Dear Parents and Caregivers,
I hope your school year is off to a wonderful start. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Parent Night tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. This evening is an opportunity to hear directly from your child’s teacher about the curriculum and the hallmark experiences of the grade. Childcare will be available as a fundraiser for the Upper School Student Council. If your child is participating, please plan to arrive by 6:15 p.m. You can register for childcare here. The night will begin in your child’s classroom and end with time to connect with special area teachers in Brisk Commons. Fourth grade families will also meet a representative from Glen Helen, the camp where students will stay for two nights this spring.
Communication and Progress Update
Strong communication between home and school is one of our greatest priorities. To make this more consistent and transparent, we’ve refined the way we report progress:
- Parent–Teacher Conferences are earlier this year, on October 9-10. These will serve as the interim check-in for the first trimester, where you’ll review baseline data and work samples, and learn about your child’s work habits in the classroom. There will not be a progress report at this time, as the conference will serve as trimester 1 interims.
- Students will continue to receive one of four learning indicators: Not Yet (NY), Developing (DE), Achieving (AC), or Extending (EX) at the end of each trimester in academic subjects, special area classes, and work habits.
- In January, you will receive a written interim report since that trimester’s conferences are held at the end of the trimester.
- Spring conferences in March will provide another time to review data and work samples.
- At the end of the school year, homeroom and special area teachers will share a narrative report.
SeeSaw serves as a weekly touchpoint, so you always have a clear picture of your child’s learning. Progress reports, conferences, and interims should feel like a continuation of ongoing conversations, rather than a surprise.
Along with this communication cadence, you will also receive:
- A Friday weekly email capturing highlights of learning and upcoming dates from your child’s homeroom (please read to the bottom to stay current).
- A monthly divisional letter from me to share learning across ECLS and frontload key dates.
- Together with one-on-one communication through email or SeeSaw messages, you’ll have everything you need to stay connected.
ECLS Learning Highlights
It has been exciting to see learning take root already this fall! Please read below to learn about student experiences in our early childhood and lower school classrooms.
Literacy: All students have completed baseline assessments, including DIBELS. This 1:1 reading assessment helps us form small groups of students in grades K–2, allowing them to receive direct instruction tailored to their skills and needs. In grades 3 and 4, this data is combined with MAP testing, which is happening this week, and will, and will help guide small reading groups led by a certified teacher.
Math: Each grade level has launched into learning that builds both skills and vocabulary for the year ahead. First graders are exploring shapes and early fractions through halves and fourths, laying the foundation for understanding equal parts. Second graders are working with both 2D and 3D shapes and stretching their spatial reasoning with tangram puzzles. Third graders began the year with a focus on number relations, accuracy, and data, strengthening habits that support multi-step problem-solving. Fourth graders are diving into angles, measuring and classifying them with protractors to prepare for more complex applications later on. Across grades, this early work involves shapes and mathematical language, including words such as side, corner, equal parts, parallel, and angle. This work supports reasoning, connects to the world around them, and sets the stage for geometry, fractions, and problem-solving throughout the year.
WIRED: WIRED (Wellington Innovation Robotics Engineered & Design): Students are enjoying the new design space with 3D printers, a green screen, robotics, and being next door to Mr. Kaser’s woodshop. Mr. Kaser began the trimester by having students build the very items they need, including measuring, finding studs, and drilling in the new chalkboard.
Early Childhood: Our youngest learners are settling into routines, learning classmates’ names, and building independence. Kindergarteners have already begun small-group reading sessions, working in groups of three to four students on foundational skills.
Save the Dates
We look forward to seeing many of you at Parent Night on September 11. We also have two more dates for your calendar:
Parent and Caregiver Coffee With the Head of School - September 23
Join us on Tuesday, September 23, from 8:30-9:30 a.m., in the Doerschlag Den for coffee and conversation. Head of School Eliza McLaren will share school updates for the first trimester of the 2025-26 school year. We look forward to seeing you there!
A Toast to Tomorrow - Parent & Caregiver Social - September 30
Join us on Tuesday, September 30, from 6:30-8 p.m., in the Thomas Family Dining Room and Patio for an evening of connection and celebration. We’ll raise a glass to the year ahead and share a first look at what’s next for Wellington. Complimentary childcare will be available for children in Little Jags through grade 4. RSVP here.
Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and the many ways you support our community.
Best,
Shelley Brown
Assistant Head of School for Academics
Head of Early Childhood and Lower School