Embedded Files
Dear Families,
What a wonderful week we’ve had full of learning, laughter, and festive Halloween fun! It was great to see so many smiling faces and friendly waves during the Halloween Parade. The children were beaming as they showed off their creative costumes.
This week, we’ll highlight Solidarity Week, where kindergarteners will learn about kindness, empathy, solidarity, and what it means to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. We’ll also recognize and celebrate Native American Heritage Month, an opportunity for the children and our community to explore the rich traditions, history, and contributions of Native American cultures. November is also a time for the children to reflect on thankfulness and share what they’re grateful for.
We’re looking forward to connecting with families during Parent-Teacher Conferences later this month.
Important Dates
11/3 - 11/11 - Solidarity Week
11/7/25 - School Closed: Professional Day
11/7/25 - Fall Conference Sign-Ups shared in Pulse
11/11/25 - Solidarity Week Celebration: Pre-K & Kindergarten wear purple.
11/15/25 - HUGS B&L Friendsgiving, 6:00 PM
11/17/25 - United Voices, 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM (New Date)
11/17/25 - POLY PM Winter Enrichment Registration Opens, 10:30 AM
11/17/25 - Used Coat and Toy Drive Begins
11/20/25 - No After School: In-Person Conferences (3:30 - 6:30)
11/21/25 - Regular Day of School. After School Open.
11/24/25 - School Closed: Virtual Conferences (9:00 - 3:00)
11/25/25 - School Closed: Lower School Professional Day
11/26/25 - 11/28/25 School Closed: Thanksgiving
Here are some important reminders for the week:
As the weather gets cooler, it’s time to swap out the extra set of summer clothes in your child’s cubby for a fall/winter change of clothing. Please include items such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, and socks.
Please click here for an important notice from our nurse team. We have noticed an increase in strep throat, impetigo, and coxsackie virus (hand, foot, and mouth disease) within our Lower School community. Please help us keep our community healthy by letting Nurse Lisa know when your child is out sick, enforcing proper handwashing, guiding students to cough and sneeze into their elbow or a tissue, and ensuring students get enough sleep and water!
We invite you to check out Ms. Penn’s Mathcast! On her website, you’ll find the latest Poly Problem Solvers, videos of students explaining their math work, and resources for families.
Solidarity Day Colors for Tuesday, November 11:
Solidarity Week is an opportunity to learn about and practice being in solidarity with others, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community. This year, Solidarity Week is Monday, November 3 to Tuesday, November 11. Each year during this week, our students learn about difference, respect, and safety for every member of our school community. On Tuesday, November 11, we will join the Middle and Upper School to stand up against bullying, gender stereotypes, and name-calling in schools, engage in meaningful learning and community-building activities, and take a picture in the colors of the rainbow. Students are asked to wear the following colors:
Pre-K, & Kindergarten wear purple.
Grades 1, 2, & 3 wear blue.
Grades 4, 5, & 6 wear green.
Click here for a message from Ms. Carmen about science shares and to find out which day your child is scheduled for a share. Every student has been assigned a date between now and December.
Please read below for this coming week’s learning goals and a few pointers for what you can do at home:
Social Emotional Learning
Growth Mindset: Persistence
Students will continue to learn what it means to have persistence. Read-alouds will include Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka and The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires.
Solidarity Week
Solidarity Week is an opportunity to learn about and practice being in solidarity with others, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community. Students will learn about allyship and advocacy as well as when to speak out when something is unfair.
Reading
Word of the week
The sight words of the week will be he and me. Have your child find the words he and me in magazines, newspapers, etc. They can circle, underline or highlight (also good for fine motor) every time they see the word. As you or they are reading books, they can also count the number of times it shows up on the page. Here are a few simple ways to support your child’s reading and writing of these words at home:
Spot them in books: When reading together, invite your child to find trick words on the page.
Play with words: Write trick words on index cards and play matching or memory games.
Use them in real writing: Encourage your child to include trick words in notes, labels, or stories they write.
Arm tap them: Have your child “arm tap” the word the way we do in class. Use your right hand to tap out each letter across your left arm, saying each letter name (not sound, since trick words cannot always be sounded out).
Learned words: and, the, a, I, to, do
Print Concepts
Distinguishing between letters and words
One-to-one correspondence
Pointing to words as they are read aloud; Using your “pointer power”
“Get your mouth ready.”
Look at the first letter in the word, think about the sound it makes, and then get your mouth ready to make that sound.
Phonemic awareness:
Rhyming
Identifying beginning sounds
Identifying ending sounds
Breaking words into syllables
Fundations / Handwriting
This will be a review week.
Review letter names and sounds: t, b, f, m, n, i, u, c, o, a, g, d, s, e, and r
See Newsletter Archives for Fundations At Home Packs for previously learned letters.
The Fundations Home 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
We will continue with our first writing unit called "We are all Writers!" This unit introduces children to writing by exploring both informational pieces and true stories. Students are encouraged to think, draw, label, and write about their pictures in their own way. It's an exciting step in developing their storytelling skills.
This week, we’ll continue growing as independent writers! The children will learn how to carry on with their writing even when they encounter challenges, asking thoughtful questions like, “What do I need to keep writing on my own?” and “What tools can I use to help me write?”
We’ll revisit the resources around our classroom like the word wall and alphabet charts and practice using them to stretch out words, add labels, and build sentences. The goal is to help each child feel confident, capable, and proud of their independence as writers.
Writers will use booklets to stretch a story about their lives across three pages. We will practice:
THINK: something that happened to you, or something you did
PRACTICE: telling with a storyteller’s voice (touch each page as you say aloud how it might go)
PICTURES and WORDS tell: who, where, what
Use speech bubbles to say more
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
Numbers to 10
Count, read, and write numbers from 6 to 10
Use ordinal numbers to tell order by naming the position of objects in a small ordered collection
Order numbers to 10 in both increasing and decreasing order
Students will learn how numbers work together and take numbers apart through purposeful activities
Social Studies
Family Study: We plan to start our unit on Families. Our family study will focus on structures, relationships, customs, and the importance of supporting one another.
Our Family Share presentations have begun and the children are very excited for their turn to share family traditions, stories, and books with their classmates!
Read-Alouds will include: A Family is a Family by Sara O'Leary and The Family Book by Todd Parr.
Native American Heritage Month: In November, we take time to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Native and Indigenous peoples. We celebrate because Native Americans have shared so many important traditions, stories, inventions, art forms, and ideas that continue to shape our communities today.
Anti-Racist Read Aloud:
Our school-wide anti-racist read-aloud this month is Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman. This story celebrates imagination, confidence, and courage while reminding children that everyone deserves the chance to try new things and follow their dreams.
Our focus for the month is on fairness, understanding what it means and why it matters. We talk about fairness as treating people with kindness and respect, giving everyone what they need to be successful, and making sure everyone has a turn and a voice. We’ll explore fairness through classroom discussions, stories, and play, helping children notice when things are or aren’t fair and how they can take action to make things right. By practicing fairness, we build a classroom community where every child feels seen, included, and valued.
What You Can Do At Home
Letter Hunt: Have fun with a letter hunt! Use sticky notes to write letters t, b, f, m, n, i, u, c, o, a, g, d, s, e and r. Hide them around the house, and have your child go on a letter scavenger hunt. As they find each letter, ask them to say the letter's name, sound, and motion.
Letter building/formation: Use materials like building blocks, connecting cubes, playdough, or magnetic letters to form the letters t, b, f, m, n, i, u, c, o, a, g, d, s, e and r. Encourage your child to trace the letters with their finger and say the letter sounds aloud.
Spelling: Have your child practice spelling learned sight words in shaving cream or sand: a, the, and, I, to, do, he, me
Rhyming / Word Families: Say two words aloud and ask your child if the words rhyme or not. Remind them that the middle and ending sounds have to be the same for the words to rhyme (hat and bat rhyme because they both end it /at/. We’re learning about the -at and -an word families. See how many words your child can think of for each one — cat, hat, mat or man, fan, can!
Making 8: Ask your child to show different combinations of fingers to make 8. You can also use a 10-frame or small objects (like blocks or buttons) to help them see and build the different combinations that make 8.
Story Problems: Create simple story problems related to everyday scenarios. For example, “You have 2 apples, and your friend gives you 6 more. How many apples do you have?” Story problems help connect math to real-life situations.
Number Formation: Practice writing and building numbers 0-10 with fun materials: pens, paint, playdough, etc.
Discuss the importance of celebrating Heritage Months: November is a special time to learn about the many different Native nations that have lived on this land for thousands of years, each with their own unique languages, customs, and ways of life. By learning and celebrating together, we show respect, build understanding, and recognize the importance of Native voices and stories in our shared history.
Native American Heritage Month: Introduce your child to Native American artists and storytellers, such as Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Kay WalkingStick, or T.C. Cannon. Look at their artwork together and talk about the shapes, patterns, and colors they use to tell stories and share traditions. Encourage your child to create their own artwork inspired by these artists using crayons, markers, or paints. You can also explore traditional crafts like beadwork patterns, woven designs, or nature-inspired art using leaves, sticks, and natural colors. This is a wonderful way for your children to celebrate creativity while learning about the beauty and diversity of Native cultures.
Page updated
Report abuse