From the Principal’s Desk
I can’t believe it is May already! We have a fun and busy month ahead. We have a lot of activities planned to honor our Mother’s and teachers this month. We will celebrate our mothers on Friday, May 8th with “Muffins for Mom”. “To go” bags with muffins and juice will be waiting up front for you to take with you on your way to work. In the evening, we will have our Parents’ Night Out event. This is a good time for dad to treat mom to a special evening while we take care of the little ones. Please sign up soon, space is limited! The week of May 11-15, we will be celebrating our teachers with our annual “Teacher Appreciation Celebration”. Look for a flyer and enotify next week with details for our events.
On Tuesday, May 11th, 5:30pm- 6:00pm, Dr. Robert Mason will be presenting a free workshop for parents. Is your child always catching the current sickness that is being passed around? Discover how a confused immune system can lead to allergies, asthma and chronic ear infections in children. This event will be catered by Panera. Sign up at the front desk by May 11th.
Reminders
Chesterbrook Academy Parent Referral Program
If there’s one thing parents love to do, it’s talk about their children’s successes. When friends ask you about your child’s experiences at Chesterbrook Academy, what type of success stories do you share? Do you mention the personal and educational discoveries your child is making thanks to our advanced curriculum? Do you talk about the new levels of self and social confidence your child has gained thanks to our encouraging atmosphere? Whatever glowing reports you deliver about how your child is growing with his or her education, we couldn’t be more appreciative. In fact, we’d like to show you just how thankful we are for your endorsements. Now when you tell other parents about our school, you can become a Chesterbrook Academy Ambassador.
For every new child you refer who enrolls at our school for three months, you’ll receive an Ambassador Certificate for one FREE week of tuition for your child.
It’s our way of saying thanks for doing what comes naturally – singing the praises of your child and sharing your experiences with the Chesterbrook Academy difference. At the front desk are referral certificates you can give to friends and colleagues who ask about our school. If you have any questions about how you can become a Chesterbrook Academy Ambassador, please contact an administrator.
Important Dates to Remember
May 5- Cinco de Mayo
May 8- Muffins for Mom
May 8- Parents’ Night Out 6:30pm-9:00pm Registration required
May 10- Mother’s Day
May 11-15- Teacher Appreciation Celebration
May 12- Parent Workshop- 5:30pm-6:00pm Free registration required
May 25- Memorial Day- Chesterbrook will be closed
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 Newsletter
From the Principal’s Desk
I can’t believe it is May already! We have a fun and busy month ahead. We have a lot of activities planned to honor our Mother’s and teachers this month. We will celebrate our mothers on Friday, May 8th with “Muffins for Mom”. “To go” bags with muffins and juice will be waiting up front for you to take with you on your way to work. In the evening, we will have our Parents’ Night Out event. This is a good time for dad to treat mom to a special evening while we take care of the little ones. Please sign up soon, space is limited! The week of May 11-15, we will be celebrating our teachers with our annual “Teacher Appreciation Celebration”. Look for a flyer and enotify next week with details for our events.
On Tuesday, May 11th, 5:30pm- 6:00pm, Dr. Robert Mason will be presenting a free workshop for parents. Is your child always catching the current sickness that is being passed around? Discover how a confused immune system can lead to allergies, asthma and chronic ear infections in children. This event will be catered by Panera. Sign up at the front desk by May 11th.
Reminders
Chesterbrook Academy Parent Referral Program
If there’s one thing parents love to do, it’s talk about their children’s successes. When friends ask you about your child’s experiences at Chesterbrook Academy, what type of success stories do you share? Do you mention the personal and educational discoveries your child is making thanks to our advanced curriculum? Do you talk about the new levels of self and social confidence your child has gained thanks to our encouraging atmosphere? Whatever glowing reports you deliver about how your child is growing with his or her education, we couldn’t be more appreciative. In fact, we’d like to show you just how thankful we are for your endorsements. Now when you tell other parents about our school, you can become a Chesterbrook Academy Ambassador.
For every new child you refer who enrolls at our school for three months, you’ll receive an Ambassador Certificate for one FREE week of tuition for your child.
It’s our way of saying thanks for doing what comes naturally – singing the praises of your child and sharing your experiences with the Chesterbrook Academy difference. At the front desk are referral certificates you can give to friends and colleagues who ask about our school. If you have any questions about how you can become a Chesterbrook Academy Ambassador, please contact an administrator.
Important Dates to Remember
May 5- Cinco de Mayo
May 8- Muffins for Mom
May 8- Parents’ Night Out 6:30pm-9:00pm Registration required
May 10- Mother’s Day
May 11-15- Teacher Appreciation Celebration
May 12- Parent Workshop- 5:30pm-6:00pm Free registration required
May 25- Memorial Day- Chesterbrook will be closed
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