From the Principal’s Office
Dear Parents:
Wow, it is hard to believe that we only have one month left before summer camp begins. Summer camp is going to be full of fun activities this year, so if you have not signed your child up yet, please do so as our spaces are filling up fast. We are also filling up fast for the Fall, so make sure to take care of that registration process to ensure that we have a space for you.
We have been busy this month taking care of our school environment. Our parking lot has been repaired and striped and our pool has been cleaned up and the deck has been stained. I know the children are excited to begin swimming this summer.
As we do transition into the warmer weather, please make sure that children are appropriately dressed and that we have a seasonally appropriate change of clothes for them in their classroom if it is needed.
Thank you to all of our families who supported our week of the young child activities. Our wishing wall is so much fun to read and the children love finding their messages. I have loved reading them myself. Our Earth day celebration was a huge success and our outside area is now full of ladybugs who are finding their new homes. Make sure to check out our Chesterbrook Facebook page periodically for updated pictures.
Please stop by to introduce yourself if we have not met yet. My door is always open and I welcome the interactions.
Thank you for all that you do to support our school.
Regards,
Helen Parks, Principal.
May Events
- 5 – Happy Cinco De Mayo
- 6 – Mother’s Day Tea – Rooms 1, 2, 3, 4
- 7 – Mother’s Day Tea – Rooms 5, 9, 10, 11
- 8 – Mother’s Day Tea – Rooms 6, 7, 8, 12
- 10 – Happy Mother’s Day!!
- 18-22 – Teacher Appreciation Week!
- 22 – Teacher Appreciation Luncheon!
- 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 – School Closed – Staff Professional Development Day
- 29 – School Closed – Staff Professional Development Day
Coming Up in June
- 1 – First Day of Summer Camp 2015
- 18-19 – Doughnuts for Dad (schedule TBA)
- 21 – Happy Father’s Day!!
- 21 – First Day of Summer
- May 11 – Room 12 – Clinton Sease Farm…$8.00 per child…leaving at 9am…provide a peanut-free bag lunch
- May 15 – Room 6 – End of the Year Hill Party
- May 15 – Room 9 – North Springs Park…$1.00 per child…leaving at 9am…provide a peanut-free bag lunch
- May 18 – Room 10 – Sesqui Park…$1.00 per child…leaving at 9:30am…provide a peanut-free bag lunch
- May 19 – Room 5 – Children’s Garden…$1.00 per child…leaving at 9am…provide a peanut-free bag lunch
- May 20 – Room 12 – Sesqui Park…leaving @ 9:30am…provide a peanut-free bag lunch
- May 21 – Room 11 – Children’s Garden…$1.00 per child…leaving at 9:00am…provide a peanut-free bag lunch
- May 22 – Room 8 – North Springs Park…$1.00 per child…leaving at 9am…provide a peanut-free bag lunch
- May 27 – Room 7 – Royal Z Lanes…$6.00 per child…leaving at 9:50am
Please drive slowly on school property!
Be courteous and patient with other
drivers and watch out for our children!!!
Reminders
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 dis-enrollment. 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 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 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
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
Check out the “Wishing Wall” at the end of the hallway and read the beautiful, inspirational messages that parents have written to their children!! Directly across from the “Wishing Wall” is the board titled “Week of the Young Child & Earth Day Fun”!! This board has wonderful photos from both events! Enjoy!!
May Birthdays
Students
10 – Andy Lun Li
13 – Noah Brown
21 – Saketh Das
22 – Owen Mosley
22 – Jasper Ramsey
23 – Wren Matawaran
24 – Ayden Ramirez
24 – Kiyoshi Wallace
26 – Samuel Skipper
28 – Honor Jenkins
Teachers
9 – Melissa Loper
28 – Kiana Sneed
29 – DawnMarie Carlson
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
From the Principal’s Office
Dear Parents:
Wow, it is hard to believe that we only have one month left before summer camp begins. Summer camp is going to be full of fun activities this year, so if you have not signed your child up yet, please do so as our spaces are filling up fast. We are also filling up fast for the Fall, so make sure to take care of that registration process to ensure that we have a space for you.
We have been busy this month taking care of our school environment. Our parking lot has been repaired and striped and our pool has been cleaned up and the deck has been stained. I know the children are excited to begin swimming this summer.
As we do transition into the warmer weather, please make sure that children are appropriately dressed and that we have a seasonally appropriate change of clothes for them in their classroom if it is needed.
Thank you to all of our families who supported our week of the young child activities. Our wishing wall is so much fun to read and the children love finding their messages. I have loved reading them myself. Our Earth day celebration was a huge success and our outside area is now full of ladybugs who are finding their new homes. Make sure to check out our Chesterbrook Facebook page periodically for updated pictures.
Please stop by to introduce yourself if we have not met yet. My door is always open and I welcome the interactions.
Thank you for all that you do to support our school.
Regards,
Helen Parks, Principal.
May Events
Coming Up in June
Be courteous and patient with other
drivers and watch out for our children!!!
Reminders
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 dis-enrollment. 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 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 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:
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
Check out the “Wishing Wall” at the end of the hallway and read the beautiful, inspirational messages that parents have written to their children!! Directly across from the “Wishing Wall” is the board titled “Week of the Young Child & Earth Day Fun”!! This board has wonderful photos from both events! Enjoy!!
May Birthdays
Students
10 – Andy Lun Li
13 – Noah Brown
21 – Saketh Das
22 – Owen Mosley
22 – Jasper Ramsey
23 – Wren Matawaran
24 – Ayden Ramirez
24 – Kiyoshi Wallace
26 – Samuel Skipper
28 – Honor Jenkins
Teachers
9 – Melissa Loper
28 – Kiana Sneed
29 – DawnMarie Carlson
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