A Message From the Principal:

Dear Chesterbrook Academy Families,

We are excited that Spring has officially arrived! As the temperature begins to warm, we plan to enjoy the outdoors as much as we can this month – fingers crossed for a plethora of fresh air and sunshine for us to enjoy as a school!

On Friday, April 3rd @ 3 pm we will be hosting our CBA Annual Egg Hunt! This is a fun school tradition & we look forward to another exciting afternoon. We are currently accepting donations of plastic eggs & PEANUT FREE candy treats, small toys, stickers and other items to “stuff” our eggs with. Please drop donated items to the office prior to April 1st and thank you for your support!

April 12th – 18th is The Week of the Young Child which is a great cause for celebration at CBA! We have special events and activities for our students this week, all designed to celebrate the uniqueness of our children – it is always a highly enjoyable week for staff and students alike!

Specifically, here is what we will be focusing on each day:

• Monday, April 12:   Up-cycled Art – Each classroom will be creating unique sculptures using recycled materials to be displayed at the front desk and in our community. If you would like to “commission”  a piece of art work to be displayed at your place of business, please speak to Ms. Rebecca or Ms. Tiffany.
• Tuesday, April 13: Multicultural Day – We will be celebrating the diversity in our world and using a variety of materials to handcraft paper dolls. Additionally, we are encouraging our students and staff to dress in traditional attire of their heritage – or of their choosing. We look forward to learning about the lives of children across the globe!
• Wednesday, April 14: Fitness @ 10 – Wear your “work out” gear to school and be ready to join your friends in thirty minutes of physical fitness. We will explore the healthy habits at home & school buy discussing the ways in which we can keep our minds and bodies in tip top shape!
• Thursday, April 15: Dream Careers – Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders! Come to school dressed for your dream job – we can’t wait to see what your future’s hold! Best dressed pictures will be displayed in the school.
• Friday, April 116: Family BBQ – We will end our week of celebrating our young children by honoring the families from which they came! Join us for a fun family BBQ from 4-6 pm.

As always, it looks to be a very busy, productive and FUN month at CBA! We look forward to sharing this time with your children.

Remember – our doors are always open! The entire CBA team is here to support your children and families in any way we can. Please let us know how we can be of service.

Thank you and here’s to another great month!

Rebecca S. Maguire, Principal
rebecca.maguire@nlcinc.com

Tiffany O’Neill, Assistant Principal
tiffany.oneill@nlcinc.com 

For Parents:

SAVE MONEY-Refer a Friend
We love when a family refers us to others. We reward referrals with a free week of tuition for every family you refer to our school. For more details see your parent handbook.

Ancillary Programs:

• Jr Fit: Monday Mornings – Jr. Fit teaches skill development in a new and exciting light while promoting fitness, strength, coordination, balance, and confidence for both active play and sports. Activities have age-appropriate expectations to ensure continued growth at each level. Our exciting and interactive fitness games, adventures, obstacle courses, and relay races help children enjoy fitness and give a head start to a healthy and active lifestyle. Ages 2 and older.
• Jr Yogis:  Monday Mornings – Jr. Yogis promotes health and fitness at an age as early as 3 months by using integrative nursery rhymes and age-appropriate poses. Each class builds on to the next with development in sensory and body awareness, strength, mobility, and confidence. 3 months to 2 years.
• Dance: Wednesday Mornings – Tiny ballerinas will be introduced to French ballet vocabulary, ballet warm-ups, creative movement, games and large motor skill development.  Young dancers will enjoy dancing to their favorite cherished tunes from fairytales such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and The Beast, to name a few. They will learn ballet dances to popular classical ballets and perform in costumes. Taught by Joy of Dance staff. 2 years and older.
• Gigglebytes: Thursdays Mornings. The GiggleBytes® program introduces technology to children. From developing mouse skills to exploring programming and robotics, GiggleBytes is always a hit with kids. GiggleBytes® is more than just computers! Teachers implement our proprietary curriculum and work with small groups to help children develop important academic skills including; letter and number recognition, shapes and colors, pre reading skills, phonics, spatial relations, auditory and visual discrimination, and much more!  Ages 2 and older.
• HappyFeet Soccer Spring Session: Monday Mornings – HappyFeet is a FUN & EXCITING soccer clinic for children ages 2 and older.   Using a proven “STORY TIME WITH A SOCCER BALL” approach. HappyFeet will surely be your child’s favorite weekly activity. HappyFeet coaches are committed to helping children form HEALTHY EXERCISE HABITS using the world’s most popular game – soccer!

Stop by the desk to sign up for these great programs!

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