KES 2025 December Newsletter 🧣
We anticipate much colder weather in the coming weeks. Jackets, fleeces and sweatshirts (not shorts!) are recommended for days that hover in the 40’s.
Once winter weather arrives, we will ask for more substantial articles of clothing like boots, gloves, and hats. Recess will continue to take place in cold weather and will remain outdoors as long as temperatures do not feel lower than 20 degrees.
It is recommended that you write your child’s initials or their name on the tags of outerwear items that come into school. This will allow us to return your child’s jacket or fleece if it is misplaced and brought to the lost and found. Thank you for your continued support.
K-5 Curriculum Updates
Each month, we will be providing curriculum highlights from each grade level. Please know that these are snapshots and do not reflect all the curriculum and learning in the classroom.
Students in kindergarten will pay attention to the words in books in order to develop pre-reading skills. Students will learn to read text from left to right, one word after another, and with one-to-one correspondence. They'll also draw on their growing knowledge of high-frequency words and of the alphabetic code to read familiar patterned books. In writing, kindergartners will explore how writers can “tell” about topics, like important places or things, by thinking about the parts of the topic and drawing and writing about them across the pages in a book. They will write their own pattern books using a bank of familiar high-frequency words and their knowledge of the alphabetic code. In ath, students will compare numbers to ten, as well as classify and count data. As we continue our science unit, Needs of Plants and Animals, the students will be given opportunities to form their own investigations examining whether plants need light and water to grow. Using the nonfiction book, Handbook of Plants, students find evidence about how plants use their leaves, stems, and roots to receive what they need to survive.
Students in first grade will begin the newly appointed "Word Detectives" unit and take an even closer look at vowels and strategies for decoding longer words. They will explore silent e, the ee and ea vowel teams, vowel flexing, double consonants, and compound words. During writing, students will use mentor texts as models for creating their own how-to pieces. They will be encouraged to add comparisons, warnings, and helpful tips for their readers. In math, students will learn about fact families and practice using “make a 10” strategies to add and subtract. During our science time, students will discover how Spruce the Sea Turtle’s offspring can survive even in areas where sharks are present. They will collect evidence showing that some animal parents care for their young, while many animal offspring and all plant offspring survive without parental help. Our social studies time will focus on how to be helpful members of our school community. Students will also begin learning about maps.
Students in second grade are strengthening their informational reading skills by looking closely at nonfiction text features such as the index, glossary, and captions. We’re excited to continue using strategies that help us grow as readers! In writing workshop, students are creating their own nonfiction chapter books. They have chosen topics they know well and are sharing their knowledge through their writing. In math, we are exploring subtraction and learning a variety of strategies to deepen our understanding of this important skill. The second graders are also wrapping up their science unit on Properties of Materials. As glue engineers, they have experimented with different mixtures and ingredients to create a sticky, strong glue. Your child’s special glue project shows the creativity and problem-solving they used while exploring Properties of Materials. In social studies, students are beginning their exploration of basic economics. The holiday season is a perfect time to talk about the difference between wants and needs!
Students in third grade will turn into information readers and writers! Students will choose a topic they know well, organize their facts and ideas, craft engaging leads to hook their readers, write clear topic sentences with supporting details, and practice revision to make their writing stronger and more informative. They will dive into nonfiction texts to become experts at understanding how informational books and articles work. Students will explore common text features and study text structures. They will also practice determining the main idea of a passage and identifying the key details that support it. These strategies will help them grow as both readers and writers of nonfiction! In math, students are developing a strong understanding of area. They’ll learn what a unit square is, explore different strategies to measure the area of rectangles, and discover how area connects to multiplication. Later in the month, they’ll also practice representing data using picture graphs and bar graphs. In social studies, third graders are exploring cultures from around the world. We’re learning that culture includes the everyday things people do—what they eat, what they wear, the traditions they celebrate, and how their environment shapes their way of life. Some cultures may feel familiar, while others are wonderfully different, and students will get to compare them to their own experiences.
Students in fourth grade will use their learning from the non-fiction reading lessons on text structures and work in groups to begin a research project on Indigenous people. In math, students will develop their skills with factors and multiples and continue to grow as problem solvers by modeling and clearly explaining their thinking in word problems. In social studies, we are learning about the Iroquois and Algonquin Indigenous groups. This learning will inform our ELA research projects. We will also be wrapping up our study of New York State by creating and comparing different maps that tell us about physical, geological, and historical features of New York! We look forward to welcoming families for our New York State of Mind celebration!
Students in fifth grade will focus on generating ideas, drafting, and revising personal narratives. Students will read fiction books and discuss character development and themes with their peers. While fifth graders develop their calculation skills, applying multiplication and division with whole numbers and decimals, they will continue to work on solving multi-step word problems. In science this month, we will wrap up our exploration of the night sky, stars, and constellations. A field trip to the planetarium at the Hudson River Museum will culminate our study. Our next science unit, which will begin before the holiday break, is Modeling Matter. In social studies, the study of migration and settlement in the Western Hemisphere will lead to an exploration of the ancient civilizations of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec.
Kindergarten students will be “Reading, Reading as Much as They Can!” as they enjoy a variety of Gingerbread Man (and Gingerbread Girl… and friends!) stories. They’ll practice sequencing and retelling these playful tales and go on an exciting gingerbread hunt throughout the library!
First and second graders will be wrapping up their coding units while exploring holiday stories from Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.
In celebration of Hour of Code Month, our third and fourth graders will jump into holiday-themed coding activities. Students will build foundational programming skills, create algorithms, and work together to solve challenges.
Fifth graders will be exploring historical fiction picture books that incorporate the holiday season. This mini-unit supports and enriches the historical fiction work they are doing in class, helping students connect stories from the past with the celebrations of the present.
Below is a picture of the kindergarten clay “Colorpillars.”
In addition to the skills highlighted below, students will also be learning songs for our Annual Winter Sing-Along.
Kindergarten
Kindergarteners will continue to explore proper vocal tone, practice longer rhythm patterns through speech, body percussion, and unpitched instruments, and engage in dramatic play through song. They will continue to develop proper mallet techniques as they play the xylophones in class.
1st Grade
First graders will continue to work on maintaining a steady beat while singing or playing unpitched percussion instruments. They will continue to perform quarter notes, quarter rests, and eighth-note rhythms, sing multicultural holiday songs, and begin reading music using the xylophones.
2nd Grade
Second graders will continue preparing for Special Person’s Day by learning songs that celebrate kindness. They will focus on performing music with dynamics and expression and working toward a balanced, unified ensemble sound. In addition, students will sing multicultural holiday songs.
3rd Grade
Third graders will continue developing their music literacy and recorder skills. Focusing on reading music, using proper breath control while playing the recorder, and playing songs in two-part harmony.
4th Grade
Fourth graders will continue their journey into musical theater, learning music from the grade-level play Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. They will study leading roles and the script as they prepare for auditions. Students will also continue performing holiday songs in two-part harmony.
5th Grade
Fifth graders will continue strengthening their singing voices while performing holiday songs in two-part harmony. They will incorporate dynamics and expression into their performances, identify and perform sixteenth- and eighth-note rhythms, and learn to label and perform first and second endings in music.
It's December...do you know what that means in PE at KES? You guessed it...VOLLEYBALL!🏐
During the month of December, all students will participate in age-appropriate volleyball activities. The 5th graders will be working hard to prepare for our annual "5th Grade vs. Staff Volleyball Game" which takes place on Friday, December 19th. All KES students will have the opportunity to come down to the gym and cheer on their favorite teachers and peers!
3rd and 4th graders will also be practicing their volleyball skills as we focus on the forearm pass (bump), set and serve. They will practice these skills as they participate in a variety of lead-up volleyball games such as Air Square, Champ of the Court and Beach Ball Volleyball.
With the students in grades K-2, we will focus on the development of some basic, introductory volleyball skills. Students will get a lot of repetition using balloons and beach balls in class activities such as Keep It Up and 11 Pin Volleyball.
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.