Kindergarteners learn about 3D shapes because it builds important early math and spatial-thinking skills in a way that matches how young children naturally explore the world. We all interact with 3D objects constantly,having these little ones learn the names and features of these shapes helps them connect math to everyday life as well as how things look from different angles. Learning about 3D shapes also builds problem-solving and critical thinking and starts to prepare students for more advanced math in their academic careers!
Marshmallows and toothpicks are popular in kindergarten STEM projects because they're simple, safe, hands-on building materials that help young children explore engineering and geometry. Marshmallows are soft and non-sharp and toothpicks provide structure but are still manageable for young students with supervision. They’re perfect for building because marshmallows act like flexible connectors while toothpick mimic rigid beams. Together, they’re perfect for little students to build 3D models.
A "roaring fire" and peppermint treats! Jenn DiSimone's ES first-graders are ready for winter break!
•Candy canes began as all-white sugar sticks in 17th-century Germany. Legend says the choirmaster at Germany’s Cologne Cathedral handed out sugar sticks to keep young singers quiet during the Living Creche ceremony and to keep fidgety choirboys quiet during services. . They became popular Christmas tree decorations when immigrants brought them to the U.S. in the 1840s. The iconic red stripes and peppermint flavor were added around the turn of the 20th century, with mass production made possible in the 1950s by Father Gregory Keller's automation machine, solidifying the candy cane as a Christmas staple.
•According to the National Confectioners Association, candy canes are the number one selling non-chocolate candy during December, with 90% sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say
That the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day.”
The High School's Youth Against Cancer (YAC) and ES PTO's "Kids Night Out" fundraiser, held this past Friday was a huge success! Everyone had a wonderful time, which included an opportunity to meet The Grinch! Thank you to all who worked hard to make a memorable night for attendees and for supporting the good work of both organizations.
Cliff Loretto’s ES kindergarten music students have been working on a song called “Going on a Sleigh Ride Today.”
Students first warmed up with a snowflake vocal-exploration activity, following a line drawn on the Promethean Board. They matched the contour of the line by using their voices to show how it moved from high to low. Cool stuff, right?
Students also experienced the form of the song by adding body movements to each section. Later, these little ones added jingle bells and listened for musical cues to know when to play and how to position the jingle bell in relation to their bodies.
Vocal-exploration activities are important in kindergarten music classes because they build the foundational skills for students to become confident singers. They’re learning how their voices work and ear-training skills to know specific notes. Plus, they’re building listening and concentration skills in a creative and imaginative way!
Mixed media art is simply combining two or more different types of art materials in one project. For this project, Mrs. Kaufman’s little students had a variety of fun materials to work with in this colorful project with a seasonal connection. No two snowmen are alike!
Yes, we know teams can’t “redshirt” themselves.... but we did it anyway for the 2025 Special Olympics New York Polar Bear Plunge. Next year, we will be back!
We’re grateful to officials from Special Olympics New York’s Hudson Valley chapter who visited us this past Friday, Dec. 5, to present us with the 2024 Cool School Challenge Trophy (we raised $4,022) and brought celebratory pizza for anyone from the 2024 team who was able to attend. They gratefully recognized the efforts of the 2024 team and are completely energized to work with us to get an awesome team in place for 2026.
However, the trophy didn’t stay in our possession very long. It’s now in the safekeeping of our friends at the nearby Chester School District, the Cool School Challenge winner for the 2025 plunge at The Rez in Highland Mills. Congratulations, Chester, but you better watch out: We’re coming after you in 2026 to reclaim our title!
Going outdoors at school after the first snow of the season (and the first snow day of the school year) is always special! And for our littlest students, there's always learning opportunities, too!
Marjori Bobish's ES transitional kindergarteners discovered that wearing snow pants on a slide makes them move down the slide faster and fresh snow provides a very soft landing on the ground. Who knew?
Her students also learned that the sun doesn't melt the snow, it's the warmer temperatures that do! They figured out a very important truth that all snow fans eventually learn: Not all snow is good for making snowballs! While things might be different today... yesterday, students weren't able to pack the snow together while outside.
"As the children make these discoveries and communicate what they have learned with each other, they're building their early literacy skills which is the foundation for future reading and writing," said Mrs. Bobish.
K-5 FAMILIES: Be part of the fun and merriment for a great cause! Pull out your student's finest Grinchy (or green) attire and sign up to attend a special fundraiser showing of “The Grinch” on Friday, Dec. 12, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the ES/IS Auditorium! The evening runs until 8:30 p.m. so you’ll even have a chance to grab a bite to eat or do some holiday shopping while your student is having a great time!
The ES PTO and High School’s Youth Against Cancer (YAC) Club are hosting this fun “Kids Night Out” evening! Cost is $10 per student, with snacks, a souvenir and a very special visit from the Grinch himself! Don’t miss out!
All proceeds will benefit the good work of the ES PTO and the YAC Club. Sign-up via this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsKNmEfJdvoBl6ZMtFJi6pvYE6LSWbf23qvUHGJbIG78tuUQ/viewform
Working in small groups, students have been practicing the concepts covered in their daily lessons. Through these math-based games, students are building their automaticity and fluency with addition, subtraction, and making partners of 10. The hands-on practice helps reinforce student understanding while keeping learning fun and interactive. Teachers use this to help students build strong addition and subtraction skills, because knowing which numbers make 10 makes math faster and easier.
Do you know all the partners of 10? We’ll help:
• 0 and 10
• 1 and 9
• 2 and 8
• 3 and 7
• 4 and 6
• 5 and 5
The Elementary School’s kindergarten team took the ‘turkey trot” concept and gave it a kindergarten seasonal spin yesterday, Nov. 25, with its version called a ‘turkey K-trot.’ Students "trotted" --- rather, walked --- to the classrooms of their peers for special Thanksgiving fun, courtesy of all the kindergarten faculty! They took part in turkey yoga (there is such a thing!), a harvest sorting relay, “turkey waddle” games, a thankful circle, story time, blocks and gourd table building….all enjoyable activities tied to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday !
It's important for kindergarteners to understand gratitude because it builds a foundation for empathy, happiness and emotional well-being by teaching these little ones the importance of recognizing and appreciating the kindness of others and the positive aspects of their own lives. Long term, this skill helps them develop into more resilient, less self-centered adults and helps in their social and academic performance. Activities like this are part of the school's and district's ongong character education curriculum.
See more photos on the district's Facebook page!
Ms. Ruoti asked students to apply what they had learned about the needs of living things—particularly how plants grow and provide the foods we enjoy—while collaborating closely with their peers in a fun STEM component to their science studies and discussions about Thanksgiving. They were tasked with designing and building a table sturdy enough to support eight gourds. The gourds served as a playful, seasonal stand-in for the plants and vegetables they been discussing in their plant unit.
Gourds (as well as pumpkins and squash) are associated with Thanksgiving mostly because they’re classic symbols of the fall harvest. Because they grow in abundance at that time, they naturally became tied to autumn celebrations. Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and plenty, and a big bowl --- or table --- of gourds visually symbolizes a good harvest and a season of thankfulness.
Once their table was completed, students were tasked with collaborating together again to build chairs for their mini-stuffed animal friends to sit on, so their fuzzy pals could enjoy a good old-fashioned gourd feast! While stuffed animals may “eat” those knobby little decorative gourds, we would not. However, their presence connects back to the history, harvest season and spirit of Thanksgiving!
The idea was the brainchild ES secretary Tammy Zamot, and these little students wrote some very sweet messages. Even if the spelling and/or penmanship was a bit off, there was no doubt what the messages were meant to tell others. Some even drew what they were thankful for!
SIGN-UP! The High School’s Step Dance Team is hosting its first ever "Just Dance" Kids Night Out for K-5 students on Friday, Dec. 5 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the High School’s cafeteria. It’s going to be a fun and instructive evening out for students, who will learn some great dance steps from talented Step Dance club members! PLUS: You can have a chance to get some holiday shopping done, or even grab a bite to eat! Cost is $20 per student, paid by cash at the door, but registration is required! (See the QR code) Sign up early, as registration is limited to 40 students!
Students were first “chaining” words with “ai” spellings. “Chaining” is simple vocabulary and phonics activity where students change one letter at a time to make a new word. It helps them understand how letters and sounds work.
Then, Mrs. Kelly dictated words with the 'ai' spelling (such as maid, aid, wait, paid) and words with the short /a/ spelling (such as mad, pat, cat, cap) and students sorted them as they wrote them.
Understanding the "ai" spelling for the long /a/ sound is useful in second grade for improving both reading and spelling skills, as it helps students recognize a common pattern and apply it to writing. It builds reading fluency by allowing them to decode words like "maid" or "paid" and enhances spelling by giving them a tool to write words like "train" or "aim" with the correct vowel team.
