LP #3 Primary Newsletter

Welcome to Learning Period #3. We hope you're settling into your schooling routine and getting into a good rhythm. During LP#3 we will be reflecting on LP#2 and discussing things that went well and things we would like to improve upon during LP#3. We will also be discussing the learning activities that took place as well as your educational plans and goals for the upcoming learning period. Please take some time to review the agenda so you come prepared to collaborate with your teacher on your student's learning plan.

Did you know that writing is one of the most important skills your child will learn in school? Writing helps kids make sense of their thoughts and feelings, share their ideas clearly, and connect what they’re learning in meaningful ways. It also builds confidence, creativity, and strong thinking skills that carry over into every subject.

Whether your child already loves to write or is just starting to find their voice, we’re excited to support them every step of the way. This year, your student will explore four types of writing: Narrative, Persuasive/Opinion, Research, and Expository. Our goal is to meet your child where they are, help them grow as writers, and most importantly—help them discover the joy that comes from expressing themselves through writing.

Featured Writing for LP#3

• Narrative Essays: Telling a Story
  In a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience. While telling a story may sound easy to do, the narrative essay challenges students to think and write about themselves. When writing a narrative essay, writers should try to involve the reader by making the story as vivid as possible. The fact that narrative essays are usually written in the first person helps engage the reader. “I” sentences give readers a feeling of being part of the story. A well-crafted narrative essay will also build towards drawing a conclusion or making a personal statement.

One of the opportunities for growth we are offering our students is through our academic challenges in math, sight words, writing, and reading. These challenges include incentives for mastery by the end of the year. Please take a look at the information about our Academic Challenges below. Students will be provided sight word lists, math fact challenges, Reading logs, and writing activities to track progress throughout the year. This is a great way to encourage a Growth Mindset and celebrate students' accomplishments.

Each Learning Period, our Student Support Corner will focus on a key topic that addresses common challenges students face. We’ll share practical tips and resources to help families support their child’s growth and well-being.

Our goal is to make it easier for teachers and families to work together, creating a strong support network to help every student thrive.

Learning to read is a big and exciting journey! Children don’t just master one skill and then move on to the next. Instead, they are learning many things all at once—like sounding out words, reading smoothly, understanding new vocabulary, making sense of what they read, and discovering that reading can be fun and open doors to learning about the world around them.

Families can support their child’s growth with these simple strategies:

• Read together daily, even for just 15 minutes.
  

• Ask questions about the story to build comprehension.
  

• Encourage your child to read materials they enjoy, like magazines, comics, or online articles.
  

• Model reading by letting your child see you read for fun.
  

• Visit your local library—many offer free reading programs and resources.

Helpful Resource:

Reading Rockets Tips, strategies, and activities to support readers of all ages.

With patience and encouragement, families can help children develop strong reading skills and a lifelong love of books and learning.

Many students struggle with starting assignments or staying motivated, especially when tasks feel overwhelming. Families can help by trying these strategies:

• Set small, clear goals for each study session.
  

• Use a timer to work in short bursts, like 20 minutes of focus followed by a 5-minute break.
  

• Celebrate progress, no matter how small, to build confidence.
  

• Help your child prioritize tasks by making a simple to-do list.
  

• Encourage starting with the most challenging task first, when energy is highest.
  
  

Helpful Resource:
The Power of Motivation for Kids

With a little structure and encouragement, students can learn to tackle assignments with less stress and more success.

Join our Curriculum team to explore books that support your homeschooling journey. We will meet virtually on Mondays at 2 pm on 11/3/25, 11/17/25, 12/1/25, and 12/15/25. Our first book will be Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox. You can use your student funds to purchase this book through Amazon. Put Parent Education in the order description. Ready to join or have any questions? Fill out this survey: https://forms.gle/nNUGqapofGNTN26S9

To ensure we have a productive and successful learning period please review the learning period expectations for the 25/26 school year.

Learning Period Expectations

The Learning Coach and all enrolled students must be present at each Learning Period meeting.

1. Please set aside 1 hour for a single student and 15 minutes for each additional student to meet with your teacher for your Learning Period meeting.

2. Bring your curriculum to your Learning Period meeting to review progress in all core academic subjects. A. Bring all of the work completed since the last learning period meeting and be prepared to discuss the curriculum plan for the weeks ahead. B. If there is not a curriculum plan you will work with your teacher to create one for the next Learning Period.

3. RSVP to your Learning Period meeting invitation from the teacher within 48 hours.

4. After 2 attempts to schedule the Learning Period meeting, the teacher will schedule a Learning Period meeting for you to attend.

To ensure your child is on track and progressing through their curriculum for the year it is important to map out your weekly schedule.

• Your teacher will include the Lesson Plans in your students’ Ed Plan.

• If you DO NOT have a plan for completing standards/curriculum over the next four weeks your teacher will create one that will be followed and monitored at the weekly check-in.

• Reach out to your teacher for some Planning Templates that might be helpful

• During your LP meetings, you will review the curriculum completed and set a goal for each subject for the LP that will be followed up with at the next LP meeting.

• Please review with your teacher a BODY of work for each subject. Your teacher should be able to have a clear understanding of the standards that were addressed during the learning period and the assignments that were completed.

• For each of your students, please turn in a work sample of every subject (ELA, Math, Social Studies, Science). A link will be sent at the beginning of each LP to upload work samples completed during that LP.

Launchpad provides daily live interaction within specific grade-band communities, taught by the same teachers. Our mission is to nurture and develop positive friendships among young children through teacher-led, engaging virtual online activities, games, and interactive sessions. Focused on fostering social skills, empathy, and communication, our program provides a supportive environment where kids can build lasting bonds while having fun. See more details below.

Before ordering enrichment items please explore the Lending Library! The lending library is FULL of so many wonderful resources!

1. TONS of K-8 curriculum resources. The lending library contains nearly all major curricula options. So before ordering head over to the lending library to see if there is a copy you can check out for the year or view before ordering.
2. Books galore for kindergarten to 12th grade students. The lending library contains nearly as many novels and resource books as your local public library! You don't want to miss browsing these books that your student can check out to read throughout the year.
3. Games and activities that you can check out for free! Card games, board games, puzzles, you name it, the lending library has it!

Many of these items are brand new and have never been used. So don't delay...come in and check it out!