A big hello and welcome to third grade!  My name is Erica Morse and I am honored to be a member of the Polenta Elementary staff teaching third grade this school year.   

In third grade, your child will move beyond “learning to read” and will begin “reading to learn”.  You may also notice he/she will start reading more for pleasure. Your child created strong foundations in K-2 by developing and focusing on decoding skills.  This year we focus on putting those decoding skills into action by transitioning into reading comprehension and making meaning.  He/She will be learning how to use a more formalized writing process of drafting, editing, and finalizing.  As a math learner, your child will continue to develop greater problem solving skills, a critical third grade skill, which many of the math standards and tests expect children to be able to reason through problems.  New mathematical concepts of multiplication, division, fractions, time, and more in-depth addition and subtraction will be introduced.  Social Studies and Science will be taught through an inquiry model.  This model allows students to engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate to develop their critical thinking skills as they continue to build on an understanding of the world around them.  Organization, Independence, and Responsibility will be our yearly focus as children begin to transform into their own positive "student" mind set. 

This year, your child will begin to take tests on a regular basis. In many states, third graders take their first standardized test under the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law and the state of North Carolina.

Above all, I am eager to get the 2022/2023 school year underway and continue building our classroom community together, both students and parents. #PUMAPRIDE

Mrs. Morse's Amazon Wish List

JCPS Standards Based Grading

Third Grade NC Standard Course of Study

Student Mathematical Practices for Envisions

What is Envisions Math?