A Message From the Principal:
April is here! We are winding down the school year, but still have a lot of fun events planned! Make sure you look at our April “fun days”. We will be having our 4th annual Ladybug release day. For our new familis, we have a family event on Earth Day. The children and our families release thousands of Ladybugs outside. Looking ahead, please also note our Kindergarten graduation and ice cream party with Dad in June. We hope you have a wonderful April and as always, please see your child’s teachers and/or managaement if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.
Dates to remember:
- 4/7: Wear your favorite baseball clothes
- 4/13: Week of the young child fun events
- 4/22: CBA 4th annual Ladybug Release Day (all are welcomed)
- 4/26: Laugh out Loud “Old Hollywood Pictures” Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
- 4/30: Pajama Day
- 4/30: Original Works due
- 5/8: Mother’s Day Tea @ 3
- 6/9: Kindergarten Graduation @ 4:30
- 6/19: Ice Cream Party with Dad (or special person @ 3:00)
Tuition is due: 4/10 and 4/24 – Please make sure your payment is received in time in order to avoid late payment charges that are automatically applied to your account on Wednesdays at 12:00.
Additional classes that are offered at CBA and will return in the fall:
- Spanish on Tuesdays for Intermediates and up
- Computer Tots on Wednesdays for Intermediates and up
- Lil Sports on Thursday for Beginners and up (Additional fee)
Just some reminders:
- Illness policy… If your child is sent home with a fever, or due to vomiting or diarrhea they must be 24 hours symptom and medication free before returning to school.
- Spare clothing: With the weather being unpredictable, please be sure your child(ren) have a spare set of seasonally appropriate clothes in their cubby.
- Physicals: If your child has a well checkup coming up please ask us for a physical form. We need updated physicals and immunization records yearly.
- Forms: All paperwork must be filled out every 6 months.
- Free week tuition: Did you know if your refer a family to us, upon enrollment and after three months you will recieve a free weeks tuition or discounted tuition!
From the desk of Donna Miller:
Dear Infant Parents,
Chesterbrook Academy Schools are the industry leaders in providing strong early childhood programs for their children. We are constantly evaluating our current operational practices and identifying new ways to continue to keep our children safe and healthy.
This communication is to make you aware of two initiatives that we have in place in our infant program. The first initiative is to make our families aware of recent information and trainings associated with safe sleep practices. We will then ask that you adopt our Safe Sleep Practice as part of the enrollment process. The second initiative is one that has enhanced our bottle feeding practices.
The Safe Sleep initiative is in place for all of our infant families. You will be educated on the Safe Sleep Practice at the time of enrollment. You will also be asked to sign the document which shares that they understand and will adhere to the expectations of the Safe Sleep Practice. All of our infant staff have been trained on the procedure and have a certificate of completion on file. As new infant teachers are hired they will be trained on both the Safe Sleep Practice and Bottle Feeding and Labeling System. Our safe sleep practice includes the elimination of any and all soft items in the crib. Soft items would include stuffed animals, dolls, mobiles, bumpers, blankets and lovies. Our rooms are kept at temperatures that are warm enough for the babies. However, if you would still like your child to have some type of outerwear, i.e. blanket, the Association of American Pediatrics recommends a sleep sack.
The second initiative is a color-coded labeling system for our Infant Program. Each child is assigned a specific color and Cubby tags, Crib labels, Daily Sheets, and Bottles are identified by that color. Chesterbrook Academy will supply you with all materials needed from our labeling system supplier, Applied Labels. You are welcome to preview the system and materials on Applied Labels website at www.appliedlabels.com.
Our preschool management team is ready to assist you with enrollment at Chesterbrook Academy and answer any questions you may have. We are looking forward to having your family join ours.
Sincerely,
Donna Bonfiglio-Miller
Executive Director
From the Education Department
Appreciating the Wonders of Mother Nature
Spring is here and Earth Day is right around the corner, providing a wonderful opportunity to connect children with nature and reinforce the importance of preserving and protecting the world around us.
Our Links to Learning curriculum uses hands-on activities to cultivate a deeper connection to the earth and foster academic, physical and social skill development.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about nature, as well as activities and books to read with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS:
- In the classroom: Our teachers provide natural objects, such as leaves, pinecones and flowers for the children to see and touch. We help children associate words with the concrete objects they represent.
- At-home activity: Allow your child to experience different textured fruits, such as an orange, watermelon and cantaloupe. Talk about what he sees, smells, tastes and feels.
- Recommended reading: Colors from Nature from PlayBac Publishing and The Earth Book by Todd Parr
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3):
- In the classroom: Around age two, children begin to understand interdependencies in nature. For instance, they learn that ladybugs feed on insects that are harmful to gardens, trees and shrubs. On Earth Day, many of our students have the opportunity to release ladybugs to help local gardens.
- At-home activity: Take a walk outdoors with your child and play a game of “I Spy.” Ask him point out objects found in the springtime, for example a red flower, a blue bird or a colorful butterfly.
- Recommended reading: Biscuit’s Earth Day Celebration by Alyssa Satin Capucilli & David T. Wenzel and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4):
- In the classroom: As our Intermediates gain a greater understanding and appreciation for how living things grow, the class may adopt a pet such as a fish or bunny. Students develop math, science and language skills by measuring the pet’s food, observing the pet’s behavior and habitat, and learning new vocabulary. Research shows that when children have the opportunity to care for animals, they practice nurturing behaviors that help them interact in gentle ways with people also.
- At-home activity: Create a small garden and allow your child to help you plant and water seeds, either outdoors or indoors. Ask him to predict what the plant will look like by drawing pictures in his journal. Check the plant regularly so he can observe and measure changes in growth. Discuss the importance of watering and caring for the plant.
- Recommended reading: Our Earth by Anne Rockwell and the poem “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out!” by Shel Silverstein
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5):
- In the classroom: Teachers encourage our older preschoolers to reuse recyclable materials in fun and unconventional ways. For instance, our students use cardboard boxes to create a castle, milk jug lids to sort and match, and plastic bottles to create beautiful, unique artwork.
- At-home activity: Set up a recycling station using cardboard boxes, and label each box with the words “metal”, “plastic” and “paper”. Throughout the month, ask your child to help sort your family’s recyclables by placing the items into the correct box. Explain that recycling is just one way that we can be kind to the earth. Ask him to name a few other ways, such as conserving electricity, picking up litter and planting a garden.
- Recommended reading: A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry and The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
We create a path for lifelong learning by providing numerous opportunities for children to study and explore nature. These hands-on experiences lead to growth in all areas of development as students transition into elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education
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April News
A Message From the Principal:
April is here! We are winding down the school year, but still have a lot of fun events planned! Make sure you look at our April “fun days”. We will be having our 4th annual Ladybug release day. For our new familis, we have a family event on Earth Day. The children and our families release thousands of Ladybugs outside. Looking ahead, please also note our Kindergarten graduation and ice cream party with Dad in June. We hope you have a wonderful April and as always, please see your child’s teachers and/or managaement if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you.
Dates to remember:
Tuition is due: 4/10 and 4/24 – Please make sure your payment is received in time in order to avoid late payment charges that are automatically applied to your account on Wednesdays at 12:00.
Additional classes that are offered at CBA and will return in the fall:
Just some reminders:
From the desk of Donna Miller:
Dear Infant Parents,
Chesterbrook Academy Schools are the industry leaders in providing strong early childhood programs for their children. We are constantly evaluating our current operational practices and identifying new ways to continue to keep our children safe and healthy.
This communication is to make you aware of two initiatives that we have in place in our infant program. The first initiative is to make our families aware of recent information and trainings associated with safe sleep practices. We will then ask that you adopt our Safe Sleep Practice as part of the enrollment process. The second initiative is one that has enhanced our bottle feeding practices.
The Safe Sleep initiative is in place for all of our infant families. You will be educated on the Safe Sleep Practice at the time of enrollment. You will also be asked to sign the document which shares that they understand and will adhere to the expectations of the Safe Sleep Practice. All of our infant staff have been trained on the procedure and have a certificate of completion on file. As new infant teachers are hired they will be trained on both the Safe Sleep Practice and Bottle Feeding and Labeling System. Our safe sleep practice includes the elimination of any and all soft items in the crib. Soft items would include stuffed animals, dolls, mobiles, bumpers, blankets and lovies. Our rooms are kept at temperatures that are warm enough for the babies. However, if you would still like your child to have some type of outerwear, i.e. blanket, the Association of American Pediatrics recommends a sleep sack.
The second initiative is a color-coded labeling system for our Infant Program. Each child is assigned a specific color and Cubby tags, Crib labels, Daily Sheets, and Bottles are identified by that color. Chesterbrook Academy will supply you with all materials needed from our labeling system supplier, Applied Labels. You are welcome to preview the system and materials on Applied Labels website at www.appliedlabels.com.
Our preschool management team is ready to assist you with enrollment at Chesterbrook Academy and answer any questions you may have. We are looking forward to having your family join ours.
Sincerely,
Donna Bonfiglio-Miller
Executive Director
From the Education Department
Appreciating the Wonders of Mother Nature
Spring is here and Earth Day is right around the corner, providing a wonderful opportunity to connect children with nature and reinforce the importance of preserving and protecting the world around us.
Our Links to Learning curriculum uses hands-on activities to cultivate a deeper connection to the earth and foster academic, physical and social skill development.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about nature, as well as activities and books to read with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS:
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3):
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4):
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5):
We create a path for lifelong learning by providing numerous opportunities for children to study and explore nature. These hands-on experiences lead to growth in all areas of development as students transition into elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education