A Message From the Principal:
Dear Parents,
We must put safety first at our school and have designated April to be Safety Awareness Month. It is important that your child’s emergency contact be completed with the most current information. Should someone be picking up our child, who is not noted on your child’s records, we ask that you complete an “Authorization to Pick Up” form. The individual picking up your child must show a photo id that mirrors the information you have supplied.
Should you have more than one child enrolled at Chesterbrook Academy and you are picking them up for the day, please pick up the youngest child first. Too often the older children like to play in the younger classrooms and unintentionally someone may become hurt. Should you find this request too cumbersome, please have your child sit in your youngest classroom to avoid confusion as you ready your younger child to leave for the day.
Spring is a season filled with opportunities for investigating with your child. From changes in the weather to the flowers in bloom, your surroundings provide learning experiences that allow children to question, make predictions, and draw conclusions. Begin by asking your child to think about the changes they see around them at this time of year. What they see? How has it changed? During these discussions it is important to listen to their questions and responses to determine what they are curious about. Use their questions to create an investigation. An example might be: Do all trees grow new leaves in the spring? Walk together counting the trees that are growing new leaves, make a comparison, chart a graph, and continue the learning process together. Enjoy the season of spring as you share moments together learning.
Until May,
Miss Cindy
In April 2015
- April 1, 2015-Smile!! It is a surprise or a joke???
- April 2 – Soccer Demo Day
- April 3 – Passover Begins at Sunset ends on April 11th
- April 5 – Happy Easter
- April 7 – Lil Sports
- April 9 – Soccer Begins
- April 12-18 – national Library Week
- April 13 – Music Monday
- April 14 – Lil Sports
- April 16 – Soccer
- April 21 – Last Lil Sports
- April 22 – Happy Frog Day!
- April 23- Soccer
- April 24 – Arbor Day
- April 28 – World Poetry Day
- April 30 – Soccer
From the Education Department
Appreciating the Wonders of Mother Nature
Spring is here and Earth Day is right around the corner, providing a wonderful opportunity to connect children with nature and reinforce the importance of preserving and protecting the world around us.
Our Links to Learning curriculum uses hands-on activities to cultivate a deeper connection to the earth and foster academic, physical and social skill development.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about nature, as well as activities and books to read with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS:
- In the classroom: Our teachers provide natural objects, such as leaves, pinecones and flowers for the children to see and touch. We help children associate words with the concrete objects they represent.
- At-home activity: Allow your child to experience different textured fruits, such as an orange, watermelon and cantaloupe. Talk about what he sees, smells, tastes and feels.
- Recommended reading: Colors from Nature from PlayBac Publishing and The Earth Book by Todd Parr
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3):
- In the classroom: Around age two, children begin to understand interdependencies in nature. For instance, they learn that ladybugs feed on insects that are harmful to gardens, trees and shrubs. On Earth Day, many of our students have the opportunity to release ladybugs to help local gardens.
- At-home activity: Take a walk outdoors with your child and play a game of “I Spy.” Ask him point out objects found in the springtime, for example a red flower, a blue bird or a colorful butterfly.
- Recommended reading: Biscuit’s Earth Day Celebration by Alyssa Satin Capucilli & David T. Wenzel and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4):
- In the classroom: As our Intermediates gain a greater understanding and appreciation for how living things grow, the class may adopt a pet such as a fish or bunny. Students develop math, science and language skills by measuring the pet’s food, observing the pet’s behavior and habitat, and learning new vocabulary. Research shows that when children have the opportunity to care for animals, they practice nurturing behaviors that help them interact in gentle ways with people also.
- At-home activity: Create a small garden and allow your child to help you plant and water seeds, either outdoors or indoors. Ask him to predict what the plant will look like by drawing pictures in his journal. Check the plant regularly so he can observe and measure changes in growth. Discuss the importance of watering and caring for the plant.
- Recommended reading: Our Earth by Anne Rockwell and the poem “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out!” by Shel Silverstein
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5):
- In the classroom: Teachers encourage our older preschoolers to reuse recyclable materials in fun and unconventional ways. For instance, our students use cardboard boxes to create a castle, milk jug lids to sort and match, and plastic bottles to create beautiful, unique artwork.
- At-home activity: Set up a recycling station using cardboard boxes, and label each box with the words “metal”, “plastic” and “paper”. Throughout the month, ask your child to help sort your family’s recyclables by placing the items into the correct box. Explain that recycling is just one way that we can be kind to the earth. Ask him to name a few other ways, such as conserving electricity, picking up litter and planting a garden.
- Recommended reading: A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry and The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
We create a path for lifelong learning by providing numerous opportunities for children to study and explore nature. These hands-on experiences lead to growth in all areas of development as students transition into elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education
For Parents & Teachers
Just A Reminder: Please remember your child’s teachers are here to make your day start off on a good note. Having trouble separating in the morning? Talk with the teacher. Should you want the teacher to assist with you child you simply need to let us know. No one wants to step out of their place and become involved in a situation we are not invited.
Morning Snack is served between the hours of 8:00 AM until 8:30 AM. Our school’s morning snack in no way meets the dietary needs of a breakfast. Please be mindful of your child’s class schedule since their activities begin promptly at 8:30 AM as we will not be providing the morning snack after this time. Should you arrive after 8:30 AM with your child eating food, you have supplied, it is necessary for you to stay with your child in an area other than their classroom. Please remember when you are substituting a portion of our lunch it needs to be kept in your child’s classroom in their cubby. Their food items should be peanut free and not needing to be warmed or cooked.
Safety First:
Our Drop Off and Pick Up Request is for the safety of our youngest students. When dropping your children off in the morning please bring the oldest child to their classroom first. When leaving for the day please pick up your youngest child first. This practice will eliminate the opportunity for an incident or an accident to occur in our young classrooms. Too often the older sibling will believe they are helping although they quite innocently can be the cause of a situation. We appreciate your cooperation as our goal continues to be to provide the safest environment for all of our students.
Parking Lot Safety
We are working to keep our parking lot a safe area for our families. Gold’s Gym along with the owners of the Golden Meadows Park are aware of our concerns. We encourage all of our families to do our part in maintaining the speed limit and to remain courteous to our fellow drivers.
Our school is a Peanut Free environment! It is extremely important that no one send in any food items containing peanuts in any form to their child’s class. We do have children that are highly allergic to peanuts and would never compromise their safety and ask for your assistance when providing treats.
The sunshine is wonderful and all of the children are wearing faces of “joy” as they “enjoy” their time outside. Please remember to apply sunscreen lotions prior to arriving in the morning since many products have an activation period. Each and everyday weather allowing, your child will partake in outside play. Please remember that children must wear appropriate shoes on the playground. No sandals, crocks, or dress shoes are allowed since they do not provide a secure sole on their shoe for our busy students.
Sign In / Sign Out: We know things can get a bit hectic at drop off and pick up, although it is imperative that you sign your child in and out each and everyday.
We understand that with the cold weather comes a cold car. We request than NO vehicles should be running unattended while on the school property.
Outside Play: Our children will be going outside to enjoy the fresh air, weather permitting. This is a licensing regulation, and we will not make exceptions based on a child’s health.
Sick Policy Reminder: The purpose of our sick policy is to reduce the spread of illness among children and to encourage full recuperation of sick children before they return to school. We depend on parents to assist us in maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all of our children.
School Closings and Delayed Openings
Please remember that should our weather become inclement and present a hazard we will alter our hours of operation. All postings will be announced on WGAL TV and www.wgal.com. Please know that we do not make these decisions in haste, although we must take the safety of all into consideration.
Just a Reminder: Tuition is due no later than the Friday prior to the weekly preferred schedule. This information was noted in your registration and we thank many of you for asking questions to clarify this change. To simplify the change, all tuition payments are due on the Friday before the next tuition week. Hopefully no one will be billed the $25 late fee that will be charged should your tuition payment not be received by noon on the following Monday.
Please remember that all returned checks will be billed a $25 service charge and your account is applicable to receive an additional $25 late fee.
Should you have a questions please do not hesitate to ask. We thank you all for your continued cooperation.
Our hours of operation are from 6:30am until 6:00pm. Children attending longer than a ten hour day or after 6:00pm will be billed additional fees.
April News
A Message From the Principal:
Dear Parents,
We must put safety first at our school and have designated April to be Safety Awareness Month. It is important that your child’s emergency contact be completed with the most current information. Should someone be picking up our child, who is not noted on your child’s records, we ask that you complete an “Authorization to Pick Up” form. The individual picking up your child must show a photo id that mirrors the information you have supplied.
Should you have more than one child enrolled at Chesterbrook Academy and you are picking them up for the day, please pick up the youngest child first. Too often the older children like to play in the younger classrooms and unintentionally someone may become hurt. Should you find this request too cumbersome, please have your child sit in your youngest classroom to avoid confusion as you ready your younger child to leave for the day.
Spring is a season filled with opportunities for investigating with your child. From changes in the weather to the flowers in bloom, your surroundings provide learning experiences that allow children to question, make predictions, and draw conclusions. Begin by asking your child to think about the changes they see around them at this time of year. What they see? How has it changed? During these discussions it is important to listen to their questions and responses to determine what they are curious about. Use their questions to create an investigation. An example might be: Do all trees grow new leaves in the spring? Walk together counting the trees that are growing new leaves, make a comparison, chart a graph, and continue the learning process together. Enjoy the season of spring as you share moments together learning.
Until May,
Miss Cindy
In April 2015
From the Education Department
Appreciating the Wonders of Mother Nature
Spring is here and Earth Day is right around the corner, providing a wonderful opportunity to connect children with nature and reinforce the importance of preserving and protecting the world around us.
Our Links to Learning curriculum uses hands-on activities to cultivate a deeper connection to the earth and foster academic, physical and social skill development.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about nature, as well as activities and books to read with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS:
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3):
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4):
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5):
We create a path for lifelong learning by providing numerous opportunities for children to study and explore nature. These hands-on experiences lead to growth in all areas of development as students transition into elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education
For Parents & Teachers
Just A Reminder: Please remember your child’s teachers are here to make your day start off on a good note. Having trouble separating in the morning? Talk with the teacher. Should you want the teacher to assist with you child you simply need to let us know. No one wants to step out of their place and become involved in a situation we are not invited.
Morning Snack is served between the hours of 8:00 AM until 8:30 AM. Our school’s morning snack in no way meets the dietary needs of a breakfast. Please be mindful of your child’s class schedule since their activities begin promptly at 8:30 AM as we will not be providing the morning snack after this time. Should you arrive after 8:30 AM with your child eating food, you have supplied, it is necessary for you to stay with your child in an area other than their classroom. Please remember when you are substituting a portion of our lunch it needs to be kept in your child’s classroom in their cubby. Their food items should be peanut free and not needing to be warmed or cooked.
Safety First:
Our Drop Off and Pick Up Request is for the safety of our youngest students. When dropping your children off in the morning please bring the oldest child to their classroom first. When leaving for the day please pick up your youngest child first. This practice will eliminate the opportunity for an incident or an accident to occur in our young classrooms. Too often the older sibling will believe they are helping although they quite innocently can be the cause of a situation. We appreciate your cooperation as our goal continues to be to provide the safest environment for all of our students.
Parking Lot Safety
We are working to keep our parking lot a safe area for our families. Gold’s Gym along with the owners of the Golden Meadows Park are aware of our concerns. We encourage all of our families to do our part in maintaining the speed limit and to remain courteous to our fellow drivers.
Our school is a Peanut Free environment! It is extremely important that no one send in any food items containing peanuts in any form to their child’s class. We do have children that are highly allergic to peanuts and would never compromise their safety and ask for your assistance when providing treats.
The sunshine is wonderful and all of the children are wearing faces of “joy” as they “enjoy” their time outside. Please remember to apply sunscreen lotions prior to arriving in the morning since many products have an activation period. Each and everyday weather allowing, your child will partake in outside play. Please remember that children must wear appropriate shoes on the playground. No sandals, crocks, or dress shoes are allowed since they do not provide a secure sole on their shoe for our busy students.
Sign In / Sign Out: We know things can get a bit hectic at drop off and pick up, although it is imperative that you sign your child in and out each and everyday.
We understand that with the cold weather comes a cold car. We request than NO vehicles should be running unattended while on the school property.
Outside Play: Our children will be going outside to enjoy the fresh air, weather permitting. This is a licensing regulation, and we will not make exceptions based on a child’s health.
Sick Policy Reminder: The purpose of our sick policy is to reduce the spread of illness among children and to encourage full recuperation of sick children before they return to school. We depend on parents to assist us in maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all of our children.
School Closings and Delayed Openings
Please remember that should our weather become inclement and present a hazard we will alter our hours of operation. All postings will be announced on WGAL TV and www.wgal.com. Please know that we do not make these decisions in haste, although we must take the safety of all into consideration.
Just a Reminder: Tuition is due no later than the Friday prior to the weekly preferred schedule. This information was noted in your registration and we thank many of you for asking questions to clarify this change. To simplify the change, all tuition payments are due on the Friday before the next tuition week. Hopefully no one will be billed the $25 late fee that will be charged should your tuition payment not be received by noon on the following Monday.
Please remember that all returned checks will be billed a $25 service charge and your account is applicable to receive an additional $25 late fee.
Should you have a questions please do not hesitate to ask. We thank you all for your continued cooperation.
Our hours of operation are from 6:30am until 6:00pm. Children attending longer than a ten hour day or after 6:00pm will be billed additional fees.