Teacher: Jennifer Fitzsimmons, Tara Breidert, Elizabeth Plukchi

Third Grade Subjects

Religion – Our religion lessons cover a broad range of basic Bible stories and how God used people in the Bible with an emphasis on studying and learning God’s Word with practical ideas that connect to all areas of learning.  Using God’s Word, we encourage students to apply these lessons to all parts of the school day as well as playground, home and in the outside world.

Math – We begin with a review of addition, subtraction, and place value.  This includes borrowing and carrying.  Multiplication is a focus, including memorizing the multiplication facts through 12. We also cover early division, fractions; adding and subtracting, measurement; basic and metric, time, money, and geometry.  Concepts are introduced and cycle around, showing up repeatedly over the year.

Language Arts – We have reading stories with comprehension and vocabulary activities each week. There are also a variety of lessons that are included in each week’s curriculum covering a broad spectrum of language topics, for example; homophones and homonyms, library skills, syllabication, etc.  Grammar lessons cover sentence structure, nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs.  There is a strong concentration on writing skills. We have a weekly creative writing assignment, and also work on writing reports, book reports, and letters.  Spelling lessons include words that are tied to the story that was read that week.

Social Studies – We begin the year with a study of Native Americans, followed by early American settlers.  We also study the geography of the United States, and the United States today.

Centers – Centers cover a broad variety of subjects that can be learned or explored in a small group activity.

Third Grade Curriculum

The religion curriculum is Concordia One In Christ.  The curriculum we use for math is Saxon.  Reading textbooks are from BJU Press.  The social studies textbook is Harcourt Horizons – People and Communities. 

Third Grade Field Trips and Activities

Third grade attends the Salmon Festival at the Leavenworth Hatchery every September.  We also visit the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village in the spring.  Every other year along with 4th grade, we visit the science center in Spokane.

Third graders have the privilege of playing hand bells for some chapels and special school events.  In third grade, students begin assignment books and are taught to write their assignments daily in a planner that allows them and their parents to track their daily work.  This prepares them for future educational situations where they might have more than one classroom or teacher from which to remember assignments.

Special Programs

Third graders can be involved in beginning or advanced band and basketball.  We are happy to offer swim lessons through the YMCA for our second and third graders.  

Celebrations and Themes

All St. Paul’s students participate in a special week called National Lutheran School’s Week.  Events are planned to highlight our role as a Christian school.  Each day we have a special theme in which to dress, an item that is donated to the Grace House, a mini chapel to connect the theme of the week, and a fun school-wide activity.

A Special Experience

St. Paul’s is a very special and unique school.  Because our classes are smaller and our parents are amazing, we have lots of opportunities to explore our world around us with activities that are not part of a public school education, or can no longer be funded in public education. Our parents volunteer and help us with musicals, field trips, trips to the library, swimming, skiing, etc.  Our PTL, Parent Teacher League, funds special assemblies and activities. We try to extend beyond the individual student to gather to work and fellowship with our families at BBQ’s, an auction, and by participating in the Apple Blossom Parade. We have the opportunity here to begin our day in prayer and to constantly remind our students how important it is for us to have God as the center of our whole school day.  We also have the opportunity to deal with conflicts, using Jesus as an example for forgiveness and peace.  As teachers, we have the opportunity to deal with our students using the grace we have received as our model, as well. 

Our Legacy

I have had a variety of amazing students over the 22 years I have taught at St. Paul’s. Our students have proven to be well equipped to enter the public school system when they graduate from St. Paul’s and then move on to college, if they choose.  Many have stayed in touch, Facebook makes that a bit easier, and even come back to visit occasionally. A St. Paul’s student who I was privileged to teach in 3rd and 4th grade was Valedictorian of the graduating class of Notre Dame last year.  Others have been successful in a variety of occupations and careers; including lawyers, teachers, accountants, nurses, etc.  All of them are part of the St. Paul’s family.