
KES 2023 October Newsletter
Building a Community of Belonging
MESSAGE FROM CRISTY AND KWEON
Thank you for attending this year's Curriculum Nights. We especially appreciated the patience of the 3-5 parents who were gracious during the opening presentation that proceeded without the accompanying Power Point. For those interested, here's a link to the 2023 KES Curriculum Night Presentation. If you would like to read about each grade level's curriculum, you may access our Curriculum Guides HERE. The description of the programs will provide you with a general understanding of the content and skills taught during the year. Each of the KES Newsletters includes a Curriculum and Instruction section with K-5 Curriculum Updates with information about what students are learning the content areas during the upcoming month.
As we've seen the weather begin to cool, there are already a number of hoodies and light jackets on our lost and found rack. If you would, please write in the name of your child on the tag of the hoodies and jackets brought to school. This will help us match the missing item to your child. Thank you!
BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF BELONGING
Morning Meeting: Buddy Classes
Celebrating Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month at KES!
The beautiful bulletin board (pictured below) was designed and installed by the parent members of KES COMPACT. Teachers will introduce students to the Hispanic-Latino heritage through visiting the bulletin board and discussing the artifacts, reading aloud books about Hispanic-Latino people, their culture and contributions as well as books written by Hispanic-Latino authors and illustrators, watch interviews of KES Hispanic staff members who were highlighted on Good Morning, KES, incorporate simple Spanish words into morning greeting and messages,, learn about the geography of Latin America, and discuss the Hispanic-Latino culture using a variety of resources that were curated by our Librarian, Jeanne Hand and District's SEL/DEI Curriculum Leader, Jocelyn Lividini. We are all going to learn how to Salsa dance!
We will continue to embrace different cultures throughout the year. This allows for our community members to celebrate their heritage while others experience what it's like to be a part of a community other than their own. It gives students a cultural awareness and acceptance which can help break down cultural barriers.
COMPACT- Optional Parent Survey
As part of building a welcoming, inclusive, affirming environment at KES, the COMPACT aims to emphasize a celebration of our differences and a sense of belonging. We want your children and family to feel represented and honored, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, faith, identity, gender, or ability. To do this, we are interested in knowing more about your family.
The brief survey (LINKED BELOW) is entirely optional. Data collected will be shared within our committee and will serve two purposes. First, to build upon existing resources to ensure our students feel reflected in our school and that they also have an opportunity to meet and hear from other community members who may be unlike themselves. Second, to invite greater parental involvement in KES classrooms and more broadly- for instance, through programming and engaging in classroom talk and sharing of books.
Whether or not you complete this form is optional, as is whether you choose to get involved in any of the above-mentioned ways.
Thank you,
KES COMPACT Members
Walk/Bike to School on October 20th (Rain Date 10/27)
Please make note of the meeting places and times below:
Katonah Village Library @ 8:40am
Cherry/Lakeside @ 8:55am
Sunrise/Orchard @ 8:50am
All students arriving to school (walkers, bus, and drop offs) will enjoy being greeted by BUDDY and music! This event is certain to be a truly PAWSome experience!
Halloween
In school, on Tuesday, October 31, in staying with our KES tradition, kindergarten students will have an opportunity to parade in their costumes for the rest of the school (student/staff only event) to cheer and admire them. Kindergarten classroom teachers will communicate more details soon. Please encourage your child in grades 1-5 to wear orange and/or black.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Lockdown Drill
Under state regulations each school must conduct four (4) lockdown drills. These drills will ensure that students and staff are prepared in the event of an emergency. The lockdown protocol is utilized anytime there is a perceived or actual imminent threat inside the building.
This month, we will practice the first lockdown drill at KES. All lockdown drills are ANNOUNCED meaning a message (from administration) to all staff and students will be made over the PA system prior to signaling the drill. For the first lockdown drill, only members of the KES Safety Emergency Response Team will respond. At future lockdown drills, we expect police presence and support. Parents will be informed through a Connect Ed. message after each lockdown drill is practiced.
Fire Prevention Week 10/8-10/14
On October 11, the Katonah Fire Department will be at KES teaching our kindergarten and first grade students about fire prevention and safety, both at school and at home. The children will go outside to see the fire trucks and watch as the ladder is extended up on our roof, meet the local firefighters, and learn about some of the equipment used. Students are exposed to a firefighter with an oxygen mask on so that they know it’s nothing to be afraid of. We are thankful to our local fire department for their hard work and commitment to our school and the community.
Allergy Awareness
Red Ribbon Week 10/23-10/27: Making Healthy Choices
The Katonah Lewisboro School District will be promoting its annual Red Ribbon Week celebration, a district-wide alcohol and drug prevention event. This year, all K-12 students will once again be participating in age-appropriate prevention activities during the week of October 23-27.
Red Ribbon Week has grown into the most far-reaching and well-known drug prevention event in America. It began to honor a drug enforcement agent who was killed in 1985 while working undercover in Mexico. In response to his murder, friends and family wore red ribbons in memory of his crusade against illegal drug use in this country. Today, schools across the nation continue the tradition of wearing red ribbons to promote choosing a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
At the elementary level, the focus is on making healthy choices in general (i.e., food, exercise).
In order to raise awareness throughout the KES community, we will be sharing ideas about healthy choices daily on “Good Morning, KES.” The district encourages you to take this opportunity to discuss the concepts of Red Ribbon Week with your family. Following this letter (below) we have provided a link to some tips to help you get started.
Sincerely,
Jessica Fulton, KES Social Worker
Cristy Harris, Principal
Kweon Stambaugh, Assistant Principal
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
Response to Intervention (RtI)
As per our District’s Response to Intervention Plan, students will be assessed in both reading and mathematics.
· Interventionists and teachers will be administering the fall benchmarks to all students.
· These short screenings are administered both whole class and/or individually.
· The results of the screenings, along with other relevant school data, is reviewed by the KES RtI Team (principal, school psychologist, interventionists, and classroom teachers).
· If your child meets KLSD eligibility criteria and qualifies for RtI services, you will receive a communication from your child’s teacher and a formal RtI Entry Letter on October 30-31.
K-5 Curriculum Updates
In October, kindergarten students look forward to our reading and writing workshops and drawing upon their growing knowledge of letter-sound correspondence to add letters and words to their writing pieces. In math, students will compare numbers to 5 and then begin to explore numbers to 10 using manipulatives, games, and pencil and paper. In science, we will begin our unit on the needs of plants and animals and also work in the KES garden.
In October, first graders will be in the reading unit, Building Good Reading Habits. Students are learning how to choose a book that feels just right for them. We will continue to practice reading routines (ex: book shopping and attending small group). Our first writing unit is Small Moments. First graders will work on generating ideas for small moment stories (personal narratives). They will write about things that have happened to them or things that they do. In math, our students will begin to learn about addition and subtraction through math activities. These are important foundational skills that will allow first graders to communicate their ideas and mathematical thinking. We began our first social studies unit on School Community. First graders are learning that rules are created to keep us safe. Each classroom participated in creating classroom rules and learning the PAWSome Pledge. We will be taking our first field trip to Ward Pound Ridge which will connect our learning to our social studies unit Families now and long ago.
In October, the second graders will be building their reading muscles by learning strategies to help them decode new syllable types. Learning new vocabulary and deepening comprehension is also a focus as we work toward becoming “Big Kid” readers. In writing, the second graders will be teaching us about themselves through their narrative stories. Handwriting and sentence structure will continue to be a focus. Strengthening number sense will be keeping our mathematicians very busy. We’ll explore how to break apart numbers to help us add fluently while also learning strategies for double digit addition. In social studies, we will have fun exploring rural, urban and suburban communities with an emphasis on what makes Katonah a special and unique place to live!
In October, third graders will begin the Mystery Unit in reading workshop. We will read mysteries closely to notice clues and “Who Done It?” Mystery readers will need to wonder when characters are really telling the truth. We will be on the lookout for any Red Herrings. In writing, students continue to craft true stories. They are busy being fast and furious writers, writing about special people and places. During math, students continue to explore multiplication and division by making bar diagrams, building arrays and using repeated addition and subtraction. In Social Studies, third graders will continue to learn about the importance of citizenship in the classroom as well as in the world. They will also discuss how people adapt to their community’s geography.
In October, fourth graders are continuing to think deeply about characters and themes in texts. Through our class read aloud, Crenshaw, by Katherine Applegate, readers are asking themselves, “What does the author want me to understand about the issues coming up in this book?” We are also wrapping up our realistic fiction stories and familiarizing ourselves with the writing process. In math, we are working on adding and subtracting numbers into the hundred-thousands. In Social Studies, 4th graders are learning about New York State and some of the indigenous inhabitants. We are launching our science unit, on Energy Conversions, where we are thinking like scientists and engineers to examine why the fictional town of Ergstown keeps having frequent blackouts!
In October, fifth graders during ELA will be drafting, revising, and editing personal narratives to capture meaningful small moments in their lives, and they will be starting book clubs, exploring how authors use character’s actions and relationships to reveal themes. Estimating and calculating decimals—adding and subtracting— using models and the standard algorithm, will be a focus in math. The fifth graders will be starting a mini-research project supported by Jeanne Hand, our librarian, on a topic from American History. In social studies, fifth graders will be studying early peoples of the Western Hemisphere, while in science students will continue their study of the stars and constellations.
Art Featuring 1st Grade
DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS (DASA)
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.