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March News

A Message From the Principal

It doesn’t look like the winter weather is letting up anytime soon.  With that being said, please continue to check the website, email, and CBS6 for any changes in schedules due to inclement weather.

Early bird registration has begun for the 2015-16 school year.  The early bird offer will continue until Friday, March 20th.  Don’t wait!  Take advantage of this special offer to reserve your child’s space for the 2015-16 school year now.  A Tuition Fee Schedule will need to accompany each registration payment.

Upcoming Events

  • 3/1 – Dr. Seuss Week
  • 3/2 – Green eggs and ham for snack
  • 3/3 – Bring in your favorite Dr. Seuss book
  • 3/5 – Cat in the Hat snack
  • 3/6 – Dress up like your favorite Dr. Seuss character
  • 3/16 – Book Fair starts
  • 3/17 – Wear Green for St. Patrick’s Day
  • 3/17 – St. Patrick’s Day class parties (everything green)
  • 3/21 – Open House for all inquiring families 10-1pm
  • 3/25 – Book Fair ends

Easter Egg Hunt!
Our annual egg hunt is right around the corner!  We are asking for donations of plastic eggs, candy, small toys to fit in the eggs, tattoos, stickers, etc….  Please drop any/all donations off in the front office by Monday, March 30th.  The egg hunt will be Friday, April 3rd.  Thanks for all of your support!!!

Food Policy
Please be mindful of our policy regarding outside food being brought into the building.  We do have children in our care who have severe allergies to certain foods or ingredients, therefore, we highly frown upon outside food being brought into the building unless it has been cleared through the office.  It is our top priority to ensure all of our children spend their day in a safe environment.  Absolutely no peanut products may be brought into the building

Medication Policy
Per Virginia State Licensing we can not house medication in the building unless we are to administer the medicine to the child while he/she is in our care.  Please refrain from storing medication in your child’s backpack, cubby, or mailbox without our knowledge.  Not only is this a licensing violation, but we do not want to pose any risk to the children by it being in the classroom.  Thank you for your understanding and support in this matter.

Late Payment Policy
Tuition payments are due by noon each Monday.  If your payment has not been received by that time there will be a $25 late fee assessed to your account.  There are no exceptions to the policy.

Sign In/Out
We are required by law to have documentation of when each child enters and leaves the building.  Please be sure to take an extra minute each morning and afternoon to sign your child in and out#  In the event of an emergency these documents will help us in knowing who we have in our care each day.  We would also like to remind you that you may not take your child over the fence from the playground at pick up time.

 Extra Clothes
We are frequently running into an issue with children not having extra clothes in their cubby.  Please check periodically to ensure that your child has a weather appropriate change of clothes ,including socks, that are the correct size and season.  This will avoid us having to interrupt you during your busy day to bring extra clothes for your little one.  It is not CBAs responsibility to provide extra clothes for the children.

Sick Policy
Per our sick policy, if a child is not feeling well or has been sent home from Chesterbrook due to illness they must remain at home for at least 24 hours after their symptoms have passed.  If you have taken them to the doctor and can provide a note stating that they are not contagious then they may return sooner.   It is very important that we all follow through and do our best to keep our children happy, healthy, and safe.   Thank you for your support!

Along with memos that may go home, you can always check our website to find out what will be going on during the month.

Thank you!
Lori

Happy Birthday to all of the children and staff who will be celebrating a birthday in March!

 


 

From the Education Department

Developing Confident Future Readers

March is National Reading Month, so it is a great time to reinforce how important it is to expose children to books from an early age. We engage all of our students in language and literacy activities every day throughout the school year.

Research has shown that reading aloud to children has a profound influence on their speech development and listening skills. Reading allows children to experience the wondrous world depicted in books, and thrive on the interaction with adults.

Below are age appropriate activities that we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about reading, as well as recommended books to read with your child at home.

INFANTS – Linking sensory and reading experiences

  • In the classroom: We introduce language and literacy beginning with our infants, by consistently speaking, reading and singing to them. Teachers choose interactive books with bright colors, different textures and pop-up designs to help stimulate infants’ growing sensory awareness.
  • Books to read at home: Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt, Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings by Matthew Van Fleet and Baby Danced the Polka by Karen Beaumont

TODDLERS – Rhyme and repetition

  • In the classroom: Toddlers enjoy hearing the same books read over and over again, because they are able join in as the stories become more familiar. Teachers read books with rhyme and repetition, such as Goodnight Moon, and vary their voice each time they tell the story. The change in tone gives children a chance to hear different sounds, and encourages them to practice making the sounds themselves.
  • Books to read at home: All Fall Down by Helen Oxenbury, Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox and Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

BEGINNERS – Engaging the imagination

  • In the classroom: Around age two, children begin to develop a love for the world of imagination. It’s important to engage children’s imaginations and encourage them to participate in shared reading experiences. A picture walk motivates children to rely on pictorial clues to decipher the story’s plot and make predictions. Before reading the story, the teacher and student flip through the book, and the child is encouraged to make predictions about the characters and plot. The teacher then reads the book aloud with the student. When finished, the child is asked to relate his predictions to the actual outcome of the story. For example, “Now that you know what happened, why was the elephant wearing a tutu?” or “What would you have done if you were the elephant?”
  • Books to read at home: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, Corduroy by Don Freeman or Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

INTERMEDIATES – Exploring the wider world

  • In the classroom: As our Intermediates are introduced to the Citizens of the World component of our curriculum, they read about different places, cultures and traditions in books. Books help children understand and enjoy learning about the diversity of human experience. During circle time for example, we may read a story about children living in another country, in a different type of house and wearing different types of clothes. Afterward, the teacher connects the story back to what the children know by asking, “What does your house look like?” and “Who lives in your house with you?”
  • Books to read at home: Abuela by Arthur Dorros, So Much by Trish Cooke and On Mother’s Lap by Ann Scott

PRE-K/PRE-K 2 – Nonfiction Adventures

  • In the classroom: Children are naturally fascinated by the lives of real people and the world around them. Our teachers cultivate this fascination by exposing students to nonfiction books. For example, the class may read both a fiction and nonfiction book about animals. Afterward, they are encouraged to compare and contrast the two books and discuss what was accurate in the fiction book.
  • Books to read at home: Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (fiction) and Bat Loves the Night by Nicola Davies (non-fiction)

By experiencing a literacy-rich environment, both at school and at home, we instill a love of reading and provide the foundation for our students to become successful, confident readers in elementary school and beyond.

– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education

 

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