Primary School News

Teachers develop and maintain grade-level website pages to serve as a resource for you and to provide you with a peek into your students' learning adventure. Use the links below to see highlights from your child's classroom! 

Pre-Kindergarten: Pre-K Authors

Kindergarten: Fun at Fernbrook Farm!

First Grade: First Grade Authors at Work

Second Grade: Service Learning

Third Grade: Writers Gather Ideas Through Observation and Imagination

Spanish: Second Graders Make Caterpillars and Butterflies

Art: Kindergarten Artists and Their Painted Self-Portraits

Library: Pre-K Students Become Good Library Citizens

There is no password required to access the following Primary School News websites. However, some of the sites on these grade-level and Encore pages contain links to sub-pages which are password protected; the password is brookside.

Primary School Reminders

October 16

Pre-K Field Trip, Absolutely Fish, 9:40-11:30 a.m.

October 18

First Grade Field Trip, Fosterfields Living Historical Farm

October 19

2N Field Trip, Toni's Kitchen, 9:45-11:00 a.m.

October 20

Dress Down Day

3R Class Play, 8:30 a.m.

October 26

Primary School Admissions Open House for Prospective Families, 9:00-11:00 a.m.

October 31

Halloween Parade & Parties, 1:00 p.m.

See what's going on at MKA! Check out our pictures on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/montclairkimberley

Thursday Pep Rally

On Thursday afternoon, "Go, Cougars!" resonated throughout the gym during our annual Pep Rally to usher in Homecoming Weekend. The students were excited to hear from emcee Ali Wade, MKA Class of 2018 and former Primary School student, about all of the wonderful Homecoming activities that are in store this Saturday such as face painting, a photo booth, delicious food, and soccer and football games. We were treated to a performance by the Upper School Cheerleaders and a surprise visit from the MKA Cougar. We'd like to thank Kerry Verrone (Upper School Dean of Student Life), Jessica Barber (MKA Varsity Cheerleading Coach), John Odell, the MKA Cheerleaders, and the MKA Cougar for their efforts to kick off a spirited Homecoming Weekend!

Friday Assembly

Ajna Dance Company Celebrates Diwali at Brookside

The Primary School was thrilled to host the Ajna Dance Company for today's assembly. The students were treated to a Diwali celebration which included traditional dances and music from India. On their website, you will read that "Ajna works extensively with schools (preschool through college) to offer educational programs that are catered to the age of the students and the educational goals of the school….shar(ing) the experience of dance and culture with students of all ages and backgrounds. Our assemblies, workshops, and residencies introduce students to Indian dance, history, and culture in a way that is fun, detailed, interactive, and relatable". We had many of our own students dress in their own traditional clothing, sharing a special part of their family traditions with their school family at MKA.

Important Message from the Admissions Office

If you are planning to apply to MKA's Primary School for a younger sibling who is not already attending MKA, please be aware that applications must be submitted by December 15th. Here is a link to the page on our website where you can submit the application and find the due dates for materials: https://www.mka.org/admissions/admission-process.

We have instituted an early notification period where we will give you the admissions decision by January 12th. If you plan to apply for early notification, all supplemental materials (teacher recommendation, school report, and visit to MKA) must be completed by December 15th. If you are applying for early notification for Pre-K, the applicant must come to the first play group on January 6th.  I encourage you to file your application soon as early notification is very popular and we are already beginning to fill the available slots for visits and screenings before December 15th and for the January 6th Saturday morning visit.

If you choose regular notification we will let you know by February 26th, and you do not need to submit the supporting materials until January 31st. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the Primary School Admissions Office at 973-233-3078.

Coffee with Ginger Takeaways 

It was great to see all the parents who came out to Thursday morning's all-grade "Building the MKA Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies at Home and in the Classroom" Coffee with Ginger. 

Here are a few key takeaways to try at home:

*Replace "How was your day" with "Tell me about your day"

*Encourage a large "feeling word" vocabulary by sharing your feelings with your children

*Model positive self-talk (the encouragement we say in our own heads) 

Keep your eyes open for upcoming Coffees and Parent SEL Bookclub dates. Thank you to Lauren Hyman Kaplan, M.A., Maureen Bates, Primary School Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction and Melanie Bieber, Primary School Counselor for their presentations.

Annual Haunted House at the Upper School Academic Center

On Thursday, October 26th, from 5 - 7 p.m., the annual Haunted House will be held in the Upper School Academic Center, hosted by the Library Leadership Group and Book Club. The event is open to all children in Pre-K through 5th grades. Costumes are welcome and encouraged! We'll have a Haunted House in the book stacks and, for those not interested in a scare, there will be read alouds, fall crafts, and costume photos. We will have snacks - including a Halloween-themed bagel bar for parents who want to call it dinner! We hope you can join us - everyone had a blast last year and we're ready to repeat it again. Please contact Jill Maza (jmaza@mka.org) with any questions.

Important Dismissal Information for Halloween

For safety reasons, we ask that parents notify the Primary School in advance of October 31st regarding any changes in their child's routine dismissal plans for that day. If your child(ren) normally take a bus, are in a carpool or go to Extended Day, but will be taken home after the Halloween Parade or after the class Halloween parties, please send an email to psnotifications@mka.org and the teacher(s).

Please click here to view the flyer that was emailed to parents on October 11th.

Lost and Found

Missing a lunchbox, jacket, hat, or water bottle? There is a good chance that you can find that missing item in the Primary School Lost & Found collection, which is located on the lower level of the Primary School. Please stop by and take a look through the lost items when you are visiting the school or picking up your child. Please remember to label all items sent to school, no matter how big or small, with your child's name.

All items in the Primary School Lost & Found will be donated to charity at the end of the day on Friday, November 17th.

Homecoming Information

Girls Leadership Program

Montclair Kimberley Academy's Primary School Campus

224 Orange Road • Montclair, NJ 07042 • 973-746-9800.

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