From the Principal’s Office:
Books, Books, Books… we love to read books!
“Read Across America” week starts on February 29th till March 4th! We will also be celebrating one of our favorite author’s birthday, Dr. Seuss. We are very excited about hosting not only our book fair, but a book drive to help support Bernie’s Book Bank this month. Each classroom will be collecting spare change and then using that change to purchase books at the book fair for Bernie’s Book Bank. Families can donate gently used children’s books anytime during the book fair and will receive a raffle ticket for each donation to win new books. Classroom wish lists and regular book sales will also be available; see Ms. Jen or Ms. Nicole if you want to purchase books during the week of March 7th to March 11th. We will be accepting book donations for Bernie’s Book Bank from March 7th to March 25th.
Books, Books, Books… we love books!
Fun themed days during our book fair:
Monday, March 7th: Cat in the Hat Day- wear your favorite hat
Tuesday, March 8th: Fox in Socks Day- wear your craziest pair of socks
Wednesday, March 9th: Dr. Seuss Sleep Book Day- wear your favorite pajamas
Thursday, March 10th: The Grinch and Green Eggs & Ham Day- wear lots of green
Friday, March 11th: Oh the Places You’ll Go Day- wear something from a someplace you have traveled to
Please take a moment and scroll down to read the article “Introducing your preschooler to the fascinating world of non-fiction” by Dr. Lauren Starnes.
My favorite books by Dr. Seuss
1. Horton hatches an egg “I meant what I said and I said what I meant”
2. Did I ever tell you how lucky you are? “Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky”
3. McElligot’s Pool “Oh, the sea is so full of a number of fish, If a fellow is patient, he might get his wish”
4. Horton hears a who “A person’s a person, no matter how small”
5. The Lorax “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It‘s not”
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go”
Wishing you and your family a month filled with possibilities!
Nicole Gleason
Principal
Our calendar for the 2015-2016 school years is viewable online at: http://centralnaperville.chesterbrookacademy.com.
Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChesterbrookNapervilleOswego
Upcoming Events
March
- Equal Exchange Sale ends Friday, March 4th
- Book Fair begins on Monday, March 7th (see themed days in School Spotlight & above)
- Book Drive begins on Monday, March 7th
- STEM Curriculum Night on Tuesday, March 8th
- Priority Registration ends on Friday, March 11th
- Book fair ends on Saturday, March 12th
- Open House for New Families on Saturday, March 12th from 10:00am to 1:00pm
- St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 17th
- Egg Hunt on Friday, March 18th
- Book Drive ends on Friday, March 25th
April
- Vision & Hearing Screening on Wednesday, April 20th
- Spring Portraits on Thursday, April 21st and Friday, April 22nd
- Earth Day on Friday, April 22nd
School Spotlight
Fun themed days during our book fair:
Monday, March 7th: Cat in the Hat Day- wear your favorite hat
Tuesday, March 8th: Fox in Socks Day- wear your craziest pair of socks
Wednesday, March 9th: Dr. Seuss Sleep Book Day- wear your favorite pajamas
Thursday, March 10th: The Grinch and Green Eggs & Ham Day- wear lots of green
Friday, March 11th: Oh the Places You’ll Go Day- wear something from a someplace you have traveled to
STEM Curriculum Night
Please join us on Tuesday, March 8th from 6:00pm to 7:00pm to explore multi-sensory activities with your child in our Infant and Toddler programs and STEM activities with your Beginner, Intermediate, and Prek child. This is a family event, older siblings are welcome to join us too!
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
March Article:
Introducing Your Preschooler
to the Fascinating World of Non-Fiction
When you think about children’s books, you might envision princesses in castles, talking animals or a flying magic school bus. Although it’s fun to read these types of stories with your child, it’s important to also introduce him to non-fiction books. You may be surprised to learn that he’s fascinated with exploring real people, places and things!
Non-fiction is not only interesting to children, but it also creates an important foundation for learning. It helps children build new vocabulary, develop critical thinking skills, fuel their curiosity and gain a better understanding about the world around them.
Below are ways we integrate non-fiction in the classroom, as well as activities you can try at home.
INFANTS:
In the classroom: Infants love to look at faces, so our teachers choose non-fiction books that include photographs of people, such as Global Babies by Global Fund for Children. Afterward, they show the baby a photo of his own family and talk about the people in the photo. For example, “Look, Ben. Here’s your mom. Who’s she holding? That’s you.”
At home: Read multi-sensory picture books with your child. Choose non-fiction books with different textures and bright colors to help stimulate his growing sensory awareness.
Recommended reading: Families by Rena D. Grossman, Bathtime (Baby Touch & Feel) by DK Publishing
TODDLERS (ages 1-2):
In the classroom: Toddlers learn the names of different animals and vehicles and the sounds they make. While singing songs with students, our teachers ask, “What does a pig say?” or “What sound does a fire truck make?”
At home: Point out photographs of familiar animals and vehicles in magazines or books. Ask your child to mimic the noise that each item makes. This can also be done in the car as you’re driving around your neighborhood.
Recommended reading: Baby Animals by National Geographic Kids, Noisy Trucks by Tiger Tales
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: Teachers and students read non-fiction books by going on picture walks. A picture walk motivates children to rely on pictorial clues to decipher the story’s plot and make predictions. Before reading the story, they flip through the book, and the child is encouraged to make predictions about the characters and plot. The teacher then reads the book aloud to the student. When finished, the teacher asks questions to start a conversation about the text.
At home: Visit a library with your child, and let him choose a book. Take a picture walk through the book with him. When you’re finished, ask the librarian to recommend a non-fiction book about the same topic. For example, if you read Clifford the Big Red Dog, your child might also be interested in Puppies, Puppies, Puppies, a non-fiction book by Susan Meyers.
Recommended reading: My First Baseball Book by Sterling Children’s, Everything Spring by Jill Esbaum
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Our Intermediate teachers combine non-fiction reading with dramatic play. After reading a book about farm life, children create their own farm in the dramatic play center and pretend to be farmers. Children gain a better understanding of the book, practice problem solving skills, and use new vocabulary.
At home: Select a book with large photographs or illustrations. Flip through the book, and let your child stop on pages that interest him. Don’t worry about reading every page. Ask him to tell you what is going on in the pictures, and encourage him to make comparisons to experiences he’s had in real life. For example, if you pick a book about weather, you might ask, “Where do we go in the summertime when it’s hot?” or “Why do we use an umbrella in the springtime?”
Recommended reading: Watching the Seasons by Edana Eckart, Wings by Melanie Mitchell
PRE-K/PRE-K2 (ages 4-5):
In the classroom: Our older preschoolers read a non-fiction book paired with a fiction book, and compare and contrast the two stories. After reading Stella Luna and Bat Loves the Night, the teacher might ask, “In Stella Luna, the bat slept upright. Is that how a real bat sleeps?” Students may also create a Venn diagram that shows similarities and differences in the two books.
At home: Read various forms of non-fiction with your child, including books, brochures and flyers. Challenge him to find sight words in the text. Afterward, ask him to write in his journal what he would like to learn about next. Use that information when choosing another piece of non-fiction.
Recommended reading: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin (fiction), Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser (non-fiction)
By introducing children to both fiction and non-fiction texts in the preschool years, they become comfortable with a wide range of subjects and acquire the skills needed to comprehend important information in kindergarten and beyond. They are better able to tap into their interests and enjoy learning about real world people, places and things.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education
March News
From the Principal’s Office:
Books, Books, Books… we love to read books!
“Read Across America” week starts on February 29th till March 4th! We will also be celebrating one of our favorite author’s birthday, Dr. Seuss. We are very excited about hosting not only our book fair, but a book drive to help support Bernie’s Book Bank this month. Each classroom will be collecting spare change and then using that change to purchase books at the book fair for Bernie’s Book Bank. Families can donate gently used children’s books anytime during the book fair and will receive a raffle ticket for each donation to win new books. Classroom wish lists and regular book sales will also be available; see Ms. Jen or Ms. Nicole if you want to purchase books during the week of March 7th to March 11th. We will be accepting book donations for Bernie’s Book Bank from March 7th to March 25th.
Books, Books, Books… we love books!
Fun themed days during our book fair:
Monday, March 7th: Cat in the Hat Day- wear your favorite hat
Tuesday, March 8th: Fox in Socks Day- wear your craziest pair of socks
Wednesday, March 9th: Dr. Seuss Sleep Book Day- wear your favorite pajamas
Thursday, March 10th: The Grinch and Green Eggs & Ham Day- wear lots of green
Friday, March 11th: Oh the Places You’ll Go Day- wear something from a someplace you have traveled to
Please take a moment and scroll down to read the article “Introducing your preschooler to the fascinating world of non-fiction” by Dr. Lauren Starnes.
My favorite books by Dr. Seuss
1. Horton hatches an egg “I meant what I said and I said what I meant”
2. Did I ever tell you how lucky you are? “Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky”
3. McElligot’s Pool “Oh, the sea is so full of a number of fish, If a fellow is patient, he might get his wish”
4. Horton hears a who “A person’s a person, no matter how small”
5. The Lorax “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It‘s not”
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go”
Wishing you and your family a month filled with possibilities!
Nicole Gleason
Principal
Our calendar for the 2015-2016 school years is viewable online at: http://centralnaperville.chesterbrookacademy.com.
Visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChesterbrookNapervilleOswego
Upcoming Events
March
April
School Spotlight
Fun themed days during our book fair:
Monday, March 7th: Cat in the Hat Day- wear your favorite hat
Tuesday, March 8th: Fox in Socks Day- wear your craziest pair of socks
Wednesday, March 9th: Dr. Seuss Sleep Book Day- wear your favorite pajamas
Thursday, March 10th: The Grinch and Green Eggs & Ham Day- wear lots of green
Friday, March 11th: Oh the Places You’ll Go Day- wear something from a someplace you have traveled to
STEM Curriculum Night
Please join us on Tuesday, March 8th from 6:00pm to 7:00pm to explore multi-sensory activities with your child in our Infant and Toddler programs and STEM activities with your Beginner, Intermediate, and Prek child. This is a family event, older siblings are welcome to join us too!
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
March Article:
Introducing Your Preschooler
to the Fascinating World of Non-Fiction
When you think about children’s books, you might envision princesses in castles, talking animals or a flying magic school bus. Although it’s fun to read these types of stories with your child, it’s important to also introduce him to non-fiction books. You may be surprised to learn that he’s fascinated with exploring real people, places and things!
Non-fiction is not only interesting to children, but it also creates an important foundation for learning. It helps children build new vocabulary, develop critical thinking skills, fuel their curiosity and gain a better understanding about the world around them.
Below are ways we integrate non-fiction in the classroom, as well as activities you can try at home.
INFANTS:
In the classroom: Infants love to look at faces, so our teachers choose non-fiction books that include photographs of people, such as Global Babies by Global Fund for Children. Afterward, they show the baby a photo of his own family and talk about the people in the photo. For example, “Look, Ben. Here’s your mom. Who’s she holding? That’s you.”
At home: Read multi-sensory picture books with your child. Choose non-fiction books with different textures and bright colors to help stimulate his growing sensory awareness.
Recommended reading: Families by Rena D. Grossman, Bathtime (Baby Touch & Feel) by DK Publishing
TODDLERS (ages 1-2):
In the classroom: Toddlers learn the names of different animals and vehicles and the sounds they make. While singing songs with students, our teachers ask, “What does a pig say?” or “What sound does a fire truck make?”
At home: Point out photographs of familiar animals and vehicles in magazines or books. Ask your child to mimic the noise that each item makes. This can also be done in the car as you’re driving around your neighborhood.
Recommended reading: Baby Animals by National Geographic Kids, Noisy Trucks by Tiger Tales
BEGINNERS (ages 2-3):
In the classroom: Teachers and students read non-fiction books by going on picture walks. A picture walk motivates children to rely on pictorial clues to decipher the story’s plot and make predictions. Before reading the story, they flip through the book, and the child is encouraged to make predictions about the characters and plot. The teacher then reads the book aloud to the student. When finished, the teacher asks questions to start a conversation about the text.
At home: Visit a library with your child, and let him choose a book. Take a picture walk through the book with him. When you’re finished, ask the librarian to recommend a non-fiction book about the same topic. For example, if you read Clifford the Big Red Dog, your child might also be interested in Puppies, Puppies, Puppies, a non-fiction book by Susan Meyers.
Recommended reading: My First Baseball Book by Sterling Children’s, Everything Spring by Jill Esbaum
INTERMEDIATES (ages 3-4):
In the classroom: Our Intermediate teachers combine non-fiction reading with dramatic play. After reading a book about farm life, children create their own farm in the dramatic play center and pretend to be farmers. Children gain a better understanding of the book, practice problem solving skills, and use new vocabulary.
At home: Select a book with large photographs or illustrations. Flip through the book, and let your child stop on pages that interest him. Don’t worry about reading every page. Ask him to tell you what is going on in the pictures, and encourage him to make comparisons to experiences he’s had in real life. For example, if you pick a book about weather, you might ask, “Where do we go in the summertime when it’s hot?” or “Why do we use an umbrella in the springtime?”
Recommended reading: Watching the Seasons by Edana Eckart, Wings by Melanie Mitchell
PRE-K/PRE-K2 (ages 4-5):
In the classroom: Our older preschoolers read a non-fiction book paired with a fiction book, and compare and contrast the two stories. After reading Stella Luna and Bat Loves the Night, the teacher might ask, “In Stella Luna, the bat slept upright. Is that how a real bat sleeps?” Students may also create a Venn diagram that shows similarities and differences in the two books.
At home: Read various forms of non-fiction with your child, including books, brochures and flyers. Challenge him to find sight words in the text. Afterward, ask him to write in his journal what he would like to learn about next. Use that information when choosing another piece of non-fiction.
Recommended reading: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin (fiction), Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser (non-fiction)
By introducing children to both fiction and non-fiction texts in the preschool years, they become comfortable with a wide range of subjects and acquire the skills needed to comprehend important information in kindergarten and beyond. They are better able to tap into their interests and enjoy learning about real world people, places and things.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education