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Lower School Division News

September 17, 2026

from Dr. Julie Winn, Lower School assistant director: Guide To A Healthy Nighttime Routine

Creating healthy habits for restful nights can make all the difference for our learners. Not only does regular, settled sleep support immunity, growth hormones for healthy development, and a child’s ability for emotional and physical regulation, it also plays a crucial role in learning. During the night, the brain can do crucial neural work, consolidating memory, organizing and sorting what was learned during the day, as well as enhancing the child’s ability for attention, creativity and problem solving. 

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Creating healthy nighttime routines can help ensure your child wakes up happy, healthy and ready to go the next day. Some tips for creating healthy nighttime rhythms: 

  • Fixed bedtimes and wake-up times, even on weekends 

  • 30-60 minute, screen-free, wind-down period, including perhaps a bath, a light, healthy snack (think banana, yogurt, or a glass of milk), and a cozy book in bed 

  • A cool, dark room 

  • Clear the bed of toys and other distractions 

Wishing you all restorative nights and lovely mornings.  

from Julia Ross, Lower School learning specialist: Reading At Home

The beginning of the school year is one of my most favorite times of the year. It brings so much excitement and lots of adjustment, too! As routines begin to settle in, finding a little time each night for reading at home can be a great way to help your child ease back into the school rhythm. Even just a few minutes of reading a day adds up! Reading together with your child supports vocabulary, background knowledge, fluency, and comprehension!

Here are some ideas to make reading a part of your evening routine:  

  • Offer choice. Even reading your child’s favorite book over and over again helps to build confidence and fluency! 
  • Read together. Taking turns reading pages, reading aloud to your child, or listening to an audiobook together.  
  • Talk about what you are reading. This helps to build comprehension and vocabulary!  
  • Keep it low-pressure. Your child is working so hard each day at school, so if you are reading a few pages of a book, completing a phonics activity together, it all counts! Building habits and the love of reading are important parts!  

Happy reading!  

from Erika Beernink, Lower School assistant: Simple Sunday Check-In 

Life gets busy, and keeping track of everyone's schedules can feel like a lot. Creating a simple weekly family routine can help take some of the pressure off and set everyone up for a smoother week. 

Consider spending a few minutes on Sunday checking in as a family about the week ahead. Talk about upcoming appointments, practices, meal plans, chores, permission slips, and any special events. Even a quick conversation can help everyone know what to expect and reduce last-minute surprises. 

Getting children involved can make a big difference, too. They can help plan meals, add activities to the family calendar, think about what they need for upcoming events, and help prepare for changes in the schedule. Being part of the planning process helps children build responsibility and feel more confident about the week ahead. 

Every family's routine will look a little different, and that is okay. It might be a family meeting around the kitchen table, a shared calendar on the fridge, a bulletin board, or simply a conversation during dinner or on the drive home. 

Whatever approach works best for your family, taking a few moments to make a plan can help mornings run more smoothly, reduce stress, and help everyone start the week feeling prepared and ready for success. 

Please remember that you can email any upcoming changes in attendance to LSOffice@moundsparkacademy.org at any time—even from those Sunday family check-ins! 

from James Ewer, Lower School director: Threading All of This Together

When you read through everything above, a pattern emerges. Sleep, reading, naming feelings, Sunday planning. These are not four separate tips. They are pieces of the same foundation. 

A child who sleeps well can sit still for a story. A child who talks about feelings at home carries that honesty into a hard moment at recess. A family that checks in on Sunday has already built the kind of communication that makes bedtime and reading time feel natural. None of this works alone. It builds on itself. 

That is the real work of home. Not perfection, but rhythm, built one piece at a time. Pick one. Let it become normal. Then add the next. 

We see the difference here at school. Kids who arrive rested, spoken to, and prepared walk in ready to learn, because someone did the quiet work the night before. 

That is the partnership between home and school. We build rhythm here. You build it there. Together, our kids grow up steady enough for whatever the day asks of them. 

Important Notes 

Save The Dates For Conferences: PreK-12 Conferences are right around the corner. They will take place on Thursday, October 1, from 10-7 PM and Friday, October 2, from 8-5 PM. New this year and based on family feedback, regular classes will not be held on either day to allow families a greater opportunity to meet with their students’ teachers. More information was shared earlier this week about how to register for conferences. 

Homecoming Is Coming Soon: MPA Homecoming is scheduled for next week. The “wacky” dress-up days that Lower School will participate in are:

  • Wednesday: House Day (students should wear their house colors)
  • Friday: Homecoming T-shirt Day (uniform bottoms)

On Saturday, there will be various athletic contests and fun for the whole family. Please don’t miss the opportunity to participate in these wonderful festivities. Find all of the details here! 

A Look Ahead 

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