September 25, 2026

Hello PreK Families, 

We are settling into our school routines and making new friends in PreK. All of the students have already made great strides and are happy at school. We are starting our classroom jobs as well. Students love having a task to do in the classroom. Each week on Monday we change jobs. 

The students are really enjoying their related arts classes each day. The schedule is as follows: 

Monday- PE with Mr. Ballou

Tuesday - Performing Arts with Ms. Frost & Art with ms. Kniffen

Wednesday - PE with Mr. Ballou

Thursday -  Library with Ms. Grady 

Friday - STEM with Ms. Oney

Each month we usually cover two units of study that are related to the season or holidays in that month. Sometimes we also study topics because we have a high interest in a topic. This month, we will be made All About Me books and have begun learning about the life cycle of an apple. During each unit we read many books, do projects, have discussions, sing songs, and participate in other learning activities to build connections on a topic.

This month we have been learning about the life cycle of an apple. We have been reading many books including fiction and nonfiction titles, including: Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins, Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss, and My Apple by Kaye Davies and Wendy Oldfield. We made a graph comparing our favorite color apples and we have been playing counting and sorting games about apples. At the end of this week we will be comparing apples in math and doing a class cooking project and making a book about it. Please send in an apple by Monday 9/28/26 for your child to contribute. 

In our class, we use direct instruction to teach students to make good choices about their behavior. Social development is an integral part of PreK and school and affects all areas of learning. One of our main goals for students is to be happy, confident learners who can solve problems and work collaboratively with others. Being able to make good choices when they are alone and interacting with others is a BIG part of that.  In our classroom we have started learning about good choices to support their social-emotional behavior. We review the expected behaviors in all settings (school, home, community) and across the day. Clear, consistent expectations are paired with visual supports, and expectations are almost always stated positively. We also teach lessons from Second Step. This is a social emotional learning program used int he district that teaches concepts with puppets, story cards, songs, and role playing activities. Each week, we cover a new idea. 

Please make sure that you or your child’s caregiver give a wave or communicate with a staff member when your child is picked up from the playground. We want to make sure that all of our students get to the right place safely. If your child is going home with a new person, please send in a note, email the teacher or the office, or call the office. 

Once a month on the late start days, PreK students DO NOT HAVE SCHOOL. The Early Childhood Program has In-Service for the PreK teams on those days. The dates for this year are as follows: 10/19, 12/14, 2/15, 3/15, 4/12, 5/17. 

This year, our class is reading with Scholastic Book Clubs! You’ll have access to expertly curated, affordable books that help boost your child’s reading skills, build your home library, and maybe even create moments of quality time you can share together. The first order is due 10/2/26.

 

Plus place an order of $25 or more and you can pick a FREE $5 book (use code READS at checkout).

Shop Our Class Page: https://orders.scholastic.com/K3677

Shop Flyers: https://clubs.scholastic.com/all-flyers

 

Invite relatives and friends to help your child discover the joy of reading when you share our class page link. Every order benefits our classroom, helping us earn FREE books and resources that every child can enjoy.

 

Thanks so much for your support!

Thank you, 

Ms. Zayas

IMPORTANT DATES

10/7 Picture Day

10/9 NO SCHOOL - HSD In-Service

10/12 NO SCHOOL - Indigenous Peoples’ Day 

10/19 No PreK - ECP In-Service 

11/2 Early Release at 12:30 for PTC

11/3 NO SCHOOL - PTC 

 June 15, 2026 

Dear PreK Families, 

We have had a wonderful year in PreK. The students have all had so much growth and development it is amazing to see. 

We had a fun visit to the HACTC for the Teddy Bear Clinic put on by the Health Sciences students and staff. The class also loved riding the school bus there and back. 

In May we learned about the lifecycle of turtles. Ms. Laurie from VINS came to teach us about turtles and brought Turt the Turtle with her. Turt is over 50 years old!. We read many books on the topic including: Old Turtle by Douglas Wood and One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies. 

We raised Painted Lady caterpillars in the classroom and then set them free in the garden when they hatched from their cocoons. The students were very interested in the process of metamorphosis. We kept journals on their development and did many art and craft projects. We read many books including: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Butterflies by Melvin and Gilda Berger, Farfallina and Marcel by Holly Keller, The Butterfly by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen, The Caterpillar and the Polliwog by Jack Kent, and Percival the Plain Little Caterpillar by Helen Brawley. 

In May, we worked on an insect unit in Math to explore symmetry; sequence events; order numbers; compare sets; create different combinations of 4, 5, and 6; and practice addition doubles. In June, we conducted sink and float experiments, made and tested load bearing boats, modeled and solved story problems, explored the idea of counting on, and learned two new board games.

This week, you will also receive your child’s Teaching Strategies Gold report card. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Field Day will be tomorrow, on Tuesday, June, 16th. We will play indoor and outdoor games that day. We will still have lunch and rest time in the classroom. Please send your children in clothing that can get wet and apply sunscreen before school. They can wear swim shirts and or lightweight shorts, but no bathing suits please. Your child can also bring a towel and a change of clothes.  

The last day of PreK will be Wednesday, June 17th. It is an early release day. Please pick up your child at 12:30. 

Please fill out this google survey on the WRS PreK program. 

I hope that you all have fun and relaxing summer breaks. I will see many of you back in the fall for another year of PreK. Other students are ready for the challenges of Kindergarten in the fall. 

Thank you, 

Amy 

IMPORTANT DATES 

6/16 Field Day

6/17 LAST DAY for PreK & Early Release at 12:30

 May 7, 2026

Dear PreK Families, 

The class had a great visit with Blue the Hawk during Read on the Beach day last month.

Last month we completed a unit on physical science. We read several books including Magnets by Angela Royston, Magnets, Pulling Together, Pushing Apart by Natalie Rosinsky, Magnets by Peter Riley, The Planets by Gail Gibbons, The Solar System by Melvin and Gilda Berger, Rock On by CJ McDonald,  Volcanoes by Sara Gilbert, Disaster Zone Volcanoes by Cari Meister. First, we conducted experiments on magnetism. Then we studied what the Earth is made of and went on a search for rocks from the playground. Then we painted the rocks and put them in the garden.

In April, we also completed a unit on communities. We discussed things that were important in a community too, such as homes, schools, roads, playgrounds and parks, rivers, police stations, hospitals, and stores. Then we made maps of our bedrooms, our school and we made a big map of our community. As a class we have discussed jobs and how people do work in the community. Then students will think about what jobs they want to do when they get older. During this unit, we read many books including: My Map Book by Sara Fanelli, Me on the Map by Joan Sweeney,   Where Are You Going Manyoni? by Catherine Stock, Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann, and Guess Who? by Margaret Miller. 

Currently, we are studying weather. Last week, we kept track of the daily weather in a mini weather journal. We also read several books including, Shapes in the Sky by Jospeha Sherman, Clouds by Marion Dane Bauer, Rain by Marion Dnae Bauer, Weather by Catriona Clarke, Lightening by Jeff Bauer, Rain by Manya Stojic. We even made a class book based on It Looked Like Spilt Milk byCharles G. Shaw. We have conducted several experiments to make rain in the classroom. A fun one was to make rain in a jar, which can be done with a few simple things and we made wind socks to use outside. 

 

This month in math, we have just begun working on an insect unit to explore symmetry; sequence events; order numbers; compare sets; create different combinations of 4, 5, and 6; and practice addition doubles.

We have finished learning how to write the uppercase letters and have been practicing writing our names. 

Our caterpillars in a cup just arrived so that we can study the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly in May. 

Thank you, 

Amy 

IMPORTANT DATES

5/14 Teddy Bear Clinic Field Trip to the HACTC

5/15 NO PREK K-5th field trip to Boston 

5/18 ECP  NO PreK - ECP In-Service

5/25 NO SCHOOL Memorial Day 

5/26 Kindergarten visit (for students who are attending Kindergarten at WRS next year) 

5/29 VINS - Turtles

 March 27, 2026

Dear PreK Families, 

Thank you for coming in for Parent Teacher Conferences. It’s always nice to share what is going on in the classroom with families. 

This month we have been busy, beginning with a fairy tale and folktale unit. We read The Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. We read different versions of each story and did retelling activities with figurines. We had a class vote and most students liked The Three Billy Goats Gruff the best. 

The students enjoyed St. Patrick’s Day in the classroom. We even had some leprechauns visit and they made some mischief when we were out of the room. 

Currently we are learning about science topics including magnetism. We have been using magnets to do experiments and play games. Next we will focus on the Earth and Moon and space. 

We also had a visit from VINS. Our educator brought an American Kestrel and taught us about birds of prey. It was a fascinating show that we saw with the Kindergarteners. Next month, VINS will return to teach us about turtles. VINS is having an Owl Festival on April 25th for people interested in learning more about owls and their habitats. Check their calendar for other family friendly events during the month of April as well. 

In math, we have been doing work in a robot unit in which we learned about shapes, sorting, patterning, counting, solving story problems, and collecting data. The students are playing many math games, working with partners, reading stories, and having discussions about these topics. 

We are half way through learning how to write the uppercase letters and should be finished shortly after the April break. 

Thank you, 

Amy 

IMPORTANT DATES

3/30 NO PREK ECP In-Service

4/13 NO PREK ECP In-Service

4/20-4/24 Spring Break- NO SCHOOL

5/1 VINS - Turtles lesson

5/15 NO PREK K-5th field trip to Boston 

5/18 ECP  NO PreK - ECP In-Service

5/25 NO SCHOOL Memorial Day 

5/26 Kindergarten visit (for students who are attending Kindergarten at WRS next year) 

February News

 February 10, 2026

Dear PreK Families, 

VINS came to visit the classroom today to teach the students about bears. We had a puppet show, songs, and many hands on activities.

 

In literacy, we have started learning how to write the uppercase letters of the alphabet. We will work on 2-3 letters each week and be finished in April. If your child is writing at home, please remind them to use the pincer grip and to write from the top to the bottom. We use the Fundations PreK Activity Set for letter instruction. 

On Friday, we will celebrate Valentine’s Day in our class with a card exchange and a special snack. Please prepare cards at home for your child to pass out to classmates. There are 11 students. You can just have your child sign their name if they know how to do so, or an adult can write for them. You do not need to label them with each person’s name. 

In math this month the topic is bears. Using the bear theme, we are working on counting sets, reading and writing numerals, showing and solving addition problems, sorting and patterning, and graphing. 

On Friday, February 20th we will have pajama day and a Teddy Bear Party. Your child may wear pajamas to school. Please choose pjs that will fit under snow clothes and that your child can wear shoes with. Please choose a bear that can fit inside your child’s backpack. We will do several math activities with our bears. On that day the students can also play with their bears during centers and sleep with them at nap time. 

A sign-up sheet for PTC will come out next week, so look for that in your email. 

Thanks, 

Amy 

IMPORTANT DATES

2/13 Valentine’s Day Card Party

2/16 NO PreK - ECP In-Service

2/23-3/2 Winter Break- NO SCHOOL

3/3 Town Meeting Day - Teacher In-Service NO SCHOOL

3/19 Early Release at 12:30 for PTC

3/20 NO SCHOOL - PTC

3/25 VINS Show for PreK & Kindergarten - Bids of Prey

3/30 NO PreK - ECP In-Service