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In this newsletter you will find a book and activities to extend your child’s learning at home. This month’s newsletter will focus on the Program of Studies topic of Geography and Community Helpers.
Important Dates
February
Tuesday 2/3: Quarter 2 Ends (extended due to snow days)
Monday 2/16: President's Day
Tuesday 2/17: Student Holiday - Teacher Work Day
Wednesday 2/18: Observance: First Full Day of Ramadan
Visit the FCPS 2025-26 Religious and Cultural Observances page for more information.
Introducing Places in the Community and Community Helpers
Your child can begin to understand the community around them by exploring the places you visit and the people who help you throughout your week. Whether it is the mail in your mailbox, or a package delivered to you or someone else in your neighborhood, mail carriers and other delivery people are often one of the first community helpers your child will see or interact with. Consider expanding their understanding of the people in their neighborhood, or the role of the mail carrier in the community by reading the books and/or completing the home activities below.
Book: Quinito's Neighborhood
Author: Ina Cumpiano
Illustrator: José Ramírez
Key Vocabulary
This book has words in both English and Spanish. Here are some words to know:
Mami- mommy
Primo - male cousin
Papi - daddy Prima - female cousin
Abuelo - grandfather
Abuela - grandmother
Bodega - small neighborhood grocery store
Questions
Who are some of the people that live and work in Quinito’s neighborhood?
Are these people the same or different from your neighborhood?
What are some of the jobs in Quinito’s neighborhood?
Why are those jobs important?
Use a sentence starter to help direct your child’s thinking.
Example: A_____ is important because_____.
Extension Activities
Have your child pick one of the jobs from the story and draw or act out that job and how it is helpful.
Use blocks to build or crayons to draw a picture of your neighborhood.
Story Link
Click the story link to watch or listen to the story!
Book: Dear Zoo
Author & Illustrator: Rod Campbell
While you read the story with your child, keep the vocabulary words listed below in mind. Explain what they mean and incorporate those words into your daily language.
Key Vocabulary
zoo, pet, sent, elephant, big, giraffe, tall, lion, fierce, danger, camel, grumpy, snake, scary, monkey, naughty, frog, jumpy, thought, puppy, perfect
Questions
What animals do we or people we know have for pets?
What animal do you think the zoo will send? (or send next)
When turning the page, pause and allow your child to fill in the name of the animal pictured.
How do you know it is a/an (animal on page)?
Do you think a/an (animal on page) would make a good pet? Why or why not?
What do you notice about (animal on page)?
What does it mean to be grumpy? What makes you feel grumpy?
What pet would you ask the zoo to send you? Why?
Story Link
Click the story link to watch or listen to the story!
Book: Delivering Your Mail
Author: Ann Owen
Illustrator: Eric Thomas
Key Vocabulary
community, jobs, mail carrier, letter, package, deliver, route
Questions
What do you notice on the cover of this book?
What do you know about mail carriers?
What kinds of things do you think mail carriers deliver?
How do mail carriers deliver letters and packages?
How do mail carriers know where to go?
Story Link
Click the story link to watch or listen to the story!
Home Connections
Neighborhood Walk
Seek out community helpers in everyday life. Look for mail trucks, fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances driving past you on the street while you take a walk (or drive) around your neighborhood/community. Make sure you talk with your child about the importance of each of their roles in the community. For example, while you shop for groceries point out the cashier ringing up their snacks and discuss their role. You can use this neighborhood seek and find print out to look for things around your neighborhood.
Mail Carrier Dramatic Play
Use household items (an old purse, a box with a slit cut into it, or a recycled package envelope stuck to the wall) and junk mail, empty packages, or letters that you or your child has written for mail dramatic play.
You can also set up a writing station to encourage family members to write to each other. Ask your child to name or repeat the names of the things they use to do their job and encourage their use of mail vocabulary (letter, package, send, mail, deliver, etc.)
Write a Letter
Help your child "write" a letter to a friend or family member. Ask them how they want to write their letter? Some will want to do it themselves (drawing a picture and/or writing real or pretend letters), some who are beginning to recognize and write letters may want your help writing words, and some will want to tell you what they want to say and have you write it out.
Each of these options offers different learning opportunities. Regardless of what method they choose, you can encourage their use of language and their ability to plan by asking what they are going to write or draw in their letter. Ask them to name or repeat the names of the materials they need (paper, crayons, markers, pencil, envelope, stamp, etc). For older preschoolers, you can also ask what they need to do first, next, and last to develop their understanding of sequencing and mail vocabulary.
Put a stamp on the letter and go to your mailbox, one in the neighborhood, near a store or at the post office to mail it together. If placing in a mailbox your child can see from the window, they may enjoy watching for the mail carrier to come pick up their letter.
Social Emotional Resources
Some of your child’s favorite characters can help them to learn social emotional skills. Sesame Street has videos, activities, and resources about a variety of topics including calming strategies, feelings, friendships, tantrums, and more.
Visit the Sesame Street Workshop to access these resources to support social emotional skills development.
Book: Love Monster
Author: Rachel Bright
Key Vocabulary
extreme, slightly, oomph, blink
Questions
Have you ever felt left out? What did you do about it?
How can you make someone feel included when they are alone?
Story Link
Click the story link to watch or listen to the story!
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