3rd Grade is a transition year where students begin to become more independent. 
Ask any 3rd Grader at Carlthorp the question, “What is your motto?” and the 3rd Grader will likely declare, “Always be yourself. Unless you can be a pirate. Then always be a pirate!”

Morning Meeting activities continue to follow the responsive classroom model, building and strengthening the classroom community. One uniquely 3rd Grade example of this is the coveted "Pirate of the Week" recognition. All the students are given the opportunity to share with their peers what makes them special, and the class, in turn, celebrates each classmate’s individuality.
After three years of gentle public speaking preparation, 3rd Graders are ready for Current Events! Finding topical articles online, in the newspaper, or in children’s news magazines, the students learn to digest information and present it in their own words in front of the class. By the end of the year, students are able to speak confidently and clearly, maintain eye contact and present material in an easy, natural way.
Small-group study in math and reading helps to prepare the students for the upcoming challenges of 4th, 5th and 6th Grades. Writing Workshop focuses on personal narratives, information writing and fairy tales, and students combine their writing and public speaking skills through persuasive speeches that are presented to families.

Field Trips

Field trips are also carefully chosen to tie into the curriculum with the visit to the La Brea Tar Pits, Upward Bound House relating directly to social issues in reading, the California Science Center visit tying into the science curriculum, and a visit to the Autry Museum of the American West bringing to life Native American studies.

Meet the Team

List of 5 items.

  • Jacqueline Corsini

    Jacqueline graduated from Boston College with dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Elementary Education and English Literature in 2008. She began her career as an English Language Learner specialist in the Boston Public Schools, working with students from a variety of native languages across the elementary grade levels. She then lived in London for six years, during which time she obtained her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and School Improvement at Cambridge University, and taught 4th Grade at TASIS England. This fall will be her tenth year in the classroom, and her fourth at Carlthorp School. In her free time, Jacqueline enjoys chasing after her two children, and eating chocolate chip cookies.

  • Julia Ho

    Ms. Ho graduated from Hamilton College in New York, where she studied sociology and studio art, ran varsity track, and captained the women’s rugby team. After that, she was accepted into the New York City Teaching Fellows program, which allowed her to earn a M.Ed. from Mercy College. She has diverse teaching experiences across the globe including The Lamplighter School (Dallas, Texas), a village in rural Namibia (Africa), and most recently, The Horace Mann School (New York). Her hobbies include petting cheetahs and diving with sharks, but on a more regular basis, Miss Ho prefers riding her bike and eating cupcakes—separately, of course.

  • Regina “Gigi” Niekrash

    Gigi is a University of Maine graduate with a B.A. in History and a minor in Elementary Education. She continued her education at Southern Connecticut State University, where she earned her teaching credential and master’s degree in History. Gigi started her career at Carlthorp as the library assistant and has since taught 4th and 5th Grades at the school. She took a one-­year hiatus during which she taught 5th Grade at Achievement First Charter School in Bridgeport, CT. She is currently in her 7th year at Carlthorp School and teaching 3rd Grade. Outside of school, Gigi enjoys reading, cooking and watching football, especially the Patriots.

  • Elizabeth Worrell

    Elizabeth grew up in Wisconsin and attended Concordia University in Chicago, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education.  She continued at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she completed a Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Literary Studies. Throughout her graduate program, she focused mainly on identifying and overcoming the social constructs that may cause boys to develop early and negative attitudes towards reading. Elizabeth has acquired a broad range of teaching experience in both elementary and middle schools. Her first assignment was in suburban Chicago teaching 2nd Grade.  After moving to California, she spent eight years teaching 7th Grade and 8th Grade students at Venice Lutheran, an independent school just down the road from Carlthorp. While there, Elizabeth started an astronomy partnership with a local university, helped rethink the school’s reading curriculum, directed and co-directed numerous theatrical productions and incorporated many forms of educational technology into her classroom. In her free time Elizabeth is an avid reader who is always on the lookout for high interest books to add to the 3rd grade library.

  • Glynn Farrelly

    Glynn attended Providence College and graduated with a degree in both Elementary and Special Education. She is passionate about the impact today’s children will make on our future world. Her first teaching experience in South Africa not only reinforced her desire to be a teacher but also sparked in Glynn a love of exploration and adventure. 
    Upon moving to California two years ago, Glynn worked in a 4th grade classroom as a long-term substitute in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District. She subsequently taught 1st grade at John Muir Elementary School, and most recently worked there as a long-term substitute in Kindergarten. She is thrilled to join the Carlthorp School 3rd Grade team. 
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Established in 1939, Carlthorp School is the oldest independent coeducational day school for grades K-6 located in Santa Monica, California.