March Family Update

Dear Families,

We can’t believe it’s already March! Last week, the children celebrated the end of our Water unit with shaved ice and time to reflect on their learning. It was a fun way to wrap up the unit! Take a look at our celebration here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fXUTYcYKRWBznmSE6

We are now beginning our next unit, Wheels, and the children are excited to explore how things move. Check out the storyboards below for a preview of what’s coming next.

Reminder: PTA Meeting on March 9th from 5:00–6:00 PM. We hope you can join us!

Please read below for important updates and reminders about:

• Upcoming PPT meetings

• School climate survey

• Social story and video on how to support children who eat non-food items
• PTA fundraiser at Riko’s

• New family workshops

• Kindergarten transition information

We look forward to another great week! As always, please reach out if you need anything.

Best,

Kendra Brown
Brooke Pelli
Corine Matarasso

For the safety of all children and families, please follow these procedures every day:

• Remain in your car at all times.

• A staff member will come directly to your vehicle to assist your child.

• If possible, place your child’s car seat on the back right (passenger) side of the vehicle, closest to the sidewalk, for safer entry and exit.

• Stay in a single line.

• Do NOT drive around other cars. It is not safe.

The safety of our children is everyone’s responsibility. We experienced another accident last week. Not following these procedures puts everyone at risk.

Thank you for helping us keep our school community safe!

We have a very busy season of PPT meetings as we prepare for Kindergarten transition meetings while also continuing to hold annual reviews. We truly need families to make every effort to attend their scheduled meetings. All PPT meetings are held virtually through Google Meet. Your participation is very important, and we value your input as part of the team. Thank you for your cooperation and support!

Your voice matters. Your feedback helps us celebrate what’s going well and improve where we can grow — and it only takes a few minutes to make a big impact. When your child's class reaches 100% participation, they’ll earn a surprise prize!

All you have to do:

1. Complete the survey for APPLES

2. Take a screenshot of the confirmation message at the end

3. Send it to me through DOJO as proof

That’s it!

If you are working on helping your child understand that food is for eating and other materials are for playing, an adapted social story can be very helpful.

To create an adapted social story:

• Print two copies of the story.

• Keep one copy intact to read together.

• Cut out the pictures from the second copy.

• Use those pictures to match to the images in the story as you read.

This interactive approach helps reinforce the message in a hands-on, meaningful way.

Growing Minds in a Digital World: March 24th from 5-6

Join us for a family workshop on using screen time in healthy and educational ways for young children. We’ll share practical tips for setting limits and making screen time interactive and supportive of your child’s development. Families are encouraged to bring their child’s device so we can explore settings and make updates together in real time. We hope you can join us!

Toileting Workshop – Part 2: April 1st from 5-6 (Virtual)

Part 2 of our Toileting Workshop will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 1st. We will share the link as the date gets closer. We look forward to continuing this important conversation with you.

As we begin to prepare for this exciting transition please prepare yourself with all of the information you can. One way you can learn about the options available at SPS is to watch the video below.

Families that want to have their child assessed for early kindergarten admission will be pleased to know that Stamford Public Schools will conduct Early Kindergarten Admission Assessments in April. Students who turn 5 between September 2 and December 31, 2026, must successfully complete an assessment to be granted early Kindergarten admission for 2026-27. The deadline to request an assessment is March 31.

You do not need to re-register your child for Kindergarten. You will need to provide 2 new proofs of address and an updated physical in the summer of 2026 directly to the Elementary School your child will be attending.

Join the APPLES PTA to stay connected and support our school community!

To become a member, Venmo $25 to @ApplesPTA with your first and last name.

📷 Scan the QR code below to pay via Venmo: