Happy Spring Chestnut Street Families,

Your children are in full bloom with their learning! We are finishing up the Push & Pull Science Unit. Please ask the children about their pinball machines and better yet, have them "show" you the forces of nature they have learned about this past month. I've included a picture of "scientific" vocabulary down below. Be sure to ask them, "why do things move in different ways?" In Math, the children are mastering 2D and 3D shapes. Again, ask the children to report on their "school findings" focusing on these shapes. We send our sincere thanks to all of you who were able to assist with our Community Helpers unit - check out some great pictures on our website and twitter. THANK YOU!

Be on the look-out for your kindergartner's 3rd quarter report card, arriving home on 4/25. It is our goal to provide you with information on your child’s progress and ideas for supporting his/her learning in kindergarten. We encourage you to use this information as you work and play with your child, building on his/her natural curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. As always, we welcome your collaboration and celebrate our partnership with each family here at Chestnut Street. If you have any questions or need clarification, please contact your child's teacher.

A huge thank you to our PTA for sponsoring an amazing author visit with Daniel Jude Miller! He captivated our students with stories about his journey as both an author and illustrator. Mr. Miller also inspired our kindergarteners to stay determined and "persist" in order to reach their goals. We appreciate our students' enthusiasm and your support in fostering these important Habits of Mind skills. To learn more about Mr. Miller and his work, visit his website below.

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.
• When reading you can ask your student to guess the word by looking at the first sound and using the picture to help.
• Ask your child to identify sight words in the texts they see.
• Pay a visit to the WH Public Library to read a book together!
• When listening to music with your child, ask them to listen for rhyming words.
• Use a family calendar and show your child the date. Practice counting to an upcoming family event.

• 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 2025, please call Mrs. Ventura today at 516-390-3150 to find out about our upcoming registration. We still have some remaining spots for this year open. Eligibility requirements: resident of the WHUFSD and born between 12/2/2019 and 12/1/2020.

4/14 - 4/21: Spring Vacation, Schools Closed

4/23: BOE Mtg. @ 7:30 SS VCR Rm. Budget Adoption

4/25: Report Cards sent Home

Listening with Understanding & Empathy

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 listening with understanding & empathy.

This Habit of Mind is important for students to understand because it helps students recognize the importance of listening. We want students to learn to devote their mental energies to another person and to invest themselves in their partner’s ideas. We want students to learn to listen to and entertain another person’s thoughts. This is a complex skill requiring the ability to monitor one’s own thoughts while at the same time attending to a partner’s words. Listening in this way does not mean we can’t disagree with someone. Good listeners try to understand what other people are saying. In the end, they may still disagree, but because they have truly listened, they know exactly the nature of the disagreement. Check out the video below to learn more about this Habit of Mind and ask your kindergartner(s) about how they are growing this skill.

Questions to Spark Conversation with your kindergartner(s):

• What are some good listening skills? Why should we listen to each other?
• What does it mean to empathize with someone?
• How can we make someone feel better if they are angry or upset?