Chestnut Street Monthly Newsletter

Dear Chestnut Street Families,

Learning to read is one of the most important milestones in a child’s academic journey. Throughout kindergarten, children begin to move from recognizing letters and decoding individual sounds to reading words, building fluency, and making meaning from text. At Chestnut Street, our reading workshop approach allows teachers to build on each child’s strengths and respond to their individual learning needs. Through teacher modeling (check out the video below), direct instruction, independent reading, book choice, and conversations about books and reading strategies, children are developing the foundational skills and confidence they need to become successful readers.

Reading together at home makes a difference! Make time to read with your child every day. Enjoy the experience, talk about the pictures and story, ask questions, and encourage your child to share their thinking. These moments nurture a love of reading while strengthening important literacy skills. We are currently working with the letters t, b, f, n, m, i, u, c, o, a, and g, along with the sight words I, a, the, to, is, me, go, and we.

You can support this learning at home in simple, playful ways. Invite your child to look for objects around the house that begin with these letters, identify familiar letters on signs and food packages, or practice reading the sight words together. Remember, everyday moments provide wonderful opportunities to build early literacy skills!

Exploring Math

In mathematics, our kindergartners are developing their counting skills and learning to represent quantities accurately. We are focusing on one-to-one correspondence, which means matching one number to each object counted. Children practice touching or moving objects as they count, helping them understand that the last number counted tells how many objects are in the group. We are working toward accurately counting groups of objects from 1 to 20.

At home, invite your child to count everyday items such as crackers, toys, blocks, or steps. Encourage them to touch each item as they count and explain how they know they have counted everything.

Students are also exploring measurement by comparing the lengths of two objects or groups of objects and identifying patterns. Ask your child to show you what they are learning! Comparing shoes, lining up toys, sorting household objects, and looking for patterns in clothing or everyday routines are all fun ways to extend classroom learning.

Thank You for Your Partnership!

At Chestnut Street, we know that strong partnerships between home and school help children thrive. #WHeRiseTogether reflects our shared commitment to supporting every child’s growth, curiosity, and love of learning. Thank you for the many ways you partner with us throughout the year. We look forward to continuing this journey of shared learning with your family!

If you have not already done so, please connect with your child’s teacher to confirm the date and time of your upcoming Parent-Teacher Conference. We look forward to welcoming you into the building and sharing more about your child’s progress!

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the main office. #WHe are always here to help!

Warmly,

Dr. Lisa Minicozzi
Principal, Chestnut Street Early Learning Center

At Chestnut Street, we believe that every child can learn to read, and our families play an important role in that journey.

We are asking families to complete a brief online survey to help us better understand how you support your child’s early reading skills at home and what resources or strategies would be most helpful to you.

Your feedback will help us strengthen our family literacy supports and make sure we are working together to build strong foundational reading skills for every child.

The survey should take just a few minutes to complete. Thank you for partnering with us in helping our youngest Rams become confident, capable readers! 💛🖤

• 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 2026, 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.

11/2: DISTRICTWIDE Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:30-9:00 PM

11/3: DISTRICTWIDE Parent-Teacher Conferences 8:30 AM-2:30 PM NO SCHOOL

11/4: UPK 27/28 Parent Interest Survey Opens

11/6: Emergency Management Plan Early Dismissal and Safety Drill. KINDERGARTEN DISMISSAL AT 2:35p.m.

11/11: Veterans Day NO SCHOOL

11/13: End of Quarter 1

11/17: 7:30 PM Board of Education Business Meeting Video Conference Room

11/20: Report Cards Home

11/26-27: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

11/30: 7:00 PM PTA Meeting Cornwell Avenue Cafeteria

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.