Newsletter Archives - 1/12/26

Dear Families,

Our first week back in the new year was filled with excitement as we settled back into familiar routines and reconnected as a community. We are also looking forward to Poly Prep Day this Friday for an extra dose of school spirit and meaningful reflection on what makes our community so special.

This week, we are diving deeper into our Fairness and Justice unit by exploring the inspiring life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Please take a few moments to read our overview of the Fairness and Justice unit, which supports our ongoing work around identity, fairness, and community in kindergarten. Through developmentally appropriate conversations, stories, and activities, children are learning about fairness, equity, equality, kindness, and the importance of standing up for what is right. The children’s curiosity, thoughtfulness, and enthusiasm as they engage with these meaningful ideas have been truly heartwarming. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home to reinforce the significance of Dr. King’s legacy and the values he stood for. If you have any questions or would like additional resources, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Important Dates

• January 12 - ATHL: Play Like A Champion Parent Workshop - 7-9pm (Register here) 

• January 16 - Poly Pep! Day and Oasis Night

• January 19 - NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• January 20 - NO SCHOOL Professional development 

• January 23 - Jammin June & Poly Math Camp Registration Opens

• January 26 - Food Drive and Used Book Sale begins 

• January 29 - Used Book Sale - Parent Shopping Day 

• January 29 - United Voices 3:45PM - 5:00PM

Here are some important reminders for the week:

1. We warmly invite families to join our classroom in January to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. For planning ahead, if more than one family would like to participate, we would be delighted to connect families for a shared presentation so students can hear from multiple perspectives.

2. Please take a moment to read this inspiring article about Ms. Shirley, Head Teacher of Nursery B, and her humanitarian efforts, including her work following Hurricane Melissa.

3. If you have not already done so, please send your child to school with an extra pair of indoor shoes. We may go to the park even in inclement weather, and having a change of shoes helps prevent mud, dirt (and other surprise park finds!) from being tracked back into the building and onto our classroom rugs.

4. January is Jewish Heritage Month. Throughout the month, students will share their My Story posters, and we’ll engage in learning about Jewish heritage through engaging read-alouds, including Bubbie & Rivka’s Best-Ever Challah by Sarah Lynne Reul and Fridays are Special by Chris Barash.

5. Send in Gently Used Books for our LS Book Sale by Friday, January 23

We are currently collecting gently used books for our upcoming book sale. We are also collecting used bags/totes so that we can offer our shoppers a bag with purchase! Please drop off books for babies, kids, and adults, as well as used bags, in the library or by the security desks any time before Friday, January 23. Contact Kristen Robb (krobb@polyprep.org) with questions, and thanks for helping to make this annual event such a success! Click here for a printable flyer.

Please read below for this coming week’s learning goals and a few pointers for what you can do at home:

Social Emotional Learning

• What is fairness? What does fairness look like in this space? How can we work together to create a fair community?

• Read Aloud: Fair is Fair, Isn’t It? by Dr. Lindsey L. Wilson

Reading

• Story Elements

  • We started our work on learning about story elements—the building blocks that help us understand and talk about stories. We will introduce key elements such as characters, setting, problem and solution, and plot. Our focus this week will be on the setting of a story, identifying where and when a story takes place, how the setting can change over time, and how it helps us better understand what is happening in the story.

• Word of the week

  • The sight word of the week will be said. Play Sight Word Memory Match. Make pairs of cards with the focus word said and other sight words. Place them face down and play a memory matching game. Each time your child flips a card, they must say the word aloud. Matching words reinforces recognition and recall.

• Rhyming

  • We are learning that words rhyme when the middle and ending sounds are the same.

  • Rhyming words and word families help children discover many common word patterns.

    • Here are the word families we have taught thus far: -an, -at, -ad, -ap, -ag, -op, -ot, -og, -et, -eg, -en

    • This week, we will be introducing short e word families:  -ug, -ut, -un

• Syllables

  • We are learning about syllables. Syllables are the parts of a word, the number of "chunks" or “beats” that a word breaks into when you say it. Students have been taught to segment words into syllables by clapping them out or placing their hand under their chin and counting the times their chin drops when saying a word.

• S-T-R-E-T-C-H words apart, sounding out each letter (particularly consonant, vowel, consonant 3 letter words) then joining them back together to read the word.

• One-to-One Correspondence or Finger Point Reading

• One-to-one correspondence is the ability to match written word to spoken word while reading. Pointing, or one-to-one correspondence, helps beginning readers make text-to-word connections. This also helps students with directionality, visual tracking, and keeping their place while reading. We will continue to practice this skill while reading our mini-books.  

Fundations / Handwriting 

• Review of lowercase letters 

  • Review all of the lowercase letters 

• Fundations At Home Pack for letters for qu and z 

  • The Fundations Home Fundations Home Support Pack Unit 1 Week 12 Support Pack provides you with the “why” and the “what” regarding our reading program, Fundations. The Fundations Home Packet also provides you with the language that the teachers use when forming their letters. Please use the same language when instructing and practicing with your child at home.

Writing Workshop

• Unit 2: Writing for Readers

  • Bend 1: Make Writing Easy to Read 

    • Leave spaces between words.

    • Make pictures that help with the words.

    • Write a letter for each sound.

    • Use capital letters to start sentences.

    • Put a period at the end of every sentence. 

• We will continue to practice the rhyme, When you think you’re done, you’ve only just begun. Children often say they are done, but we ask them to add more details to drawing, labeling, and writing.

Math

Measurement 

• MIF School-to-Home Connections 

• Comparing the lengths of two objects

• Measuring length using non-standard units

• Comparing the heights of two objects

• Measuring height using non-standard units

• Comparing the weights of two objects

Social Studies

• We are continuing our Fairness and Justice unit. 

  • Our current focus is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

    • In our Fairness and Justice unit, the students learn about Dr. MLK, Jr. and other leaders for equity and equality. They reflect on what fairness and justice means to them and how they could make positive changes in the world.

What You Can Do At Home

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - When addressing our students about the life and impact of Dr. King, it's inevitable that questions about his death may come up. It's crucial for us to handle these inquiries with honesty and sensitivity, emphasizing the celebration of his remarkable life and mission. We aim to underscore the significance of his dreams, teachings, and the positive changes he initiated. If your child has questions about Dr. King's passing, we suggest offering truthful and age-appropriate responses, focusing on his enduring legacy rather than delving into the details of his death.

• Discuss the importance of celebrating Heritage Months: While January is not officially recognized as Jewish American Heritage Month (May is the official month), it is still a wonderful time to explore and celebrate Jewish culture, traditions, and holidays. In kindergarten, we will be learning about how different families express their identities and traditions, fostering understanding, curiosity, and appreciation for the many ways Jewish people live and celebrate their culture. You can support this learning at home by talking with your child about your own family’s traditions, reading books that highlight Jewish culture and holidays, and encouraging curiosity and respectful questions about how families may be similar to or different from one another.

• Jewish American Heritage Month: We will continue to honor Jewish American Heritage in January. At home, you can introduce your child to Jewish American artists, leaders, and storytellers such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Naomi Wadler, and Itzhak Perlman. Look at their work together and talk about how they shared their ideas, talents, and voices with the world. Discuss what makes each person unique and how their identities, experiences, and values shaped what they created or stood up for. Encourage your child to ask questions, share what they notice, and reflect on how people can use art, music, storytelling, and leadership to express who they are and make a difference. This is a wonderful way for children to celebrate creativity while learning about the beauty and diversity of Jewish cultures and experiences.

• Rainbow Writing: To practice letter and number formation, provide a sheet with letters or numbers lightly outlined. Your child can trace over them multiple times using different colored markers or crayons to create a “rainbow” effect.

• Make a Rhyme Chain: Start with a word (e.g., "cake"), and take turns coming up with rhyming words. Keep the chain going as long as possible, adding a silly story or phrase for extra fun.

• Spelling: Have your child practice spelling learned sight words in shaving cream or sand: a, the, and, I, to, do, he, me, she, we, you, your, was

• Measurement: Encourage your child to measure objects around the house using everyday objects such as paper clips, buttons, or building blocks. For example, they can measure the length of a table or the height of a chair using these items - paperclips, connecting cubes, etc. 

• Fine Motor Skills: Practice fine motor skills with exercises like beading, buttoning, zipping. Foster independence and build confidence at home by encouraging your children to peel their own oranges, open a snack, clean up after themselves when they eat, and practice tying their own shoes and zipping their own jackets.