KES 2025 September Newsletter
Building a Community of Belonging
We have truly enjoyed welcoming back our students. In the classrooms, teachers and students have been engaged in building community, developing relationships, discussing books, organizing their space and supplies, and practicing health and safety routines.
We hope to see many of you at tonight's PTO Back to School Celebration and tomorrow's 5th Grade Car Wash in the KES driveway!
Our Main Office is here to support you and answer your questions. You can reach the main office at 763-7700. Our office staff members include Mrs. Tara Duffy, Secretary to the Principal (7702), and Mrs. Maria Horton, Office Assistant (7709).
A final note... we must never forget to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on 9/11, 23 years ago, and honor the first responders and all who sacrificed in the time that followed.
VISITOR AWARE- PLAY DATES
We recognize the benefits for families to have the opportunity for their child to ride home on a different bus for the purpose of childcare as well as play dates. Starting on Wednesday, October 1, we will be accepting changes to dismissal via VISITOR AWARE by noon on any given day for your child to ride home on a bus with a friend.
If the need arises to change dismissal plans after the start of the school day, please make changes directly on VISITOR AWARE by 12:00 PM to ensure the information is relayed and followed.
Evacuation and fire drills are important to practice in school so that children and staff know what to do in the case of an emergency. This afternoon, we will conduct our first evacuation/fire drill. Our kindergarten students will have the opportunity to sit and watch the building evacuate so they know what to do for the next time.
Throughout the year, we will continue to practice evacuation/fire drills as well as lock-down drills and dismissal drills. These drills are conducted in accordance with New York State Law under Project SAVE regulations. For further explanation of these drills, please join us at the upcoming PTO General Membership Meeting on Friday, September 12 at 9:15 AM at KES.
IDENTITY AND GROWTH MINDSET
PLEASE KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR THIS BOOK TO BE SENT HOME WITH YOUR CHILD FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. See below for a guide to parents' reading this book aloud with their children.
SEL in the Classrooms with Mrs. Fulton
This month, Ms. Fulton will be visiting classes to teach how to develop a Growth Mindset and The Zones of Regulation. Students will explore how challenges and mistakes help our brains grow and practice using positive self-talk to stay motivated. We will also review the four “zones” that represent different feelings and energy levels (Red, Yellow, Green and Blue), and strategies to return to the “green zone,” where they are calm, focused, and ready to learn.
National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place September 15 to October 15 in celebration of the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
At KES, we will be highlighting National Hispanic Heritage Month on our "Good Morning, KES" program.
In all K-5 classes, students and teachers will be engaged in a variety of fun and motivating activities that foster building relationships and a collaborative and inclusive classroom community. There will be a focus on establishing classroom routines and expectations for behavior as a shared responsibility within a safe learning environment. Providing students with tools to be productive and independent learners started on day one!
As we begin the year, here is what each grade is working on in reading, writing, math, social studies and/or science.
In Kindergarten, students will be exploring books and how to take care of them during reading time. We will be engaging in the reading and rereading of familiar stories such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff to help us understand what a story is. In writing, students will start the process of telling a story through talk, pictures, and some writing. In kindergarten, writing can mean pictures, random letters and squiggles, or labeling with initial sounds! In math, we will be investigating our materials and learning how to use math tools. We will launch the math workshop and focus on numbers to 5. In social studies, we will be learning about our own identities and how we all work together to create our classroom community.
In first grade, students will explore the habits that strong readers use before, during, and after reading a book. They will have opportunities to practice these habits during both independent reading and interactive read-aloud sessions. In writing, students will create pattern books focused on topics such as themselves, their school, and the world around them. This unit will emphasize proper capitalization of names and sentence beginnings, spelling high-frequency words quickly (“snap words”), and using conjunctions to extend their ideas in writing. In math, we will be working on building number sense by exploring different ways to make the numbers 1 through 10. Students will use tools like number bonds and ten frames to represent these combinations. In Social Studies, students will learn about Constitution Day, observed on September 17. We will also spend time understanding the rules and expectations for both the school and classroom communities. In Science, we’ll kick off our unit on plant and animal defenses, where students will begin to explore how living things protect themselves in nature.
In second grade, students are learning new strategies to support our reading. Enjoying interactive read alouds will help our 2nd graders learn new vocabulary, strengthen comprehension skills and expose our readers to new and exciting books with unique settings and characters. We’ll also be learning about each other through our own writing. Our writers will stretch out their memories with details and descriptive words to help their personal narratives come to life. In math, the 2nd graders will be solidifying number sense while learning the foundations of addition and subtraction. The 2nd graders will also be very busy investigating Properties of Matter in science. And, of course, we love kicking off the year learning about communities in social studies.
In third grade, students are kicking off their first reading unit: Mystery—Foundational Skills in Disguise! Young detectives will track clues, wonder about suspects, clear up points of confusion, and share their thinking with partners. This engaging unit strengthens essential reading skills while sparking curiosity and excitement. In Math, our third graders are diving into multiplication and division. Students are exploring how these two operations connect to equal group situations. By using bar diagrams, number lines, counters, and repeated addition or subtraction, they will develop a deeper understanding of how numbers work together. In Social Studies, third graders will discuss what it means to be a citizen. They’ll learn that being part of a community comes with both rights and responsibilities, and they’ll explore how good citizenship can be practiced at home, at school, and in the wider community.
In fourth grade, students will spend their first weeks interpreting characters in reading. In social studies, students will be learning about the geography of New York State. In math, students work on generalizing their place value understanding and fluently adding and subtracting multi-digit whole numbers. In writing, students will be reviewing the conventions of writing and grammar. Towards the end of this month, students will begin our first science unit exploring Earth's features, in which students investigate how a dinosaur fossil found in the fictional Desert Rocks National Park formed.
In fifth grade, students will read with a focus on character development and themes as they explore realistic fiction books independently and in groups or partnerships. Home of the Brave, the first class read aloud by Katherine Applegate, will inspire discussions about the challenge of adjusting to new situations, perseverance, and belonging. Fifth graders will be expanding their understanding of place value and decimals in math. In social studies, fifth graders will be learning about world geography, with a focus on the Western Hemisphere. In science, students will be exploring celestial concepts including the size and distance of stars and seasonal constellations.
LIBRARY & STREAM LAB
We are beginning the year with lots of excitement as we open our brand new library and STREAM lab. During September, students will have the chance to explore our new space, learn the layout of the collection, and practice browsing for books in their new home on the shelves. We will also take time to review our KES Library Values and Expectations, focusing on what it means to be safe, respectful, and responsible in both the library and STREAM lab. In grades 3–5, students will begin exploring Digital Citizenship, learning how to use devices thoughtfully and responsibly. Across all grades, we will enjoy back-to-school read-alouds that spark excitement for reading and help build classroom community. We will also share stories in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting Hispanic voices, authors, illustrators and traditions. We are thrilled to kick off a new year in our beautiful new library space, and excited for all the learning and reading adventures ahead!
An Exciting Year of Creativity Awaits! This year in our K-5 art classroom, students will discover a welcoming and supportive space where imagination and experimentation are encouraged. Our art program offers opportunities for every child to explore a range of creative techniques and materials, from drawing and painting to working with sculpture and other three-dimensional art. Guided by the New York State Learning Standards for Visual Arts and inspired by the KLSD Learning Commitment, our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to help students develop problem-solving skills, express themselves, and engage in hands-on, relevant projects. We look forward to an active, joyful year of artistic growth and discovery together!
Greetings from the gym! We hope everyone had a fun summer! Mrs. Cappelli and Mr. Savastano will be your children’s PE teachers this year. We are looking forward to a fun and active year filled with movement, sportsmanship and teamwork in the gym!
As soon as our daily routine is established in all of our classes, we will begin our soccer unit. Students will learn and practice basic soccer skills such as dribbling, trapping, passing and shooting. Kindergarten and 1st grade students will participate in a variety of modified, lead-up soccer games. Students in grades 2-5 will also participate in lead up games which will progress into soccer games where strategies, communication and teamwork will be applied.👍⚽
Kindergarten students will explore long and short rhythm patterns through body percussion. They will also experiment with unpitched instruments such as rhythm sticks, hand drums, and egg shakers. Finally, students will begin building a repertoire of songs that support high and low singing as well as tone production.
First graders will start the year with welcome songs that build community and excitement. They'll work on keeping a steady beat through movement and instruments, while developing their singing voices, focusing on healthy head voice technique and distinguishing between speaking and singing voices. Students will also review unpitched percussion instruments, practice proper mallet technique, and demonstrate pulse and rhythm both individually and in groups. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we’ll explore songs from Hispanic cultures, connecting music with language and tradition.
Second graders will build a strong sense of community by singing welcome songs together. They will focus on developing their singing voices, especially exploring the head voice technique. Students also reinforce their understanding of quarter notes and eighth note rhythms through fun and engaging activities. To celebrate cultural diversity, they perform songs from Hispanic traditions, enriching their musical experience and cultural awareness.
Third graders will build foundational music skills by demonstrating rhythmic pulses using quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes, and whole notes in songs. They will reinforce proper mallet technique and practice correct vocal technique during singing activities. To develop part independence, students will engage in singing rounds and partner songs. Additionally, students will explore cultural diversity through performing songs from Hispanic traditions.
Fourth graders Music will continue to develop their singing voices while building a diverse repertoire of folk, seasonal, and multicultural songs. They will deepen their understanding of rhythm by identifying and performing syncopation, as well as reviewing eighth notes, half notes, and dotted rhythms. Music literacy will be reinforced through note reading on the Treble Clef, alongside exploration of Rondo form through rounds and partner songs that emphasize part independence. Additionally, students will engage with songs from Hispanic culture, enriching their musical and cultural awareness.
Fifth graders music will continue to develop their singing voice, while exploring rhythm through dotted quarter notes and broken eighth notes. They will learn to recognize and perform musical phrases and experience the structure of Rondo form. Through hands-on activities with Orff instruments, students will engage with ostinato patterns, reinforcing part independence by singing two-part songs. In addition, students will explore world drumming and review note reading on Treble clef. Students will perform folk, seasonal, multicultural, and Hispanic cultural songs to expand their musical skills and cultural appreciation.
DASA seeks to ensure a safe and supportive environment for all students, free of discrimination, intimidation, harassment, taunting and bullying. If you are aware of an incident or have a concern, please contact one of us listed below. You will be asked to complete the BOE Incident Reporting Form (see "button" below for attachment).
Cristy Harris, Principal and KES Dignity Act Coordinator 763-7700 or charris@klschools.org
Kweon Stambaugh, Assistant Principal (designee) 763-7705 or kstambaugh@klschools.org
Jessica Fulton, Social Worker (designee) 763-7669 or jfulton@klschools.org.