KES 2023 September Newsletter

This first week of school was HOT, but despite the weather, the school days were filled with laughter, excitement, and joy!!!

We have truly enjoyed welcoming back our students these past three days. 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.

Unfortunately, due to the expected weather tonight, the PTO Back to School Celebration is cancelled and will now take place on Friday, September 29 from 5:00-7:00 PM on the playground.

Don't not miss the opportunity to have your Car Washed by our 5th graders on Saturday, September 9 in the KES driveway!

Curriculum Night is an opportunity for you to meet your child’s classroom teacher and learn about the routines, practices, expectations and academic program.

Tuesday, September 19 for grades 3-5 from 7:00-8:30 PM

Thursday, September 21 for grades K-2 from 7:00-8:30 PM

These evenings are planned for parents/caregivers only.

A final note... we must never forget to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on that tragic day, 9/11, (21 years ago, Monday), and honor the first responders and all who sacrificed in the time that followed.

We hope you had a chance to pick up your family's copy of The Circles All Around Us. We will have the book available on Curriculum Night for those of you who did not receive a copy. The teachers will be using the book in class during the first weeks of school to initiate conversations about how we can expand our worlds with kindness and inclusivity as we grow and build relationships to include family, friends, neighbors, community, and beyond.

Embracing the diversity of our names is one of the first steps we can take to show our appreciation of diversity and inclusion. Everyone has a name and every name has a story. Tell/Teach Us Your Name focuses on the many stories and ways we can all connect by helping children take pride in their many identities and to utilize the opportunity to learn from others. This book lends itself to countless invaluable discussions about cultural norms, languages, unconscious bias, and much more. Most of all, Tell/Teach Us Your Name is focused on showing respect for ourselves and all others.

During the months of September and October, each child will get a chance to take home a copy of Tell/Teach Us Your Name. The book will come home in a baggie along with an insert which was created by KES Teachers as part of our School Climate Committee work. The insert provides information about WHY? we chose the book and some ideas as to ways in which you can embrace the book at home through discussion and activities. The book is intended to stay with the family for one night and returned to school the following day.

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 morning, we conducted our first evacuation/fire drill which was announced to all students and staff. Our kindergarten students remained outside at arrival and then had the opportunity to watch the building evacuate.

Throughout the year, we will continue to practice evacuation/fire drills as well as lock-down drills, lock-out drills, shelter-in-place 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 Wednesday, September 20 at 9:30 AM in the KES Cafeteria.

Often at the beginning of the school year, bus runs are evaluated and sometimes we see changes made to student's bus assignments and times. We recommend that you check the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus for your child's bus assignment and times before Monday to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.

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 Monday, October 2, we will be accepting bus notes sent into school with children in the morning to ride home on a bus with a friend. As always, if the need arises to change dismissal plans after the start of the school day, you need to 1) call the school by 12:00 PM to ensure the information is relayed and followed, and 2) follow up with an email.

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 and math.

In Kindergarten, students will be exploring books and how to take care of them. 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 math materials, and learning how to use math tools. We will launch the math workshop and focus on numbers to 5.

In First Grade, students are starting to build their good reading habits, using the mentor text, Rusty Plays At the Park while in writing they are starting their small moments unit using the mentor text, Hair Love. Students are also solidifying their letter sounds and blending words in Fundations. In math, students are working on their number formation and fluently adding and subtracting within 10.

In Second Grade, we 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. And in math, the 2nd graders will be solidifying number sense while learning the foundations of addition and subtraction.

In Third Grade, students have begun talking about making their “Reading the Best It Can Be”. The students discussed finding their best reading spot at school and at home. They will also practice reading as if books were “gold” and not reading like a curmudgeon. In writing, third graders will craft true stories and learn how to become storytellers by stretching out the heart of the story. In math, students will begin to explore and learn about multiplication and division of whole numbers.

In Fourth Grade, students will spend their first weeks interpreting characters in reading. In writing, students are examining the arc of the story and have the goal of bringing two pieces through the writing process. In math, students work on generalizing their place value understanding and fluently adding and subtracting multi-digit whole numbers.

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. In writing, students will focus on drafting meaningful small moments as they write personal narratives. Fifth graders will be expanding their understanding of place value and gaining a deeper understanding of decimals in the first math unit.

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.