Notes from the Principal:
Dear Families,
Spring has sprung! The flowers are in bloom, the days are growing longer, and warmer weather has arrived. The children have been busy learning and working together. It is amazing to see how far they have come and how much they have grown since the beginning of the school year.
If you haven’t already, please remember to switch your child’s extra change of clothes to spring/summer wear and check those sizes. Be sure to bring in sunscreen as well!
We have a lot to appreciate as May begins. We will be honoring our teachers and Moms the week of May 4th – 8th.
A luncheon and special acknowledgements are planned to show our appreciation for our teachers and all that they do for our children each and every day. Thank you to all our Chesterbrook families for your participation in these events!
Friday, May 8th is Muffins for Mom! Muffins will be available to share with your little one, or To Go. The children are working on special remembrances just for mommy, too! We hope your Mother’s Day is as special as each and every one of you are and that you enjoy your day in whatever way is most rewarding to you!
As always, it is an honor to work with and watch your children grow. Thank you for choosing our school for your children.
Warm regards,
Lisa Delaney
Principal
For the Parents
Summer Camp Reminder
Summer Camp is quickly approaching! If you have not submitted your camp paperwork, please do so as soon as possible – our camp programs are filling up quickly!
If your child is not staying with us for the summer, please make you have given us your child’s last day. Please remember that 30 days’ notice to withdraw is required.
Mark the Date!
Scholastic Book Fair BOGO – April 27th – May 1st
Teacher Appreciation Week – May 4th – 8th
Muffins with Mom – Friday, May 8th
Trike-a-thon – Wednesday, May 20th and Thursday, May 21st
Family Dance Party – Friday, May 29th
Pre-K End of Year Celebrations – Thursday, June 4th & Friday, June 5th
Kindergarten Graduation – Friday, June 12th
Infant Room Renovations:
We are very excited to announce that our Infant Room renovation is ready to begin! We meet with the contractor this morning and we are ready to get started. Here are some highlights of the project:
- The Changing Area will open up – the wall and window will be removed.
- New Cabinets and Solid Surface Counters will be installed in both the Kitchen Area and New Changing Area.
- New Tile Flooring and Area Carpets will be installed.
- New Infant Cubbies will be installed.
The demolition and construction is slated to begin Saturday, May 2nd and is expected to be finished by Monday, May 11th. During this time, we will relocate the Infant Room to ensure safety and minimize disruption of the Infant Program.
All infant belongings, furnishings, and materials will be relocated to Room 7 (opposite end of the hallway). The teachers will have everything they need to implement the usual routine of our Infant Program.
The Pre-K 2 and kindergarten Enrichment children will be dropped off and picked up in Room 6 They will utilize Room 10 for the majority of the program day.
Please alert anyone that may be dropping off or picking up your child of this change in routine.
As always, the safety of our children, families, and staff is our main concern. We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and understanding during this project. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Administration.
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
Notes from the Principal:
If you haven’t already, please remember to switch your child’s extra change of clothes to spring/summer wear and check those sizes. Be sure to bring in sunscreen as well!
We have a lot to appreciate as May begins. We will be honoring our teachers and Moms the week of May 4th – 8th.
A luncheon and special acknowledgements are planned to show our appreciation for our teachers and all that they do for our children each and every day. Thank you to all our Chesterbrook families for your participation in these events!
Friday, May 8th is Muffins for Mom! Muffins will be available to share with your little one, or To Go. The children are working on special remembrances just for mommy, too! We hope your Mother’s Day is as special as each and every one of you are and that you enjoy your day in whatever way is most rewarding to you!
As always, it is an honor to work with and watch your children grow. Thank you for choosing our school for your children.
Warm regards,
Lisa Delaney
Principal
For the Parents
Summer Camp is quickly approaching! If you have not submitted your camp paperwork, please do so as soon as possible – our camp programs are filling up quickly!
If your child is not staying with us for the summer, please make you have given us your child’s last day. Please remember that 30 days’ notice to withdraw is required.
Mark the Date!
Scholastic Book Fair BOGO – April 27th – May 1st
Teacher Appreciation Week – May 4th – 8th
Muffins with Mom – Friday, May 8th
Trike-a-thon – Wednesday, May 20th and Thursday, May 21st
Family Dance Party – Friday, May 29th
Pre-K End of Year Celebrations – Thursday, June 4th & Friday, June 5th
Kindergarten Graduation – Friday, June 12th
Infant Room Renovations:
We are very excited to announce that our Infant Room renovation is ready to begin! We meet with the contractor this morning and we are ready to get started. Here are some highlights of the project:
The demolition and construction is slated to begin Saturday, May 2nd and is expected to be finished by Monday, May 11th. During this time, we will relocate the Infant Room to ensure safety and minimize disruption of the Infant Program.
All infant belongings, furnishings, and materials will be relocated to Room 7 (opposite end of the hallway). The teachers will have everything they need to implement the usual routine of our Infant Program.
The Pre-K 2 and kindergarten Enrichment children will be dropped off and picked up in Room 6 They will utilize Room 10 for the majority of the program day.
Please alert anyone that may be dropping off or picking up your child of this change in routine.
As always, the safety of our children, families, and staff is our main concern. We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and understanding during this project. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the Administration.
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