1. The International School of Tanganyika
Welcome to Grade 3
The International School of Tanganyika

2. Grade 3 Has Four Classes 3W: Ms. Melanie and Ms. Winnie
3B: Ms. Joyce and Ms. Aida
3H: Ms. Elaine and Ms. Mariam
3R: Ms. Michelle and Ms. Irene

3. Teaching Assistants Ms. Irene – 3R Ms. Winnie – 3W Ms. Aida – 3B
Ms. Mariam – 3H

4. Ms. Ruth – Learning Support
Support Teachers
Ms. Ruth – Learning Support
Ms. Tamsin – EAL Support

5. Contact us! You can reach us by email at...
Elaine Hall:
Joyce Bolyard:
Michelle Russell:
Melanie Wipf:

6. The Curriculum includes...
PYP Units of Inquiry
Everyday Math
Sitton Spelling
The 6+1 Writing Traits
Nelson Handwriting

7. PYP Units of Inquiry How We Express Ourselves- Advertising
How We Organize Ourselves- Economics
Who We Are- Human Body
Where We Are In Place and Time- Inspirational People
Sharing the Planet- Water
How The World Works- Kitchen Science

8. Parent Experts Wanted
If you have a specific expertise related to one of our units we would love to have you come in and present your knowledge to our students.
Please sign up on the sheet at Open House

9. Assessment and Reports
Ongoing assessment is used to inform teaching, provide feedback, and build a profile of children’s understanding.
Written reports are prepared at the end of each semester. These are based on assessments, anecdotal notes and individual student continuums.
Conferences occur twice per year in October (parent teacher) and March (student led).

10. Technology In Grade 3 Each classroom has a set of six laptops
ICT integration occurs within the technology lab and in the classroom
Grade level teachers work with ICT teachers to teach collaboratively
Google Apps are introduced
Resources aligned with our units can be found at the IST Grade 3 Blog which can be found at

11. Technology Continued
PYP Technology Strands: create, investigate, collaborate, communicate, organize and responsible digital citizenship
****If you are getting from the Grade 2 blog, please “unsubscribe” from the

12. Special Days
Interhouse Competitions occur about 4 times throughout the year; Athletics is scheduled to take place the morning of Sept. 25th
Grade 3 students will be sharing their learning during an upper school assembly, which are held on Friday mornings
3H and 3W will share on Sept. 4th
3B and 3R will share on April 22nd
Music concert is scheduled for Dec. 4

13. Being Prepared for School
Students are expected to:
Wear the IST uniform (PE uniform on PE days)
Bring a hat to school each day for outside play; “No Hat, Play in the Shade”
Bring a water bottle with them each day
Be at school and ready to learn by 7:10
Get a good nights sleep (8-10 hours)
Leave toys, electronics and cell phones at home
Come to school healthy and remain home if they are unwell
Bring a healthy snack and lunch to school
Make sure everything brought to school is labeled

14. Meals at School Please send healthy and nutritious food
Please send enough food for both a snack and lunch and an additional snack on ASA days

15. Homework...
Will be assigned weekly and typically involve open ended tasks for math, language and/or unit of inquiry.
Students should be reading 20 minutes a day. Please help them set up a reading routine at home.
We encourage students to take action with their learning at home and share their learning or independent projects with the class.

16. Homework Pointers
Should be done in a quiet space away from distractions such as the TV, computer or siblings who are playing
Set up a routine and area with access to materials they may need (pencils, paper, rulers, etc..)
If a child needs assistance, try to help guide them to the right answer. Please write a note in the Linkbook or have the child come to the teacher the following morning for further explanation or assistance.

17. Possible Ways to Support...
Check the linkbook each night
Sit down and offer support while your child completes homework
Come into the classroom and look at your child’s portfolio
Play an educational game with your child
Discuss posts from the third grade blog with your child
Talk about the current Unit of Inquiry (UOI) and make connections from the UOI to family life
Encourage students to take action based on their learning

18. Third Graders
Are learning independence with many tasks at school and at home.
Are becoming more responsible for their own learning.
Are learning how to be caring, open-minded, principled, and balanced inquirers.
We look forward to working with you as a team to support this growth and development.

19. Communication If you have further questions:
Refer to the IST Parent Handbook
Please contact us
Thank you for your ongoing support at home. We are looking forward to having a fantastic year!