News Alerts

• April 3K NEWSLETTER

   

APRIL 3K NEWSLETTER

Happy April from Ms. Cristino, Miss Karol, Mrs. Nath, Ms. Gosset, Miss Erika and Mrs. Esther!

WHAT WE ARE LEARNING:

We are starting a new unit of study: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Most of us do not spend much time thinking about trash and garbage. We might give the problem some thought when our community needs a new landfill, a crisis arises regarding dangerous waste or litter gets out of control. But we often forget about the ever-present challenge of dealing with trash and garbage. We think studying how to reduce, reuse, and recycle trash and garbage will engage children because they are familiar with and curious about the topic. As we study trash and garbage and how we can reduce, reuse and recycle, we will learn concepts and skills in language and literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts and technology. We will also be developing thinking skills to observe, investigate, ask questions, solve problems, make predictions and test our ideas.

REMINDERS:

Arrival time is between 7:45 and 8am in the Annex. Students who arrive after 8:15 will be marked late.

Dismissal time is promptly at 2:00. Any student not picked up by 2:20 will be walked to the main building gym.

Please pack a water sippy cup and snack for your child, daily.

Please be sure to send your child in to school with proper winter attire.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Wednesday, April 1 – Easter Egg Hunt

Thursday, April 2-Friday, April 10 – Spring Recess, No Schoo

Pre-K April Newsletter

Teachers:

Mrs. Longo & Mrs. Jenn

Mrs. Kelly & Ms. B

Ms. Vozzolo & Mrs. Feller

What we are learning:

The children will begin to explore how to reduce, reuse, and recycle trash. We will create different projects using recycled materials. We encourage you to talk with your child about garbage. If you recycle at home, help your child take responsibility for sorting items into the recycle bins.

Reminders:

• Please be sure to send a healthy snack and a reusable bottle of water each day.

• Blankets will be sent home for cleaning. Please be sure your child returns with a clean blanket the following week.

Important Dates:

Easter - April 5

Passover- April 1-9

Spring Break (No School)- April 2- April 12

School resumes Monday, April 13th

Earth Day - April 20

Birthdays:

Samara April 10th

Aniyah April 14th

Ilian R. April 24th

Sebastian. April 24th

Jaylen April 25th

2026 Kindergarten Newsletter

February 2026 Kindergarten Newsletter

Our essential question is, what does it mean to try hard?

Kindergartners often hear, “You can do it!” In this module, children will meet kids who are doing it— from daring to jump off a diving board to learning to ride a bike.

Despite their young age and varied abilities, children see that with a little hard work, some practice, and perseverance, they too can achieve their goals. So, let’s do it!

In writing, students will focus on writing their own stories. A good story is fun to write and read. We will focus on the beginning, middle and the end of a story.

In Phonics, we will continue practice encoding, decoding and learning “heart words”.

In Math, students will be able to understand addition, putting two groups together to find out how many you have in total.

Please note the important dates for the month of February:

· Picture Day – Tues. 2/3 and Wed. 2/4.

· Winter Break – Mon. 2/16 – Fri. 2/20 –Winter Break – No School

· 100th Day of School - Mon 2/23 – Dress as if you are 100 years old.

April 1st Grade NewsLetter

Mrs.Villalta, Mrs.Frydel, Ms.Mondesi, Ms.M, Ms.Rooney and Mrs.Benenati

Dates to Remember:

· Easter Egg Hunt, April 1,2026

· Spring Break, No school April 2-10, 2026

· Eye Exam, April 13, 2026

· First Grade Queen Botanical Garden Trip

Reminders:

· Please check your child’s folders every day.

· Please check homework every day.

A peek at what we are learning:

MATH: Compare two-digit numbers, make numbers on a hundred chart, compare numbers with symbols, and compare numbers on a number line.

ELA: Students will describe characters, settings, and major events in a story using key details. They will identify who is telling a story at various points in a text and the main topic. Students will retell relevant or key details of a text and understand a fantasy/folks tale story.

PHONICS: Students will identify schwa words, long i spelling igh. They will continue to practice segmenting and identifying phonemes in single/multi-syllable words with short and long vowels, vowel teams, diphthongs, and appropriately blending words. They will also be able to identify suffix ed, er,and es.

Second Grade Newsletter

Ms. Garcia, Ms. Olivo, Ms. Ululati, Ms. Arias, Mrs. Saleh, and Mrs. McKenna are thrilled to share that the school year is off to a fantastic start! We’ve loved getting to know your children and can’t wait to continue learning and growing together in the months ahead.

What we are learning:

● HMH Into Reading: Students will be learning about the growth of plants and what they need to thrive.

● Math: In Unit 8, students will continue to learn about time and money.

● Writing: Students will write a procedural text about an activity that needs to be done in a set order.

Reminders:

● Please check your child's folder and homework daily.

● Arrival is at 8:00 a.m

● Dismissal is at 2:00 p.m

● There are spelling tests every Friday

Important dates:

● March 17th - Please wear green for St. Patrick’s day

● March 20th - Friday No School

Terrific Third Graders!

April Newsletter 2026

W.I.N- What I Need?

W.I.N begins promptly at 8:15 every day. It is so important our children come in on time. This will help our students become better readers and writers.

MODULE 7: Make a Difference

Essential Question- How can one person make a

meaningful difference in their local or global community?

Reading-

Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about people who make their communities better and stronger, with a focus on the narrative nonfiction genre. We will read texts about individuals and groups that make a difference in their local or global communities. Children will also write an expository essay that explains how one person can have an impact and make a meaningful difference in a community.

Writing- Opinion Essay

In this module, you will be writing an opinion essay about a way students can make your school better. An opinion essay states an opinion, or belief, about a topic. It includes reasons and facts to support that opinion. Make sure to choose a topic that you feel strongly about. We will brainstorm ideas about how you think we can improve our school. For example, I think we should have a better plan for welcoming new students.

Grammar-

· Using Irregular Verbs

· Adverbs that Tell How, Where and When, Compare, and Compare to Actions

Math-

We are working on Topic 14: Solve Time, Capacity, and Mass Problems. This lesson emphasizes telling time that students deal with every day. In 2nd grade, students learned to tell time to the nearest 5 minutes. In this lesson, students tell time to the nearest minute. They learned about patterns with 5 as a factor in Topic 2, and in this lesson, they apply that knowledge to count by 5s and 1s to tell time to the nearest minute.

Test Prep

* We have started preparing for the New York State Exam (NYS) in class. It is critical that students continue to practice and apply all the skills that we have learned so far. Please encourage students to use the strategies that were learned in school and apply them when working on the homework at home.

· ELA State Test- April 14th and 15th

· Math State Test- April 28th and 29th

Important Dates:

· April 2nd- 10th Spring Recess Schools Closed

· Students return to school Monday April 13th

4th Grade

4th Grade

Reading

We are working on Module 6 - Marvels in Nature in our HMH reading program. Essential Question is What makes Earth’s natural wonders exciting and unique? In this module, students will listen to, read, and view a variety of texts that present them with information about Earth’s natural wonders.A genre focus on informational text provides students with opportunities to identify text and graphic features, central ideas, and text structures in order to better understand unfamiliar texts. Students will also encounter poetry and literary nonfiction to build knowledge across genres. As students build their vocabulary and synthesize topic knowledge, they will learn that our world is full of unique places with amazing wonders on land, in the ocean, and in the sky.

Writing: We are finishing writing our biographies and soon will be focusing on how to write a letter. We will write a letter to an expert in that field of study asking for more information. We will use formal language and show that we already have some knowledge on the topic. We need to use the correct format for a letter, clearly state your reason for writing your letter, use formal language use correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and sentences

Please encourage your children to read every night

WIN – What I Need

In the morning for 30 minutes, students have been divided into groups based on their needs.

Tier 3 is working on primary phonics- Sound Sensible

Tier 2 is working on the next level of phonics- S.P.I.R.E

Tier 1 is working on Socratic Reading Circles

Math: Fractions

We have started Topic 8. Topic 8 focuses on recognizing and generating equivalent fractions and on comparing fractions with different numerators and different denominators. This deep understanding of fraction equivalence and comparison provides the foundation for further work with fraction operations

*****Please encourage your child to study their multiplication facts.*****

Upcoming Events

● We have started Latin Fusion Dancing and the kids are LOVING it Please be sure to check with your child's teacher to know when his or her scheduled day is so they can wear sneakers.

● We have begun practicing for the ELA state exam. Students should practice strategies like rereading, summarizing, identifying the theme/main idea, and supporting details.

Important Dates

● Thursday March 5th - ½ day 11:30 Dismissal

● Thursday March 5th - PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES (please schedule a meeting with your teacher)

● Friday March 20th - No School - Eid al Fitr

Physical Education

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•  ENL Newsletter

   

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• March Newsletter ENL

   

  We are continuing to focus on students actively doing translating as part of their rigor and productive struggle. Instead of being handed translations, We ask metalinguistic questions such as “what does this word mean?”

  “ How do you know?”

  “ Do you know other words with the same beginning/ending sound (prefix/suffix) or root?” This helps them develop the skill of understanding complex words.

   

  In talk roles for students, they are language bridge builders, connecting ideas across languages and connecting English to their home language. Is it a cognate or false cognate? “in [language] , we say…..”

  “in [language] it looks like this…”

  As we continue to chunk HMH text, our ELLs are taking a bite they can chew and swallow. Eventually the bite gets bigger.

   

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• Library Newsletter

   

   

  March Newsletter for Library

   

  Throughout the month of March, students are continuing to browse the library shelves for appealing and appropriate books. Many students are enjoying our new book selections, which include biographies of famous and current athletes, along with important people in science.

   

  The younger grades have been focusing on listening to stories and identifying story elements. They have enjoyed seasonal stories focused on spring celebrations, such as Read Across America Week, St. Patrick’s Day, Holi, Ramadan and the Spring Equinox.

   

  Students in the upper grades have been enjoying a celebration of reading during Read Across America Week, while also continuing to work on developing their knowledge of reference skills. In celebration of Women’s History Month, students have been learning about women who have overcome extraordinary odds.

   

  “Reading is a passport to countless adventures.” –Mary Pope Osborne

   

   

   

  MUSIC NEWSLETTER FOR MARCH

   

  THIS MONTH: 

  Kindergarten - St. Patrick’s Day and Spring Songs

  First Grade - Carnival of the Animals (Elephants, Kangaroos, Aquarium)

  Third Grade - Music Around the World Unit (Ireland, Brazil, Africa)

  Fourth Grade - Continuing how to play The Recorder and playing songs

  Fifth Grade - Graduation Songs (Star Spangled Banner, For Good, Let There Be Peace on Earth) and The Little Mermaid

   

  Did You Know?

  A MUSICIAN if anyone who is musically talented. A MUSICIAN can sing and/or play an instrument. In P.S. 81 we are ALL musicians - we sing, dance and play instruments with Mrs Brosky!

   

  March is Music in our Schools month!

  How has music made a difference in your life? What is a song, artist or band you can't imagine life without?

   

  JOKE OF THE MONTH

  What is a leprechaun's favorite type of music?

  Sham-rock-and-roll

   

  All music newsletters can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19iz9hZbq0kku_lPrycFqjjRYTOluvhGwNzvwyIm1rsY/edit?usp=sharing

  FOR FEBRUARY

• JOKE

• Yoga & Mindfulness Newsletter

  Grades 3–5 | Emotion of the Month: Integrity

  What Is Integrity?

  Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching. It’s about being honest, kind, and true to yourself and others—at school, at home, and with friends.

  This month in yoga, we are practicing how to stand strong in our values, make good choices, and trust ourselves.

   

  Pose of the Month: Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

  Mountain Pose helps us feel steady, confident, and grounded—just like integrity helps us stand firm in who we are.

  How to Do Mountain Pose:

  1. Stand tall with feet together or slightly apart

  2. Press your feet into the floor

  3. Lift your head high like the top of a mountain

  4. Relax your shoulders and let your arms rest by your sides

  5. Take 3 slow, deep breaths

  💭 Integrity Thought:

  “I stand strong in who I am and make honest choices.”

   

  How Mountain Pose Connects to Integrity

  · Mountains don’t move easily — they are strong and steady

  · Integrity helps us stay true to ourselves

  · When things feel hard, we can pause, breathe, and choose what’s right

   

  🌬️ Breathing Practice: “Honest Breath”

  · Breathe in through your nose and think: “I am honest.”

  · Breathe out through your mouth and think: “I make good choices.” Repeat 3 times.

   

  Try This at Home or School

  · Tell the truth, even when it’s hard

  · Help someone without being asked

  · Admit a mistake and try again

  · Stand up for yourself or others kindly

  Every time you do one of these, you’re practicing integrity—just like yoga!

   

  Yoga Reminder

  Yoga isn’t just about stretching your body— It’s also about growing your heart, mind, and character 💛

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Science News

March 2026

Ms. Fanning and Ms. Kassnove

Kindergarten- Our scientists will learn about how different parts of a plant are and how they work together to get water. We will do a hands-on experiment!

Grade 1-Our scientists are going to be introduced to the solar system. They will learn about each planet and different aspects of outer space.

Grade 2- Students are completing their unit on the properties of materials by designing their own glue and creating a picture frame to demonstrate the strength of their designs. Scientists will begin the next and final unit called Changing Landforms. They will explore the types of landforms around the world and how they change over time.

Grade 3- Biologists are completing their unit on environments and survival by studying a variety of animals and their traits that support survival. Their next unit will be Weather and Climate. Little meteorologists will explore the various types of precipitation, temperature, and weather patterns around the world.

Grade 4- Geologists are completing their unit on rocks and fossils. They are currently exploring erosion and the rock cycle with sand tables. Our next unit will be “Waves, Energy and Information” where students will be studying the science of sound. Students will experiment with how waves travel and how sound travels through a variety of materials.

Grade 5- Ecologists have been studying the health and survival of ecosystems around the world. They explored food chains, photosynthesis, environments, and how to keep ecosystems healthy. Our next unit “Patterns of Earth and Sky” will begin soon. Astronomers will explore the solar system and the patterns observed in our sky.

  SPEECH & LANGUAGE

March Speech & Language Newsletter

Welcome to March! Spring is almost here, and we are continuing to work hard on building strong communication skills in our speech sessions. This month we are focusing on expanding vocabulary, improving sentence structure, and practicing clear speech sounds. Families can support these skills at home through simple conversations and fun language activities.

Speech and Language Focus for March

Articulation (Speech Sounds) Students are continuing to practice correct production of their speech sounds in words, sentences, and conversation. Encourage your child to slow down and think about how they say tricky sounds. Practicing for just a few minutes each day can make a big difference!

Language Skills In therapy sessions, students are working on:

· Building longer and more detailed sentences

· Answering “who, what, where, when, why, and how” questions

· Learning new vocabulary words

· Retelling short stories and events in order

Social Communication We are also practicing important conversation skills such as:

· Taking turns while talking

· Staying on topic

· Listening carefully to others

· Using appropriate greetings and responses

Easy Practice Ideas for Home

Here are a few simple activities you can try at home:

· Story Time: After reading a book, ask your child to tell you what happened first, next, and last.

· Sound Practice: Pick 5–10 words with your child’s target sound and practice them together.

· Conversation Starters: At dinner or in the car, ask open-ended questions like “What was the best part of your day?”

· Describe It Game: Have your child describe an object while you guess what it is.

March Fun Language Challenge 🍀

Since March includes St. Patrick’s Day, try a “Lucky Words” challenge! Ask your child to think of words that describe something green, lucky, or related to spring.

Reminders

· Practice speech homework for a few minutes each day.

· Keep reading together to build language and vocabulary.

· Reach out anytime if you have questions about your child’s speech or language goals.

Thank you for supporting your child’s communication growth!

M a r c h Counselor's Corner -Josephine D’Amico

March brings with it the promise of spring, a season of growth and renewal. This month, we’ll be focusing on developing a growth mindset—a belief that with effort and persistence, we can improve our abilities and overcome challenges. Growth Mindset This month, our lessons will highlight the concept of a growth mindset. We’ll explore how viewing challenges as opportunities to learn can help students succeed both in school and in life. I encourage you to talk to your child about the importance of effort and perseverance. We will also be discussing what makes us lucky. Embracing Change As we transition into spring, change is in the air. Help your child adapt to new situations by encouraging them to embrace change as a natural and positive part of life. Whether it’s adjusting to new routines or learning something new, remind them that change can lead to growth and new opportunities. Upcoming Events March: Parent Teacher Conferences. Set up time to speak to your child teacher or service provider. The “Beautiful Me” and “Confident Kids” Self Esteem program with all 5th grade students are almost completed. Contact Information: If you have any questions or would like to discuss how to support your child’s progress, please feel free to contact me at ([email protected]) or call (718-821-9800). Let’s work together to support your child’s growth this spring!