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May News

From the Principal’s Office:

This month we usually get to spend more time outdoors which means more opportunities for outdoor learning! Please see the school spotlight section to make sure your child is ready for fun in the sun this spring and summer at Chesterbrook Academy Preschool.

In May, our Prek, Prek2B, and Prek2A students will be completing their “Giving without Walls” project by visiting the St. John’s Food Pantry to create Birthday Bags for other children in need. Our students raised over four hundred dollars from their bake sale and can’t wait to see how many bags they can make. We are so excited for this trip and for our students to learn that little hands can do big things! Look for updates soon about the trip.

May is also filled with lots of celebrations as we start the month off celebrating our teachers and our moms (see school spotlight section for dates and times)! This month we will also be celebrating all of our students’ accomplishments, learning, and growth with our “Portfolio Night”.

Just Some of My Favorite Picture Books by Jamie Lee Curtis

  1. Today I Feel Silly
  2. Tell Me Again about the Night I was Born
  3. Where do Balloons Go?
  4. Is There Really a Human Race?
  5. It’s Hard to be Five

Today I feel silly.
Mom says it’s the heat.
I put rouge on the cat
and gloves on my feet.
I ate noodles for breakfast
and pancakes at night.
I dressed like start
and was quite a sight.
~ Jamie Lee Curtis

We are looking forward to more spring like weather and opportunities for silliness!

Nicole Gleason
Principal
Our calendar for the 2015-2016 school years is viewable online at: http://centralnaperville.chesterbrookacademy.com.

Upcoming Events

May

  • Teacher Appreciation Week begins on Monday, May 4th
  • Mother’s Day Breakfast on Friday, May 8th
  • St. John’s Food Pantry Field Trip on Tuesday, May 12th
  • CAPA Garage Sale at Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School on Saturday, May 16th from 9:00am to 2:00pm
  • Chesterbrook Academy is closed for Memorial Day Holiday on Monday, May 25th
  • Spring Parent Reports sent home on Wednesday, May 27th
  • Curriculum Night “Portfolio Night” on Wednesday, May 27th from 6:00pm to 7:00pm

June

  • Summer Camp Begins Monday, June 1st
  • Graduation on Tuesday, June 2nd at 6:00pm
  • Water Play & Sprinkler Fun Begins on Monday, June 1st (see camp calendar for individual class days)
  • Father’s Day Breakfast on Friday, June 19th
  • Family Movie Night on Friday, June 26th  at dusk, Movie TBA

School Spotlight

Mother’s Day Breakfast

On Friday, May 8th we will be celebrating our moms with a continental breakfast served from 7:30am to 9:00am. There will be a special table set up in each classroom for you to eat breakfast with your child. Happy Mother’s Day!

Curriculum Night a “Portfolio Night”

Please join us on Wednesday, May 27th from 6:00pm to 7:00pm for “Portfolio Night” at Chesterbrook Academy Preschool. Parents, students, and family are all welcome to come; as we view our student’s portfolios and take home the spring parent report.

Preschool Graduation

Please join us on Tuesday, June 2nd at 6:00pm for our annual Preschool Graduation at Chesterbrook Academy Elementary gym. Students will be performing on stage and refreshments will be served after the diplomas are received. We hope to see you there!

Fun in the Sun

“Oh Mr. Sun, Sun Mr. Golden Sun….” The sun is shining bright (or will be soon) and our preschoolers are spending more time outside. Please help us protect our students by filling out our sunscreen form and returning it with a new bottle of sunscreen. A hat is also suggested; please make sure to label it with your child’s name. Sunscreen is applied fifteen minutes before going outside both in the AM and PM. Please make sure your child has appropriate footwear for summer. Sandals with backs and clasps and sneakers/gym shoes are great. Please no flip flops.

Safety Concerns and Traffic Flow in Parking Lot

This is a reminder to parents regarding our policy on entering and exiting the building. I know that it is in our nature to be polite and open doors for others, but when this occurs it negates the safety features of our door code. Please refrain from holding open the door for other adults in order to ensure that only enrolled families gain access to our building. Ms. Jen and I are available from 7:00am to 6:30pm to monitor the comings and goings of parents and students; but occasionally we need to assist in a classroom or in the kitchen. We will be posting a sign at the front desk notifying parents where we are, should we need to leave the front desk area for an extended period of time. We also have an extra staff member monitoring the front entrance from 6:30am to 7:00am, until Ms. Jen or I arrive for the day.

Please take a moment to review how traffic should flow in our parking lot: Traffic is to enter the parking lot on the Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School side and then follow all the way around the lot and park on the preschool side. Traffic should exit the parking lot on our preschool side. Please make sure to slow down near the cross walk so that you are able to watch for pedestrians crossing from one building to the next and to avoid any accidents or injuries. Heavy traffic times are from 8:30am to 8:45am and 3:35pm to 3:55pm; to avoid these heavy traffic times please arrive to the campus either before or after these arrival and dismissal times.

Become a Chesterbrook Ambassador!
If you refer a family to any Chesterbrook Academy school, you will receive a free week of tuition off of your oldest child’s tuition.  There is no limit to the number of families you refer. Note: The referred family must be full-time student and enrolled for 90 days before the free week of tuition can be applied. If the referral is for a part time student you will receive one hundred dollars off your child’s tuition.

Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School
Please take a moment each month to view what is new and exciting at our Chesterbrook Academy Elementary School website at: http://naperville.chesterbrookacademy.com. You can learn more about all the specialty teachers under the Parent tab or enjoy reading the elementary newsletter.

From the Education Department

Developing Writing Skills in Young Children
– From Crayons to Concepts –

In the early preschool years, writing starts with practicing fine motor skills and progresses to include concepts such as vocabulary, sentence structure and inventive spelling. Our curriculum builds the foundation for writing beginning with our infants. Our teachers not only instruct students how to write, but they also help instill a love of writing and self-expression.

Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about writing, as well as fun activities to try with your child at home.

INFANTS/TODDLERS

In the classroom: Our infants and toddlers practice picking up and placing objects into containers, building hand strength and coordination.

At-home activity: Give your child plastic cooking utensils, such as spoons and spatulas, along with a large bowl. Place appropriate finger foods in the bowl, and encourage your baby to pick up the utensils and use them to move the food around. Choose utensils with different sized handles so your baby learns how to grasp and hold objects in various ways.

BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3)

In the classroom: During imaginative play, teachers provide pens, markers and crayons to encourage students to practice writing. For instance, they pretend to own a restaurant and write food orders, and pretend to be doctors and take notes about the condition of their stuffed animals.

At-home activity: Incorporate writing activities during playtime. Bring sidewalk chalk outdoors and ask your child to write what they see. Don’t correct spelling or proper letter formations. Show enthusiasm in any efforts he makes, as this is how children learn that words are powerful and have meaning.

INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4)

In the classroom: Different writing tools and surfaces make writing more interesting for children. Our Intermediates use chalk on a chalkboard, form letters using modeling clay, and finger paint on canvas.

At-home activity: Three year olds enjoy mimicking adults in their daily activities. Allow your child to engage in a new writing activity with you, such as writing a grocery list or a thank you card. Explain to him what you are writing and the purpose it serves.

PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5)

In the classroom: Teachers make writing fun for our older preschoolers by creating a classroom post office and asking the children to write and mail letters to each other. Through this activity, students practice communicating thoughts and ideas on paper, using proper grip, writing first and last names in correct case, and writing words independently by using inventive spelling. Inventive spelling encourages a love for writing and reinforces phonics. Traditional spelling is encouraged as students move into more formal writing in early elementary grades.

At-home activity: After a family outing, invite your child to write about his day in a journal. Encourage him to use uppercase and lowercase letters. If he asks for help writing more challenging words, have him attempt to spell them by sounding out the word and writing the letters that make that sound. Invite him to read his journal entry to you.

We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to develop and practice their writing skills. By setting this foundation, they will be better prepared to communicate thoughts and ideas through writing in elementary school and beyond.

– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education

 

 

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