Grades 3 and 4

GRADE 3

Students begin the year with an introduction of Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop. The girls will be exposed to a variety of mini-lessons and mentor texts that take them to new levels of making connections, visualizing, asking questions, inferencing, and synthesizing. Using these reading strategies, our students will be able to make wise choices when selecting books that are ‘Just Right’ for them. Using a Writer’s Notebook, the girls will be able to express ideas from their heart, brainstorm topics they are curious about, and create many writing pieces that we will publish in class. Each third grade girl will be able to create and publish many different genres of writing including a personal narrative, an informational text, a poem, and a persuasive essay or opinion writing piece. As the year continues, the girls will be able to experience a variety of genres in reading as well. We will be able to dive deeper into fiction, non-fiction, and biographies. In addition to these genres, we integrate our Language Arts curriculum with our Social Studies curriculum as we read a variety of literature, listen to read alouds, and read and write folktales. As our reading skills and strategies continue to build and strengthen, we will move into Literature Circles, in which each student will have a chance to be in a small group while reading the same book and discussing, sharing, and cooperatively diving into literature.  Integrating reading and writing with our Social Studies topics enable us to teach cross-curricularly, in order to make each minute of class time productive, influential, and meaningful for our girls. 

GRADE 4

Students begin the year reviewing the expectations and procedures of Reading and Writing Workshop, including the continuation of selecting “just right” books and growing ideas or seeds in their Writer’s Notebooks. This process involves formal reading assessments, reading comprehension exercises and evaluating appropriate guided reading groups. Our reading and writing program is interdisciplinary, most closely connected to our Social Studies curriculum. Many of the fourth grade reading projects center around historical fiction, nonfiction, and biographies which are also studied closely in Social Studies. Another element of the reading curriculum involves literature circles with students placed in appropriate groupings. These literacy circles challenge them intellectually by encouraging them to dig deeper into written works and successfully discuss their readings in a group setting.

The writing process is emphasized and reinforced through written work including narratives, essays, journal writing, and poetry. Drafting, revising, and editing are emphasized and reinforced through daily mini-lessons. Finished works are celebrated and published in a variety of ways including oral readings, speeches, and often incorporate technology. Grammar and spelling are taught in a spiral manner using the Rebecca Sitton and Sadlier Common Core Progress book and Grammar book, as well as through targeted supplements. Vocabulary is integrated into the curriculum throughout the school year, and explicitly taught through the Wordly Wise and Sadlier Vocabulary programs. 

  

GRADE 3

The third grade program focuses on fluently adding and subtracting within 1,000 and understanding multiplication and division.  Single-digit multiplication and division fact fluency is taught and the distributive property is explored.  Additionally, the program incorporates problem solving, using tables to organize information and draw conclusions, estimating, algebraic thinking, understanding and comparing fractions, time, money, and patterns.  

GRADE 4

The fourth grade program focuses on mastery of addition and subtraction and continued work in multi-digit multiplication and division.  In addition, area and perimeter, fractions, place value, decimals, graphing on coordinate grids, classifying angles and shapes, including symmetry and congruence are studied.  Measurement including length, capacity, time, weight and temperature are integrated into STEM class. 

GRADE 3

Students delve into the following four main content areas: Geography, Indigenous People of NJ (Lenape Study), World Cultures, and Social Justice (Women We Admire). Within these content areas, the focus will be on the interdisciplinary integration of most content areas including but not limited to: literacy, social studies, math, STEM, computer, library, music, drama, and art. Students will strengthen reading and writing skills as they gain a developmentally appropriate understanding of the content in these areas. Specifically, instruction will largely focus on research/note-taking skills, organizing and analyzing information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, and synthesizing and presenting our understanding of the content area studied.

GRADE 4

Students begin the year with a unit on the meaning of history by studying family history, genealogy, immigration, and a short unit on world geography. Topics for study include the European Age of Exploration, the colonial period and the American Revolution. Thematically, students learn that throughout history many people have always been curious about the world around them and have taken risks to learn and explore. Students learn that people come together to survive by making agreements and accords that insure the safety and survival of a group; they also become aware of conflicts that arise that create discord and even war. Student simulations of historical events and role-playing are key to their learning. They use the History Alive! textbook and interactive workbook during the year, write a research report about an explorer and another on a specific Mayflower passenger. Students participate in historically based simulation activities and role-playing.

At Stuart, we know the importance of educating the whole child, so our girls are taught by subject area teachers in STEM, Spanish, art, drama, and music — in light-filled studios, labs, and performance spaces designed specifically for each discipline.

Click here for the Lower School Specialists Curriculum. 

All of the theology classes work closely with our lower school counselor to further incorporate our  character education program and Word of the Month.

SEL EC to Grade 4

Social Emotional Learning in the Lower School will consist of self awareness, learning how to respect others, navigating the highs and lows of friendship and community at their age and even understanding things like empathy, kindness and boundaries. Students will learn early on about mindfulness practices and we’ll do fun and interactive activities. We will be utilizing a multimodal approach, so that every learner can grow in their understanding of God, self and others. I envision having a very collaborative working relationship with faculty and staff, as to both reinforce and help support the five goals of Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart. 

Learn more about counseling services at Stuart

theology Grade 3 

Children learn about the Church as a Community, the Holy Trinity, the Sacraments of Initiation, Healing  and Service. They are introduced to the hierarchy of our Church leaders. They learn that the kingdom  of God is love, peace and justice for all and that we all have a responsibility to love and forgive. Students  learn to connect their faith to their daily lives. In addition to celebrating Christian Holy Days, students  celebrate and learn about the different faiths that make up the Stuart Community. The girls visit the  Kindergarten as part of their Community Service throughout the year. Continuing the Call to Faith  series, the focus for this grade is on age appropriate moral development, the Trinity and the Church.  Lessons include discussion, reflection, art activities and dramatic play. The girls engage in service  learning by visiting the Kindergarten classes and creating decorative holiday placemats and cards to be  placed on food trays for Meals on Wheels in the Princeton area. 

theology Grade 4 

The children learn how the Commandments and Beatitudes shape their Christian and moral life; the  importance of friendship, honesty, kindness and compassion; and how receiving the Sacraments  strengthens their faith. The fourth graders perform a presentation of The Way of the Cross for the  entire student body during the season of Lent. Stuart’s Community Service program is enhanced  through the visits to the Early Childhood classes on a regular basis. Participation and public speaking at  prayer services and liturgies is emphasized. The customs, beliefs and holidays of several world  Religions are also included in the class time. This year represents a continuation of the religious  education using the Finding God series. It focuses on a faith grounded in Scripture and tradition and the  recognition of God’s presence in all things. The following topics are discussed throughout the year:

1. God is our Creator and Father. 
2. The Commandments and Beatitudes and how they shape our moral and Christian faith. 
3. The importance of friendship, honesty, kindness and compassion. 
4. Each individual’s responsibility to care for our world. 

We also continue to strengthen our inclusive community and develop an appreciation of the Holidays and traditions of  other World Religions as we encourage the students (and parents) of all faiths to share customs and traditions. The girls  also visit the Early Childhood classes as a part of their service learning experience. 

Click here to learn more about the K-12 theology curriculum.