Third Grade at Hilltop school is not only an exciting time in your child’s life, but also a step toward independence. As your child enters into this school year, they are now considered part of the “upper grades” of our school community. Our job as teachers is to facilitate the third graders becoming self-sufficient critical thinkers and role models for the younger students.

Third graders here at Hilltop School have the opportunity to work with all grade level teachers, which helps to build our sense of teamwork and third grade pride. Mrs. DiGuilio, Mrs. Purisima, Miss McNally, and Miss Riehl work collaboratively all year round to ensure a smooth school year. Each teacher focuses on a specific subject to help the students master skills needed throughout their educational careers. Some topics your child will be focusing on are reading fiction novels and nonfiction books in class, hands-on science labs, digital social studies lessons, and the all important mastering of multiplication facts. We are also excited to be participants in the Multiplication Bowl with the fourth and fifth graders! Daily practice of multiplication facts and reading daily for enjoyment are imperative to your child's academic success.

Technology is a huge part of our curriculum in third grade, and we use our chromebooks for daily lessons in school and at home. This gives us access to Google Classroom, thousands of ebooks, daily math practice websites, and many other digital tools. We embrace technology across all parts of our curriculum, and this helps us develop strong digital learners. This also helps us to better prepare for NJSLA testing, which takes place in the Spring. 

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride! Third Grade is sure to be an eventful and exciting year! We look forward to working with you all!