4/20-4/24 Third Grade Highlights

Dear Third Grade Families,

I hope everyone is doing well! Here’s a look at what's coming up for the week of April 20-April 24. Please make sure to read all the important information below to avoid any questions that may already be addressed. If you missed last week’s email, you can find updates on my school blog: Third Grade Blog.

Deadlines:

• May 18: California Native American Project (Distributed on Apr. 1st)
• May 26: 3rd Trimester Sunday Mass Reflection (10 reflections required) (Distributed on Mar. 9th)
• May 26: 3^nd trimester Goals - AR (85%-Accuracy & 100%-point goal) & ST MATH (100%) goals (Journey & puzzle) * If these goals are not met by the end of the trimester, it will result in an Effort Slip.

Incomplete Work & Grades
Your child brought home all checked classwork, homework, and projects. At this time, all grades have been updated in Gradelink.
Please note that some classwork and homework were not added to Gradelink, so if you do not find it listed, please disregard it, as I may not have everyone’s work at this time. Unfortunately, I cannot add some assignments because all paperwork has already been distributed and sent home. I am trying my best to keep up with all the papers being returned, so please be patient with me as I continue updating Gradelink as soon as I can.
If you notice any assignments marked as incomplete in Gradelink and believe your child did submit the work, please check the papers that were sent home. If you locate the assignment, kindly have your child return it to me personally by Monday, April 20 and leave a note so I can update the grades. 
If your child did not submit the work and it was marked INC on grade link and would still like to receive partial credit, they may complete and turn in the assignment before the deadline.
Please note that the latest I will accept and update any past assignments is Monday, April 20th,  After this date, no additional past grades will be updated.

ARK test, Wed. 22^nd. 
Grades 1-8 will be taking the ARK test on Wednesday at 8:00 am. I will send home study guides in your child’s homework folder on Monday. We will also read through it in the classroom, but I encourage students to review them at home whenever they have time.
Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep the night before and has a good breakfast on Wednesday morning to help them do their best.

Progress Reports 
Progress reports will be sent home on Wednesday, April 22^nd. Please remember that progress reports are simply a snapshot of your child’s current grades and do not reflect their final grade for the trimester. At this point, there are still a limited number of graded activities recorded. Over the upcoming weeks, I will be adding more assignments and assessments to provide additional opportunities for students to improve their grades.
In the meantime, please continue to encourage your child to do their personal best in school by submitting work on time, completing tasks in a timely manner, and focusing on producing quality work.

Behavior
I would also like to share a concern regarding our third-grade class’s behavior. Recently, I have noticed that students have been very chatty, disruptive and are often talking over one another, including their teachers. They frequently need to be redirected and reminded about expectations. We’ve been going over our classroom expectations every day, like it’s the first day of school. This concern has also been shared with me by other teachers and aides. At times, this behavior does not reflect respect for adults or authority in the classroom.
We have already had a class discussion about this, and students expressed understanding and apologized for their actions. I would greatly appreciate your support in reinforcing these expectations at home. Please remind your child to show their best behavior at school, follow classroom rules, and demonstrate respect toward teachers and staff.

Mass with Mother Figures, Fri., April 24th
Our “Mass with Mother Figures” will take place next Friday, April 24th. We warmly invite moms, grandmas, aunts, older sisters (18 years of age or older), or any special mother figure to join us for this beautiful celebration.
Please email me to let me know who will be attending and sitting with your child during this special Mass.
We will line up by the brown benches before Mass, and all mother figures must check in with me. We will then walk to the church together. Invited mother figures will sit with the class at our designated spot in the church.
Please note that latecomers must check in at the office, and the church doors will be locked once Mass begins.

Focus of the Week

• Math: Understand Fractions as Numbers, Multiplications Facts of 2-12
• Reading: Albertosaurus Mystery
• Vocabulary: Week 17 Vocabulary words
• Word Study: Words with /j/ and /s/
• Grammar: Adjectives That Compare
• Social Studies: Immigration
• Religion: Lesson 15 (Study guide provided) 
• Prayer: Nicene Creed (Test on May 29)

Tests
Thursday

• Spelling Test (Phonics & Vocabulary)
• Religion 
• Social studies 

Friday (Multiple Choice)

• Reading Comprehension 
• Vocabulary 
• Phonics 
• Grammar 
• Math Module 13

Math Ninja

3rd Trimester Expectations
Academic Expectations

1. ELA: 

• Fluency: Students will improve reading fluency by reading aloud with accuracy, appropriate pacing, and expression. 
• Comprehension: Students should be able to answer questions about the main idea, supporting details, and sequence of events. They will also summarize texts, explain character motivations, and describe story outcomes. 
• Writing: Students are expected to write 1–2 well-developed paragraphs (at least 10+ complete sentences total). Each paragraph should include a clear topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.
• Handwriting: Students are expected to write in cursive legibly, and will complete journal work and homework in cursive. 
• Grammar: Students must use correct punctuation and capitalization. Each sentence should begin with a capital letter and end with appropriate punctuation (period, question mark, or exclamation mark). Emphasis is placed on writing complete sentences and expressing clear, coherent thoughts. 

2. Math:

• Mastery of multiplication and division facts (0–12) is expected. Students should solve word problems, explain their thinking, and work with fractions and basic geometry concepts. 

3. Science & Social Studies:

• Students should participate in discussions, complete projects, and demonstrate understanding of key concepts through written and verbal responses. 

Personal and Classroom Responsibilities

• Homework Responsibility: Submit homework independently and on time without reminders 
• Organizational Skills: Keep personal belongings and supplies organized. Students should bring their own supplies and take responsibility for their learning materials 
• Listening and Following Directions: Actively listen during instructions and follow directions promptly 
• Preparedness: Come to class prepared with all necessary materials, including personal supplies and iPads, and maintain an organized workspace

St. Anthony of Padua Carnival 05/15- 05/17, Our school campus will be set up with Rides, Games, Food and Fun for the entire family.

ALL SAP School families are required to serve 8 hours during the Fiesta. (8 hours per family on tuition contract) $200 fine for non-participation will be billed if your hours are not fulfilled. 

Important Reminder:
If your family has multiple children at the school, only one donation per family is required (not per student).
To keep costs down, St. Anthony of Padua School Students are asked to contribute the following goods:

Each class has been assigned to bring the following items:
Kinder (2) Las Palmas 6 lb. can sauce and (3) Hominy 6lb can
Grade 1 (2) Round Corn Tortilla Chips 64oz and (1) 6lb. Nacho Cheese Can
Grade 2 (2) Heavy-duty 3-compartment plates 10 1⁄4” and (1) 500-count napkins
Grade 3 (1) Food Tray 2lb 250 count pack and (2) 1lb Food Tray 250 count pak
Grade 4 (2) Heavy-duty fork 500 count (1) 500 count napkins
Grade 5 (2) Las Palmas 6 lb. can and (3) Hominy 6lb can
Grade 6 (1) Chocolate syrup (1) Strawberry syrup (2) Parkway Butter
Grade 7 (2) summer packet (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise) sold at Sam's
Grade 8 Pozole to go container with lid and spoons for the pozole

Suggestions: Where to purchase and images: Smart & Final, Costco, and Sam’s Club

Please bring your food donations to our classroom. Work Habits grade will be given for donations. All donations must be in by May 8, 2026. 

Amazon Wishlist
As we gear up for an exciting school year filled with learning and growth, I wanted to share a wonderful opportunity to further enhance our classroom experience. I created an Amazon Wishlist with carefully selected items that will greatly benefit our students' education journey. You may check out the link below. 
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1C4X0QEVATZ5V?ref_=wl_share

UPCOMING EVENTS
You can find the school calendar here. https://stanthonygardena.org/school-calendar

• April 22 – Mandatory Parent Faith Formation Meeting #4 of 4 offered in Hall 6:30-8pm
• April 24 – Mass with Mother Figures in Church
• April 27 – Ocean Institute 3rd Grade Field Trip  
• April 30 – 3rd Grade Field Trip to Discovery Cube
• May 8 – May Crowning, led by 8th grade, Adoremus in church with Fr. Paolo as guest speaker
• May 15-17 – Parish Carnival (NOON dismissal May 11-13, NO SCHOOL May 14, 15, 18) Daycare till 6 pm on 5/11, daycare till 3 pm on 5/12, NO daycare on 5/13

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. 

Thank you & God Bless!

Warmly, 
Mrs. Do