Weekly themes for January
- Week 1- January 4-8 “Artic Animals”
- Week 2- January 11-15 “Snow and Ice is Nice”
- Week 3- January 18-22 “Getting to Know the Eskimos”
- Week 4- January 25-29 “Winter Wear”
Important Dates
- January 1st- Closed in Observance of New Year’s Day
- January 4th-LCPS Resumes
- January 8th-Show: Winter Themed
- January 14th-Breakfast to Go for Parents (6:30 am-10 am)
- January 18th-LCPS Closed
- January 22nd- Winter Wonderland Art Display
- January 23rd- Open House (10 am-1 pm)
- January 29th-LCPS Closed
- January 29th-Spirit Day: Wear your favorite winter wear item!
Parent Communication Center
The parent communication center is located in our front lobby. The communication center contains the following:
- Vacation Credit Request Forms – Please remember that vacation credits run July 1st to July 1st not on calendar year
- Receipt & Statement book
- Alternative Pick Up Binder
- Extra Lunch & Snack Menus
- Daily postings of important events and due dates
- Food Policy
As a reminder, it is a school policy that food from home is not allowed in the building for our Beginners and up. It is to hard to monitor all the different types of food that can be brought in and we do have some severe allergies in our building. All children Beginners and up must eat breakfast at home before coming to school, please refrain from sending muffins, Dunkin Donuts, cereal, sandwiches, etc. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to come and speak with someone at the front desk.
Tuition Policy
Please remember that tuition is due every Friday for the upcoming week and that it is late at noon on Monday. All tuition turned in after noon on Monday will receive a $25.00 late payment fee. If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by the front desk.
Late Pick Up Policy
Please remember that our hours of operation are 6:30am to 6:30pm. As a reminder our late pick up fee is $1 per minute starting at 6:31pm. Please be sure to pick up on time and if you do plan to be late, we ask that you please call to give us a heads up.
Toy Policy
Toys from home are not permitted at school. Please refrain from allowing your child to bring in toys from home, unless it is their scheduled show and share day or a stuffed animal for nap time. Toys from home can get lost, be broken, stolen, etc… and can cause fighting among the children.
From Chesterbrook Elementary
Our elementary school is a unique private school community. We provide a superior education today and a foundation for continued academic success tomorrow. We partner closely with parents to create the best understanding of each child’s strengths and opportunities. We offer personalized attention to students, without the high tuition rates you would expect for a private school of this caliber. Please contact me directly with any questions at lydia.soto@nlcinc.com or 703-404-0202
From the Education Department
The Value of Visual Art Activities for Your Preschooler
Visual art experiences help children develop skills such as critical thinking, self-expression, problem-solving, communication and collaboration. Our teachers focus on process-based art education, in which the experience of creating art is valued over the end product.
In our classrooms, teachers integrate art into many aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum. After reading a book about polar bears, teachers might ask students to create their own polar bears using sponges, paint, markers and paper. They encourage students to talk about their art, providing a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary, particularly words related to colors, shapes,textures, and emotions.
Our students are also exposed to and inspired by famous artwork. In order to cultivate that fascination, we discuss famous artists and art works and ask students to create replicas of well-known paintings and sculptures. For example, after learning about Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, teachers mimic the activity in the classroom. They tape paper underneath tables, and students practice painting a masterpiece while lying down.
Below are visual art activities you and your child can do at home, as well as recommended reading.
At Home:
• Provide your child with finger paint, a large piece of paper and a smock. Let him create a masterpiece. Talk about how the paint feels and what colors and shapes he creates on the paper.
• Start a journal with your child. Have him draw a picture of something that happened during the day. Avoid giving direction. Instead of saying “Draw a picture of your teacher and classmates,” encourage him to experiment using different colored markers or crayons. If age appropriate, ask your child to write a few words to describe the picture.
• Give your child a piece of paper and a box of crayons or markers. Show him how to use the materials to make dots, lines and swirls on the paper. Let him take over and have fun. Encourage conversation about your child’s art by saying, “Tell me about what you made” or “I see you used a lot of blue in your picture. Why did you choose that color?”
• Ask your child to decorate a sign for his bedroom door using various art materials. Have him write his name on the sign.
Recommended Reading:
• The Dot by Peter Reynolds
• Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
• Art by Patrick McDonnell
• Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
• Mix It Up by Herve Tullet
It is wonderful to share the joy that children naturally take in using art materials. Giving children extra opportunities to connect art to the world around them, contributes to happiness and future success in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education
January 2016
Important Dates
Parent Communication Center
The parent communication center is located in our front lobby. The communication center contains the following:
As a reminder, it is a school policy that food from home is not allowed in the building for our Beginners and up. It is to hard to monitor all the different types of food that can be brought in and we do have some severe allergies in our building. All children Beginners and up must eat breakfast at home before coming to school, please refrain from sending muffins, Dunkin Donuts, cereal, sandwiches, etc. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to come and speak with someone at the front desk.
Tuition Policy
Please remember that tuition is due every Friday for the upcoming week and that it is late at noon on Monday. All tuition turned in after noon on Monday will receive a $25.00 late payment fee. If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by the front desk.
Late Pick Up Policy
Please remember that our hours of operation are 6:30am to 6:30pm. As a reminder our late pick up fee is $1 per minute starting at 6:31pm. Please be sure to pick up on time and if you do plan to be late, we ask that you please call to give us a heads up.
Toy Policy
Toys from home are not permitted at school. Please refrain from allowing your child to bring in toys from home, unless it is their scheduled show and share day or a stuffed animal for nap time. Toys from home can get lost, be broken, stolen, etc… and can cause fighting among the children.
From Chesterbrook Elementary
Our elementary school is a unique private school community. We provide a superior education today and a foundation for continued academic success tomorrow. We partner closely with parents to create the best understanding of each child’s strengths and opportunities. We offer personalized attention to students, without the high tuition rates you would expect for a private school of this caliber. Please contact me directly with any questions at lydia.soto@nlcinc.com or 703-404-0202
From the Education Department
The Value of Visual Art Activities for Your Preschooler
Visual art experiences help children develop skills such as critical thinking, self-expression, problem-solving, communication and collaboration. Our teachers focus on process-based art education, in which the experience of creating art is valued over the end product.
In our classrooms, teachers integrate art into many aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum. After reading a book about polar bears, teachers might ask students to create their own polar bears using sponges, paint, markers and paper. They encourage students to talk about their art, providing a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary, particularly words related to colors, shapes,textures, and emotions.
Our students are also exposed to and inspired by famous artwork. In order to cultivate that fascination, we discuss famous artists and art works and ask students to create replicas of well-known paintings and sculptures. For example, after learning about Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, teachers mimic the activity in the classroom. They tape paper underneath tables, and students practice painting a masterpiece while lying down.
Below are visual art activities you and your child can do at home, as well as recommended reading.
At Home:
• Provide your child with finger paint, a large piece of paper and a smock. Let him create a masterpiece. Talk about how the paint feels and what colors and shapes he creates on the paper.
• Start a journal with your child. Have him draw a picture of something that happened during the day. Avoid giving direction. Instead of saying “Draw a picture of your teacher and classmates,” encourage him to experiment using different colored markers or crayons. If age appropriate, ask your child to write a few words to describe the picture.
• Give your child a piece of paper and a box of crayons or markers. Show him how to use the materials to make dots, lines and swirls on the paper. Let him take over and have fun. Encourage conversation about your child’s art by saying, “Tell me about what you made” or “I see you used a lot of blue in your picture. Why did you choose that color?”
• Ask your child to decorate a sign for his bedroom door using various art materials. Have him write his name on the sign.
Recommended Reading:
• The Dot by Peter Reynolds
• Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
• Art by Patrick McDonnell
• Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
• Mix It Up by Herve Tullet
It is wonderful to share the joy that children naturally take in using art materials. Giving children extra opportunities to connect art to the world around them, contributes to happiness and future success in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education