Hello Lakewood Families,
We had a great week of school despite some hiccups with the weather last week. I wanted to first say how proud I am of the students and staff. As you know we had an unexpected shelter situation due to severe weather. While it is natural for some students to be scared, especially students who are new to Lakewood, everyone got to their shelter locations very quickly and remained in their assigned locations quietly. I am so proud of our Hawks!
Don’t forget, Curriculum Night is this Thursday, September 10th for grades 1st-5th from 6:00-7:00 PM. We hope to see you there.
Speaking of curriculum, We are thrilled to share that Huron Valley School District has adopted Amplify CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) as our K–5 reading and language arts curriculum resource. This evidence-based program is designed to help every child become a confident, thoughtful reader and writer. We wanted to introduce you to what this looks like in your child’s classroom.
What is Amplify CKLA?
Amplify CKLA is a comprehensive literacy program built on two key ideas:
Strong Foundations First: Students receive explicit, systematic instruction in phonics (letter-sound relationships), phonemic awareness (hearing sounds in words), handwriting, and decoding—the building blocks all readers need.
Knowledge Builds Comprehension: Rather than jumping between random topics, students dive deep into connected units (e.g., Folktales Around the World, Weather and Seasons, and Global Architecture). This approach means new vocabulary and concepts reinforce each other, making reading more meaningful and memorable.
What Will You Notice in the Classroom?
Kindergarten through Grade 2 will spend daily time on two strands:
Skills block: Focused phonics lessons, practice with decodable stories (books designed to match what students are learning), and guided writing
Knowledge block: Interactive read-aloud of rich, engaging stories and informational texts, vocabulary work, and discussion-based activities
Grades 3–5 will engage with an integrated strand:
Complex, meaningful texts connected to unit topics
Explicit instruction in reading comprehension strategies and grammar
Regular writing tied to what they're reading
Small-group instruction tailored to each student's needs
All students will participate in daily reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities—not in isolation, but woven together. At your convenience, you may find the Amplify CKLA Family Overview Video helpful as well as the Amplify CKLA Caregiver Hub useful! We are looking forward to a wonderful 2026-2027 school year.
Have a wonderful week everyone!