A Message From the Principal:
Our children are learning and growing so much!! Make sure you are checking your child’s classroom door to see what they’ve been working on for the day. Also the second parent reports of the year have been going out this week. This is a great way to keep up to date on the amount of progress that your child is making at Chesterbrook Academy. Remember at any time you can speak with the teacher or the office about your child, and you are always welcome to schedule a private conference.
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten
Our VPK program will be on Spring Break March 23rd-27th. During this time, there will be no school for our VPK only students. Our VPK Full Time students are welcome to attend on their normal schedules. If you have any questions, please see us at the front desk.
Calling all Future VPK students!!!!
It also time for the parents of our future VPK students to start the process to receive their child’s VPK voucher from the state office. Application for VPK vouchers for 2015-2016 began in January. Please check http://www.familycentral.org/VPKRegisterBC for how to obtain your child’s VPK voucher for the 2015-2016 school year.
Graduation
Graduation preparations are in full swing! Graduation payments of $30 should be made to the front office. Once again as a reminder, our graduation ceremony will be on June 6th at 2:00pm.
Early Registration
Our school is so happy to see that so many of our families took advantage of our Early Registration for the 2015-2016 school year. Spaces are now starting to fill up for many of our programs. Any remaining spaces are now being offered to the community. If your family did not take advantage of our promotion and would like to save your child’s spot for next school year, please see us at the front desk ASAP.
Book Fair
In honor of March being National Reading Month, our school will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair March 30th-April 3rd. This will be a great opportunity to purchase books for your child while supporting our school. We receive a portion of the profits to help us grow our school library!
Parent Communication
We want to keep our parents involved and one way to do that is making sure to read the information posted on your child’s classroom’s parent board as well as checking their folder for papers to go home each day. The “ What We Learned Today” paper located on the classroom doors will also share a special activity from the class’s day. I encourage you to ask your child questions about that activity. This is a great way to get them to share their day with you. Also, always feel free to talk to the teachers at drop off/pick up or call and check in throughout the day.
Picture Day is coming!
March 16th, 17th, and 18th. March 16th will be rooms 1, 2, and 3. March 17th will be rooms 4, 5, and 6. March 17th will be rooms 7 and 8. The Pre-K graduated will be taking their cap and gown pictures on this day. We will provide the cap and gown for pictures.
Kindergarten Kickoff
What to do after VPK has ended and Kindergarten has not started yet??? Here at Chesterbrook Academy we have our Kindergarten Kickoff Program. There are two options for this program. We have our full time option for $175 per week or our 9:00am-1:00pm option for $145 per week. This program continues on the learning throughout the summer in order to help give them that extra advantage when they start kindergarten. You can sign up for one week or 11 weeks. Please see the front office to sign up!
Summer Camp
Elementary Summer Camp spaces are very limited!!! Sign-up now for our fun-filled summer camp. There are only a few spaces left! We have our summer filled with great field trips, swimming, and fun in house activities. Only $175 per week and you can choose the weeks you wish to attend. See the front office to sign up!
Our spring break school age camp still has a few spaces left. If you are looking for something for your Elementary aged student to do for Spring Break (March 20th-March27th) sign up today!
Menus
Menus are located in the front office. Please feel free to see us up front with any questions that you have about the menu or ordering. All menus are due by the due date. If you do not turn your menu in on time, you will need to pack lunch for your child.
Uniforms
As a reminder: All students in our intermediate and Pre-k programs are required to wear uniforms. The uniform consists of a Black Polo with the Chesterbrook Logo and Khaki bottoms. If you have already purchased the navy blue CBA polos for the fall we will allow the children to continue to wear navy blue for the school year, but as you buy new uniforms, please purchase the black ones. Please see the front desk to order uniforms.
Our school VPK hours are 9AM-12 Noon. As a part of the VPK program, the state requires that all VPK students are at school during VPK hours. For more information, please see the front desk.
Reminders
Here are a few reminders and updates to keep us on track for the rest of the school year:
- Contact and Emergency Information: Please remember to update your information at the front desk if there are any changes.
- Lunch Menus: are due on the due date, so that we can order from the catering company. If we don’t have your child’s lunch menu, we can’t order a lunch. Please pack a lunch for your child if you haven’t filled out a lunch menu.
- Tuition: payments are due the 1st of each week. A $25 late fee will be applied to all tuition payments turned in after Monday of each week.
- Late pick-up: fees apply to children picked up after 6:15 pm. There is a fee of $1 per minute after 6:15 pm as stated on your tuition fee schedule agreement.
- Sick Policy: Children may be sent home if they have any concerning symptoms. In addition, a child must be free of all of these symptoms for at least 24 hours before he/she can return to school. These symptoms include:
- A Fever of 100 degrees or more
- Vomiting within the previous 24-hour period
- Diarrhea within the previous 24-hour period
- Symptoms of a communicable disease
- Fussy, cranky behavior and generally not himself/ herself
Following an illness, a child may return to school once he/she has either been seen by a doctor or it has been determined that illness is not contagious. ( A doctor’s clearance may be requested.) Please help us keep all of our children healthy by following these rules.
If you have any questions or concerns please let us know. You can talk with your child’s teacher or any one of us in the front office. Also, you can email me at melody.mcdonald@nlcinc.com or call (954) 749-1333. As always my door is always open, please feel free to stop by, email me or call with any questions, concerns or comments. Our goal is to provide each family with a fulfilling educational experience.
- Parent Ambassador Referral Program: Spread the word about Chesterbrook Academy and save on your child’s tuition. Stop by the front Office for more details. Chesterbrook Academy has six locations in South Florida: Coconut Creek, Cooper City, Sunrise, Pembroke Pines, Port St. Lucie and Palm Beach Gardens.
- Our Mission: Chesterbrook Academy- Sunrise provides a safe and warm family environment in a rich academic setting that focuses on fun and creative hands-on learning for each individual student. Our school promotes self-expression, yet maintains a structured program for a great head start in “life”.
To ensure that each child receives the best care possible, it is critical that parents and teachers maintain frequent and accurate communication. Please feel free to call or stop by at any time to see how your child is doing. We always have an open door policy!
A Message from Our 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
March News
A Message From the Principal:
Our children are learning and growing so much!! Make sure you are checking your child’s classroom door to see what they’ve been working on for the day. Also the second parent reports of the year have been going out this week. This is a great way to keep up to date on the amount of progress that your child is making at Chesterbrook Academy. Remember at any time you can speak with the teacher or the office about your child, and you are always welcome to schedule a private conference.
Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten
Our VPK program will be on Spring Break March 23rd-27th. During this time, there will be no school for our VPK only students. Our VPK Full Time students are welcome to attend on their normal schedules. If you have any questions, please see us at the front desk.
Calling all Future VPK students!!!!
It also time for the parents of our future VPK students to start the process to receive their child’s VPK voucher from the state office. Application for VPK vouchers for 2015-2016 began in January. Please check http://www.familycentral.org/VPKRegisterBC for how to obtain your child’s VPK voucher for the 2015-2016 school year.
Graduation
Graduation preparations are in full swing! Graduation payments of $30 should be made to the front office. Once again as a reminder, our graduation ceremony will be on June 6th at 2:00pm.
Early Registration
Our school is so happy to see that so many of our families took advantage of our Early Registration for the 2015-2016 school year. Spaces are now starting to fill up for many of our programs. Any remaining spaces are now being offered to the community. If your family did not take advantage of our promotion and would like to save your child’s spot for next school year, please see us at the front desk ASAP.
Book Fair
In honor of March being National Reading Month, our school will be hosting a Scholastic Book Fair March 30th-April 3rd. This will be a great opportunity to purchase books for your child while supporting our school. We receive a portion of the profits to help us grow our school library!
Parent Communication
We want to keep our parents involved and one way to do that is making sure to read the information posted on your child’s classroom’s parent board as well as checking their folder for papers to go home each day. The “ What We Learned Today” paper located on the classroom doors will also share a special activity from the class’s day. I encourage you to ask your child questions about that activity. This is a great way to get them to share their day with you. Also, always feel free to talk to the teachers at drop off/pick up or call and check in throughout the day.
Picture Day is coming!
March 16th, 17th, and 18th. March 16th will be rooms 1, 2, and 3. March 17th will be rooms 4, 5, and 6. March 17th will be rooms 7 and 8. The Pre-K graduated will be taking their cap and gown pictures on this day. We will provide the cap and gown for pictures.
Kindergarten Kickoff
What to do after VPK has ended and Kindergarten has not started yet??? Here at Chesterbrook Academy we have our Kindergarten Kickoff Program. There are two options for this program. We have our full time option for $175 per week or our 9:00am-1:00pm option for $145 per week. This program continues on the learning throughout the summer in order to help give them that extra advantage when they start kindergarten. You can sign up for one week or 11 weeks. Please see the front office to sign up!
Summer Camp
Elementary Summer Camp spaces are very limited!!! Sign-up now for our fun-filled summer camp. There are only a few spaces left! We have our summer filled with great field trips, swimming, and fun in house activities. Only $175 per week and you can choose the weeks you wish to attend. See the front office to sign up!
Our spring break school age camp still has a few spaces left. If you are looking for something for your Elementary aged student to do for Spring Break (March 20th-March27th) sign up today!
Menus
Menus are located in the front office. Please feel free to see us up front with any questions that you have about the menu or ordering. All menus are due by the due date. If you do not turn your menu in on time, you will need to pack lunch for your child.
Uniforms
As a reminder: All students in our intermediate and Pre-k programs are required to wear uniforms. The uniform consists of a Black Polo with the Chesterbrook Logo and Khaki bottoms. If you have already purchased the navy blue CBA polos for the fall we will allow the children to continue to wear navy blue for the school year, but as you buy new uniforms, please purchase the black ones. Please see the front desk to order uniforms.
Our school VPK hours are 9AM-12 Noon. As a part of the VPK program, the state requires that all VPK students are at school during VPK hours. For more information, please see the front desk.
Reminders
Here are a few reminders and updates to keep us on track for the rest of the school year:
Following an illness, a child may return to school once he/she has either been seen by a doctor or it has been determined that illness is not contagious. ( A doctor’s clearance may be requested.) Please help us keep all of our children healthy by following these rules.
If you have any questions or concerns please let us know. You can talk with your child’s teacher or any one of us in the front office. Also, you can email me at melody.mcdonald@nlcinc.com or call (954) 749-1333. As always my door is always open, please feel free to stop by, email me or call with any questions, concerns or comments. Our goal is to provide each family with a fulfilling educational experience.
To ensure that each child receives the best care possible, it is critical that parents and teachers maintain frequent and accurate communication. Please feel free to call or stop by at any time to see how your child is doing. We always have an open door policy!
A Message from Our 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
TODDLERS – Rhyme and repetition
BEGINNERS – Engaging the imagination
INTERMEDIATES – Exploring the wider world
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 – Nonfiction Adventures
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