From the Principal’s Office:
Well spring has finally arrived and I am sure you are as happy as I am that the warmer weather is approaching! I have officially been in my position as new principal here for a month now and can’t thank all of the families and staff enough for making it such a smooth transition.
We are very excited to be partnering with Easter Seals in a disabilities awareness program with our Intermediate through kindergarten classes the week of March 30-April 3rd. Your child will be bringing home a small container to fill up extra change to bring back and fill the big jar up front in the lobby. We are very proud to be participating with this philanthropic organization teaching the children about equality, and awareness of others with special needs.
This Thursday, April 2nd is National Children’s Book Day and we are inviting all our friends to bring in their favorite story to share with their friends! Who knows we may even have a special guest come and read to the children. “There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” ― Frank Serafini
April 12th – 17th is the Week of the Young Child and we have something very special planned for each of this week to celebrate all the amazing children here! MONDAY we will kick off with a balloon release and parade with all our children in attendance. TUESDAY will be our sports and fitness day! The children are encouraged to wear their favorite sports team apparel on this day. We will also be participating in physical fitness fun outside!!! Chesterbrook is also excited to be able to give away FREE tickets to ISU Redbirds baseball game to the first 40 people who would like to go to the game on this night! Please let myself or Ms. Vikki know. WEDNESDAY will be Super Hero day! Children can dress in their favorite Prince/Princess or Super Hero outfit and discuss who their hero is in their own life. THURSDAY we will be having a Hawaiian Luau. All the children are encouraged to dress in Hawaiian shirts etc… and we will be having a cookout and invite all our parents to come and join us for BBQ on this day! FRIDAY we will be welcoming our friend from the Normal Public Library to come and have story hour for all our friends! We will also be having pajama day on Friday as well. We will be handing out fliers with all the days and the activities for each day so you are aware of the wonderful things that are happening during this week.
Earth Day will be on April 22nd and we are planning many enriching and educational activities on this day! We will be learning about Recycling, as well as planting a vegetable garden and flowers just to name a few things on this day. Please remember to Recycle, donate things you don’t want anymore, try reusable bags and turn things off!! “Take care of the earth and she will take care of you.”
We are so excited for all the fun and enriching things that will be going on at Chesterbrook in the month of April!! If any of you have any questions we are always happy to help.
Looking forward to a great month!
~ Jenny & Vikki
Coming Up
- Apr 1 ~ Please return your Links to Learning folder
- Apr 2 ~ National Children’s Book Day
- Apr 3 ~ Unit 5, Dist 87 School Day Out
- Apr 13-17 ~ Week of the Young Child at Chesterbrook
- Monday-Balloon Release/Parade
- Tuesday- Sports Day
- Wednesday-Super Hero/ Prince/princess Day
- Thursday-Hawaiian Luau
- Friday-Pajama/Story Day
- Apr 15 ~ Unit 5 Late Start
- Apr 20 ~ Dist 87 School Day Out
- Apr 22~ Earth Day
- Apr 20-24 ~ Kindergarten Student Achievement Testing
- Apr 24 ~ Unit 5 School Day Out
- Apr 30 ~ Links to Learning folders go home
- May 1 ~ Please return your Links to Learning folder
- May 6 ~ Unit 5 Late Start
- May 10 ~ Happy Mother’s Day
- May 25 ~ Chesterbrook Closed- Memorial Day
- May 29 ~ Links to Learning folders go home
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
We would love to give you a free week of tuition! All you have to do is refer a new family to our school and once they have been enrolled for 90 days, we will give your child a free week! It’s an easy way for you to save a little money this year. Please see us for more information on our parent referral program.
When there are changes in your contact information, please stop by the front desk to update your info. We need to keep up-to-date information of cell and work phone numbers for parents and emergency contacts. Also, we are required to have an updated physical and immunization record every 2 years. Tuition is due every Friday by noon for the following week. You can drop your check made payable to Chesterbrook in the locked tuition box at the front desk. Payments received after 12pm on Monday will receive a $25 late fee. We accept personal checks and money orders. You may also sign up for the automatic payment program, which allows us to automatically collect weekly tuition from your bank account. The program is simple to sign up and safe to use. Stop by the front desk for more information and authorization forms.
Please be sure to park in a parking space in our parking lot. Parking in front of the gazebo makes it very difficult for others in our parking lot. Thank you for helping us ensure the safety of all of our children and families while in our parking lot. Please also help us save the handicap spot for those with appropriate designation.
Parents of School Agers… If your child will not be riding the bus after school, please contact us no later than 2pm. You can also fill out the clipboard at the front desk next to the tuition box. This helps keep us on schedule and ensures everyone is picked up in a timely manner.
Please remember to sign your child in and out every day as this is necessary for dcfs. Sign in and out sheets are located in each classroom. All students need to be signed in and out by a parent or approved person age 16 or older.
We love celebrating our students especially on their birthdays. If you would like to bring treats for your child’s class, please remember we are a nut free school. We do not serve any items that contain nuts, nut oil, or was made in the same factory as nuts. Thank you for helping keep our students safe.
We are participating in the Box Tops program and the Campbell’s Labels for Education program this year. The programs are very easy to use and all our families do to participate is collect box tops and Campbell’s labels. We will then use them to purchase new items for our school. Last year, we purchased new items for our Kindergarten class and new science items for each classroom. You can drop the labels off to the front desk at anytime during the school year.
Each month, you will receive a Scholastic Book order form in your child’s cubby. We earn points from each purchase and will use the points to purchase items such as books, stories on CD, teacher resource books, and other literature items for our school. If you would like to order, you can pay online or drop your check made payable to Scholastic into the tuition box.
April News
From the Principal’s Office:
Well spring has finally arrived and I am sure you are as happy as I am that the warmer weather is approaching! I have officially been in my position as new principal here for a month now and can’t thank all of the families and staff enough for making it such a smooth transition.
We are very excited to be partnering with Easter Seals in a disabilities awareness program with our Intermediate through kindergarten classes the week of March 30-April 3rd. Your child will be bringing home a small container to fill up extra change to bring back and fill the big jar up front in the lobby. We are very proud to be participating with this philanthropic organization teaching the children about equality, and awareness of others with special needs.
This Thursday, April 2nd is National Children’s Book Day and we are inviting all our friends to bring in their favorite story to share with their friends! Who knows we may even have a special guest come and read to the children. “There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” ― Frank Serafini
April 12th – 17th is the Week of the Young Child and we have something very special planned for each of this week to celebrate all the amazing children here! MONDAY we will kick off with a balloon release and parade with all our children in attendance. TUESDAY will be our sports and fitness day! The children are encouraged to wear their favorite sports team apparel on this day. We will also be participating in physical fitness fun outside!!! Chesterbrook is also excited to be able to give away FREE tickets to ISU Redbirds baseball game to the first 40 people who would like to go to the game on this night! Please let myself or Ms. Vikki know. WEDNESDAY will be Super Hero day! Children can dress in their favorite Prince/Princess or Super Hero outfit and discuss who their hero is in their own life. THURSDAY we will be having a Hawaiian Luau. All the children are encouraged to dress in Hawaiian shirts etc… and we will be having a cookout and invite all our parents to come and join us for BBQ on this day! FRIDAY we will be welcoming our friend from the Normal Public Library to come and have story hour for all our friends! We will also be having pajama day on Friday as well. We will be handing out fliers with all the days and the activities for each day so you are aware of the wonderful things that are happening during this week.
Earth Day will be on April 22nd and we are planning many enriching and educational activities on this day! We will be learning about Recycling, as well as planting a vegetable garden and flowers just to name a few things on this day. Please remember to Recycle, donate things you don’t want anymore, try reusable bags and turn things off!! “Take care of the earth and she will take care of you.”
We are so excited for all the fun and enriching things that will be going on at Chesterbrook in the month of April!! If any of you have any questions we are always happy to help.
Looking forward to a great month!
~ Jenny & Vikki
Coming Up
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
We would love to give you a free week of tuition! All you have to do is refer a new family to our school and once they have been enrolled for 90 days, we will give your child a free week! It’s an easy way for you to save a little money this year. Please see us for more information on our parent referral program.
When there are changes in your contact information, please stop by the front desk to update your info. We need to keep up-to-date information of cell and work phone numbers for parents and emergency contacts. Also, we are required to have an updated physical and immunization record every 2 years. Tuition is due every Friday by noon for the following week. You can drop your check made payable to Chesterbrook in the locked tuition box at the front desk. Payments received after 12pm on Monday will receive a $25 late fee. We accept personal checks and money orders. You may also sign up for the automatic payment program, which allows us to automatically collect weekly tuition from your bank account. The program is simple to sign up and safe to use. Stop by the front desk for more information and authorization forms.
Please be sure to park in a parking space in our parking lot. Parking in front of the gazebo makes it very difficult for others in our parking lot. Thank you for helping us ensure the safety of all of our children and families while in our parking lot. Please also help us save the handicap spot for those with appropriate designation.
Parents of School Agers… If your child will not be riding the bus after school, please contact us no later than 2pm. You can also fill out the clipboard at the front desk next to the tuition box. This helps keep us on schedule and ensures everyone is picked up in a timely manner.
Please remember to sign your child in and out every day as this is necessary for dcfs. Sign in and out sheets are located in each classroom. All students need to be signed in and out by a parent or approved person age 16 or older.
We love celebrating our students especially on their birthdays. If you would like to bring treats for your child’s class, please remember we are a nut free school. We do not serve any items that contain nuts, nut oil, or was made in the same factory as nuts. Thank you for helping keep our students safe.
We are participating in the Box Tops program and the Campbell’s Labels for Education program this year. The programs are very easy to use and all our families do to participate is collect box tops and Campbell’s labels. We will then use them to purchase new items for our school. Last year, we purchased new items for our Kindergarten class and new science items for each classroom. You can drop the labels off to the front desk at anytime during the school year.
Each month, you will receive a Scholastic Book order form in your child’s cubby. We earn points from each purchase and will use the points to purchase items such as books, stories on CD, teacher resource books, and other literature items for our school. If you would like to order, you can pay online or drop your check made payable to Scholastic into the tuition box.