From the Principal’s Office
The temperatures have cooled and we are hoping they stay right where they are for a while; we aren’t in any rush for winter weather with early snow like we had last year. The children continue to go outside daily as long as it isn’t raining, so please be sure to dress your child appropriately for outside play. They definitely need jackets in the mornings but might be able to do without in the afternoon depending on the wind.
Our corporate office has sent parents an invitation containing the link for our annual parent survey. If you have not received the email, please let us know so we can request it be resent. The survey provides the opportunity for parents to rate and give feedback on different topics anonymously. Information from the survey lets us know our strengths and areas we can work on. In order to get valid data from the survey, forty percent of the surveys need to be completed, so be sure to make your voice heard. The survey closes on November 1, so you have plenty of time to complete yours if you haven’t already. We appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete yours!
Shawna will attend the Principal Conference October 21-25. She will learn about new initiatives and changes in policy/procedures in early education and within Links to Learning. Shawna will in turn bring the new information back to the teachers and put it into action in the classrooms. While Shawna is gone, Jen and Cindy will be available to answer any questions you might have.
Until next month, Shawna
Dates
October
- October 2 – Parent Surveys open
- October 4 – Links to Learning folders returned
- October 7 – Last day for Charleston Wrap orders
- October 21-25 – Principals’ Conference
- October 28-29 – Fall Picture Days
- October 28 – Charleston Wrap orders deliver this week
- October 30 – Links to Learning folders distributed
- October 31 – Halloween parade and classroom parties
- November 1 –Parent survey closes
- November 4 – Yankee Candle sales end
- November 5 – Links to Learning folders returned
Open House
- November 16, 2019
- 10:00-1:00
For Parents and Teachers
Our fall picture days will be October 28th & 29th. We split pictures over two days to make sure we get all we need within our time parameters. We will have two photographers each day and they will set up and be ready to go by 6:30 and will continue until lunch time. Infants, toddlers, beginners and siblings will have their pictures taken on Monday, October 28th along with infant, toddler and beginner class pictures. Intermediates and pre-k will have their pictures taken on Tuesday, October 29th along with those class pictures. Makeup pictures will occur on Tuesday. Flyers will go out prior to picture day for you to see the background options and to make your choices for backgrounds. We are waiting to hear if pictures will have to be viewed and purchased online only or if you will be able to see the completed pictures prior to purchase. We will let you know once we have heard. If you have any questions about picture day, please see one of us.
Our Halloween parade will be October 31st at 2:30 with classroom parties immediately after. The parade will be held outside, weather permitting. The children will change into their costumes after naptime, so please be sure to bring the costume along during drop off time. Signup sheets are posted in the classrooms so parents can volunteer to help with the parties by bringing in treats, helping the children change into costumes or help serve snack. Please remember when selecting snacks to bring in that we are a peanut free school and all food must be store bought. If you have any questions about the parties, please see the classroom teachers.
For Parents
The Charleston Wrap sales have ended and we are processing orders to submit them. Merchandise will deliver the week of October 28th, and we will distribute everything once it arrives. Thank you to everyone who participated in this sales opportunity. If you weren’t able to participate in the Charleston Wrap sales, Yankee Candle sales will roll out November 4th.
The first Parent Reports of the school year will be distributed during the week of November 4th. The Parent Reports will let you know where your child is at this point in the school year. We would expect to see the children at the “introduced” and “developing” level for the majority of skills. Mastery of the skills doesn’t occur until later in the school year after having had multiple exposures to the various skills. We will offer parent/teacher conferences during the week of November 11th for any parents who would like to discuss their child’s progress and goals for the year. There will be a signup sheet at the front desk to schedule a conference if you’d like one after reviewing your child’s Parent Report.
Reminders
Please either help your child to wash their hands or help them wash their hands on arrival in the classroom. With the start of cold and flu season, it is important to keep the spread of germs down and the easiest way to do this is with handwashing. Thank you for supporting this policy.
We discourage the practice of allowing the children to bring outside food into the school during drop off. We have some children enrolled who have severe food allergies and can have a reaction from an accidental transfer. If your child eats food on the drive to school, please encourage him/her to finish eating in the car. Thank you!
Check your child’s cubby to make sure there is a complete change of clothes including socks and underwear.
Families can earn free tuition when a family they refer enrolls with us. There is no limit to the number of times free tuition can be earned. Be an ambassador for Chesterbrook Academy and share with others what you love about the school.
Information for Consumer Product Safety Recalls:
Website – http://www.cpsc.gov/en/recalls or Mobile app – RECALLS.GOV
Coming Up…
- The school will be closed on Monday, November 11th so the teachers can participate in a professional development day. We build two professional development days into our school calendar to provide the opportunity for the teachers to meet with their peers and learn the latest in the field of early education. We appreciate the support you provide by arranging other childcare for the day. We will reopen at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 12th.
- Chesterbrook will host a food drive November 4-22. The classrooms will decorate boxes to place outside their doors for families to drop off nonperishable food items. The food drive allows the school to participate in a community event and is easy for the children to take part in. The teachers will talk with the children about the need for food to grow and the importance of sharing. The pre-k classes will deliver the donations on right before Thanksgiving to a food pantry we have partnered with the last few years.
- Our annual Thanksgiving Feast is scheduled for Friday, November 22nd. Ms. Paula will cook a Thanksgiving dinner of turkey and all the trimmings. Parents and other special guests are invited to join their child for lunch that day. We will get more information to you about times and signing up so we have a head count. Watch for more information on Links 2 Home and your child’s cubby.
- Save the date…Thanksgiving is November 28th, so the school will be closed that day and also the next day, Friday, November 29th.
Open House
- November 16, 2019
- 10:00-1:00
School Highlights
INFANTS 1: Hello everyone! Fall is finally here! As the seasons change, the holidays near, and we sure are excited about that. Our little babies are growing up so fast! We will continue to work on their skills and pass through as many milestones as possible. That doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun in the process though, RIGHT?! We have two exciting books of the month that will have the children exploring new slimy textures, engaging in spooky activities and making colorful crafts!! Make sure to check out the two bulletin boards in our class this month to find out what exciting new things your little ones are up to!
INFANT 2: Ms. Shayna’s 4 Little Pumpkins have been celebrating all things fall! We’ve been reading Five Little Pumpkins, talking about the pumpkins’ facial expressions, for example, “That pumpkin feels afraid. His mouth is open and there are tears in his eyes.” We’ve had a blast playing the game “Pumpkin feels…” while imitating the pumpkin faces we see in the book. Ms. Shayna can’t wait to snap pics of her sweet 4 Little Pumpkins’ faces in action. Happy Fall y’all!
TODDLER 2: For the month of October, we are learning about Brown Bear working on animals and our colors. Also, we are doing stuff with apples, working on the shape and different colors of apples. We will end our month working on pumpkins and Halloween. We will get to be hands on with pumpkins and will finger paint and practice holding markers and crayons.
BEGINNER 2: This month we are excited to read the books Vegetables in Underwear, Fire Engines, Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, Pumply, Dumply Pumpkin and It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. We will be practicing the Spanish colors of Azul (blue) and Rojo (red) and the Spanish words of lo mismo (the same) and diferente (different). Towards the end of the month, we will be decorating pumpkins and leaves. Welcome to Fall!
BEGINNER 3: Fall is here, and this month we will talk all about the sights, sounds and smells from the season. We will explore different types of pumpkins, the many shapes and colors of leaves and even do some tasting of different fall items. We will continue to work on using our manners, please and thank you with our teachers and friends. And we can’t wait for our Halloween party, hope to see you there!
INTERMEDIATE 1: This month in Intermediate 1, we talked about fall and what happens to the trees and leaves on the trees. We made a fall collage of different colors and textures. Also, when we went outside, we walked around the playground finding fall items and we talked about their color and texture. Fall is a fun time in Intermediate 1.
INTERMEDIATE 2: The Intermediate 2 children have been busy getting settled in the classroom and their new routines. Ms. Nomi and Ms. Debbie are enjoying getting to know all the children and getting the classroom set up. We are spending the month talking about fall, Halloween, community helpers and fire safety. Our centers will have lots of fun activities related to our books for the month. We are working on name recognition during circle time and centers and will begin writing some of the letters in our names. We are looking forward to our Halloween party at the end of the month.
PRE-K 1: This month in Pre-k 1 we will be really focusing on fall and how the seasons change and then we will talk about Halloween! We will be recognizing shapes and numbers and practice writing them. We will be reading the books Fall Leaves Fall, Fire Truck No. 9, and some fun Halloween books! We can’t wait for October fun!
PRE-K 2: Fall is here and Halloween is approaching. In October, we will be learning about farming, insects and pumpkins and explore with Halloween activities. The first week in October, we will be reading the book, The Noisy Farm. The class will discuss what crops farmers grow on their farms and what animals you see on farms. They will then pretend to be farmers in the dramatic play center. The second week of October, the class will read the books, The Very Greedy Bee and I Love Bugs. The class will learn the parts of an insect by labeling the three body parts and that they have six legs. Also, the class will learn about pollination. The third week in October the class will read the book, Pumpkin Town. The class will explore the inside and the outside of pumpkins and learn how they grow. The fourth week in October, the class will read the book, Skeleton for Dinner. The class will create their own dinner menu and in dramatic play they will pretend to be witches and make their own stew. For the last week in October, the class will read the book, Monster Trouble. The class will explore how to build traps to catch the monsters. They will use crayons to draw their own traps and then use various materials to build the traps they drew.
From the Education Department
October, 2019
|
Topics: Mathematical Thinking
Hands-on experiences help children understand foundational math concepts, such as number and shape recognition, patterning, sorting, and addition and subtraction. The activities below provide your child with valuable early exposure which will help him gain confidence for additional math skills presented in kindergarten and beyond. Toddlers (ages 1-2) Take a[.....]
Read More »
October Newsletter
From the Principal’s Office
The temperatures have cooled and we are hoping they stay right where they are for a while; we aren’t in any rush for winter weather with early snow like we had last year. The children continue to go outside daily as long as it isn’t raining, so please be sure to dress your child appropriately for outside play. They definitely need jackets in the mornings but might be able to do without in the afternoon depending on the wind.
Our corporate office has sent parents an invitation containing the link for our annual parent survey. If you have not received the email, please let us know so we can request it be resent. The survey provides the opportunity for parents to rate and give feedback on different topics anonymously. Information from the survey lets us know our strengths and areas we can work on. In order to get valid data from the survey, forty percent of the surveys need to be completed, so be sure to make your voice heard. The survey closes on November 1, so you have plenty of time to complete yours if you haven’t already. We appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete yours!
Shawna will attend the Principal Conference October 21-25. She will learn about new initiatives and changes in policy/procedures in early education and within Links to Learning. Shawna will in turn bring the new information back to the teachers and put it into action in the classrooms. While Shawna is gone, Jen and Cindy will be available to answer any questions you might have.
Until next month, Shawna
Dates
October
Open House
For Parents and Teachers
Our fall picture days will be October 28th & 29th. We split pictures over two days to make sure we get all we need within our time parameters. We will have two photographers each day and they will set up and be ready to go by 6:30 and will continue until lunch time. Infants, toddlers, beginners and siblings will have their pictures taken on Monday, October 28th along with infant, toddler and beginner class pictures. Intermediates and pre-k will have their pictures taken on Tuesday, October 29th along with those class pictures. Makeup pictures will occur on Tuesday. Flyers will go out prior to picture day for you to see the background options and to make your choices for backgrounds. We are waiting to hear if pictures will have to be viewed and purchased online only or if you will be able to see the completed pictures prior to purchase. We will let you know once we have heard. If you have any questions about picture day, please see one of us.
Our Halloween parade will be October 31st at 2:30 with classroom parties immediately after. The parade will be held outside, weather permitting. The children will change into their costumes after naptime, so please be sure to bring the costume along during drop off time. Signup sheets are posted in the classrooms so parents can volunteer to help with the parties by bringing in treats, helping the children change into costumes or help serve snack. Please remember when selecting snacks to bring in that we are a peanut free school and all food must be store bought. If you have any questions about the parties, please see the classroom teachers.
For Parents
The Charleston Wrap sales have ended and we are processing orders to submit them. Merchandise will deliver the week of October 28th, and we will distribute everything once it arrives. Thank you to everyone who participated in this sales opportunity. If you weren’t able to participate in the Charleston Wrap sales, Yankee Candle sales will roll out November 4th.
The first Parent Reports of the school year will be distributed during the week of November 4th. The Parent Reports will let you know where your child is at this point in the school year. We would expect to see the children at the “introduced” and “developing” level for the majority of skills. Mastery of the skills doesn’t occur until later in the school year after having had multiple exposures to the various skills. We will offer parent/teacher conferences during the week of November 11th for any parents who would like to discuss their child’s progress and goals for the year. There will be a signup sheet at the front desk to schedule a conference if you’d like one after reviewing your child’s Parent Report.
Reminders
Please either help your child to wash their hands or help them wash their hands on arrival in the classroom. With the start of cold and flu season, it is important to keep the spread of germs down and the easiest way to do this is with handwashing. Thank you for supporting this policy.
We discourage the practice of allowing the children to bring outside food into the school during drop off. We have some children enrolled who have severe food allergies and can have a reaction from an accidental transfer. If your child eats food on the drive to school, please encourage him/her to finish eating in the car. Thank you!
Check your child’s cubby to make sure there is a complete change of clothes including socks and underwear.
Families can earn free tuition when a family they refer enrolls with us. There is no limit to the number of times free tuition can be earned. Be an ambassador for Chesterbrook Academy and share with others what you love about the school.
Information for Consumer Product Safety Recalls:
Website – http://www.cpsc.gov/en/recalls or Mobile app – RECALLS.GOV
Coming Up…
Open House
School Highlights
INFANTS 1: Hello everyone! Fall is finally here! As the seasons change, the holidays near, and we sure are excited about that. Our little babies are growing up so fast! We will continue to work on their skills and pass through as many milestones as possible. That doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun in the process though, RIGHT?! We have two exciting books of the month that will have the children exploring new slimy textures, engaging in spooky activities and making colorful crafts!! Make sure to check out the two bulletin boards in our class this month to find out what exciting new things your little ones are up to!
INFANT 2: Ms. Shayna’s 4 Little Pumpkins have been celebrating all things fall! We’ve been reading Five Little Pumpkins, talking about the pumpkins’ facial expressions, for example, “That pumpkin feels afraid. His mouth is open and there are tears in his eyes.” We’ve had a blast playing the game “Pumpkin feels…” while imitating the pumpkin faces we see in the book. Ms. Shayna can’t wait to snap pics of her sweet 4 Little Pumpkins’ faces in action. Happy Fall y’all!
TODDLER 2: For the month of October, we are learning about Brown Bear working on animals and our colors. Also, we are doing stuff with apples, working on the shape and different colors of apples. We will end our month working on pumpkins and Halloween. We will get to be hands on with pumpkins and will finger paint and practice holding markers and crayons.
BEGINNER 2: This month we are excited to read the books Vegetables in Underwear, Fire Engines, Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, Pumply, Dumply Pumpkin and It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. We will be practicing the Spanish colors of Azul (blue) and Rojo (red) and the Spanish words of lo mismo (the same) and diferente (different). Towards the end of the month, we will be decorating pumpkins and leaves. Welcome to Fall!
BEGINNER 3: Fall is here, and this month we will talk all about the sights, sounds and smells from the season. We will explore different types of pumpkins, the many shapes and colors of leaves and even do some tasting of different fall items. We will continue to work on using our manners, please and thank you with our teachers and friends. And we can’t wait for our Halloween party, hope to see you there!
INTERMEDIATE 1: This month in Intermediate 1, we talked about fall and what happens to the trees and leaves on the trees. We made a fall collage of different colors and textures. Also, when we went outside, we walked around the playground finding fall items and we talked about their color and texture. Fall is a fun time in Intermediate 1.
INTERMEDIATE 2: The Intermediate 2 children have been busy getting settled in the classroom and their new routines. Ms. Nomi and Ms. Debbie are enjoying getting to know all the children and getting the classroom set up. We are spending the month talking about fall, Halloween, community helpers and fire safety. Our centers will have lots of fun activities related to our books for the month. We are working on name recognition during circle time and centers and will begin writing some of the letters in our names. We are looking forward to our Halloween party at the end of the month.
PRE-K 1: This month in Pre-k 1 we will be really focusing on fall and how the seasons change and then we will talk about Halloween! We will be recognizing shapes and numbers and practice writing them. We will be reading the books Fall Leaves Fall, Fire Truck No. 9, and some fun Halloween books! We can’t wait for October fun!
PRE-K 2: Fall is here and Halloween is approaching. In October, we will be learning about farming, insects and pumpkins and explore with Halloween activities. The first week in October, we will be reading the book, The Noisy Farm. The class will discuss what crops farmers grow on their farms and what animals you see on farms. They will then pretend to be farmers in the dramatic play center. The second week of October, the class will read the books, The Very Greedy Bee and I Love Bugs. The class will learn the parts of an insect by labeling the three body parts and that they have six legs. Also, the class will learn about pollination. The third week in October the class will read the book, Pumpkin Town. The class will explore the inside and the outside of pumpkins and learn how they grow. The fourth week in October, the class will read the book, Skeleton for Dinner. The class will create their own dinner menu and in dramatic play they will pretend to be witches and make their own stew. For the last week in October, the class will read the book, Monster Trouble. The class will explore how to build traps to catch the monsters. They will use crayons to draw their own traps and then use various materials to build the traps they drew.
From the Education Department
Early Math Exposure Adds Up to Later Success
Read More »