the end of each quarter.

Special Events

Grade three students enjoy a wide range of special activities through the year such as UN Week, the Fall Parade, Kids Biz, a Holiday Performance, Walk-A-Thons, Splish'N Splash Day, Field trips and much more.

Each grade level performs in an assembly at least once a year.  This year our assemblies will be based on our AIS-R EAGLE Honor Code with each grade level responsible for one letter in the code.  Students and teachers work together to create the show with singing, dancing, speaking parts.  Student-made videos are often incorporated into the shows.  Specialist teachers are also involved with the music, the backdrops, props, costumes or other artwork.  The tech teacher is often involved with the video production.  Every student is involved in the creation and performance of these assemblies.  Assemblies are performed in AIS-R’s beautiful Larkin Theater for parents and the elementary school student body.

If you would like to find out even more about or elementary school, please visit our ES Blog at http://blogs.ais-r.edu.sa/jcanar/