Hello Chesterbrook Families,
Happy November! Where does the time go? We are entering the busy holiday season and have many happenings throughout our school to keep you informed of this month. Please be sure to refer to our school calendar in addition to the monthly newsletter.
First, our first marking period Parent Reports and Report Cards are being distributed later this week for all students enrolled in our programs. Please spend a few minutes to review your child’s report. This initial report will serve as a baseline from which your child will continue to develop their skills and progression. If you should have any questions regarding the information, please do not hesitate to speak with your child’s teacher, or myself. You are also welcome to schedule a conference with your child’s teacher(s).
The next marking period will be coming up in January for Kindergarten, and then in February/March for all students, before the final report in May/June. We will continue to provide Kindergarten Readiness Personal Learning Goals for our PreK and PreK 2 students (over the next 2 marking periods) who will be entering Kindergarten in the upcoming year. This will provide families with additional areas for growth and development to better prepare your child for Kindergarten. More details will follow in the upcoming months!
And, for families of children entering Kindergarten for the 2018-2019 school year, it’s not too early to mark your calendars for our next Open House and Kindergarten Priority Registration & Workshop on Saturday, November 4th and Saturday, January 20th. This is an opportunity for families to learn more about what to expect in Kindergarten and what sets our program above the rest! We will be sending out letters to families of students that will be Kindergarten age eligible in the beginning of January for the Priority Registration.
Also, now that the seasons are changing, we would like to remind you about updating your child’s extra change of clothing and School Closing/Delay information. Each family received a flyer in their Back to School Night folder for families to post at home. In the event of inclement weather (or other factors) that may impact our ability to open or remain open, you may refer to the flyer with where to tune in, and details about opening delays. For your reference, we broadcast this information on ABC 6. If time and services allow, we will also send out an e-notification via email, and our website will be updated with a note about our operations at the top of the school news, and on the home page left banner. We will then try to update our voicemail message, however, this is the last resource line of communication. You can also find our school closing and delay information on our school website under News. Be sure to check out ABC 6 online for additional ways to set-up text and emails from ABC 6 when we post a school closing or delay.
It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away! In celebration, our students will be having their very own feast on Friday, November 17th – turkey and all! The children throughout the school “dress-up” and get into character as Pilgrims and Native Americans. The children enjoy the festivities, and we look forward to this celebration each year. We will also be hosting the Next Generation Dance Troupe of the Lakota Tribe located in South Dakota on Friday, November 10th. We have a special connection with the tribe through a former family who adopted a little girl from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Lakota Indian Reservation, who continue to maintain ties to her roots through the dance troupe.
During the week of Thanksgiving, our Kindergarten students will be visiting New Seasons to give thanks to our Grandfriends, and share a few songs with them. We appreciate the opportunity to provide this enriching experience with our students throughout the school year. Thank you for your support of our efforts to continue our connection with the elder generations within our community.
As a reminder, our school will be closed on Thursday, November 23rd in observance of Thanksgiving, and will re-open on Friday, November 24th. However, we often have reduced attendance and may close a little earlier if attendance allows. This is a non-academic day and some of our classrooms will be combined to accommodate the attendance shift. We kindly request that you take a moment to complete the Holiday Attendance Form, which will be posted on your child’s classroom door, so that we may plan our staffing needs accordingly.
We are in the process of planning a “Kids Night In (aka Parent’s Night Out!)” on the evening of Friday, December 8th. The details are still a work in progress however we are planning to have a Children’s Holiday Shoppe for children to do some holiday shopping of their own, Pizza, PJ’s and a Movie (Disney’s “Frozen”)! There will be a fee and pre-registration/sign-up for the event. This should be a fun evening for the kids, and an opportunity for parents to grab a bite or do some holiday shopping or wrapping sans children. More details to follow soon!
Please note, we are changing things up this year with our Annual Snowflake Festival. We are planning to host a family puppet show by Segal Puppets followed by a Milk and Cookie Social! The feature show is “North Pole Fun”, a 40 minute interactive puppet show highlighting the diversity of the season with Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa featuring Jampot and Beanpole, two Italian Elves working at the North Pole. Come join us for the holiday festivities and discover that the season is a time of sharing and caring for others! The event will take place on Friday, December 15th at 5:00pm. More details will be sent out soon! We look forward to celebrating the holiday season with all of our families, and hope you can attend!
As a reminder, our school will be closed on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7th for our bi-annual Teacher In-Service Day. We will re-open on Wednesday, November 8th at 6:30am. Thank you for supporting our staff development initiatives.
Lastly, during this month of giving thanks, I would like to thank you all for being a part of our Chesterbrook Family. As I move on to a new journey in life, I would like to thank you for your partnership, support, and allowing me the honor and privilege of caring for and educating your children. I consider you all an extension of my own family and I hope that we may cross-paths again one day. The best part of my day is sharing a smile and a warm hug with our littlest learners, and one that I will miss the most. All the best to each and every one of you and your families.
Sincerely,
Jenell Hilton, Principal
Chesterbrook Academy
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and our preschoolers are getting into the holiday spirit by reading books, engaging in group discussions, and creating beautiful artwork centered around the theme of gratitude. Cultivating gratitude has been shown to help increase children’s happiness and self-esteem, while also improving their relationships with[.....]
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November News
Hello Chesterbrook Families,
Happy November! Where does the time go? We are entering the busy holiday season and have many happenings throughout our school to keep you informed of this month. Please be sure to refer to our school calendar in addition to the monthly newsletter.
First, our first marking period Parent Reports and Report Cards are being distributed later this week for all students enrolled in our programs. Please spend a few minutes to review your child’s report. This initial report will serve as a baseline from which your child will continue to develop their skills and progression. If you should have any questions regarding the information, please do not hesitate to speak with your child’s teacher, or myself. You are also welcome to schedule a conference with your child’s teacher(s).
The next marking period will be coming up in January for Kindergarten, and then in February/March for all students, before the final report in May/June. We will continue to provide Kindergarten Readiness Personal Learning Goals for our PreK and PreK 2 students (over the next 2 marking periods) who will be entering Kindergarten in the upcoming year. This will provide families with additional areas for growth and development to better prepare your child for Kindergarten. More details will follow in the upcoming months!
And, for families of children entering Kindergarten for the 2018-2019 school year, it’s not too early to mark your calendars for our next Open House and Kindergarten Priority Registration & Workshop on Saturday, November 4th and Saturday, January 20th. This is an opportunity for families to learn more about what to expect in Kindergarten and what sets our program above the rest! We will be sending out letters to families of students that will be Kindergarten age eligible in the beginning of January for the Priority Registration.
Also, now that the seasons are changing, we would like to remind you about updating your child’s extra change of clothing and School Closing/Delay information. Each family received a flyer in their Back to School Night folder for families to post at home. In the event of inclement weather (or other factors) that may impact our ability to open or remain open, you may refer to the flyer with where to tune in, and details about opening delays. For your reference, we broadcast this information on ABC 6. If time and services allow, we will also send out an e-notification via email, and our website will be updated with a note about our operations at the top of the school news, and on the home page left banner. We will then try to update our voicemail message, however, this is the last resource line of communication. You can also find our school closing and delay information on our school website under News. Be sure to check out ABC 6 online for additional ways to set-up text and emails from ABC 6 when we post a school closing or delay.
It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away! In celebration, our students will be having their very own feast on Friday, November 17th – turkey and all! The children throughout the school “dress-up” and get into character as Pilgrims and Native Americans. The children enjoy the festivities, and we look forward to this celebration each year. We will also be hosting the Next Generation Dance Troupe of the Lakota Tribe located in South Dakota on Friday, November 10th. We have a special connection with the tribe through a former family who adopted a little girl from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Lakota Indian Reservation, who continue to maintain ties to her roots through the dance troupe.
During the week of Thanksgiving, our Kindergarten students will be visiting New Seasons to give thanks to our Grandfriends, and share a few songs with them. We appreciate the opportunity to provide this enriching experience with our students throughout the school year. Thank you for your support of our efforts to continue our connection with the elder generations within our community.
As a reminder, our school will be closed on Thursday, November 23rd in observance of Thanksgiving, and will re-open on Friday, November 24th. However, we often have reduced attendance and may close a little earlier if attendance allows. This is a non-academic day and some of our classrooms will be combined to accommodate the attendance shift. We kindly request that you take a moment to complete the Holiday Attendance Form, which will be posted on your child’s classroom door, so that we may plan our staffing needs accordingly.
We are in the process of planning a “Kids Night In (aka Parent’s Night Out!)” on the evening of Friday, December 8th. The details are still a work in progress however we are planning to have a Children’s Holiday Shoppe for children to do some holiday shopping of their own, Pizza, PJ’s and a Movie (Disney’s “Frozen”)! There will be a fee and pre-registration/sign-up for the event. This should be a fun evening for the kids, and an opportunity for parents to grab a bite or do some holiday shopping or wrapping sans children. More details to follow soon!
Please note, we are changing things up this year with our Annual Snowflake Festival. We are planning to host a family puppet show by Segal Puppets followed by a Milk and Cookie Social! The feature show is “North Pole Fun”, a 40 minute interactive puppet show highlighting the diversity of the season with Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa featuring Jampot and Beanpole, two Italian Elves working at the North Pole. Come join us for the holiday festivities and discover that the season is a time of sharing and caring for others! The event will take place on Friday, December 15th at 5:00pm. More details will be sent out soon! We look forward to celebrating the holiday season with all of our families, and hope you can attend!
As a reminder, our school will be closed on Election Day, Tuesday, November 7th for our bi-annual Teacher In-Service Day. We will re-open on Wednesday, November 8th at 6:30am. Thank you for supporting our staff development initiatives.
Lastly, during this month of giving thanks, I would like to thank you all for being a part of our Chesterbrook Family. As I move on to a new journey in life, I would like to thank you for your partnership, support, and allowing me the honor and privilege of caring for and educating your children. I consider you all an extension of my own family and I hope that we may cross-paths again one day. The best part of my day is sharing a smile and a warm hug with our littlest learners, and one that I will miss the most. All the best to each and every one of you and your families.
Sincerely,
Jenell Hilton, Principal
Chesterbrook Academy
DIY Gratitude Journal for Preschoolers
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