Lower Elementary
Kindergarten
In phonics, our kindergarteners have learned 17 letters so far; a, b, c, d, e, f, g, i, j, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, and u. We are practicing letter names, sounds, and correct formation. We are learning to identify letters by their sounds, match uppercase and lowercase letters, and strengthen handwriting through proper pencil grip and size on the sky, plane, grass, and worm lines, while also building phonological awareness by listening for beginning and ending sounds, blending and segmenting words with Fundations “tapping,” and recognizing rhymes. In reading, we have just begun our Geodes unit on farming, exploring different types of farms and connecting new vocabulary to the letters introduced in Fundations. For writing, students are practicing stretching out the sounds they hear in words to label pictures and compose simple sentences independently. These activities help build confident reading and writing skills as we continue through the rest of the alphabet in the coming weeks.
In math, our kindergarteners are learning to analyze and name two-dimensional shapes by focusing on their defining attributes, such as the number of sides and corners. While many children already recognize shapes based on their appearance or real-world examples, we are helping them look more closely at the specific features that make each shape unique. Students are also beginning to explore three-dimensional, or solid, shapes by identifying faces, edges, and corners. Through sorting and hands-on activities, they are discovering connections between flat and solid shapes and how these attributes affect how objects move or fit together. This unit helps strengthen their spatial awareness and builds a strong foundation for future geometry concepts.
If you’d like to help your child build math fluency skills at home, please continue using the subitizing and number identification flashcards each day. Try having your child order the numbers forward and backward, or find the missing number for extra practice.
Specials Spotlight:
In PE, kindergartners will be participating in a fun and active unit that includes Frisbee throwing, obstacle courses, and parachute games. These activities are designed to help students build coordination, balance, and teamwork skills in a playful and supportive environment. From practicing their aim with Frisbees to navigating obstacle courses and working together with the parachute, students will be challenged to grow physically and socially while having a great time. We’re excited to support their progress and celebrate their efforts!
In music, students are developing steady beat skills through movement, instrument playing, and call-and-response activities. They are practicing tuneful singing with simple Thanksgiving songs and learning to identify musical form by listening and responding to what they hear. Students are also enjoying the singing game “Five Fat Turkeys Are We” and are beginning to prepare music for our upcoming Teddy Bear Picnic and Winter Show performances.
First Grade
Get ready for an exciting month, because the classroom will be buzzing as your students dive into some seriously cool reading adventures! In phonics, they will be discovering the "sticky" power of glued sounds like -all, -am, and -an, which are key to unlocking longer words. Simultaneously, we will be tackling those tricky sight words, helping them to enhance both their reading fluency and spelling abilities. It's going to be a fantastic journey of word mastery and discovery!
This month, we're empowering your child to become a true author! Our writing unit will be centered on creating realistic stories that teach the critical skill of sequencing—making sure every event flows logically from beginning to end. To help their ideas connect beautifully, they will be learning to use powerful time-order words and transitions that guide the reader smoothly through the action. On the grammar side, we will be solidifying their understanding of how to correctly use singular pronouns (like “he” and “she”), making their sentences precise. Get ready to read some truly well-organized and engaging tales!
In math class, students will be exploring how addition and subtraction are connected. They will be learning to use drawings, number paths, and equations to solve problems and explain their thinking. We will be practicing finding missing parts in number stories and comparing amounts in fun, hands-on ways. Students will become confident problem solvers who can show and talk about their strategies. Plus, mark your calendars for our big GAME ON event on Tuesday, November 11 — students will be creating their very own math games to share with classmates and families, and they can't wait to show you!
Specials Spotlight:
This month in PE, first graders will be participating in a fun and active unit that includes Frisbee throwing, obstacle courses, and parachute games. These activities are designed to help students build coordination, balance, and teamwork skills in a playful and supportive environment. From practicing their aim with Frisbees to navigating obstacle courses and working together with the parachute, students will be challenged to grow physically and socially while having a great time. We’re excited to support their progress and celebrate their efforts!
In music, students are continuing to read, play, and compose using quarter and eighth notes. They are practicing tuneful singing with a focus on sol–mi patterns and learning to read short sol–mi melodies using standard notation. Students will enjoy singing games with a Thanksgiving theme, and they are also preparing songs for the Flag Assembly on Friday, November 21 and Winter Concert on Thursday, December 18.
Second Grade
Second graders are continuing to work hard and grow as readers, writers, and mathematicians! In phonics, we’re practicing “magic e” words and tackling multisyllabic words with the “-ive” suffix. Students are learning how these patterns help them become more confident, fluent readers.
In reading, we’re exploring the changing seasons, saying goodbye to fall and welcoming winter! Students will read about what winter is like in places such as Iceland and discover how evergreen trees stay green all year long. We’ll also dive into a fun nonfiction topic: how maple syrup is made—a sweet connection to our writing unit!
In writing, students will be creating their own How-To stories. We’ll learn how to write clear steps in order, add transition words, and include lots of detail. This ties perfectly to our Geodes story “Sap to Syrup,” where students will learn all about the syrup-making process and even enjoy a syrup taste test!
In math, students are learning different addition strategies to help them solve problems efficiently. They’ll use their understanding of place value to add two- and three-digit numbers and apply these strategies to solve a variety of word problems.
Specials Spotlight:
Our second graders will be participating in a fun and active unit during PE that includes Frisbee throwing, obstacle courses, and parachute games. These activities are designed to help students build coordination, balance, and teamwork skills in a playful and supportive environment. From practicing their aim with Frisbees to navigating obstacle courses and working together with the parachute, students will be challenged to grow physically and socially while having a great time. We’re excited to support their progress and celebrate their efforts!
In music this month, second-grade musicians will study Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” while exploring tempo, dynamics, melody and theme, and the idea of musical storytelling. They will practice aurally identifying rhythmic patterns, learn half note, and continue tuneful singing with a focus on sol–la–mi–do patterns and sight-singing short melodies using standard notation. Students are also preparing songs for our upcoming Winter Concert on Thursday, December 18.
Third Grade
Get ready to dive in, third-grade families! Our budding oceanographers are excited to share their amazing ocean animal research at our first annual, “Under the Sea Animal Showcase” on Thursday, November 6. From the deep-sea anglerfish to the shallow-water dolphin, they've become experts on habitats, diets, adaptations, and more.
The third grade is officially transitioning from the world of ocean trenches to the thrilling world of mystery and intrigue! In our new reading and writing unit: "The Great Classroom Mystery: Seeking Clues and Solving Cases." Students will be on the hunt to:
- Spot Clues: Read closely to find hints and evidence that authors leave behind.
- Develop Theories: Use the evidence they find to make logical guesses about what is happening to solve the case.
- Follow Red Herrings: Learn to spot false leads that are designed to trick a detective (or a reader!).
- Solve the Case! Use their reading and critical thinking skills to piece together the entire puzzle.
Our detectives will also be using their keen eye for mystery as they transition from nonfiction research writers to Mystery Key Detectives! This creative writing unit allows the students to use their imagination to compose a thrilling fictional narrative on how a mysterious key unlocks the door to locations in order to solve a mystery!
It’s going to be a fun and fascinating unit as we train our third-grade eyes to be sharp like a true super-sleuth!
Our mathematicians will also need to use their sharp detective skills as they are on the hunt to analyze large numbers. The students will be applying their place value knowledge to round numbers as well as sharpen their addition and subtraction skills as they borrow and regroup numbers through the thousands place. They are also excited to continue to build their multiplication and division fact fluency as we apply our 6-9 facts through the associative and distributive property and through multi-step word problems.
Specials Spotlight:
Our third graders will be participating in a fun and active unit during PE that includes Frisbee throwing, obstacle courses, and parachute games. These activities are designed to help students build coordination, balance, and teamwork skills in a playful and supportive environment. From practicing their aim with Frisbees to navigating obstacle courses and working together with the parachute, students will be challenged to grow physically and socially while having a great time. We’re excited to support their progress and celebrate their efforts!
In November, our third-grade music class is preparing songs for the upcoming Winter Concert on Thursday, December 18! In addition to their performance music, they are focusing on reading, performing, and playing rhythms that include sixteenth notes. We will explore this concept through singing games, creative movement, and instrument playing.
Student Success
A Message from Courtney Ellender, Lower School Math Specialist
Foundational math skills are the basic building blocks that everything else in math rests upon. Number sense, or understanding what numbers mean, how they relate to each other, and recognizing patterns, is the single most important mathematical foundation for preschool- and kindergarten-aged students. The focus here is on counting, one-to-one correspondence, and number recognition. Understanding what addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division actually mean before memorizing facts is crucial at each grade level. Kindergarten students also focus on understanding that numbers can be decomposed (broken apart) and composed (put together). In 1st and 2nd grade, the goal is to achieve automaticity with addition and subtraction facts using strategies like "counting on," "making ten," or "doubles" for facts within 20. The key skill for 3rd grade is developing fluency with multiplication facts and understanding the relationship between multiplication and division.
Math fluency is the ability to recall basic math facts quickly and accurately. It’s not just about speed; it's about making those calculations automatic. Think of it like reading: a fluent reader doesn't have to sound out every word; they can focus their mental energy on understanding the story. Similarly, a child who is fluent in math facts doesn't have to stop and count on their fingers. This frees up their working memory to focus on the more complex steps of multi-step problems or higher-level concepts. Fluency is a critical bridge between understanding the concept and applying it to solve problems.
Our goal at school is to build understanding, but automatic recall, the ability to know facts instantly, comes with repetition. Spending 10 to 15 minutes each day at home is the key factor in achieving fluency.
Bulldog Outreach
Lower School families are invited to participate in these community service projects:
Thanksgiving Project: Monday, November 3 - Monday, November 10
Help us create a memorable Thanksgiving for the families of Glades Academy by participating in PBDA’s Thanksgiving food drive! Together, we can spread joy and make a positive impact this holiday season. Click here to see what your grade level is assigned to collect.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s: Saturday, November 22
Join the eighth-grade class for its annual outreach project — the Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Dreher Park. Let’s walk together to raise awareness and support for a great cause. Click here to join our team!
Key Events
PSC Townhall Meeting: Tuesday, November 4 from 8:30-9:30 AM
All PBDA parents are invited to join us for our first PSC meeting of the year hosted on the Flagler Campus. Hear updates from members of the PSC Executive Committee and the school's Administrative team. Coffee and light breakfast bites will be provided starting at 8AM. Meeting will begin at 8:30AM.
Yearbook Photo Make-Up Day: Friday, November 7
Dress Uniform required.
Early Dismissal for Professional Development: Friday, November 7
Dismissal will take place from 12:30-1:00. Students will eat lunch prior to dismissal.
Parent/Teacher Conferences: Friday, November 14
Please join us for a meaningful discussion about your child's progress this year during Parent-Teacher Conferences. Your child's classroom teacher or advisor will send you a link on to schedule your conference appointment. Please note that there is no classes on Conference Day.
Pre-Primary - Third Grade students do not attend conferences. Childcare for Lower School students will be available during your conference.
Thanksgiving Break: Monday, November 24 - Friday, November 28
Classes resume on December 1.
Golf & Racquet Classic: Wednesday, December 10
Join our Co-Chairs, Holly Cardinale and Robyn Tannenbaum, at The Breakers by registering now. Whether you shine on the court, excel on the course, or prefer a lively fitness class with friends, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. And if playing isn’t your style, join us in the evening for a festive Cocktail Reception set against the stunning backdrop of the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden. Click here to register.
Winter Showcase (Pre-Primary-Kindergarten): Friday, December 12
Mark your calendar for this festive holiday celebration featuring our youngest Bulldogs hosted on the Flagler Campus!
Winter Concert (Grades 1-3): Thursday, December 18
Join us for a holiday celebration filled with music, joy, and community spirit. This event is hosted in the Halmos Activities Center and offers a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their talents and spread holiday cheer.
Spirit Shop Hours
Visit the Spirit Shop, located at the end of the Flagler Campus parking lot, on these upcoming dates:
- October 31: 10AM-12PM
- November 4: 9:30-10:30 AM
- November 21: 8-10AM
- December 12: 10AM-12PM