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Dear Families,
What an amazing first full week of kindergarten we’ve had! It’s been such a joy to get to know your children and begin our year of learning together. We’ve established many kindergarten routines and are diving into our first units of study.
Thank you to all the parents who completed the Parents as Partners Questionnaire. We truly appreciate your input, and it helps us support your child’s learning. If you haven’t completed it yet, please use the link below.
We also want to remind you about our upcoming in-person Back to School Night, where we’ll share more about what’s to come this year and answer any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you there!
Important Dates
Tuesday, Sep 22: Enrichment & LS Music Conservatory Begins
Tuesday, Sep 22: Back to School Night & Reception (Adults Only), 5:45 PM to 8:30 PM
Thursday, Sep 24: United Voices Sep Meetings, 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM
Friday, Sep 25: Blue Devil Night (SAVE THE DATE)
Friday, Sep 25: Admissions Open House
Friday, Oct 9: Kindergarten Apple Picking Field Trip (see details below)
Some important reminders for the week and looking ahead:
Both Kindergarten classes will be going to Dr. Davies Farm in Congers, NY on Friday, October 9th to pick apples, pumpkins, and go on a hayride. This trip is open to all parents (one adult per child). If you are interested in attending, please let us know. If you cannot attend this trip, don’t worry! We hope to have more field trips, so there will be other opportunities during the year. If you are unable to attend, we will pair your child with another student and an adult. All students and chaperones should bring their NUT-FREE lunches from home. Please note that glass containers are not allowed. Chaperones will meet both Kindergarten classes at the front of the school at 8:40 am to board the buses. We plan on getting back to school around 2:30. Please email us by Wednesday, September 30, 2025, to let us know if you and your child will be attending.
If your child completed the summer math workbook, please return it to school for a certificate!
Please click here for a note from Ms. Carmen with your child’s specimen share date in science.
As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we invite families to share a special book, activity, song, dance, or tradition connected to their family’s culture or heritage. If you come in to share, this can also serve as your child’s Family Share. There is no pressure to participate, but if you’re interested, please let Emily and me know so we can coordinate a time.
DEIB SPOTLIGHT: Please take a moment to view the video shared by Olugbala Williams, our Lower School Diversity Coordinator and Dr. Yasharian's message regarding Heritage Months and the My Story project which was recently in the Poly Pulse. In it, you’ll find an example of how to talk with children about the importance of our Heritage Month celebrations, as well as insight into the philosophy behind this meaningful work. If you have any questions, please reach out to us or Olugbala at owilliams@polyprep.org.
LET THE MAGIC BEGIN! Give your child the opportunity to move, grow, and shine in Disney Dance Party with Ms. Aliyah! Through fun, Disney-inspired movement activities, children will develop coordination, gross motor skills, balance, body awareness, confidence, focus, and retention—all while dancing, playing, and exploring their favorite Disney characters, music and stories. If interested, please contact Nathaniel Meek at nmeek@polyprep.org
Please email both KA teachers, Kim Davis at kdavis@polyprep.org and Emily Fornoffat efornof@polyprep.org, with any questions, issues, or concerns regarding your children, specifically with any changes to your child’s dismissal plans. Please make all dismissal plan changes on Parent Patrol before 1:15 pm.
Please take a moment to complete the Parents as Partners Questionnaire so that we can plan for a fruitful and productive year for your children. Please complete the form as soon as possible.
Please notify the school of your child’s absences by sending an email to lsabsences@polyprep.org as well as your child’s teachers at the email addresses listed above.
Students may only ride their assigned bus and may not switch buses for after-school activities or other reasons. The only exception is playdates. Students may ride a friend’s bus for a playdate, provided there is space available. Requests to ride the bus for a playdate must be made in advance via email to lsbus@polyprep.org. Please also notify your child’s teachers if they will be riding a different bus.
Please send 2 or 3 pictures for your child’s cubby if you haven't already done so.
Children should bring a water bottle every day.
Every student should keep an extra set of clothes in the classroom for accidents, water spills, or similar situations.
This is a friendly reminder that Poly provides daily snacks for your children. If your child brings a snack from home, we may ask them to keep it in their backpack until lunch or after school due to potential food allergies among classmates. Also, please ensure that any snacks in your child’s backpack DO NOT contain peanuts, tree nuts, or any products made from them, as these foods can be touched and spread to classroom surfaces. Parents who send lunches for their children should also strictly follow the food allergy guidelines.
Please send your children with clothing that is easy for them to handle independently. Practice the necessary skills at home, such as lacing shoes, doing and undoing buttons, and zipping jackets.
Blue folders go home with student work on Fridays. Please return the folders on Mondays after removing the contents.
Please read below for this coming week’s learning goals:
Social Emotional Learning
Feelings/Emotions
Read Aloud: The Feelings Book by Todd Parr
Self-control, whole-body listening, logical consequences
Read Aloud: My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook
Identity: Who Am I? Activity
Empathy
Read Aloud: The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Reading
Print Concepts
Directionality
Understanding that text is read from left to right and top to bottom on a page
Distinguishing between letters and words
One-to-one correspondence
Pointing to words as they are read aloud
“Use your pointer power!”
How to take a picture walk
Before reading a book, look through it from beginning to end using the illustrations to anticipate what the book will be about.
Rhyming
Initial sounds in words
Fundations / Handwriting
Letter m and n
Recognizing lowercase letters m and n
The sounds of m and n
Writing lowercase letters m and n
Fundations At Home Pack
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 are authors! Read Aloud: Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk
Drawing pictures and adding initial sounds in our “mini books,” inspired by Library Mouse
Drawing people, animals, and objects with shapes
Math
Counting up to 5 objects using one-to-one correspondence
Practicing writing numbers with the correct formation
Distinguishing between same and different characteristics of objects and pictures
Sorting and classifying
Vocabulary: same, not the same, different, match, sort
Social Studies
We are celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, or Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana. Every grade has been assigned a Spanish-speaking country to learn more about. Kindergarten is learning more about Mexico! This year, the lower school's focus for all heritage months will be dance as storytelling.
Read Aloud: I Am Salsa by Jackie Azúa Kramer
What You Can Do At Home
Emotion Charades: Take turns acting out a feeling (happy, sad, tired, surprised) while the other person guesses. This helps children practice naming and recognizing emotions in themselves and others.
Pointer Power: When reading together, encourage your child to point under each word as you read. Ask: “Where do I start reading?” or “Can you show me a word?” to reinforce directionality and print concepts.
Picture Walk: Take a picture walk through a new book before reading the words and guess what the book will be about.
I Spy: While reading a picture book, find objects in the illustrations that begin with the letters we’ve learned so far: t, b, f, m, and n.
Rhyming: Give your child two words and ask, “Do these words rhyme?” Rhyming words have the same middle and ending sounds, like cat and hat (“they both say -at”).
Letter Sky-Writing: Practice writing lowercase m and n in the air with big arm movements. Say the Fundations letter keyword and sound (e.g., “m, man, /m/” and “n, nut, /n/”) as you write. This builds muscle memory before pencil practice.
Snack Sort: Use snack items like crackers, fruit, or cereal pieces. Ask your child to sort them into groups (same/different, by shape, color, or size). Extend by counting how many are in each group.
Number Walk: As you walk around your home or outside, find groups of objects (3 chairs, 4 leaves, 5 steps). Have your child count each item out loud, touching or pointing to each object to practice one-to-one correspondence.
Number Tracing in Sand or Flour: Pour a small amount of sand or flour into a shallow tray. Encourage your child to trace the numbers 1 through 5 using their pointer finger. This tactile activity reinforces number formation and helps with fine motor skills.
Discuss the importance of celebrating Heritage Months: In September, we take time to celebrate the history, cultures, and contributions of people whose families come from places like Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central America, and South America. We celebrate because Hispanic people have shared so many important traditions, stories, foods, music, and ideas that make our communities stronger. It’s a way to honor them and to learn about different cultures.
Family Photo Talk: Once you’ve sent in cubby photos, let your child choose a favorite photo at home and share a story about it. This builds oral language, connection, and supports the “Star Student” project later.
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