May 2015 News letter
Wow! We are already in May! This month, we will be celebrating the stars of our schools; our wonderful teachers with a Hollywood theme Teacher Appreciation Week May 4-8. Parents, thank you for all of your support in making this week extra special for our teachers and their students.
Monday –May 4th
Fan Mail- Tell your teachers what makes them a star .
( Bring in the bottom part of this paper.)
Tuesday –May 5th
Behind The Scenes– Wear one of your teachers’ Favorite Color.
Wednesday-May 6th
VIP Luncheon– See sign up sheet at the front desk to donate an item for lunch.
Thursday-May 7th
Cast– Dress Up as a character from one of your teachers’ favorite children’s movie.
Friday, May 8th
Swag Day– Bring in a special gift for your teachers.
With the end of the school year quickly approaching, our teachers and staff are busy preparing for graduation and completing the final report card and VPK assessments. We are also preparing for transition for our students who will be joining us this summer. Parents, please be on the lookout for more information on your child’s summer classroom.
May is also National Water Safety month. The Swim Academy will be hosting a Parent Water Safety event May 20th from 6:30pm -7:30pm. We hope that you will be able to attend.
May 4-8: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 8: Muffins for Mom. Grab a special snack at drop off!
May 20: Wacky Wednesday Luau theme
May 20: 6:30-7:30 Swim Academy Parent Swim Safety Event. Parents Only Please.
May 25: No School :Memorial Day
June 4: Last Day of VPK
June 5: No school: Teacher Work Day
June 6: VPK Graduation 10 am at the Sagemont School-Upper Campus Gym
________________________________________
Reminders
Here are a few reminders and updates to keep us on track for the rest of the school year:
• Contact and Emergency Information: Please remember to update your information at the front desk if there are any changes.
• Lunch Menus: are due before the beginning of the month, so that we can order from the catering company. If we don’t have your child’s lunch menu, we can’t order a lunch. Please pack a lunch for your child if you haven’t filled out a lunch menu.
• Peanuts: can cause severe allergy symptoms; therefore, we are a peanut free facility. Do not include any peanut products in your child’s lunch or snack.
• Tuition: payments are due the 1st of each month. A $25 late fee will be applied to all tuition payments turned in after the 5th day of each month.
• Late pick-up: fees apply to children picked up after 6:30 pm. There is a fee of $1 per minute after 6:30 pm as stated on your tuition fee schedule agreement.
• Sick Policy: Children may be sent home if they have any concerning symptoms. In addition, a child must be free of all of these symptoms for at least 24 hours before he/she can return to school. These symptoms include:
– A Fever of 100 degrees or more
– Vomiting within the previous 24-hour period
– Diarrhea within the previous 24-hour period
– Symptoms of a communicable disease
– Fussy, cranky behavior and generally not himself/ herself
Following an illness, a child may return to school once he/she has either been seen by a doctor or it has been determined that illness is not contagious. ( A doctor’s clearance may be requested.) Please help us keep all of our children healthy by following these rules.If you have any questions or concerns please let us know. You can talk with your child’s teacher or any one of us in the front office. Also, you can email me at christina.roberts@nlcinc.com or call (954) 443-3002. As always my door is always open, please feel free to stop by, email me or call with any questions, concerns or comments. Our goal is to provide each family with a fulfilling educational experience.
Parent Ambassador Referral Program: Spread the word about Chesterbrook Academy and save on your child’s tuition. Stop by the front Office for more details.
Chesterbrook Academy has six locations in South Florida: Coconut Creek, Cooper City, Sunrise, Pembroke Pines, Port St. Lucie and Palm Beach Gardens.
Our Mission: Chesterbrook Academy provides a safe environment that is loving, nurturing, educational, and individualized for each student. Our school utilizes a rigorous academic curriculum that promotes respect, acceptance and achievement for creating a foundation that is everlasting.
________________________________________
What does our SACS CASI Accreditation mean to you?
“Accreditation is inextricably linked to institution and educational system improvement. The accreditation process asks institutions and systems to critically evaluate their vision, strategies, priorities, leadership, and programs and resources. The process of earning and maintaining accreditation provides institutions and educational systems with clear and compelling direction for implementing changes to move toward excellence.”
– www.advanc-ed.org
________________________________________
A Message From Our 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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May 2015
May 2015 News letter
Wow! We are already in May! This month, we will be celebrating the stars of our schools; our wonderful teachers with a Hollywood theme Teacher Appreciation Week May 4-8. Parents, thank you for all of your support in making this week extra special for our teachers and their students.
Monday –May 4th
Fan Mail- Tell your teachers what makes them a star .
( Bring in the bottom part of this paper.)
Tuesday –May 5th
Behind The Scenes– Wear one of your teachers’ Favorite Color.
Wednesday-May 6th
VIP Luncheon– See sign up sheet at the front desk to donate an item for lunch.
Thursday-May 7th
Cast– Dress Up as a character from one of your teachers’ favorite children’s movie.
Friday, May 8th
Swag Day– Bring in a special gift for your teachers.
With the end of the school year quickly approaching, our teachers and staff are busy preparing for graduation and completing the final report card and VPK assessments. We are also preparing for transition for our students who will be joining us this summer. Parents, please be on the lookout for more information on your child’s summer classroom.
May is also National Water Safety month. The Swim Academy will be hosting a Parent Water Safety event May 20th from 6:30pm -7:30pm. We hope that you will be able to attend.
May 4-8: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 8: Muffins for Mom. Grab a special snack at drop off!
May 20: Wacky Wednesday Luau theme
May 20: 6:30-7:30 Swim Academy Parent Swim Safety Event. Parents Only Please.
May 25: No School :Memorial Day
June 4: Last Day of VPK
June 5: No school: Teacher Work Day
June 6: VPK Graduation 10 am at the Sagemont School-Upper Campus Gym
________________________________________
Reminders
Here are a few reminders and updates to keep us on track for the rest of the school year:
• Contact and Emergency Information: Please remember to update your information at the front desk if there are any changes.
• Lunch Menus: are due before the beginning of the month, so that we can order from the catering company. If we don’t have your child’s lunch menu, we can’t order a lunch. Please pack a lunch for your child if you haven’t filled out a lunch menu.
• Peanuts: can cause severe allergy symptoms; therefore, we are a peanut free facility. Do not include any peanut products in your child’s lunch or snack.
• Tuition: payments are due the 1st of each month. A $25 late fee will be applied to all tuition payments turned in after the 5th day of each month.
• Late pick-up: fees apply to children picked up after 6:30 pm. There is a fee of $1 per minute after 6:30 pm as stated on your tuition fee schedule agreement.
• Sick Policy: Children may be sent home if they have any concerning symptoms. In addition, a child must be free of all of these symptoms for at least 24 hours before he/she can return to school. These symptoms include:
– A Fever of 100 degrees or more
– Vomiting within the previous 24-hour period
– Diarrhea within the previous 24-hour period
– Symptoms of a communicable disease
– Fussy, cranky behavior and generally not himself/ herself
Following an illness, a child may return to school once he/she has either been seen by a doctor or it has been determined that illness is not contagious. ( A doctor’s clearance may be requested.) Please help us keep all of our children healthy by following these rules.If you have any questions or concerns please let us know. You can talk with your child’s teacher or any one of us in the front office. Also, you can email me at christina.roberts@nlcinc.com or call (954) 443-3002. As always my door is always open, please feel free to stop by, email me or call with any questions, concerns or comments. Our goal is to provide each family with a fulfilling educational experience.
Parent Ambassador Referral Program: Spread the word about Chesterbrook Academy and save on your child’s tuition. Stop by the front Office for more details.
Chesterbrook Academy has six locations in South Florida: Coconut Creek, Cooper City, Sunrise, Pembroke Pines, Port St. Lucie and Palm Beach Gardens.
Our Mission: Chesterbrook Academy provides a safe environment that is loving, nurturing, educational, and individualized for each student. Our school utilizes a rigorous academic curriculum that promotes respect, acceptance and achievement for creating a foundation that is everlasting.
________________________________________
What does our SACS CASI Accreditation mean to you?
“Accreditation is inextricably linked to institution and educational system improvement. The accreditation process asks institutions and systems to critically evaluate their vision, strategies, priorities, leadership, and programs and resources. The process of earning and maintaining accreditation provides institutions and educational systems with clear and compelling direction for implementing changes to move toward excellence.”
– www.advanc-ed.org
________________________________________
A Message From Our 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