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April News

From the Office of the Principal and Assistant Principal:

Well my prediction for warmer weather in March came somewhat true. Hopefully it will continue to warm up this month and we will have a beautiful Spring. Thank you to everyone that took advantage of our priority re-enrollment for the 2015-2016 school year. We look forward to another great school year. School pictures were a great success. Lifetouch pictures should be back and ready to look at in about three weeks.

April is shaping up to be a very busy month! Our Annual Egg Hunt will be held on Thursday, April 2nd; please see your child’s class for times of the Egg Hunt. Please remember when bringing in filled eggs that we are a peanut free school. Don’t forget there are other fun items you can stuff in eggs other then candy for the children. Some great ideas are stickers, playdough, chalk, bubbles, individual packs of goldfish, etc. The Week of the Young Child is April 13-17, we have many great activities planned throughout the week as well as our Scholastic Book Fair. Please stop by and see all the wonderful books we have at our Book Fair. The Earth Day Celebration, Ladybug Release will be held on Wednesday, April 22nd at 3pm. Kona Ice will be served during the event. Please come out and join us for a fun celebration. We look forward to another eventful month!

As always, we will be here to help you in any way possible if you have any questions or concerns.

Regards,

Shaunna Egan,MBA
Principal
shaunna.egan@nlcinc.com

Tiffany Harris, MBA
Assistant Principal
tiffany.harris@nlcinc.com


Important Dates

  • April 2: Annual Egg Hunt
  • April 3: School Closed, Spring Holiday
  • April 7: Prevent Blindness Screenings
  • April 8: Rags to Riches Play @ 10am
  • April 13-17: Week of the Young Child
  • April 13-17: Scholastic Book Fair
  • April 22: Earth Day Celebration, Ladybug Release
  • April 30: Links to Learning End of Month Folders Go Home

Every Monday: Tumblebus 2:30pm-4:00pm (Older Toddlers-Prek2)
Every Thursday: Kinderkixx Soccer 10:30am-11:30am (Older Twos-Prek2)

Book Fair: April 13-17
Please join us April 13-17 during the Week of the Young Child for our Book Fair with Scholastic Books. The book fair will be set up and books will be available to purchase Monday,April 13 through the morning of Friday, April 17. Books can be purchased by credit card or check mad payable to CBA. Please stop by the book fair and check out some great books.

Free Eye Screening
We will be offering Free Eye Screenings for children ages 2-5 on Tuesday, April 7th starting at 9am. You will be receiving some more information on the screenings in your child’s end of month folder. We ask that if you would not like your child to participate in the eye screening to please let a member of management know.

Ladybug Release
Please join us on Wednesday, April 22nd for our Ladybug Release at 3pm. The students will be discussing the benefits of Ladybugs in our environment and will get a chance to experience ladybugs first hand. The will release ladybugs on our back playground around 3pm and then we will enjoy a sweet treat from Kona Ice. We hope you can join.


School Spotlight

Communication Is the Key
We here at Chesterbrook Academy know that your child is your #1 priority and that you want to know about every great and wonderful event that happens at school. Because of this need we have set up some great communication tools so that we can keep you informed about your child’s Chesterbrook experience!

Email
Did you know you can receive our monthly newsletter by e-mail? Provide us with your e-mail address to receive on-going communication about school and events within the Chesterbrook community.

Look What We Learned Today
Posted outside your child’s classroom every afternoon is a detailed report of all the great things they experienced and learned that day. We include the songs they sang, books they read and all their favorite activities throughout the day.

Monthly Links to Learning Folders
End the end of each month you will receive a “fun and busy month” folder. This folder is full of information about what your child learned in the month, what they will learn in the upcoming month and some great activities that you can do with your child at home. In addition we include work samples from your child.

Web Site
Our school website is jam-packed with information to help make your life easier. Want to know what’s for lunch? Check out our menu tab. Want to know what the weekly summer camp theme is? Check our summer camp tab.

We take parent communication very seriously. We believe that when parents and teachers work as partners in a child’s education, it makes the learning experience much richer and more meaningful to the child.

Severe Weather Policy
In the event of severe weather, we will make every effort to open on schedule and to remain open during the course of our regular hours of operation.  In the event that severe weather requires us to close our school, delay our school or close early, parents will be notified initially by e-notify.  Please make sure we have your most current email address and that you have added us to your address book so our message does not go to spam.

Parents may also call the school’s voicemail at (919) 787-7568 and listen to the recorded message by 6:00 a.m. for information regarding the operating hours.

Information will also be posted to the school’s website at http://millbrook.chesterbrookacademy.com. You can also tune in to WRAL for closing information.


Parent Referral

Dear Chesterbrook Academy® Community:

If there’s one thing parents love to do, it’s talk about their children’s successes. When friends ask you about your child’s experiences at Chesterbrook Academy, what type of success stories do you share? Do you mention the personal and educational discoveries your child is making thanks to our advanced curriculum? Do you talk about the new levels of self and social confidence your child has gained thanks to our encouraging atmosphere?

Whatever glowing reports you deliver about how your child is growing with his or her education, we couldn’t be more appreciative. In fact, we’d like to show you just how thankful we are for your endorsements. Now when you tell other parents about our school, you can become a Chesterbrook Academy Ambassador.

For every new child you refer who enrolls at our school for three months, you’ll receive an Ambassador Certificate for one FREE week of tuition for your child*.

It’s our way of saying thanks for doing what comes naturally – singing the praises of your child and sharing your experiences with the Chesterbrook Academy difference.

If you have any questions about how you can become a Chesterbrook Academy Ambassador, or if you’d like any additional certificates or flyers, please don’t hesitate to call us directly at 919-787-7568. You can pick up the flyers on the Parent Board located in the hallway.

P.S. – All parents want the very best education possible for their child. If you think your family has that, spread the word and become a Chesterbrook Academy Ambassador. Thank you to all of our families who have referred our school to new families!


From the Education Department

eduarticleAppreciating 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

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