From the Principal’s Office

It looks like the Spring weather have finally arrived! Early bird registration for 2015-2016 school year has ended. Many of our families took advantage of the 50% off early registration. We still have a few openings is each of our classrooms so those who have not paid their registration yet can still secure a spot for their child. We have now opened fall registration up to the public and have enrolled some new children to our school for next year. Please be sure to drop off your completed registration form along with your registration fees as soon as possible before the school is full, if you need another form please let us know.

This month we will celebrate the children for Week of the Young Child, April 13-17, we have special activities planned for each day of the week. Monday – Plant something special with your child and take it home and watch it grow. Tuesday – wear your favorite super hero/princess/cartoon character outfit, we will have ice cream and cookies for afternoon snack. Wednesday – Wear your favorite sport team attire, you can make a snack and take it home with you when you get picked up for the day. Thursday – Pajama day and breakfast with your parents, parents stay and eat breakfast with your child before going to work. Friday –  Carnival day, bounce house, games and face painting.

Summer camp registration forms have been sent out in your child’s cubby. If you have not already registered your child for summer camp and you need them to attend please complete the summer camp registration form and return it with the appropriate fee for you child’s classroom.  If you need another form please let us know.

Lifetouch portraits have arrived.  They will be at the front desk for you to view and pay for the ones you would like to keep, we will not be sending them home.

Please keep in mind our illness policy that a child needs to be symptom free for 24 hours without medication when making the decision to bring your child to school after being sick. We understand it can be hard to take time off work when your child is recuperating but we are looking out for the best interests of all the children and the teachers. If you aren’t sure if it is okay for your child to return please give us a call and we will guide you the best we can. Thank you for your help with this as we try to keep all of the children at Chesterbrook healthy during the cold months. Hopefully, this season is about over with.

Happy April,
Heidi and Sue

 April

• 3 – No School Unit 4 schools
• 3 – Links to Learning folders go home
• 3 – Pre-K going on Easter Egg hunt to Heartland Health Care
• 3 – Good Friday
• 5 – Easter
• 13-17 – Week of the Young Child – see above for details
• 22 – Earth Day
• 30 – Links to Learning folders go home

Coming up

• May 4-8 is teacher appreciation week, more details to come.
• May 19 and 20 we will have vision and hearing screening from the 3-5 year olds, if you have not done so already please complete the form that was sent home and return it.
• May 21 Pre-K graduation, more details to come.

For Parents & Teachers

Please make sure that you are checking your child’s cubby each day. You may find notes and reminders there as well. Also, this would be a good time to check the change of clothes in your child’s cubby.  The clothes may be to small now or may not be appropriate for the weather at this time.  Please be sure that your child is prepared for outdoor play each day. We make the decision based on weather conditions through out the day. Even if the classes do not go out in the morning, they may go out in the afternoon.  So please make sure your child has a winter coat, hat, gloves, etc.

Please call the school if your child will not be in attendance for the day or if your child will be late so the teachers have an idea of how many to count on for the day. Parents of school agers… If your child will not be riding the bus after school, please contact us no later than 1pm.

Become a Chesterbrook Academy ambassador. Refer a friend, coworker or neighbor to Chesterbrook Academy for enrollment and you can earn a free week of tuition. There is no limit to the number of free weeks you can earn. If you would like more information on becoming an ambassador please stop by the office.

Just a reminder…tuition is due every Friday for the up coming week. Payments received after 12pm 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, please, please be sure you are signing your child in each day when you drop off and out when you pick up! The state considers the sign in/sign out sheets to be legal documents so it is very important that whoever drops off and picks up writes down the time and initial/sign for the current day. The sheets are in the classrooms, so it is easier for the teachers to monitor that sign in and outs are occurring. We appreciate your help with this state requirement.

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 on file in case of an emergency.

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