
We hope everyone enjoyed the winter break with your families. During January, we continue our study of the rock cycle, including the classification and exploration of rocks and minerals. The children also will be introduced to the water cycle and the work of water. This provides an opportunity to learn about the uniqueness of snowflakes and their symmetry. The children have been learning about the civil rights movement, which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others began.
Tying Shoes
Tying shoes is a skill typically introduced and practiced in earnest during a child’s time in the Primary classroom. We are working with some of the younger children to develop this skill. If your child does not yet know how to tie their shoes, please work with them at home, so they may perform this activity independently and feel a sense of pride in their self-care.

Reading at Home
Encouraging your child to read and reading with them will support them to become confident readers. For children who are beginning readers, having this experience daily is crucial to their development of skills. You can assist your early reader in some of the following ways.
- Help them identify tricky words they have tried to decode. (Many times these words are sight words.)
- Ask questions about the characters, setting and problem/solution, if applicable.
- Make a connection to the story (anecdote), and encourage your child to do the same.
- As them if they liked to story. Why or why not?
Appropriate times for reading:
First years: 15 minutes
Second years: 20 minutes
Third years: 30 minutes