3B Rocks another year of PE!

Head into the summer with a few useful tips:

1). Stay active! Get outside and move!

2). Rest and relax! 

3). Have fun!! 

Have a great summer everyone and great job this year! 

The Highlight of 3A's Year

As the school year draws to a close, we have been reflecting on our time in Grade 3 and taking note of our triumphs and challenges. We have been thinking about both the progress and the memories we have made together in 3A. Looking back, we realize that we have accomplished a great deal and we have so much to be proud of.

As a class, we unanimously agreed that one of the biggest highlights of our year was preparing and presenting our How We Express Ourselves End-of-Unit Performance. This performance provided an opportunity for us to develop and demonstrate the attitudes, learner attributes, and transdisciplinary skills that we have been learning throughout our PYP school lives. The performance also allowed us to show off our talent as dancers, actors, puppeteers, magicians, and circus entertainers.

If you were unable to attend our performance, we warmly invite you to view the videos below.

Celebrating Our Achievements in Writing

This year the students in Grade 3 were introduced to a workshop approach to writing. This approach is based on the idea that students learn to write best when they write frequently, for extended periods of time, on topics of their own choosing. The workshop setting encourages students to think of themselves as writers, and to take their writing seriously.

A typical Writer's Workshop session consists of a 10-15 minute mini-lesson, followed by 20-30 minutes of sustained writing and conferencing with teachers and peers. The workshop often concludes with a 5-10 minute sharing session, where writers read what they have written and seek feedback from their classmates.

Throughout the year, the third-grade students embraced the workshop method and worked with great independence, enthusiasm, and commitment to improve their writing. On Tuesday, May 30th we held an assembly to celebrate the tremendous growth and progress they have made as writers.

Just prior to the Grade 3 Writing Celebration, the students in 3A had a pizza party to celebrate their World Creative Writing Month victory. 

World Creative Writing Month is a global writing competition hosted by the British education technology company, Night Zookeeper. The 3A girls participated in the competition alongside students in the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, India, China and various other countries around the world. After writing more than 115,000 words, 3A won first place in the Year 4 (Grade 3) category.

The 3A girls were thrilled to have Ms. Sandra 

and Mr. Hughes stop by to hand out their prizes.

Mr. Towse, Japan's Night Zookeeper Ambassador, also stopped by to hand out 

some special prizes to the three students who wrote the most words.

Summer Reading

     Summer Reading Lists

Seisen Students Share Their Talents at Trust Garden

On May 19th, Seisen's Gr. 3 and Gr. 4 students held a special performance for the residents of Trust Garden to celebrate St. Raphaela Day.  In the spirit of St. Raphaela, we are encouraged to reach out and help others with our gifts and talents.

Students prepared a varied program of music and dance. The First Communion students danced reverently in their white dresses, while the schola sang along.  The Gr. 3-4 choir shared songs from around the globe.  The Gr. 4 students performed on their recorders.  The SASA Monday dancers performed "Singing In The Rain."  The residents joined in for the popular song "Do Re Mi."  Finally, all the students performed their flash mob mash-up while many of the Trust Garden staff danced along.

We are grateful to all who helped us with chaperoning on that day, especially parents who took time out of your schedules to come to school.

The Gr. 3-4 choir sings "Music Alone Shall Live."

The First Communion group shares the song "Table of Plenty."

The Gr. 4 students performed on their recorders.

Residents enjoyed the magical sounds of the SASA girls performing "Singing In the Rain."

The students ended with their flash mob mash-up, Advice to Seisen Seniors.  Even some of the staff members and residents joined us by clapping their hands and dancing.

Seisen International School Grades 3 and 4 present

 “Springtime Joy”

St. Raphaela Day of Service concert event

Trust Gardens May 19, 2017  

Jubilate Deo           Michael Praetorious

Grade 3 and 4 choir

Table of Plenty        Dan Schutte  

First Communion dancers

Si Cantemo             Italian folk song

Grade 3 and 4 choir

Ode to Joy              Ludwig van Beethoven  

Recorder:  4A  class

Amazing Grace       Traditional American hymn  

Recorder:   4B  class

Lead Me, Lord          John D. Becker

First Communion dancers

  Music Alone shall live        German folk song

Grade 3 and 4 choir   

Artsa Alinu　　　　　　　Hebrew folk song from Israel

Grade 3 and 4 choir

Music is Fun 　　   David R. Asplund

Grade 3 and 4 choir

Singing In The Rain  Music by Nacio Herb Brown, Words by Arthur Freed

tap dance by SASA Dancers

Sing Along:  Do-Re-Mi   Music by Rogers, Words by Hammerstein

Everyone!

Seisen Elementary Dance Flash Mob Mash-up  “Advice To Our Seisen Seniors”

“Rockabye” ft (Clean Bandit SHAKED remix Sean Paul and Anne-Marie;

“Better When I’m Dancing” Meghan Trainor

“Say Hey (I Love You)” Michael Franti (Kidz Bop version)

“Try Everything” Shakira

“We Are Beautiful” One Billion Rising  Lisa & Marleen

“Can’t Stop The Feeling” Justin Timberlake

3B Prepare for ES Sports day in Individual pursuits!

The 3B class prepared for ES Sports Day and learned more about running, jumping and throwing techniques. 

Central Idea: Exploring individual pursuits through running, throwing and jumping events. 

Success criteria for running:

1). Eyes focused on where you are running, keep head steady 

2). Arms bend like an L-shape, hands go from hip to nose 

3). Lift your knees and find a good pace depending on whether it is long distance or a sprint 

Success criteria for throwing:

1). Opposite leg forward 

2). Appropriate technique based on which item you are throwing 

             -For overhand throw (koosh ball ) use T, L, Cross my body technique 

             -For frisbee toss, hug the frisbee and fling and release 

             -For foxtail throw, grab at the second color, spin clockwise and release in front 

3). Use your full energy on the throw 

Success criteria for jumping:

1). Use the running technique 

2). See the hurdle and know when to jump

3). When jumping over the hurdle, lift your knees

Upcoming Events

It was wonderful to see so many Grade 3 parents come out to cheer on our students at this year's Sports Day. If you were unable to attend, please check out the highlight reel below, courtesy of Mr. Brittain.

Photos from the event are also available through the Parent's Secure Portal on the Seisen website. 

Instructions for Logging into the Secure Portal:

All Seisen parents can access both the "Parents" and "Students" portal of the Seisen website using the e-mail address registered with the school.

If you are logging in for the first time this year:

1. Go to www.seisen.com
2. Click on the "Parents" button at the top of the page
3. Click on the "Forgot Username or Password" at the bottom
4. Enter the email address you have registered with the Records Office
5. Open the email notification sent to you
6. Enter a new password that will be easy for you to remember
7. Allow your browser to remember your password
8. http://www.seisen.com/student-portal/photo-galleries
9. Email the Records office with any problems skim@seisen.com

If you have already set up your password on the new website since February and your browser has your password saved, you should be able to enter directly using the link to the photo galleries. http://www.seisen.com/student-portal/photo-galleries

It is a very busy time of year at Seisen. Here is a rundown of some the events happening in the next couple weeks:

On Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 1:30pm the students in 3A will present their How We Express Ourselves end-of-unit performance.

On Friday, May 19, 2017 the Seisen community will honor St. Raphaela, the founder of the Order of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a Day of Service. The third graders will participate in a gardening service project on-campus. To learn more about this important Seisen event, please enjoy the 60 second video below, starring Sister Celementina.

On Tuesday, May 23rd the students in Grade 3 will go on a field trip to the Institute for Nature Study. This field trip will aid the students' Sharing The Planet inquiry into the importance of plant diversity.

3B How We Express Ourselves Performance

To wrap up our unit on How We Express Ourselves, the third graders are performing in front of an audience in the drama room. 3B performed on Thursday, April 27th. The audience enjoyed seeing acts of magic, kamishibai, singing, dancing, and acting.

The next performance will be 3A on Thursday, May 18th at 1:30 in the drama room. 

We are currently in the middle of our Sharing the Planet unit, so please check back soon for information on what the students have been learning!

Simple Machines Make Work Easier

A couple weeks ago, with influenza spreading, half of the 3B class was unable to come to school. With so many students absent, we had to think of a way to teach them about simple machines for the How the World Works unit. Luckily, several students were able to create videos to show how simple machines make work easier.

We've now moved on to our How We Express Ourselves unit. Please look for more information on that after the Spring Break!

How The World Works Summative Assessment

Last week, the students in Grade 3 demonstrated their knowledge and understanding of forces and motion to create compound machines for their How the World Works summative assessment task. Students worked in small groups to create a machine that would make work easier.

In addition to demonstrating their knowledge and understanding, the third graders also demonstrated some very positive PYP attitudes. They all showed great independence, cooperation, creativity, and commitment. They were also reflective and amazing thinkers and communicators.

  

  

 

Field Trip to the Science Museum

For their How the World Works unit of inquiry the students in Grade 3 have been learning all about how simple machines use force and motion to make work easier.

This past Monday, the third graders went on a field trip to the Science Museum to see first hand how forces create motion and how simple and compound machines reduce the amount of force required to do work.

Students had a ton of fun in the museum's Machine Room, where they used a variety of levers, pulleys, screws, inclined planes, etc. to move some massive steel spheres around the room.



Students came away from the field trip with a greater understanding of simple machines and the ways in which simple machines can be combined to create compound machines.

How much do you know about simple and compound machines? 

Can you identify the simple machines in these photos? 

Leave us your answers in the comment section below.

I've Got It! Finding Ways to Learn a Challenging Dance

Grade Three students have been working really hard lately.  They've been exploring some of the toughest dances first in their new unit of inquiry on How We Express Ourselves.  Take a look at what they've been learning how to do.

Students explored dances from around the world which used rhythmic sounds.  The two dances they've been working on so far are the Gumboot Dance from South Africa and Tinikling from the Philippines.

Gumboot Dancers from South Africa

Tinikling from the Philippines

First of all, they learned how to do the steps slowly watching the teacher.

Then, they tried to do the steps faster.  They watched, and corrected their mistakes. Students tried to remember each step without looking at the teacher.

For the Philippine dance "Tinikling" students need to know how to "clap" the poles together.  They practiced doing a hand clap pattern, and then did the same pattern with the bamboo poles.

Then came the challenge of putting the two parts together. This may sound easy, but students had to be risk-takers to try this new dance.  Jumping between two bamboo poles is really challenging!
For many students, this was really difficult.  They had to practice over and over again, often getting caught in the poles.  When students finally got one of the steps, their group was so excited!

As students master one step, they have begun to learn more difficult steps.

What's the next step?  Students might enjoy checking out additional videos of "Tinikling" to learn more difficult steps and formations. Or they might come up with their own original steps?

We'll be taking a trip around the globe through dance!

Seisen Visits Nakamachi Elementary

Last month the Seisen third graders took a short walk down Nakamachi-dori to visit another neighborhood school, Nakamachi Elementary. It was a perfect opportunity to explore our local area and meet some new friends. The students were treated to songs, dances, speeches, origami, rope jumping, and personalised school tours. Take a quick glance at the day:

In addition to making friends and having fun, it was a great chance for Seisen students to put their profile words and attitudes into practice.

Accoriding to Yurina, "I was a risk-taker, because I said my name loudly to my group, even though I didn't know the Nakamachi students. I was also a risk-taker when we did the jump rope, because I challenged myself to try."

Lucy highlighted respect as an attitude she demonstrated: "I showed respect, because when we were walking around the library, they told me their favorite book and I said 'wow'. Another example is I told them their origami skills were good."

According to Yun Hee, "I showed commitment, because I wasn't really good at origami, but I tried my best. I also got some help from Nakamachi students."

Many Seisen girls had to adjust to a school with boys. According to Seo Yoon: "I was open-minded, because I worked with the boys and a lot of people didn't want to work with the boys."

According to Emma, "I showed confidence when I performed the dance, Zootopia. I also was confident to talk and communicate with the Nakamachi students and when I did the jump rope."

Seisen third graders have another trip to look forward to soon, as we head to the Science Museum on Monday to wrap up our How The World Works Unit. Have a great weekend!

Semester Two Learning Outcomes

Below you will find the Semester Two intended learning outcomes for all subject areas.  Click on the links to view and download the documents.  If you have any questions about these learning outcomes, please contact your child's homeroom teacher, our PYP Coordinator (Michael Hughes), or our Elementary Principal (Sandra Mulligan).

Click here to view the Grade 3 intended learning outcomes for Semester Two

What Are These New Multiplication Methods?

After deeply exploring and understanding how multiplication and division work, third graders have started to learn different methods of multiplying multi-digit numbers. If you've glanced at your daughter's work, however, you might notice that her methods are probably different from the way you learned multiplication when you were in school. So...what's up with these strange, new multiplication methods?

First, it's helpful to think of the advantages of "traditional" multiplication. These methods are prominently used for two main reasons: speed and efficiency of space. That is, you can multiply quickly and not take up too much paper. For students learning to multiply for the first time, we have a more important goal: understanding.

Great mathematical thinkers don't simply memorize facts and algorithms. Great mathematical thinkers are able to think about numbers flexibly, possessing a deep understanding of place value and the base-10 system. They can take numbers apart and put them back together. They can solve problems in more than one way. We call this number sense, and students who have it will be in excellent position for future mathematical success.

So, rather than multiplying quickly and efficiently, we break numbers down. For example, see how Yumi and Noushin show their knowledge of place value and extended facts with the "partial products" method.

Check this link for an ever-growing list of examples. It gets trickier when you multiply 2 digits by 2 digits, but the "window method" helps students to take numbers apart and put them back together. Yuka explains the process with great clarity:

This method has gained popularity amongst students, click here for a full list of tutorials. Eventually, students can multiply 2 digits by 2 digits with the "partial products" method, which Miyu enthusiastically explains here: 

Another method you might not be familiar with is the "lattice method". While it's not as helpful for breaking down place value, many third graders enjoy using it as well. Lucy shows how it works here:

As each student's number sense develops, we can move towards applying their mathematical skills to problem solving and real-life mathematical challenges. We will keep practicing different forms of computation; however, our next unit of math will focus on geometry (shape and space). 

Grade 3 Performance Unit

The Grade 3 students are exploring the line of inquiry "How cultures communicate ideas through performing arts" in their Performance Unit. The students are exploring how various cultures celebrate the New Year through the use of performing arts and how the music elements of those music cultures affect the music.  With their partners, they have also created their own musical phrase on the theme of New Years using the music notes C D E G or Do Re Mi So using the Kodaly hand signs.

Good Criteria Supports Decision Making

Where We Are in Place and Time

For their Where We Are in Place and Time unit of inquiry, the students in Grade 3 have been inquiring into inventions and inventors.

Students kicked off the unit by attempting to answer the question:

Why Do People Invent?

Next, the students were given pictures of different inventions and asked to sort them in a variety of different ways.

Students worked collaboratively in small groups to arrange the inventions in order of age, importance, and usefulness.

After estimating the age of each invention, the students used their research skills to search books and the internet to try and identify the actual year each invention was created.