Third Grade

Mrs. Willms

lwillms@trinityhudson.org

My Favorite Bible Verse

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden...In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they will see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16

My Greatest Joy in working in a Christian School

Being able to share my love for Christ through my passion of teaching.

I Love Trinity Academy because

It has the feel of a “small town” environment and allows me to personally get to know each of the families at Trinity Academy

About Me

My husband and I are originally from a small town in Iowa. I attended the University of Northern Iowa, and earned my B.A. degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Literacy. The joy of helping others sparked my desire to become a teacher at a very young age.

Mrs. Willms



Meet Mrs. Willms


Welcome to Third Grade!  My name is Laura Willms and I am so excited to be your child's teacher this year!  Let me take some time to introduce myself.

My husband and I live in Cottage Grove, Minnesota.  We are both originally from a small town in Iowa and moved to the twin cities area in 2007.  I attended the University of Northern Iowa and earned my bachelors degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Literacy.  This is my third year teaching 3rd grade at Trinity Academy. 

When we have free time we like to be active outdoors playing tennis, rollerblading, and throwing around the softball.  You can also find us at movies, concerts, and several Minnesota sporting events.  We both enjoy spending time with our friends and look forward to the visits from our families back in Iowa.  

I am excited God has lead me to Trinity Academy and look forward to see where he takes us throughout this school year.  Feel free to contact me at school by e-mail at lwillms@trinityhudson.org or phone at 386-9349 ext 30. 

God Bless,
Mrs. Willms






 

Homework Assignments

Reading:
♦ 20 minutes each night - don't forget to record the mintues on your Home Run Reading November Calendar. 
♦ The Home Run Reading May Calendar will be due back to me on June 4th.
 
Spelling/Math Sheet: (Thursday Sheet) due weekly on Thursdays. 

Spelling:
♦ Check out this cool website: spellingcity.com to help you practice your spelling words by playing fun computer games.  

May Memory Verse : 1 John 1:1-2

“In the beginning the Word already existed.  He was with God, and he was God.”


►Memory Verse test will be on Friday, May 28.  Make sure to practice the memory verse at home!
 

Memorial Day

May Calendar
  • 5/3 - 5/6 - Phy. Testing
  • 4/2 - No School - Good Friday
  • 5/4 - Pizza Night
  • 5/5 - Public Library Visit
  • 5/6 - Orchestra Hall field trip @ 9:45-1:15
  • 5/7 - Kindergarten Rainforest Play @ 2:30-3:00
  • 5/10 - Mid 4th Quarter
  • 5/10 - SAB @ 5:00
  • 5/11 - Spring Concert @ 6:00
  • 5/12 - Late Start @ 10:45
  • 5/13 - Art Adventure @ 2:15
  • 5/14 - Non-uniform Day - Wear tie dye t-shirts!
  • 5/18 - Wendy's Night - 2nd grade hosts
  • 5/20 - Art Adventure @ 2:15
  • 5/21 - Pop & Popcorn Day
  • 5/21 - Inventor's Fair 3rd-Middle School
  • 5/24 - Non-uniform Day - we filled the BoxTops for Education!
  • 5/26 - Small Group Chapel
  • 5/27 & 5/28 - 4th grade Track & Field Day
  • 5/27 - Trinity 1st - 2nd & 3rd grade go to Concordia University to watch a play
  • 5/27 - Art Adventure @ 2:15
  • 5/30 - Happy Birthday, Maia!
  • 5/31 - No School - Memorial Day

Mrs. Willms' Weekly Update
 May 24 - 28

 Click on the link below to view/print this week's newsletter:

 May%2024-28%2009-10.doc

 

Special Announcements:

* Students did such a great job with their Inventor's Fair projects!  I was so proud of their hard work and creativity! :)

* Concordia Field Trip - Thursday, May 27th.  Third and Second Graders will leave school at 9:45 and return at 12:00

* Math test on Tuesday, May 25th.

* Simple machines test on Wednesday, May 26th.

* May Homerun Reading Calendars are due on Thursday, June 3rd!

 



FuNnY FaCeS pIcTuRe!  Our class enjoyed yummy St. Patrick's Day surgar cookies made by my mother-in-law (or Mrs. Willms Senior as the class calls her!)  :)

Mrs. Willms’ Third Grade Schedule


Monday

8:30-8:50 Morning Work

8:50-9:05 Morning Meeting

9:05-10:50 Language Arts/Snack

10:25-11:08 Phy. Ed

11:08-11:35 Spelling

11:35-11:53 Recess

11:53-12:23 Lunch

12:25-12:50 D.E.A.R.

12:50-1:40 Math

1:40-2:00 Health

2:00-2:20 Recess

2:20-2:40 Handwriting

2:40-3:15 Science/S.S.

3:15-3:25 Closing


Tuesday

8:30-8:50 Morning Work

8:50-9:05 Morning Meeting

9:05-10:50 Language Arts/Snack

10:50-11:35 Science/S.S.

11:35-11:53 Recess

11:53-12:23 Lunch

12:25-1:10 Math

1:10-1:53 Phy. Ed

1:55-2:38 Spanish

2:38-2:58 Recess

2:58-3:15 Religion

3:15-3:25 Closing


Wednesday

8:30-8:50 Morning Work

8:50-8:55 Morning Meeting

8:55-9:30 Chapel

9:30-10:50 Language Arts/Snack

10:50-11:35 Grammar

11:35-11:53 Recess

11:53-12:23 Lunch

12:25-12:50 D.E.A.R.

12:50-1:40 Math

1:40-2:00 Recess

2:00-2:40 Science/S.S.

2:40-3:00 Pastor Tim

3:00-3:15 Journal Writing

3:15-3:25 Closing


Thursday

8:30-8:50 Morning Work

8:50-8:55 Morning Meeting

8:55-10:50 LanguageArts/Snack

10:45-11:35 Science/S.S.

11:35-11:53 Recess

11:53-12:23 Lunch

12:25-1:08 Art

1:08-2:00 Math

2:00-2:20 Recess

2:20-2:40 Handwriting

2:40-3:15 Technology/Journal Writing

3:15-3:25 Closing


Friday

8:30-8:50 Morning Work

8:50-9:05 Morning Meeting

9:05-10:25 Language Arts/Snack

10:25-11:08 Music

11:08-11:35 Spelling

11:35-11:53 Recess

11:53-12:23 Lunch

12:25-1:50 D.E.A.R.

12:50-1:40 Math

1:40-2:00 Journal Writing

2:00-2:20 Recess

2:20-3:00 Science/S.S.

3:00-3:15 Religion






Faith Formation

At Trinity Academy, we incorporate the Christian life-style into all areas of the curriculum. To help students further their understanding about our Father as well as how we should live our lives, students participate in a Religion curriculum called “Voyages,” developed by Concordia Publishing House (CPH). Lessons are designed to help children learn key concepts of faith such as Law and Gospel, confession, repentance, forgiveness, and grace. The lessons are based on selected chronological Bible stories from Creation to Pentecost. Memory work consists of learning the names of the Biblical books, the Ten Commandments, and selected Bible passages.

Reading

Students in third grade are introduced into a variety of reading strategies taught through Guided Reading and large group reading. Strategies developed in third grade are reading comprehension, main idea, character analysis, context clues, and supporting details. Students also analyze a story in four parts: setting, main characters, problem, and resolution or conclusion. To foster a more independent learning environment, students also use the resources in the classroom such as dictionaries, glossaries, word wall, and encyclopedias.

It is also important for children to be given time to read for pleasure and building of skills. Independent reading is encouraged on a daily basis through assigned reading. The children will be exposed to many different reading materials such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and biographies.

Writing


Spelling

Third grade students will be assigned a list of words each week. These words follow a specific pattern or rule of spelling. Every spelling unit connects spelling to phonics, vocabulary, reading, and writing. Differentiated spelling lists are given to students. Extra challenge words are compiled from vocabulary in other subject areas for the week. Practicing spelling words can make a child a more fluent reader. Students will use a variety of spelling strategies to practice their spelling words both in the classroom and at home.

Handwriting


Language Arts

Language arts focuses on the grammar and mechanics of a sentence. Students work on sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, verbs, pronouns, and adjectives. By knowing what makes a complete sentence, a child can become a more effective writer. Students will write for a specific purpose and style by publishing reports, writing a persuasive and descriptive paragraph, creating poems, writing a friendly letter, and developing a personal narrative. Along with writing, the class will develop a writing piece using the five-step writing process: pre-draft a list of possible topics, write a rough draft on paper, edit and revise ideas and sentence structure, and end with a published piece. Students also journal a variety of times a week in class.

Science

The third grade students will investigate science questions and problems. Students investigate rocks, minerals, and physics of sound through “hands on” learning of Foss kits. Students build and understand the concepts of moment by studying simple machines. As they develop scientific concepts, students use critical thinking and decision making skills. They are able to see science as a part of society and their personal experiences. The third grade curriculum also includes an Ocean unit. The children study ocean water versus freshwater, the ocean floor, life cycles, tides, and currents. This unit concludes with a hands-on ocean project.

Literature


Mission Class


Bible


Math

The third grade math program starts by reintroducing the basic addition and subtraction facts. Students study the properties of addition and subtraction and continue to work on regrouping three and four-digit numbers. Multiplication and division facts are introduced in third grade, using one, two, and three-digit numbers. Students will use their higher thinking process skills to solve multiple step-by-step story problems. They will also work with place value, estimating, rounding, making change, and interpreting data from a variety of graphs to show how math is used in the world around them.

Third grade is the first year students will be working out of a math text book. Hands on activities are used to help introduced and develop math concepts.

Social Studies

Students will review and continue to reinforce map skills learned in previous grades. Third graders will continue to use these skills in studying communities and the world around them. The community unit analyzes the individual resources that allow a community to function and meets the needs of its citizens. We look at the different types and sizes of communities in the United States and foreign countries. Later, we study a unit on Government that focuses on the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The class studies the fifty states and their capitals. Students create a display board and research paper representing one of the fifty states.

Art

Students will expand upon their vocabulary and will be exposed to artists including Miro, Matisse and Rosseau and how they relate to line, shape, color, texture and space. The principals of design are introduced including variety, repetition, movement and balance.

Click here to learn more about Art.

Music & Band

In the upper level grades, students explore advance tonal and rhythm exploration, improvisation, two-part singing, rounds, and music theory. They play simple instruments while singing and play along to various types of music. Correct posture, breathing, and vocalizing techniques are taught throughout the year. These students complete a year long comprehensive study of comprehension study of composers from various time periods on a historical time line. Fourth and fifth grade students have the opportunity to play band or orchestra instruments and also to participate in private piano lessons that are available during the school day. Cooperation with a local private school allows the band and orchestra students to play in an ensemble band and orchestra. Students are required to participate in the annual Christmas Musical and spring choral concert.

Click here to learn more about Music.

Technology

Third graders utilize keyboard tutorials to learn proper touch keyboarding techniques, saving a document on a disk or network server, identifying different types of computer software, and developing and editing documents using a word processing system. Students also use the internet and other on-line resources. By the end of the year, students demonstrate the ability to log on and view information from a pre-selected internet site and use a “creativity software” program to create card, banners, and signs.

Click here to learn more about Technology.

Physical Education

Third graders continue developing and strengthening skills while having less guidance during games. Learning begins to shift from skills to game strategy as units are introduced and built upon. Students have short written quizzes and assessments at the end of traditional game units such as football, soccer, floor hockey, basketball, softball, speedball, and volleyball. Fitness levels are assessed throughout the year.

Click here to learn more about Physical Education.

Spanish

Third grade students will be able to speak in short sentences to one another. They will expand on the vocabulary learned by adding several nouns and will be able to write in short paragraph form. Students will count to 100 and will be able to correctly identify all letter sounds of the alphabet. Students will also use a Grade 3 Spanish dictionary.

Click here to learn more about Spanish.

Specialized Learning