Hello Wildcats,
This week ends the Winter NWEA testing window for students. We are so excited to celebrate the growth our students have made so far this year. Thanks to your support at home and our strong partnership in learning, we are seeing students become more independent in their reading and writing. Now, it’s time to continue encouraging them to build stamina, practice new skills, and stretch their thinking.
You can support your child by praising the skills they have already mastered, encouraging them to tackle slightly longer reading or writing tasks, and celebrating their effort and persistence. Together, we can help our students continue to grow, take pride in their learning, and develop the confidence to take on new challenges.
Here are three things families can do every day to support learning:
- Read Together: Spend 10–15 minutes reading aloud or listening to your child read. Ask questions about the story and encourage them to share their thoughts.
- Practice Writing: Encourage your child to write daily, whether it’s a short story, journal entry, or a note to a family member. Students can help create a grocery list. Make learning fun and purposeful.
- Celebrate and Talk About Learning: Notice and praise the skills your child is using, like using reading strategies, new vocabulary, or writing complete sentences. Talking about what they learned helps them take ownership of their progress.
Wednesday is Global Play Day! You can extend the spirit of Global School Play Day at home by setting aside time for your child to enjoy unstructured, screen-free play. Allow your child to choose how they play using simple materials such as blocks, cardboard boxes, art supplies, board games, or pretend-play toys. Unstructured play helps children build creativity, problem-solving skills, independence, and oral language as they imagine, negotiate, and create on their own. Try stepping back and letting your child lead the play, offering encouragement rather than direction. Even short periods of open-ended play can have lasting benefits for your child’s social, emotional, and cognitive growth.
By making time for play at home, families help reinforce the joy and value of learning through play beyond the school day. Balancing play and academics helps develop well-rounded children by strengthening creativity, social skills, problem-solving, and a love of learning alongside academic growth.
Don’t miss this week’s important events! Click on the weekly Wildcat News-Home School Connection, week 24. You can also find reminders and upcoming news and resources from Ms. Janice Abad: FSA InfoShare February 2026
Sincerely,
Mrs. Alday
