Mary Anderson - Third Grade 20 years at Holy Family - 20 years teaching experience Room 217 Ext.215 andersonmj@archmil.org
Philosophy of Education
Jesus and the Gospels are the focus of a quality Catholic education and should be integrated in all areas of the curriculum. My role as a Catholic School educator is to promote and facilitate quality learning experiences in order to develop spiritual, intellectual, social, and moral individuals. I believe a third grader needs to learn responsibility for his/her own behavior and studies.
Curriculum Summary
Religion
New Series - "We Believe" by Sadlier. We focus on "We Are the Church." We study the Old Testament with scripture readings, movies and timelines. We have Guardian Angels and special seasonal projects.
Social Studies
We use the Houghton Mifflin series called "Share Our World." Understanding communities is a main focus. We touch on Early Americans, North American neighbors and the Governments. Lesson and unit tests are presented to the students.
Reading/Literature/Language Arts
- Reading Series: Scholastic Literacy Place     - Six Themes: Personal Voice, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Creative Expressioon,         Managing Information, Community Involvement     - Three Main Components of Literature Curriculum     - Read: Phonics, Compreshension, Vocabulary, Listening/Speaking/Viewing     - Write: Spelling/Grammar, Usage, Mechanics, Writing     - Extend Skills: Integrated Curriculum, Real World Skills/Study Skills     - Enrichment-Problem Solving & Critical Thinking     - Guided Reading & Trade Books     - New English Textbooks with workbooks to enforce grammar/writing skills
Mathematics
We use Houghton Mifflin Math. It is organized into 8 units. Each unit consists of 2 to 4 chapters related to the big mathematical idea of the unit. Chapters 5-9 start with open-ended investigation and an opportunity to assess students’ knowledge informally. Each chapter has a mid-chapter Quick Check and a Chapter Review Test. At the end of each unit is a Unit Test. We cover place value, whole numbers, money, graphs, probability, multiplication, division, time, measurement, geometry, fractions and decimals.
Science
The FOSS Science Curriculum is divided into 5 units. We will cover rocks and minerals, sound, oceans, measurement and the human body. This is a “hands on” teaching style. FOSS has set out to achieve three important goals: scientific literacy, instructional efficiency and systemic reform.
3rd Grade Homework Tips
Looking forward to a great year!   1. Plan a daily homework time   2. Take home everything you need   3. Choose a quiet place to work   4. Read and follow instructions   5. Do your work neatly and carefully   6. Ask for help if you need it, but do the work yourself   7. Keep your homework in your homework folder   8. Have your assignment notebook signed   9. Return your homework and materials on time   Thank you for choosing a Catholic Education for your child.