We have successfully completed our first month of Kindergarten. It has been a busy month as we continue to adjust and learn the classroom routines. As our Superintendent mentioned in his weekly update, "morning routines in kindergarten play a pivotal role in fostering a positive and structured learning environment for young children. These routines provide a sense of predictability and stability, helping children transition from home to school. They offer opportunities for social interaction, enabling kids to greet their peers and teachers, contributing to their social development and sense of belonging." Our youngest Rams are off to a great start!

Be sure to ask your child(ren) about how they start their day at Chestnut. Do they sing a song about the months of year, or write about their weekends in a journal?

Our kindergarteners have filled our classrooms with joyful encounters and we all look forward to an exciting year ahead!

For October, we will be focusing on counting and writing numbers to 20. Following this, students will move on to comparing sets of objects to determine which has more or less. Your kindergarteners love to be able to look at the objects around their classrooms and recognize how they are similar or different. Ask them to help you "sort" things around the house to reinforce their learning.

In literacy we continue to focus on letter names and letter sounds. As we begin our Readers' and Writers' workshops, students build their understanding and comprehension skills through answering questions, talking about characters and setting, and making predictions. Be sure to ask your child(ren) what books or stories they like best and why?

Thank you to all the parents - #WHe appreciate your partnership and look forward to having a year of shared learning experiences. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out and call the main office - #WHe are always here to help!

Dr. Lisa Minicozzi

• Play board games with your child(ren) to practice taking turns.
• Have your child(ren) practice writing his or her name with only one capital letter and all the rest of the letters lowercase.
• Give your child(ren) plenty of opportunities for outdoor play: running, jumping, and climbing!
• Enjoy time reading a story together as a family!

• If your child will be absent, please call Nurse Angela before 8:30 AM at 516-390-3155
• Kindly ensure your child has a full change of clothes in the classroom.
• If there will be a change in your child's afternoon transportation, please write a note or email to the teacher. For last-minute changes, please call Mrs. Ventura or Mrs. White before 2:00 PM. 516-390-3150
• Please select your child's daily lunch order on the printed menu by circling or highlighting the choices and return it to school ASAP. The link for the menus is below. Please note, at times the item listed on the menu may not be available and your child will be offered an alternative option.
• Please do not block the driveways of the homes around our school. Our neighbors have reached out to express concern about their driveways being blocked during drop-off and dismissal. Thank you for your cooperation.

If you or someone you know has a child who is eligible for PreK or Kindergarten for 2023, please call Mrs. Ventura at 516-390-3150 to find out about our upcoming registration. Eligibility requirements: resident of the WHUFSD AND born between 12/2/2019 and 12/1/2020.

10/5 - CS Parent Engagement: Learning About the Habits of Mind @ 9:30 CS Cafe

10/9 - Schools Closed

10/13 - CS Fall Photo Day

10/17 - 7:30 PM Board of Education Business Meeting/ Board Recognition Video Conference Room

10/26 - Chestnut Street Fall Festival

10/31 - 9:30 AM Chestnut Street Parade

The Habits of Mind are an identified set of 16 problem solving, life related skills, which contribute to creating a healthier learning environment. The habits are cross-curricular and applied throughout the West Hempstead UFSD, in all grades and levels. Currently in kindergarten, we are focusing on Persisting.

Persisting is the first among habits of mind that teach students to "stick to it". It encourages and emphasizes that students should remain focused during the entire process of learning or completing a task. Click on the graphic to watch a video to learn more.