Chesterbrook Academy –Preston
January Newsletter
From the Principal’s Desk
Happy New Year to everyone! The Holiday Season has flown by and now it is time to get back to school! This will be a busy month for our teachers, students, and me. The teachers have planned many activities to get the students back into the swing of things! I would like to say a big hello and welcome to all of our new families! A big Chesterbrook welcome to everyone!
Hope you all have a great month!
Tawni S. Connor, Principal
In this Issue
- Important Dates for January
- Open House News!
- Operation Snowflake Reminder
- Education News
Important Dates in January
- January 1 – Happy New Year!
- January 1 – Happy Birthday Miss Tasha!
- January 3 – Tuition’s Due!
- January 6 – Happy Anniversary Miss Samantha!
- January 14 – Happy Birthday Miss Susan Frazier!
- January 17 – Happy Birthday Miss Cailyn!
- January 18 – Happy Anniversary Miss Debbie!
- January 22 – Open House for potential new families! By Appointment Only!
- January 28 – Happy Birthday Miss Jeanine!
- Every Monday – Amazing Athletes Class
January Open House
On Saturday, January 22 from 10 am – 1 pm, we will once again host an Open House for potential new families. Please tell all of your co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family to come and check us out. You know it and we know it–Chesterbrook Academy-Preston is the best! Every child should have the opportunity to come here! And as an added bonus, if someone you refer enrolls you will receive a free week of tuition after they are here for 90 days!! How exciting!!! It’s by appointment only and as you know spots are very limited. Tell them to call today!
Operation Snowflake
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 tadpoles. 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 emails at work, please provide us with an alternate email address for you. Parents may also call the school’s voicemail at 919-319-9400 and listen to the prerecorded message by 6 a.m. for information regarding the operating hours. Information will also be posted to the school’s website which is http://www.preston.chesterbrookacademy.com. You can also tune in to _WRAL_ for closing information. Please note that we do not follow the schedule of Wake County Schools! Please note that we do not follow the schedule of our sister Elementary school!
Education News
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 words 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.
January Education News
Chesterbrook Academy –Preston
January Newsletter
From the Principal’s Desk
Happy New Year to everyone! The Holiday Season has flown by and now it is time to get back to school! This will be a busy month for our teachers, students, and me. The teachers have planned many activities to get the students back into the swing of things! I would like to say a big hello and welcome to all of our new families! A big Chesterbrook welcome to everyone!
Hope you all have a great month!
Tawni S. Connor, Principal
In this Issue
Important Dates in January
January Open House
On Saturday, January 22 from 10 am – 1 pm, we will once again host an Open House for potential new families. Please tell all of your co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family to come and check us out. You know it and we know it–Chesterbrook Academy-Preston is the best! Every child should have the opportunity to come here! And as an added bonus, if someone you refer enrolls you will receive a free week of tuition after they are here for 90 days!! How exciting!!! It’s by appointment only and as you know spots are very limited. Tell them to call today!
Operation Snowflake
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 tadpoles. 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 emails at work, please provide us with an alternate email address for you. Parents may also call the school’s voicemail at 919-319-9400 and listen to the prerecorded message by 6 a.m. for information regarding the operating hours. Information will also be posted to the school’s website which is http://www.preston.chesterbrookacademy.com. You can also tune in to _WRAL_ for closing information. Please note that we do not follow the schedule of Wake County Schools! Please note that we do not follow the schedule of our sister Elementary school!
Education News
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 words 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.