Third Grade Celebrates the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

Third Grade launched our study of China learning about and celebrating one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture – The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!  Jeanne and Felix gave presentations about the importance of the holiday, as well as its practices and unique features.  We learned many facts about the holiday and traditional customs as well as special foods that Chinese people prepare and eat.  We also learned about mooncakes which are a special pastry with a lotus seed filling (and if you're lucky - a whole egg yolk!)   

On Friday, we celebrated the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival by making lanterns and eating treats in the shape of the moon. All of our resource teachers participated and guided students in small groups to make beautiful and colorful lanterns.  We decorated glass lanterns and also made paper lanterns to decorate our classroom and hallways.  We had a great time working with many different types of papers and materials to make our lanterns bright, sparkly, and vibrant. 

Lastly, we had the opportunity to taste mooncakes.  Students were so excited to try a new food.  Before we tasted it, we talked about how to approach and respond to a food whether we liked it or not, especially when it is from a culture different than one’s own.   Student reactions ranged “It’s really good”  to “It’s interesting,”  to “It wasn’t my favorite.”   Some kids had tried all the different mooncake varieties, while others had seconds of a flavor they liked.    This month, we’ll continue to study the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival and explore its many fun and interesting practices.  

First Grade Launches Reading Workshop

Reading Workshop in first grade begins with a book read aloud. Students start he year reading picture books. They are learning to use the title and picture on the cover and back in order to have a springboard for their comprehension as they listen to the story read aloud and then read picture books themselves. Students have been noticing that characters in books use strategies to solve their problems in the same way that they as students use strategies to learn to read. 

First graders are learning the difference between feelings a character has and the way a character usually is in the course of the book, developing an understanding of character traits. In a recent book called, a character named Big Al was scary looking to others but was really friendly and nice. The students learned that Big Al was persistent as he tried different strategies to make friends with the little fish.  

Students are also making connections to the characters and the plot in the book with their own lives and with other books they have read. They are sharing their thinking with partners in preparation for writing about their ideas. As students write they are applying phonic strategies through the use of kid-writing, writing the sounds of the words.  They also use high frequency words that they know how to spell or see on the classroom word wall.  After students write their sentences, teachers show them the book writing, correct spelling of the words as they compare their kid-writing to the correct spelling. The illustration of their writing is a way to continue to share their understanding of the story.

Lower School Book Club for Adults Reads Where the Crawdads Sing

Join us for our next Lower School Book Club for adults led by Ann Botel-Barnard, our Language Arts Specialist. We are excited to come together to share a love for a great story!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Location: Lower School Library from 8-9am

Date: October 4, 2019

Enjoy a light breakfast and great conversation as we discuss what we loved about the book, what we had questions about and what we could connect to. Feel free to join us even if you have not read the entire book. You will still have a lot to contribute and the discussion will enhance your reading of the book. You are welcome to bring adult friends and relatives that are also interested in discussing this book. 
RSVP: abotel-barnard@abingtonfriends.net

Third Grade is Underway!

We had a wonderful and exciting beginning to the new school year today!   We started the day off greeting one another after a long (and fast!). summer.   Our first third grade activity was a joint scavenger hunt between the two classes.  In this Student Scavenger Hunt, we were all busy asking each other questions and trying to find our classmates who love to read, went to the beach, play an instrument or sport, or visited another state this summer.  

Excitement abounded as we discovered new things we didn't know about each other and caught up with each other's summers and met new classmates.   As we went over our scavenger hunt later on, we learned about each other's nicknames, special talents and fun experiences from the summer.  We also had many great conversations about what students had in common with each other. 


Asking questions, listening, and communication are all essential skills that we practice often in third grade.  This week, we'll be engaging in many more activities to get to know our classmates better and work together! 

Bonus First Day Photos:

Welcome Back!

We have had a wonderful start to school!  Enjoy a few pictures from our adventures.