The West Hempstead Union Free School District recognizes the unique value of each student. It is dedicated to the success of each student based on the highest standards of excellence in education. Each student will be challenged to achieve mastery in all subject areas in an educational atmosphere that strives to build positive self- esteem, mutual respect for others, and life-long quest for learning.

#RamPride #RamFam #RamResolve

Please note, beginning Monday, May 3rd, the drive in morning arrival is canceled. For the remainder of the year, you must park off school property and walk in for morning arrival just like afternoon dismissal. The parking lot will be closed. Thank you for your cooperation.

• School Budget Vote May 11th!
• Our final snow make up days are May 27th and May 28th! See Below
• We will continue to explore the Habit of Mind of Managing Impulsivity this month. Please note that we will also continue to build students' understanding and development of the Habit of Mind persistence as the year goes on. Continue to support your child as he or she develops the habit of persistence and begins to develop their ability to manage impulsivity!
• Thank you all for your diligence with completing the Daily Health Screening every morning by 8:30! It helps us check in all the students quickly and efficiently.

• If your child will be absent, please call Nurse Angela before 8:30 AM at 516-390-3155
• Please see the flowcharts below to help you make a decision about when to keep your child home from school.

• 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. Elias before 2:00 PM. 516-390-3150

As you talk to your child about their day, consider asking him or her to explain more about what they learned, why it is important for them to know, and how they know they have mastered it. These questions are part of our Visible Learning work.

What is it? – Thinking before acting

Sounds like – “Just a minute, let me think” “What will happen if I do this?” “What’s the right thing for me to do now?”

Looks like – Looking both ways before crossing the street. Examining directions before beginning a task. Pausing.

Feels like – Slow down. Take a deep breath. Count to ten. Pause to think. This person cares enough to really listen to me. Comforting, Trusting, Vulnerable

Effective problem solvers are deliberate. They think before they act. They plan, set goals, and develop strategies for success. Reflective individuals consider alternatives and consequences of several possible directions before they take action. Often students blurt out the first answer that comes to mind. Sometimes they start to work without fully understanding the directions or lack an organized plan or strategy for approaching a problem or make immediate value judgments about an idea (criticizing or praising it). Students need to consider their alternatives and plan accordingly.

“Goal directed, self-imposed delay of gratification is perhaps the essence of emotional self-regulation: the ability to deny impulse in the service of a goal, whether it be building a business, solving an algebraic equation , getting a college degree, or pursuing the Stanley Cup. “ Daniel Goleman

Sight Word Smash-Up: You will need a few beanbags, index cards, and a marker. Write a sight word on each card. Spread the word cards on the floor. Shout out words and have your child toss bean bags onto them. Next, have your child shout out the word and see if you can hit them with the beanbags.

Please be sure to read at home with your child every night

in whatever language you are comfortable with.

We are digging into Reader's Workshop as we prepare for 1st grade! Work on building stamina for independent reading at home!

We will continue to work on How To books! Ask your child to help you with tasks like cooking or baking, making the bed, or creating something. Discuss the steps in the process to help your child notice the order of events. Choose activities that have five or fewer steps so that your child can remember from start to finish! Remember, at this time, students are not expected to spell every word correctly. We do expect them to listen for the sounds they hear and include those. Dog may be spelled as 'dg' and that is alright! Learning vowels takes time- - be patient, your child's letter/sound awareness and spelling skills are growing every day! Remind them to use what they know about letters and sounds and sight words!

The 'Non-Negotiables' that you can expect from your child's writing include:

Quarter 1:

• Use more than one color when drawing

• Use real-life, appropriate colors

• Figures have shapes for body

• Sketch matches the “label” (word, letter, etc.)

Quarter 2:

• Realistic visuals (facial expressions, setting, etc.)

• High frequency (sight words in your classroom

• First name

Quarter 3:

• Spacing

• Awareness of capitals at the beginning of sentences

• Awareness of end mark (periods)

Quarter 4:

• Last name

In May, we are continuing with addition and subtraction!

Students will answer the essential questions below. Be sure to ask your child these questions!

• How do we add and subtract with fluency?
• How can we compose and decompose numbers to 10?
• What is weight?
• Why do we weigh objects?
• How do we compare weights of objects?

Students will work on the following skills:

• Understanding, representing, and solving addition and subtraction problems
• Counting and representing quantities
• Understanding place value
• Understanding weight

We are also using ST Math to support deep conceptual understanding via personalized learning. You must use ClassLink to access ST Math. The link is below.