3G has been working hard to prepare for this big showcase of our learning. Please join us if you are available.

Third graders visited Enoshima Aquarium recently. We had a thrilling time gazing at all the intriguing animals. In addition to creatures living under the sea, we also encountered penguins, sea otters, and capybaras! Students have been honing their research skills lately learning about various animals in preparation for inviting the whole elementary school to our Animal Museum in March.

What a memorable day!

We filled our marble jar today! 3G earns marbles for excellent behavior and decision-making. Today, they filled the jar to the top, which means we will have a class celebration soon! Congratulations, 3G! 🎇

We moved into our new IPC unit, called Different Places, Similar Lives, where we will learn the similarities and differences between our lives in Yokohama and many other cultures in the world. One way to do that is to inform others about our school. 3G set out to record videos to teach others about Saint Maur.

3G has started their coding journey. This is the first year we’ve included coding in the Technology curriculum for elementary students at Saint Maur. When I was in 3rd grade I looked forward to playing Number Munchers and Oregon Trail on floppy disks (the literally floppy ones with the hole in the middle) with monitors that had only one color – green. Now, our students are programming computers by writing the code themselves!

Previously, we learned the basics of coding with offline activities in our notebooks.

Then, we applied the skills learned to coding games with Blockly, a block-based coding platform. Students took to this like ducks to water! 🦆

You can better understand the extreme engagement in this video.

January is the start of the second semester, which means we have a new Elementary School Student Council. One of our 3G students was inducted into the new Student Council at an assembly last Friday. Congratulations!

The first big initiative for this semester is a Valentine’s Day fundraiser. Anyone can purchase valentines from the ESSC during morning recess in the coming weeks. One Valentine is ¥100 or two for ¥150! Valentine senders may choose to add a chocolate or a glow stick to their card.

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Cheer Dance Club

We were treated to a performance by the ES Cheer Dance Club at the assembly. A few members of our class have been working hard with the team to prepare their latest dance. Great work, girls!

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We love to read!

This class loves to read! It is a healthy, lifelong habit. 📚

We enjoyed another Fun Day in January. The theme this time was “Active Bodies; Active Minds.” Students participated in a variety of physical and mental challenges, puzzles, games, and races. One of the cool things about this Fun Day was that students spent the day in mixed groups with students from first to fifth grade all working collaboratively. Here are a few photos from the day to give you a feel for the event.

3G embarked on a research journey this week. After learning how to navigate nonfiction books in 2024, students are now putting their skills to use researching information across a variety of texts and then synthesizing the information. First project: Studying Penguins! 🐧

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IPC – Mummies

We played a Quiz-Quiz-Trade game to prepare for learning about mummification in Ancient Egypt. We learned quite a few new vocabulary words.

We even prepared apples for mummification. We used salt and baking soda in place of natron to dessicate our apple heads.

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Golden Time

…and then some well-deserved down time at the end of the week. At Saint Maur, we call it Golden Time.

We are back to school in a new year. There is so much to look forward to and so many happy memories to recall from 2024.

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First Activities of 2025

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Spirit Day and Christmas Party 2024

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Mastering multiplication and division facts is one of the most important skills gained in 3rd grade. We have been multiplying and dividing like champions lately! Here are a few photos from playing the Multiplication and Division “5-in-a-Row” Game.