From the Principal’s Office:
Dear Parents:
Thank you to everyone who I have met so far. We will have an official meet and greet later this month and I am excited to spend time getting to know all of you. Since arriving in Columbia, I have been busy with various trainings and meetings with my boss, now I am looking forward to being in our school and becoming part of your Chesterbrook family.
We have a busy and fun month ahead of us and I know we are all ready for some nice weather.
April 13th – 17th is the Week of the Young Child. We will have fun activities planned that week to help celebrate your child and the importance of Early Childhood Education. We all work together as a partnership to create the best environment and education for our children.
Please feel free to stop by my office when you are in the building if we have not already met, or you are welcome to give me a call. I am new to Columbia and would love to hear your suggestions of places to visit and explore also.
I look forward to meeting you all,
Regards,
Helen Parks, Principal
April Events
- 1 – Easter Parade & Easter Egg Hunt @ 10am.
- 3 – School Closed – in observance of the Good Friday holiday.
- 5 – Happy Easter!!
- 13-17 – Week of the Young Child.
- 16- Memorable Moments Photography – Rooms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (no uniforms).
- 17 – Memorable Moments Photography – Rooms 11, 10, 9, 7, 8, 12 (no uniforms).
- 20-24 – SAT 10 Testing for Kindergarten students.
- 20-24 – BOGO Book Fair.
- 22 – Earth Day!
- 30 – Links to Learning Folders Go Home.
- 30-April 3 – Spring Break Week.
Coming Up May…
- 5 – Cinco De Mayo
- 6,7,8 – Mother’s Day Tea
- 10 – Happy Mother’s Day!!
- 21 – Kindergarten Graduation @ 10:00am
- 22 – Links to Learning Folders Go Home
- 25 – School Closed – in observance of Memorial Day
- 27 – Last Day of School
- 28-29 – School Closed – Staff Professional Development Days
April Field Trips
Riverbanks Zoo
Thursday, April 2nd – Rooms 2 & 3
Friday, April 17th – Rooms 1 & 4
Time: Leaving the school at 8:45am.
Notes: If your child is riding with another family, please leave their car seat. Provide a peanut-free bag lunch. Wear your navy blue Chesterbrook logo t-shirt.
Sease Strawberry Farm
Tuesday, April 14th…Room 11
Wednesday, April 15th…Room 10
Tuesday, April 21st…Room 9
Thursday, April 23rd…Room 5 (leaving at 8:45am)
Wednesday, April 29th…Room 12
Cost: $8.00 per child
Time: Leaving the school at 9 AM
Notes: Provide a peanut-free bag lunch. Wear your navy blue Chesterbrook logo t-shirt.
Space Challenger Center
Thursday, April 16th…Room 7
Friday, April 17th…Room 6
Thursday, April 30th…Room 8
Cost: $8.00 per child
Time: Leaving the school at 8:30am
Notes: Wear your navy blue Chesterbrook logo t-shirt. Thursday, April 16th…Room 7
Important Reminder: The field trip calendar is subject to change.
Reminders
Parking Lot: Please drive slowly on school property. Be courteous and patient with other drivers and watch out for our children!!!
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! We invite you to “like” our page at www.facebook.com/ChesterbrookAcademy where we’ll be providing our fans with regular educational tips for children from preschool to 8th grade and the opportunity to network with fellow parents. We would love to have your participation in this forum and encourage you to continue to check our school website for local updates specific to our own school. We look forward to having you as part of our Facebook community!
Entry & Exit Doors: ** DO NOT USE THE BACK DOOR FOR ENTRY TO THE SCHOOL!!!** As you all know there is a code required for entry to the school. Please be sure to limit the code to family members and/or friends that are picking up your child(ren) on a regular basis. Do not give the code to your child(ren). In addition, everyone should use the front entrance for drop off and pick up. We advise strongly not to let individuals in the side entry door, as this person may or may not be a Chesterbrook parent or other family member. The side door is to only be used as an exit. This guarantees the safety of Chesterbrook Academy students and staff. Thanks in advance for your cooperation in this matter.
Chesterbrook Academy & Queensboro Apparel Company: If you are interested in ordering Chesterbrook Logo apparel for your child(ren), please view our online store. You may notice all the wonderful colors available, but please keep in mind that Chesterbrook Academy uniform colors are Navy, White and Forest/Dark Green.
Chesterbrook Academy & Mabel’s Labels: As a way to target the problem of lost belongings and a large lost and found closet, Chesterbrook Academy is fundraising with Mabel’s Labels, a company with all types of labels that are colorful, indestructible, easy-to-use and fun! Iron-Ons, Stickies, Bag Tags, Allergy Alert labels & more! Personalize your labels with names, nicknames, initials – whatever you choose. Cool icons help even little ones identify their own belongings. Dishwasher, microwave, laundry & kid tested! Dispatched within 24 hours!
Visit www.chesterbrookacademy.mabelslabels.com to place your order.
For Parents
Field Trips for the 2014-2015 School Year
Please be reminded that students must wear the Chesterbrook logo navy t-shirts on field trips. All monies for field trips are to be collected by someone in the front office. Please be sure to turn in signed permission slips for scheduled field trips to your child’s teacher.
Tuition
Parents, please understand the importance of paying your tuition & paying it on time! Payments are due every Friday for the coming week. Late fees will be applied at 12 noon on Monday following the due date. Unpaid tuition, more than a week past due, will result in immediate disenrollment. If you have any questions, please see Helen, Lisa or Andrea in the front office. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Automatic Payment Program
Parents this is a very easy way for you to not worry about writing those checks every week and avoiding late fees. APP can be used to pay tuition only invoices or all invoices (tuition, registration & activity fees). Please see Helen, Lisa or Andrea in the front office for details and information on getting signed up or you can print the form from the link on the school website. In addition, you can also set up online billpay through your bank.
Contact Information
Please be sure that all home, work, cell and pager numbers and any other contact information is up to date in your child’s file. This helps the staff at Chesterbrook have every available option to contact the parent(s) in the event of an emergency.
E-Mail Addresses
Please update your email addresses with the front office in order to receive important information about upcoming and/or emergency events from the school. We can send email notifications to more than one email address.
School Operating Hours
This is a friendly reminder that Chesterbrook’s hours of operation are 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, Monday thru Friday. Half day hours of operation are 8:30 am – 11:30 am. The late pick up fee is $15 per child for the first 15 minutes and an additional $15 per child for each quarter hour after the regularly scheduled pick up time. Also parents, if you are running late and its close to closing time, please be sure to give the school a courtesy call.
Parent Ambassador Program
Spread the word about our school and save on your child’s tuition! Refer a new family to our school and you could earn a free week of tuition. For more information on our Ambassador Program, see your school’s principal. The current referring Chesterbrook family will receive a discount after the referred child has attended full time for 3 months. Discount applies to the tuition of the oldest child in the referring family.
For Parents & Teachers…
NUT FREE SCHOOL
We have several children enrolled at Chesterbrook Academy with severe nut allergies. Please do not send your child to school with food containing any type of nut products.
Prescription Policy for Chronic or Allergic Conditions
** WE CANNOT ADMINISTER OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS TO YOUR CHILD**
Medication may be brought in for chronic or life threatening medical conditions. All medications must be in their original container with the prescription label attached to include the proper administering time(s) and dosage to be given. For the use of a nebulizer, a letter or note will be required from your child’s doctor’s office stating time(s) to be administered and the tubule dosage to be given. In addition, an “Authorization to Administer Medication Form” must be completed and turned in by the parent. Please see Susan, Lisa or Andrea in the front office if you have any questions or concerns.
Weather Policy
In the event of severe weather, we will make every effort to open on schedule and to remain open during the course of our regular hours of operation. In the event that severe weather requires us to close our school, delay our school or close early, parents will be notified initially by e-notify. Please make sure we have your most current email address and that you have added us to your address book so our message does not go to spam. In the event that your employer will not allow you to receive email at work, please provide us with an alternate email address for you. Parents may also call the school’s voicemail at 803-699-9988 and listen to the prerecorded message by 5:30 a.m. for information regarding the operating hours. Information will also be posted to the school’s website which is http://Wildewood.ChesterbrookAcademy.com. You can also tune into WIS channel 10 and/or WLTX channel 19 for closing and/or delay information.
**Chesterbrook Academy DOES NOT follow the schedule of Richland School District 2 during weather delays or closings**
Sign In & Out Books
We wanted to take this time to remind you all about an important security here at Chesterbrook. Please remember to sign your child in and out every day on the class Sign In/Out sheets located outside or inside of your child’s classroom everyday. If someone on your child’s authorized pick-up list is picking up, please remind him or her to do so as well. Although we have never had any problem nor do we expect to in the future, this is an important security measure that keeps all of the children safe. Thank you for your continued compliance with our security policies.
Parking Policy
- Traffic should enter the school parking lot at the first driveway and exit through the carport out the last driveway.
- Cars should be parked in designated parking spaces or on the road above the school.
- Please do not park under the carport, behind the bus, or in front of the dumpster.
- Please do not block the mailbox.
- All preschoolers must be escorted into the school by an adult.
- Elementary students may be dropped off at the front door. Cars should stop in the right lane only and students should exit their cars through the passenger side door.
- Please do not allow your child to run through the parking lot unattended or play on the hill.
- Please drive slowly on school property. Be courteous and patient with other drivers and watch out for our children.
Illness Policy
A parent of a child that is determined to be ill shall be notified immediately. The child must be picked up within an hour of notification. No child shall be allowed to remain at school with the following conditions:
- Elevated Temperature (100 degrees or higher)
- Vomiting and/or Diarrhea
- Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
- Head Lice
- Other Communicable Diseases (ie. chicken pox, strep throat, etc.)
- Student Pick-Up
Parents, please be sure to inform the teachers and/or front office if another family member or friend will pick up your child. This applies to names that are on your list as well as names that are not. If it will be the first time the family member or friend picks up your child, please remind them to bring in their drivers license when they come in. This is very important to insure the safety of your child(ren).
School Spotlight…April Birthdays
STUDENTS
- 4 – Vedant D.
- 5 – Tristan E.
- 6 – Tyona W.
- 8 – Rudransh T.
- 11 – Cyrus G.
- 11 – Mitchell W.
- 12 – Isaiah B.
- 12 – Kendall N.
- 12 – Sushil P.
- 14 – Anna W.
- 14 – Amaar T.
- 17 – Caitlyn J.
- 20 – Abigail S.
- 22 – Taylor S.
- 26 – Xaria F.
- 29 – Myles C.
- 29 – Nadia W.
TEACHERS
- 2 – CJ Miller
- 24 – Cathy Brown
- 28 – Sherrakin Pollard
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
April News
From the Principal’s Office:
Dear Parents:
Thank you to everyone who I have met so far. We will have an official meet and greet later this month and I am excited to spend time getting to know all of you. Since arriving in Columbia, I have been busy with various trainings and meetings with my boss, now I am looking forward to being in our school and becoming part of your Chesterbrook family.
We have a busy and fun month ahead of us and I know we are all ready for some nice weather.
April 13th – 17th is the Week of the Young Child. We will have fun activities planned that week to help celebrate your child and the importance of Early Childhood Education. We all work together as a partnership to create the best environment and education for our children.
Please feel free to stop by my office when you are in the building if we have not already met, or you are welcome to give me a call. I am new to Columbia and would love to hear your suggestions of places to visit and explore also.
I look forward to meeting you all,
Regards,
Helen Parks, Principal
April Events
Coming Up May…
April Field Trips
Riverbanks Zoo
Thursday, April 2nd – Rooms 2 & 3
Friday, April 17th – Rooms 1 & 4
Time: Leaving the school at 8:45am.
Notes: If your child is riding with another family, please leave their car seat. Provide a peanut-free bag lunch. Wear your navy blue Chesterbrook logo t-shirt.
Sease Strawberry Farm
Tuesday, April 14th…Room 11
Wednesday, April 15th…Room 10
Tuesday, April 21st…Room 9
Thursday, April 23rd…Room 5 (leaving at 8:45am)
Wednesday, April 29th…Room 12
Cost: $8.00 per child
Time: Leaving the school at 9 AM
Notes: Provide a peanut-free bag lunch. Wear your navy blue Chesterbrook logo t-shirt.
Space Challenger Center
Thursday, April 16th…Room 7
Friday, April 17th…Room 6
Thursday, April 30th…Room 8
Cost: $8.00 per child
Time: Leaving the school at 8:30am
Notes: Wear your navy blue Chesterbrook logo t-shirt. Thursday, April 16th…Room 7
Important Reminder: The field trip calendar is subject to change.
Reminders
Parking Lot: Please drive slowly on school property. Be courteous and patient with other drivers and watch out for our children!!!
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK! We invite you to “like” our page at www.facebook.com/ChesterbrookAcademy where we’ll be providing our fans with regular educational tips for children from preschool to 8th grade and the opportunity to network with fellow parents. We would love to have your participation in this forum and encourage you to continue to check our school website for local updates specific to our own school. We look forward to having you as part of our Facebook community!
Entry & Exit Doors: ** DO NOT USE THE BACK DOOR FOR ENTRY TO THE SCHOOL!!!** As you all know there is a code required for entry to the school. Please be sure to limit the code to family members and/or friends that are picking up your child(ren) on a regular basis. Do not give the code to your child(ren). In addition, everyone should use the front entrance for drop off and pick up. We advise strongly not to let individuals in the side entry door, as this person may or may not be a Chesterbrook parent or other family member. The side door is to only be used as an exit. This guarantees the safety of Chesterbrook Academy students and staff. Thanks in advance for your cooperation in this matter.
Chesterbrook Academy & Queensboro Apparel Company: If you are interested in ordering Chesterbrook Logo apparel for your child(ren), please view our online store. You may notice all the wonderful colors available, but please keep in mind that Chesterbrook Academy uniform colors are Navy, White and Forest/Dark Green.
Chesterbrook Academy & Mabel’s Labels: As a way to target the problem of lost belongings and a large lost and found closet, Chesterbrook Academy is fundraising with Mabel’s Labels, a company with all types of labels that are colorful, indestructible, easy-to-use and fun! Iron-Ons, Stickies, Bag Tags, Allergy Alert labels & more! Personalize your labels with names, nicknames, initials – whatever you choose. Cool icons help even little ones identify their own belongings. Dishwasher, microwave, laundry & kid tested! Dispatched within 24 hours!
Visit www.chesterbrookacademy.mabelslabels.com to place your order.
For Parents
Field Trips for the 2014-2015 School Year
Please be reminded that students must wear the Chesterbrook logo navy t-shirts on field trips. All monies for field trips are to be collected by someone in the front office. Please be sure to turn in signed permission slips for scheduled field trips to your child’s teacher.
Tuition
Parents, please understand the importance of paying your tuition & paying it on time! Payments are due every Friday for the coming week. Late fees will be applied at 12 noon on Monday following the due date. Unpaid tuition, more than a week past due, will result in immediate disenrollment. If you have any questions, please see Helen, Lisa or Andrea in the front office. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Automatic Payment Program
Parents this is a very easy way for you to not worry about writing those checks every week and avoiding late fees. APP can be used to pay tuition only invoices or all invoices (tuition, registration & activity fees). Please see Helen, Lisa or Andrea in the front office for details and information on getting signed up or you can print the form from the link on the school website. In addition, you can also set up online billpay through your bank.
Contact Information
Please be sure that all home, work, cell and pager numbers and any other contact information is up to date in your child’s file. This helps the staff at Chesterbrook have every available option to contact the parent(s) in the event of an emergency.
E-Mail Addresses
Please update your email addresses with the front office in order to receive important information about upcoming and/or emergency events from the school. We can send email notifications to more than one email address.
School Operating Hours
This is a friendly reminder that Chesterbrook’s hours of operation are 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, Monday thru Friday. Half day hours of operation are 8:30 am – 11:30 am. The late pick up fee is $15 per child for the first 15 minutes and an additional $15 per child for each quarter hour after the regularly scheduled pick up time. Also parents, if you are running late and its close to closing time, please be sure to give the school a courtesy call.
Parent Ambassador Program
Spread the word about our school and save on your child’s tuition! Refer a new family to our school and you could earn a free week of tuition. For more information on our Ambassador Program, see your school’s principal. The current referring Chesterbrook family will receive a discount after the referred child has attended full time for 3 months. Discount applies to the tuition of the oldest child in the referring family.
For Parents & Teachers…
NUT FREE SCHOOL
We have several children enrolled at Chesterbrook Academy with severe nut allergies. Please do not send your child to school with food containing any type of nut products.
Prescription Policy for Chronic or Allergic Conditions
** WE CANNOT ADMINISTER OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS TO YOUR CHILD**
Medication may be brought in for chronic or life threatening medical conditions. All medications must be in their original container with the prescription label attached to include the proper administering time(s) and dosage to be given. For the use of a nebulizer, a letter or note will be required from your child’s doctor’s office stating time(s) to be administered and the tubule dosage to be given. In addition, an “Authorization to Administer Medication Form” must be completed and turned in by the parent. Please see Susan, Lisa or Andrea in the front office if you have any questions or concerns.
Weather Policy
In the event of severe weather, we will make every effort to open on schedule and to remain open during the course of our regular hours of operation. In the event that severe weather requires us to close our school, delay our school or close early, parents will be notified initially by e-notify. Please make sure we have your most current email address and that you have added us to your address book so our message does not go to spam. In the event that your employer will not allow you to receive email at work, please provide us with an alternate email address for you. Parents may also call the school’s voicemail at 803-699-9988 and listen to the prerecorded message by 5:30 a.m. for information regarding the operating hours. Information will also be posted to the school’s website which is http://Wildewood.ChesterbrookAcademy.com. You can also tune into WIS channel 10 and/or WLTX channel 19 for closing and/or delay information.
**Chesterbrook Academy DOES NOT follow the schedule of Richland School District 2 during weather delays or closings**
Sign In & Out Books
We wanted to take this time to remind you all about an important security here at Chesterbrook. Please remember to sign your child in and out every day on the class Sign In/Out sheets located outside or inside of your child’s classroom everyday. If someone on your child’s authorized pick-up list is picking up, please remind him or her to do so as well. Although we have never had any problem nor do we expect to in the future, this is an important security measure that keeps all of the children safe. Thank you for your continued compliance with our security policies.
Parking Policy
Illness Policy
A parent of a child that is determined to be ill shall be notified immediately. The child must be picked up within an hour of notification. No child shall be allowed to remain at school with the following conditions:
Parents, please be sure to inform the teachers and/or front office if another family member or friend will pick up your child. This applies to names that are on your list as well as names that are not. If it will be the first time the family member or friend picks up your child, please remind them to bring in their drivers license when they come in. This is very important to insure the safety of your child(ren).
School Spotlight…April Birthdays
STUDENTS
TEACHERS
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