Summer Letters
Grades 5 and 6
AMANI PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
Summer Learning Packet
SY 2026–2027 · Incoming 5th & 6th Graders
Dear Families,
Welcome to Amani Public Charter School! Over the summer, a little reading and math practice each week goes a long way — it helps scholars keep their skills sharp and start the new year with confidence.
This packet is meant to be light and easy to fit into your summer — not a second job for you or your scholar. A few minutes a day is all it takes.
Reading
Aim for at least 20 minutes of reading a day — any book your scholar enjoys counts!
Free books & library resources
- Mount Vernon Public Library — free library card and summer reading programs for kids and teens
- Westchester Library System — borrow from any library in the county with one card
- Libby — free ebooks and audiobooks with your library card, right on your phone
- Common Sense Media Book Lists — age-appropriate book picks by grade and interest
This summer, try to:
- Read a book of your choice — fiction or nonfiction, at or above grade level
- Talk about what you're reading with a family member
- Write a few sentences about your favorite part, or a letter to the author
Book recommendations
Rising 5th Grade | Rising 6th Grade |
• New Kid by Jerry Craft | • Trash by Andy Mulligan |
• Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson | • A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle |
• The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez | • Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson |
Math
Just 10 minutes a day of fact practice builds real confidence for the new school year.
Free websites for practice
- XtraMath — adaptive fact fluency practice, with progress reports
- Multiplication.com — multiplication games and timed drills
- Math Playground — fact fluency and problem-solving games
- Arcademics — fast-paced, competitive math fact games
Before entering 5th or 6th grade, scholars should feel comfortable adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing multi-digit numbers, and solving multi-step word problems. A little daily fact practice keeps those skills sharp.
Supply List
Grade 5 | Grade 6 |
1 box colored pencils | 1 box colored pencils |
1 box markers | 1 box markers |
3 erasers | 3 erasers |
1 pack glue sticks | 1 pack glue sticks |
2 black Expo dry-erase markers | 2 black Expo dry-erase markers |
1 pack multicolored Expo dry-erase markers | 1 pack multicolored Expo dry-erase markers |
5 packs pencils | 5 packs pencils |
2 boxes tissues | 3 boxes tissues |
1 bottle hand sanitizer | 2 bottles hand sanitizer |
2 containers Lysol or Clorox wipes | 3 containers Lysol or Clorox wipes |
3 packs Post-it notes (not Super Sticky) | 3 packs Post-it notes (not Super Sticky) |
20 manila folders | 20 manila folders |
1 pack of 24 Crayola crayons | 1 pack of 24 Crayola crayons |
5 wide-ruled composition notebooks (black) — labeled | 5 wide-ruled composition notebooks (black) — labeled |
1 box blue pens — labeled | 1 box blue pens — labeled |
4 plastic pocket folders — labeled | 4 plastic pocket folders — labeled |
1 pack highlighters (5+) — labeled | 1 pack highlighters (5+) — labeled |
1 small pencil sharpener — labeled | 1 small pencil sharpener — labeled |
1 pencil case — labeled | 1 pencil case — labeled |
2 packs large index cards (4x6) — labeled | 2 packs large index cards (4x6) — labeled |
Thank you for partnering with us this summer. We can't wait to see you in the fall!
Jennifer Ciavirella
Principal, Amani Public Charter School
60 South Third Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 | (914) 668-2553 | amanicharter.org