From the Chesterbrook Parent Group:

Dear Parents,

It is that time of the year to begin planning for Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. This will occur the week of May 11th – 15th. This year each day of the week has an event centered on this year’s theme – “The Giving Tree”. In order for this to be a success, we will need your help. Below is a list of each activity and what you can do to help. To ensure that all teachers receive a gift each day, we will have a “Giving Tree” in the lobby with items on leaves. We are asking that all families take at least one leaf or give a cash donation to help purchase items needed. Once you take an item, please register that item on the list at the front test. Any cash or checks (made out to Chesterbrook Parent Group) need to be left at the front desk in an envelope labeled “Teacher /Staff Appreciation”. Donations will be used to purchase any items that are not filled by Friday, May 8th. Please keep in mind that there are several teachers who are with your child (ren) while the classroom teacher is on break. As you are participating in each event, please remember those teachers. We will have a photo display with the teachers’ names so you can see each teacher!

Thanks,

The Chesterbrook Parent Group

Monday, May 11th: “Once there was a teacher who loved kids.”
Please write a note to your child’s teachers and staff members. Starting on Wednesday, May 6th, there will be leaf cut-outs at the front desk. Please take some, write a note of appreciation to any teacher, and return to the front desk. You can also have your child write a note also. These will be displayed on our “Giving Tree” throughout the week. On Friday, they all will be collected and given to the specific teacher to keep. We are also going to give staff members a snack for their break. Items for the snack will be posted on the “Giving Tree” the week of May 4th. Items will need to be brought in by 3:00 pm on Friday, May 8th.

Tuesday, May 12th: “She would grow their knowledge and imagination.”
We are going to show our appreciation for the teachers and staff by making them a bouquet. We are asking each family to bring in flowers when they arrive at school on the 12th and place them in the vases for their teachers. The vases will be on a table in the hallway and labeled with the name and picture of each staff member. Please remember the teachers who may be in your child’s classroom while the teacher is on break.

Wednesday, May 13th: “With this, she made a crown and ate like a queen.”
This is the annual staff brunch. There will be a sign up sheet for parents to bring in suggested items. All items can be dropped off in the teacher break room either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning before 8:30 am.

Thursday, May 14th: “The kids loved the teacher’s sweetness.
“We are going to set up a candy bar for the teachers in the staff room. Items needed for the candy bar will be posted on the “Giving Tree” the week of May 4th. Items will need to be brought in by 3:00 pm on Friday, May 8^th.

Friday, May 15th: “And this made the teacher happy.”
We are going to finish the week with a special gift of appreciation. The teachers will receive a small planter purchased by the Parent Group and their thank you notes you have written. In addition, we would like to give each teacher a $10 gift card to their favorite place to eat or shop. The gift cards needed will be placed on the “Giving Tree”. Gift cards will need to be brought in by 3:00 pm on Friday, May 8th to ensure that each teacher will receive one.

Parent Sign In/Out Policy Reminder

We wanted to take this time to remind you all about an important security feature here at Chesterbrook.  Please remember to sign your child in and out on a regular basis on the class Sign In/Out sheets located at the front desk.  If someone on your child’s authorized pick-up list is picking up, please remind him or her to do so as well. In the event of a true emergency, the Sign In/Out sheets will give Chesterbrook as well as the authorities an accurate count of who is actually in our building at any given time.  Although we have never had any problem nor do we expect to in the future, this is an important security measure that keeps all of the children safe.  Thank you for your continued compliance with our security policies.

Volunteer Spotlight

I would to thank all the parents that made our Annual Spring Fling a HUGE success. A special thank you to Crystal Veinot and Melissa Coffey for spear heading this event. Your hard work paid off and the students had a great time.

I also want to thank the amazing and talented Erica Mayo for our monthly teacher appreciation event this month. Your creativity amazes me. This month each teacher received a small boot planter and we were all overwhelmed with the wonderful gift of appreciation.

 Parent Reminders

• Please be sure to wash your child’s hands upon entering the classroom.
• If your child has received any new immunizations, please make sure we have an updated record in your child’s file.
• All outside food must be store bought.
• Inform the front office if your emergency contact information changes.
• Please sign your child in and out each day.
• Label all your child’s belongings.
• Please put appropriate foot wear on your child for active play.

It is time for our Summer ANCILLARY PROGRAMS

Daisy Dance is a ballet, tap and a creative movement dance program designed to teach children a life long love of movement and provide a foundation for all dance genres. Daisy Dance will return in September.

Wednesday Morning:  Music For Little Ones is an original approach that successfully engages active preschoolers in musical activities, in order to enhance their overall development. The new session begins on 4/1/15 .  You can still sign up for the May session.

Wednesday Afternoon: T.O.T (Teams of Tomorrow) is an awesome training program that focuses on basketball handling and dribbling skills. The onsite classes are fun, educational and active. You can sign up at the beginning of each month. 

Thursday Morning: Soccer Shots is a popular non-competitive youth soccer program. This program teaches confidence, fun, character, teamwork, coordination and imagination. Our Summer session will start on 6/11/15.

Friday Morning: King Tiger Tae Kwon Do is taught according to individual needs and levels of skills.Students begin to establish, and actually achieve, personal goals. Students learn that, by setting realistic goals and applying dedication and hard work, anything is possible. They develop confidence! The virtues of Respect, Concentration, Discipline, and Motivation are the characteristics of a truly confident individual.

We will have a summer session but we do not have the dates confirmed at this point.

From the Education Department:

Developing Writing Skills in Young Children – From Crayons to Concepts 

• In the early preschool years, writing starts with practicing fine motor skills and progresses to include concepts such as vocabulary, sentence structure and inventive spelling. Our curriculum builds the foundation for writing beginning with our infants. Our teachers not only instruct students how to write, but they also help instill a love of writing and self-expression.
• Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about writing, as well as fun activities to try with your child at home.

INFANTS/TODDLERS

• In the classroom: Our infants and toddlers practice picking up and placing objects into containers, building hand strength and coordination.
• At-home activity: Give your child plastic cooking utensils, such as spoons and spatulas, along with a large bowl. Place appropriate finger foods in the bowl, and encourage your baby to pick up the utensils and use them to move the food around. Choose utensils with different sized handles so your baby learns how to grasp and hold objects in various ways.

BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3)

• In the classroom: During imaginative play, teachers provide pens, markers and crayons to encourage students to practice writing. For instance, they pretend to own a restaurant and write food orders, and pretend to be doctors and take notes about the condition of their stuffed animals.
• At-home activity: Incorporate writing activities during playtime. Bring sidewalk chalk outdoors and ask your child to write what they see. Don’t correct spelling or proper letter formations. Show enthusiasm in any efforts he makes, as this is how children learn that words are powerful and have meaning.

INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4)

• In the classroom: Different writing tools and surfaces make writing more interesting for children. Our Intermediates use chalk on a chalkboard, form letters using modeling clay, and finger paint on canvas.
• At-home activity: Three year olds enjoy mimicking adults in their daily activities. Allow your child to engage in a new writing activity with you, such as writing a grocery list or a thank you card. Explain to him what you are writing and the purpose it serves.

PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5)

• In the classroom: Teachers make writing fun for our older preschoolers by creating a classroom post office and asking the children to write and mail letters to each other. Through this activity, students practice communicating thoughts and ideas on paper, using proper grip, writing first and last names in correct case, and writing words independently by using inventive spelling. Inventive spelling encourages a love for writing and reinforces phonics. Traditional spelling is encouraged as students move into more formal writing in early elementary grades.
• At-home activity: After a family outing, invite your child to write about his day in a journal. Encourage him to use uppercase and lowercase letters. If he asks for help writing more challenging words, have him attempt to spell them by sounding out the word and writing the letters that make that sound. Invite him to read his journal entry to you.
• We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to develop and practice their writing skills. By setting this foundation, they will be better prepared to communicate thoughts and ideas through writing in elementary school and beyond.

– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education