April 2025

We are excited to announce our NEW monthly newsletter, offering a glimpse into the wonderful activities happening at Hinsdale!

Thank you for entrusting us with your children; they are truly the heart of our community.

In our April Newsletter, you will find:

• Attendance Matters
• Staff Spotlight
• Curriculum Updates
• Grade Level Happenings
• Upcoming Events
• Preschool Applications & Kindergarten Registration

We value your partnership immensely and are always here to support our amazing students. Feel free to reach out via email or phone!

Your Partners in Education,
Ms. Field and Mrs. Bernard 📚

Contact Information:

Rosie Field:
Phone: (860) 921-7545
Email: rosanne.field@winchesterschools.org

Emily Bernard:
Phone: (860) 738-5264
Email: emily.bernard@winchesterschools.org

Congratulations to first-grade student Payton, who has had perfect attendance so far this school year! We are so proud of you, keep up the great work!

We are so excited for you to get to know the certified and non-certified staff who make Hinsdale an amazing place!

We are thrilled to share the engaging learning experiences taking place at Hinsdale this April. Recent events include:

• Grade 1 Field Trip: Students visited KidsPlay, where they utilized their imagination and teamwork to solve problems.
• Preschool Science Exploration: The CT Science Center visited our Pre-Kindergarten students, allowing them to explore bubbles during the Bubbleology program.

• Restorative Circles: Each classroom has been conducting restorative circles to gather student feedback on the climate survey, discuss unkind behaviors, and create a kindness contract. Restorative Circles are structured, facilitated discussions where students build relationships, address conflict, and focus on empathy, mutual respect, and effective communication skills.

These events have generated great excitement! Please see the pictures below.

English Language Arts: In Preschool, our three and four-year-olds are exploring the basic needs of plants. They will engage in hands-on learning by planting their own seeds to observe growth processes. Specifically, they are learning about what plants need to live like water, sunlight, nutrients, air, and soil.

Mathematics: In mathematics, the theme is ladybugs, where students will focus on observing and describing objects, recognizing patterns, counting, ordering numbers, and introducing subtraction concepts.

Science: In science, students will investigate the characteristics of living things.

Skills: They will be introduced to the phonetic sounds of /ee/, /ae/, /ie/, /oe/, and /ue/, as well as mastering the tricky words: 'He', 'She', 'Be', 'Me', 'We', 'My', 'By', 'They', 'Their', 'You', and 'Your'.

Knowledge: This month, Kindergarten students are exploring Christopher Columbus and other early explorers of America.

Mathematics: In mathematics, students are concluding their unit on three-dimensional shapes and numbers beyond ten, transitioning to topics on weight and place value.

Science: In science, the focus is on weather, with students learning about the various forms of weather associated with each season.

Skills: First graders are exploring various spelling alternatives for the sounds /p/, /b/, /k/, /ch/, /g/, /j/, /t/, /d/, /f/, /v/, and /l/.

Knowledge: The fairy tales unit has commenced, introducing students to timeless stories. They will learn essential elements of fairy tales, including character, plot, and setting.

Mathematics: The curriculum this month focuses on numbers 100 and beyond. Students will engage in grouping numbers, adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, and understanding place value, particularly with money.

Science: In science, students are observing nature to inspire innovative problem-solving and design solutions. For example, first graders have been learning about animals and their different habitats, specifically, where animals live and how they adapt to where they are living.

Skills: Second graders are reviewing the skills they have acquired this year and applying their learning through assessments to inform future small group instruction.

Knowledge: The second grade is concluding their unit on insects, including their habitats and interactions. They will soon transition to a unit on The Civil War, where they will read various non-fiction texts to understand its significance.

Mathematics: Students are finalizing their geometry unit and will soon begin Unit 7, which focuses on measurement, fractions, and multi-digit computations.

Science: In science, students are exploring the states of matter through a variety of hands-on activities and experiments.

To be eligible for Preschool, you must turn three or four on or before September 1, 2025, and be fully toilet trained.

To be eligible for Kindergarten, you must turn five on or before September 1, 2025.