From the Principal’s Office
Dear Families,
Happy New Year everybody! I hope everyone was able to spend some quality time with family and friends over the Holiday Season. It is always strange to me to celebrate Christmas in 70+ degree weather, I may never get used to that.
As we roll into the New Year, let us continue with some good habits.
- Children all need to be back in uniform on January 4th. Please remember to check cubbies to ensure that your children have seasonally appropriate changes of clothes.
- It will get cool at some point so please make sure children have appropriate outdoor clothes also.
- Remember to pay tuition on time. Tuition is due even if your child is not at school. We always want to try to avoid adding late fees for you.
- Be courteous with parking. Parking under the carport during pick up and drop off makes it difficult for the flow of traffic. When it is raining (will it ever stop) we are more than happy to assist you out to your cars with your children.
While it may sound strange to be discussing this during our unseasonably warm weather, I just wanted to remind you of how you can find information regarding weather related closing or delays as we do head in to our colder season.
Any decision to close or delay is not solely a school based decision. Any changes in our scheduling will be noted on our school website, our voicemail will be changed and all families will be enotified. I will be sending a letter later this week that reminds everyone of the procedures. We certainly hope that we do not experience any severe weather this winter, but we do want to be prepared.
I would like to take this time to let you all know that I am expecting a little boy in the middle of March. This is an exciting time for Justin and myself and I can’t wait until my little boy is old enough to join us here at Chesterbrook. This is my first child so I welcome all advice. I know the next couple of months are going to fly by as we prepare for his arrival.
As always, thank you for your continued support of our very busy school. Let’s make 2016 the best year yet.
Regards,
Helen Parks, Principal
Automatic Payment Program
Temperatures Will Be Changing!!
Winter is here! We will continue morning and afternoon playground time as long as the temperature is comfortable for outside play. Please have your child prepared for outside time…heavy coats, hats, gloves, and scarves (be sure to label all items) to keep them warm and cozy during these chilly-sometimes cold days.
2016-2017 Registration Information
for Current Chesterbrook Families
Paperwork for Summer Camp 2016 and the 2016-2017 School Year will be available mid-to-late February for current Chesterbrook families. At this time, you will be able to register your child(ren) for the Summer Camp program and/or upcoming school year. This is also the time to register any siblings that meet the age requirements of the school. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Helen, Melissa, or Andrea.
Events
- 1 – School Closed – Happy New Year!!!
- 4 – Classes Resume for Chesterbrook Kindergarten students.
- 11-29 – Pennies for Patients.
- 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
- 23 – Open House – for new families interested in enrolling at Chesterbrook Academy. The hours are 10:00am – 1:00pm.
- 15-29 – Little Caesar’s Pizza Fundraiser.
- 29 – Links to Learning Folders Go Home.
Field Trips
Wednesday, January 13th
Edventure (“Tiny Tinkerers”)
– Room 8
– Cost is $5.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Thursday, January 14th
Edventure (“Sense It”)
– Room 10
– Cost is $5.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Tuesday, January 19th
Edventure (“Chatter Splatter”)
– Room 11
– Cost is $5.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Wednesday, January 20th
CoCo Yoga
– Room 6
– Cost is $8.00
– Leaving at: 8:45am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Thursday, January 21st
Edventure (“Rooting for Good Health”)
– Room 12
– Cost is $10.50 (students) and $5.00 (chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Friday, January 22nd
Edventure (“Astonishing Animals”)
– Room 9
– Cost is $5.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Wednesday, January 27th
Edventure (“Sense It”)
– Room 7
– Cost is $8.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:45am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
*Field Trips are subject to change due to situations that may arise.
Resources
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!
Open House: Invite a family member or friend to come to our Open House on Saturday, January 23, 2016 between the hours of 10am-1pm. This is a great opportunity to meet the staff, tour the facility and see first hand how Chesterbrook Academy makes a difference in the lives of children!!
Reminders
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
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 dis-enrollment. If you have any questions, please see Helen, Melissa or Andrea in the front office. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Field Trips for the 2015-16 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.
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, Melissa 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 bill-pay 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 Helen, Melissa 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.
Uniform Policy: All children from 3 year old Preschool and up are required to wear uniforms daily at Chesterbrook Academy. The official uniform is navy blue (NOT jean) or khaki bottoms and white, navy blue or hunter green solid tops. Girls may also wear navy blue or khaki jumpers, skirts, skorts, or the plaid jumper offered by the uniform company, Flynn & O’Hara. Shoes should be white, black, brown, or navy blue and preferably athletic type.
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
Start Date: Monday, January 11th
End Date: Friday, January 29th
_______________________________________
Start Date: Friday, January 15th
End Date: Friday, January 29th
January Birthdays
Students
4 – Jackson Parker
4 – Vivaan Potdar
8 – Morgan Kelly
11 – Ashley Collins
11 – Alexander DiBattisto
12 – Grayson Phillips
15 – Molly Ewaldz
16 – Eliza Ackerman
20 – Clarke Solomon
22 – Cullen Bledsoe
22 – Nyla Glass
22 – Connor Lindley
27 – Asem Al-Hasan
27 – Naser Al-Hasan
27 – Mary Elizabeth McPheeters
31 – Yousuf El Geneidy
Staff
3 – Stephenie Mosley
4 – Melody Del Rio
11 – Regina Stearns
31 – Maria McClain
31 – Phyllis Rockhold
From the Education Department
The Value of Visual Art Activities for Your Preschooler
Visual art experiences help children develop skills such as critical thinking, self-expression, problem-solving, communication and collaboration. Our teachers focus on process-based art education, in which the experience of creating art is valued over the end product.
In our classrooms, teachers integrate art into many aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum. After reading a book about polar bears, teachers might ask students to create their own polar bears using sponges, paint, markers and paper. They encourage students to talk about their art, providing a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary, particularly word
s related to colors, shapes,textures, and emotions.
Our students are also exposed to and inspired by famous artwork. In order to cultivate that fascination, we discuss famous artists and art works and ask students to create replicas of well-known paintings and sculptures. For example, after learning about Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, teachers mimic the activity in the classroom. They tape paper underneath tables, and students practice painting a masterpiece while lying down.
Below are visual art activities you and your child can do at home, as well as recommended reading.
At Home:
- Provide your child with finger paint, a large piece of paper and a smock. Let him create a masterpiece. Talk about how the paint feels and what colors and shapes he creates on the paper.
- Start a journal with your child. Have him draw a picture of something that happened during the day. Avoid giving direction. Instead of saying “Draw a picture of your teacher and classmates,” encourage him to experiment using different colored markers or crayons. If age appropriate, ask your child to write a few words to describe the picture.
- Give your child a piece of paper and a box of crayons or markers. Show him how to use the materials to make dots, lines and swirls on the paper. Let him take over and have fun. Encourage conversation about your child’s art by saying, “Tell me about what you made” or “I see you used a lot of blue in your picture. Why did you choose that color?”
- Ask your child to decorate a sign for his bedroom door using various art materials. Have him write his name on the sign.
Recommended Reading:
- The Dot by Peter Reynolds
- Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
- Art by Patrick McDonnell
- Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
- Mix It Up by Herve Tullet
It is wonderful to share the joy that children naturally take in using art materials. Giving children extra opportunities to connect art to the world around them, contributes to happiness and future success in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education
January News
From the Principal’s Office
Dear Families,
Happy New Year everybody! I hope everyone was able to spend some quality time with family and friends over the Holiday Season. It is always strange to me to celebrate Christmas in 70+ degree weather, I may never get used to that.
As we roll into the New Year, let us continue with some good habits.
While it may sound strange to be discussing this during our unseasonably warm weather, I just wanted to remind you of how you can find information regarding weather related closing or delays as we do head in to our colder season.
Any decision to close or delay is not solely a school based decision. Any changes in our scheduling will be noted on our school website, our voicemail will be changed and all families will be enotified. I will be sending a letter later this week that reminds everyone of the procedures. We certainly hope that we do not experience any severe weather this winter, but we do want to be prepared.
I would like to take this time to let you all know that I am expecting a little boy in the middle of March. This is an exciting time for Justin and myself and I can’t wait until my little boy is old enough to join us here at Chesterbrook. This is my first child so I welcome all advice. I know the next couple of months are going to fly by as we prepare for his arrival.
As always, thank you for your continued support of our very busy school. Let’s make 2016 the best year yet.
Regards,
Helen Parks, Principal
Automatic Payment Program
Temperatures Will Be Changing!!
Winter is here! We will continue morning and afternoon playground time as long as the temperature is comfortable for outside play. Please have your child prepared for outside time…heavy coats, hats, gloves, and scarves (be sure to label all items) to keep them warm and cozy during these chilly-sometimes cold days.
2016-2017 Registration Information
for Current Chesterbrook Families
Paperwork for Summer Camp 2016 and the 2016-2017 School Year will be available mid-to-late February for current Chesterbrook families. At this time, you will be able to register your child(ren) for the Summer Camp program and/or upcoming school year. This is also the time to register any siblings that meet the age requirements of the school. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Helen, Melissa, or Andrea.
Events
Field Trips
Wednesday, January 13th
Edventure (“Tiny Tinkerers”)
– Room 8
– Cost is $5.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Thursday, January 14th
Edventure (“Sense It”)
– Room 10
– Cost is $5.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Tuesday, January 19th
Edventure (“Chatter Splatter”)
– Room 11
– Cost is $5.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Wednesday, January 20th
CoCo Yoga
– Room 6
– Cost is $8.00
– Leaving at: 8:45am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Thursday, January 21st
Edventure (“Rooting for Good Health”)
– Room 12
– Cost is $10.50 (students) and $5.00 (chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Friday, January 22nd
Edventure (“Astonishing Animals”)
– Room 9
– Cost is $5.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:50am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
Wednesday, January 27th
Edventure (“Sense It”)
– Room 7
– Cost is $8.00 (students & chaperones)
– Leaving at: 8:45am
– Wear navy Chesterbrook logo t-shirt
*Field Trips are subject to change due to situations that may arise.
Resources
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!
Open House: Invite a family member or friend to come to our Open House on Saturday, January 23, 2016 between the hours of 10am-1pm. This is a great opportunity to meet the staff, tour the facility and see first hand how Chesterbrook Academy makes a difference in the lives of children!!
Reminders
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
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 dis-enrollment. If you have any questions, please see Helen, Melissa or Andrea in the front office. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Field Trips for the 2015-16 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.
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, Melissa 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 bill-pay 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 Helen, Melissa 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.
Uniform Policy: All children from 3 year old Preschool and up are required to wear uniforms daily at Chesterbrook Academy. The official uniform is navy blue (NOT jean) or khaki bottoms and white, navy blue or hunter green solid tops. Girls may also wear navy blue or khaki jumpers, skirts, skorts, or the plaid jumper offered by the uniform company, Flynn & O’Hara. Shoes should be white, black, brown, or navy blue and preferably athletic type.
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:
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
Start Date: Monday, January 11th
End Date: Friday, January 29th
_______________________________________
Start Date: Friday, January 15th
End Date: Friday, January 29th
January Birthdays
Students
4 – Jackson Parker
4 – Vivaan Potdar
8 – Morgan Kelly
11 – Ashley Collins
11 – Alexander DiBattisto
12 – Grayson Phillips
15 – Molly Ewaldz
16 – Eliza Ackerman
20 – Clarke Solomon
22 – Cullen Bledsoe
22 – Nyla Glass
22 – Connor Lindley
27 – Asem Al-Hasan
27 – Naser Al-Hasan
27 – Mary Elizabeth McPheeters
31 – Yousuf El Geneidy
Staff
3 – Stephenie Mosley
4 – Melody Del Rio
11 – Regina Stearns
31 – Maria McClain
31 – Phyllis Rockhold
From the Education Department
The Value of Visual Art Activities for Your Preschooler
Visual art experiences help children develop skills such as critical thinking, self-expression, problem-solving, communication and collaboration. Our teachers focus on process-based art education, in which the experience of creating art is valued over the end product.
In our classrooms, teachers integrate art into many aspects of our Links to Learning curriculum. After reading a book about polar bears, teachers might ask students to create their own polar bears using sponges, paint, markers and paper. They encourage students to talk about their art, providing a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary, particularly word
s related to colors, shapes,textures, and emotions.
Our students are also exposed to and inspired by famous artwork. In order to cultivate that fascination, we discuss famous artists and art works and ask students to create replicas of well-known paintings and sculptures. For example, after learning about Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, teachers mimic the activity in the classroom. They tape paper underneath tables, and students practice painting a masterpiece while lying down.
Below are visual art activities you and your child can do at home, as well as recommended reading.
At Home:
Recommended Reading:
It is wonderful to share the joy that children naturally take in using art materials. Giving children extra opportunities to connect art to the world around them, contributes to happiness and future success in elementary school and beyond.
– Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education