Dear Families,
Spring seems to finally be here and with it many new beginnings. I am so happy to join the Chesterbrook family. My first few days have been full of excitement and joy meeting so many parents and children. Hopefully by the time you see this I will have had to opportunity to meet all of you.
Please feel free to reach out to me at any time with any questions or concerns. I can be reached via email at marykay.stern@nlinc.com
Be sure to stop by our meet and greet on Thursday, May 7th at 7am.
Sincerely,
MaryKay Stern
Important Dates:
Monday, May 4th-Tuesday, May 5th: Picture Day
Friday, May 8th: Mother’s Day Tea at 4pm
Monday, May 25th: Memorial Day, School Closed
Reminders:
- Please remember that only one vacation credit is given per year (July to June). Families must be with us for six months before taking advantage of the credit.
- When is Chesterbrook Academy Closed?: Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day and 4th of July. We will also close early on Christmas Eve 3:00 pm.
- Parent Referral Program: Have you heard about our Parent Referral program? If you refer a family and are mentioned on their application, we will credit you for the referral. New families who enroll part time reward you $100 off of one week of tuition and families who enroll full time reward you a FREE WEEK OF TUITION.
- Withdraw Policy- In order to withdraw your child from school, four weeks notice must be given (per the tuition policy). If you are withdrawing for any period beyond 3 weeks, your spot may be secured by paying the registration fee ($80). If the registration fee is not paid prior to your withdraw, your child’s spot is not guaranteed upon your return. All withdraws must be made in writing.
- Vacation Credits- Families are allotted one week’s worth of vacation credit per fiscal year (July 1-June 30). This credit is used for a Monday-Friday week when your child will not be in the building. Your family must be enrolled for 6 months prior to being eligible for the vacation credit! Please remember: 2 Weeks notice must given in order to take advantage of this credit.
From the Education Department:
Developing Writing Skills in Young Children
– From Crayons to Concepts –
In the early preschool years, writing starts with practicing fine motor skills and progresses to include concepts such as vocabulary, sentence structure and inventive spelling. Our curriculum builds the foundation for writing beginning with our infants. Our teachers not only instruct students how to write, but they also help instill a love of writing and self-expression.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about writing, as well as fun activities to try with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS
In the classroom: Our infants and toddlers practice picking up and placing objects into containers, building hand strength and coordination.
At-home activity: Give your child plastic cooking utensils, such as spoons and spatulas, along with a large bowl. Place appropriate finger foods in the bowl, and encourage your baby to pick up the utensils and use them to move the food around. Choose utensils with different sized handles so your baby learns how to grasp and hold objects in various ways.
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3)
In the classroom: During imaginative play, teachers provide pens, markers and crayons to encourage students to practice writing. For instance, they pretend to own a restaurant and write food orders, and pretend to be doctors and take notes about the condition of their stuffed animals.
At-home activity: Incorporate writing activities during playtime. Bring sidewalk chalk outdoors and ask your child to write what they see. Don’t correct spelling or proper letter formations. Show enthusiasm in any efforts he makes, as this is how children learn that words are powerful and have meaning.
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4)
In the classroom: Different writing tools and surfaces make writing more interesting for children. Our Intermediates use chalk on a chalkboard, form letters using modeling clay, and finger paint on canvas.
At-home activity: Three year olds enjoy mimicking adults in their daily activities. Allow your child to engage in a new writing activity with you, such as writing a grocery list or a thank you card. Explain to him what you are writing and the purpose it serves.
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5)
In the classroom: Teachers make writing fun for our older preschoolers by creating a classroom post office and asking the children to write and mail letters to each other. Through this activity, students practice communicating thoughts and ideas on paper, using proper grip, writing first and last names in correct case, and writing words independently by using inventive spelling. Inventive spelling encourages a love for writing and reinforces phonics. Traditional spelling is encouraged as students move into more formal writing in early elementary grades.
At-home activity: After a family outing, invite your child to write about his day in a journal. Encourage him to use uppercase and lowercase letters. If he asks for help writing more challenging words, have him attempt to spell them by sounding out the word and writing the letters that make that sound. Invite him to read his journal entry to you.
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to develop and practice their writing skills. By setting this foundation, they will be better prepared to communicate thoughts and ideas through writing in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education
May News
Dear Families,
Spring seems to finally be here and with it many new beginnings. I am so happy to join the Chesterbrook family. My first few days have been full of excitement and joy meeting so many parents and children. Hopefully by the time you see this I will have had to opportunity to meet all of you.
Please feel free to reach out to me at any time with any questions or concerns. I can be reached via email at marykay.stern@nlinc.com
Be sure to stop by our meet and greet on Thursday, May 7th at 7am.
Sincerely,
MaryKay Stern
Important Dates:
Monday, May 4th-Tuesday, May 5th: Picture Day
Friday, May 8th: Mother’s Day Tea at 4pm
Monday, May 25th: Memorial Day, School Closed
Reminders:
From the Education Department:
Developing Writing Skills in Young Children
– From Crayons to Concepts –
In the early preschool years, writing starts with practicing fine motor skills and progresses to include concepts such as vocabulary, sentence structure and inventive spelling. Our curriculum builds the foundation for writing beginning with our infants. Our teachers not only instruct students how to write, but they also help instill a love of writing and self-expression.
Below are activities we implement in our classrooms to get children excited about writing, as well as fun activities to try with your child at home.
INFANTS/TODDLERS
In the classroom: Our infants and toddlers practice picking up and placing objects into containers, building hand strength and coordination.
At-home activity: Give your child plastic cooking utensils, such as spoons and spatulas, along with a large bowl. Place appropriate finger foods in the bowl, and encourage your baby to pick up the utensils and use them to move the food around. Choose utensils with different sized handles so your baby learns how to grasp and hold objects in various ways.
BEGINNERS (Ages 2-3)
In the classroom: During imaginative play, teachers provide pens, markers and crayons to encourage students to practice writing. For instance, they pretend to own a restaurant and write food orders, and pretend to be doctors and take notes about the condition of their stuffed animals.
At-home activity: Incorporate writing activities during playtime. Bring sidewalk chalk outdoors and ask your child to write what they see. Don’t correct spelling or proper letter formations. Show enthusiasm in any efforts he makes, as this is how children learn that words are powerful and have meaning.
INTERMEDIATES (Ages 3-4)
In the classroom: Different writing tools and surfaces make writing more interesting for children. Our Intermediates use chalk on a chalkboard, form letters using modeling clay, and finger paint on canvas.
At-home activity: Three year olds enjoy mimicking adults in their daily activities. Allow your child to engage in a new writing activity with you, such as writing a grocery list or a thank you card. Explain to him what you are writing and the purpose it serves.
PRE-K/PRE-K 2 (Ages 4-5)
In the classroom: Teachers make writing fun for our older preschoolers by creating a classroom post office and asking the children to write and mail letters to each other. Through this activity, students practice communicating thoughts and ideas on paper, using proper grip, writing first and last names in correct case, and writing words independently by using inventive spelling. Inventive spelling encourages a love for writing and reinforces phonics. Traditional spelling is encouraged as students move into more formal writing in early elementary grades.
At-home activity: After a family outing, invite your child to write about his day in a journal. Encourage him to use uppercase and lowercase letters. If he asks for help writing more challenging words, have him attempt to spell them by sounding out the word and writing the letters that make that sound. Invite him to read his journal entry to you.
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to develop and practice their writing skills. By setting this foundation, they will be better prepared to communicate thoughts and ideas through writing in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD- Director of Early Childhood Education