The Chalkboard
October 2013
THE CHALKBOARD
October 2013
President’s Message
I want to start my message of by thanking all of the families that participated in our second annual open house/class
visit on Saturday, September 7th. It was great to see so many familiar faces as well as meet so many new families.
What a great way to kick off the new school year. I also want to thank our entire board of directors for all of their help
in making the event so successful. Please keep in mind that our board members are parent volunteers committed to
making CPI the best preschool in the area. I also appreciate the teachers being so gracious and letting us interrupt
their orientations to collect our votes for the annual budget. I also want to welcome our three new teachers. Jeannie
Kinn, Julie LeVine and Colleen Jones have joined us this year and are already valuable members of our team.
We are wrapping up our first fundraiser of the year with Innisbrook. Thanks to all of the families that participated as
the school will receive up to 50% of the proceeds from this event. Also thanks to everyone that went out to Sweet
Frog on September 18 for our spirit night. Please look for additional spirit nights in the near future.
October is a great month for CPI as we all get more comfortable with the routine of life in preschool. For children,
this may mean playing with other kids versus playing alone, or the excitement of knowing it is a school day, or even
just managing to get out of the car without making a scene. For the parents, it might be co­oping and seeing your
child interact in a classroom setting, or a free couple hours for yourself, or possibly the realization that you have
figured out our drop­off and pick­up procedure (I still struggle with turning the car off…even after five years). Another
highlight of the month is our Halloween parties and parade. Look for details from your teacher. Trust me when I say,
this is an event you don’t want to miss. It is a treat to see the kids march in their costumes.
I hope every family is enjoying the new school year as much as mine. If there is anything I can do to make your
experience better, please do not hesitate to reach out via email jsmit33a@yahoo.com.
John Smith
From the Teachers
Great Beginnings from Julie and Laurie
Hello everyone! Our Beginners are doing great! We’ve met some new friends, sang a few new songs, and we made
some fun projects!
In October, we will continue to learn about colors and we will also begin to talk about fall. Later in the month, we’ll
have fun with some cute Halloween projects. Our Halloween party will be on Tuesday, October 31st. Thanks, Party
Moms! We will be decorating cookies for our snack, and we’ll have a Halloween Parade! Our parade will begin
immediately after drop off in the morning. If your child wants to wear his/her costume, please have him/her dressed
and ready to participate in the parade. Also, please label all pieces of your child’s costume (hats, accessories, etc.).
And…don’t forget those cameras!
A reminder: as our weather begins to get cooler, please make sure your child has a jacket or sweater. (Please label
We’re online at www.centrevillepreschool.com.
Phone us at 703­830­5656
CPI ­ Where Children Grow to Learn
13916 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20120
The Chalkboard
October 2013
these as well). We will go out to the playground each day, weather permitting.
Laurie and I have enjoyed working with and getting to know your children!
October Song (sung to “Are You Sleeping”)
It’s October, It’s October,
Leaves will fall, leaves will fall.
Halloween is coming, Halloween is coming,
You better watch out, you better watch out!
Three’s Company from Teresa and Jeanie
September was such a fun month. Your children have adjusted beautifully and are doing a great job following our
routine. Please review at home our #1 safety rule: only grown­ups open the door in school or the gate on the
playground. Please remember to keep a change of clothes in a Ziploc bag in your child’s tote bag.
We have begun our color unit and will continue during October. We will also have units on apples, Fall, and we end
the month with our Halloween unit.
The Halloween parties for M/W/F classes are Wednesday, Oct 30th and T/Th classes are Tuesday, Oct 31st.
Please send your child to school in his/her costume that day. We will have a small parade with costumes. We’ll
send home more information as we get closer to Halloween. If you signed up for the Halloween party, your Room
Mom will contact you about sending in a treat.
We are really enjoying getting to know you and your children and are looking forward to a fun and exciting year!
All Aboard for Fours from Karen, Diana, and Ann
Our school year is off to a great start. The children are adjusting to our routines and making new friends. September
flew by as we talked about vacations, apples, shapes, colors, and our friend the turtle. The kids were very proud of
their dough turtles they painted and put in a shoebox home.
In October, we will learn about Christopher Columbus, spiders, squirrels, “creatures of the night,” the human
skeleton, autumn leaves, and transportation. Be on the lookout for your child practicing his/her name, too.
Remember to capitalize the first letter, using lower case on all other letters.
We will wear costumes to school for our Halloween parties on Wednesday, Oct 30th (Strassburg & Boles) and
Thursday, Oct 31st (Rosener). Please label any removable parts with your child’s name. We will have a fun party
with many games, along with a Halloween parade so you can come see all of our costumes. Details will follow.
We have started our music instruction. The kids are having fun learning new songs, practicing rhythms, using various
instruments and dancing freely to interesting beats. Thanks for your help in making the start of the year run
smoothly!
The Pre­K Post from Colleen
We are having a great start to the school year in our Pre­K class! The kids are all getting to know each other and the
teachers, and things are falling into place nicely. We have even celebrated our first birthday of the school
year…Happy 5th Birthday to Zachary!
The students have been doing lots of imaginary play, as well as painting and digging in the rice table for “buried
treasures.” They have each created both a self and a family portrait, and are currently working on making homemade
drums! We had our first science experiment recently…bubble chemistry! The kids loved measuring and creating
something new out of different materials…and of course blowing bubbles through their homemade bubble wands was
a lot of fun, too. If they haven’t already told you, ask them about the silly songs we sing and dance to on a regular
basis…they get such a kick out of them, and it’s great exercise!
On the more “academic side” of things, we have been counting and recognizing patterns on the calendar, and began
We’re online at www.centrevillepreschool.com.
Phone us at 703­830­5656
CPI ­ Where Children Grow to Learn
13916 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20120
The Chalkboard
October 2013
counting by tens. The kids have practiced writing their names in good form. We are also beginning to introduce
vowels. The students are working on writing vowels in both upper and lower case, as well as working on short vowel
sounds.
A new song they have learned this month is called “Days of the Week” (sung to the Adam’s Family Theme Song)
Days of the week (clap, clap)
Days of the week (clap, clap)
There’s Sunday and there’s Monday,
There’s Tuesday and there’s Wednesday,
There’s Thursday and there’s Friday,
And then there’s Saturday!
Days of the week (clap, clap)
Days of the week (clap, clap)
October will be full of activities, including a possible field trip. (Details will be forthcoming.) We will be studying about
farm life, crops, fall,fire safety, and have some fun with “Fitness Day” and Halloween! Our class Halloween party will
be on Thursday the 31st. Please send your child to school in costume that day, as we will be having a small parade.
Please label all parts of the costume with your child’s name, and be ready to take lots of pictures! (More details will
be sent home later in the month.)
It’s been great getting to know all of you and your kids, and I am looking forward to a fun and exciting year!
General Announcements
Columbus Day ­ School Closed
CPI is closed on Monday, October 14th in recognition of Columbus Day. Please make sure to mark your calendar
accordingly.
Upcoming Board Meetings
Our next meeting is Tuesday, October 15th at CPI at 7 p.m. The November meeting will be November 21th at 7
p.m. at Centreville Library. These are open meetings and CPI encourages your participation and contribution. In
addition, if anyone would like to have a copy of the monthly board meeting minutes or of the membership meeting
minutes, please contact Dana Forcier, Board Secretary, at secy@centrevillepreschool.com.
Chalkboard Submissions
If you’d like something included in the next Chalkboard, please make your submission to Andrea McCOy at
chalkboard@centrevillepreschool.com by the 15th of the month.
Halloween Parties and Parade
Classes have their Halloween parties on Wednesday, October 30th and Thursday, October 31st. Please send your
child to school in costume and label all parts of the costume. We will have a costume parade around the building
immediately after drop off and send the kids home with all sorts of goodies! Bring your camera!
Important Health Information
Please remember that children exhibiting any signs of illness (runny nose, fever, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea,
communicable disease symptoms) are too sick to be attending school. It is best to keep them at home where they
can recover quickly while reducing the spread of disease to other children, parents and teachers. Reportable
communicable diseases (refer to the Parent Handbook for a complete list) must be reported immediately to the
Director of Health and Safety, Kristi Lalli a 703­818­0575. Other health and safety items to keep in mind:
● Anybody who is going to co­op, including relatives, must have a valid TB test on file at CPI.
● Washing hands often, covering your cough, and staying home when sick all help to stop the spread of
illness.
● Please make sure to send in only approved snacks for you class.
Absentees
If your child will miss school due to illness or other reasons, please call the school to leave a message for your
teacher at 703­830­5656.
Tuition Reminder
Tuition is due on the first day of the month. Late fees will automatically be assessed on all late payments.
Additional tuition coupons are on our website at www.centrevillepreschool.com. Please drop your tuition at the
We’re online at www.centrevillepreschool.com.
Phone us at 703­830­5656
CPI ­ Where Children Grow to Learn
13916 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20120
The Chalkboard
October 2013
preschool in the locked tuition box located inside the visitor’s entrance. Or mail your payment to:
Attn: Accounting Clerk, CPI, PO Box 253, Centreville, VA 20122
Do not send tuition via tote bag! Tuition also should NOT be mailed to the school's street address and NOT be
placed in the "information box" located OUTSIDE of the school.
Rent CPI for Your Next Party
The CPI building can be rented for up to 5 hours for $100. Rental includes playground and more. Contact Kristin
Robinson 703­830­5656 for details and scheduling.
Dot Com
Have you checked out the CPI website? Visit us online at www.centrevillepreschool.com. We also have a
Facebook page ­ look up Centreville Preschool and request to become a member of our public group and connect
to your fellow CPI parents today!
Items the School Can Use
Please keep in mind that there are some items that the school can always use:
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CPI uses empty baby food jars for paint, water, etc.
Extra happy meal toys are put to use during Centreville Day and as prizes for games
Age appropriate toys (2 to 4 years) that you no longer need can be donated to the school
Any dress up clothes or Halloween costumes are welcome as well
If you have any of these items throughout the school year, please send them in. Thank you in advance from the
teachers!
Carpool Do’s and Dont’s
Do:
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Turn off your engine!
Use car seats ­ it’s the law!
Be on time!
Remember yellow card holders hug the
building during pick up!
Don’t:
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Leave your car running when it’s your turn.
Forget to use car seats.
Be late or you will be fined as of October 1st.
Forget yellow card holders fall in line for drop
off, no hugging the building.
News from FUNdraising
Thank you to all that made purchases from our Innisbrook fundraiser, and/or attended our fun Spirit Night at Sweet
Frog in September! Both were successful fundraisers for our school, thanks to our wonderful staff, board, and
membership!
Keep a lookout for info on our Annual Holiday Babysitting Event as well as the very popular Holiday Shop ­ both
coming to CPI in December!
We are going to have a great year with lots of FUN events and what we hope are unique opportunities aimed at
encouraging all of our member families to participate and have a great time while supporting our school. Let,s make
this a fantastic fundraising year!
Campbell’s Labels for Education
Labels for Education is a great program that helps us get free supplies for our preschool. It costs nothing and doesn't
require much effort. Simply clip labels from participating products and send them in. Be sure to cut out the entire
UPC number and the Labels for Education icon. Also watch for Bonus Lables that you can
earn at stores such as Safeway or Harris Teeter. These do have an expiration date, so send them in as soon as you
get them. You can either put the labels in the bin inside the front door of CPI, or tote them to Michelle Duersch c/o
Marshall­­Rosener M T TH AM. Thank you!
We’re online at www.centrevillepreschool.com.
Phone us at 703­830­5656
CPI ­ Where Children Grow to Learn
13916 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20120
The Chalkboard
October 2013
Scholastic Book Orders
Check your child’s tote bag for the next Scholastic book order form for the year. Not only can you order wonderful
books for your child but it supports CPI at the same time! CPI earns points with each purchase that can be used
toward books and other learning materials the teachers use every day.
If you have any questions, please contact Jen McNernery at jenmcnerney@hotmail.com. Happy reading!
Look Book
This fall CPI will be offering new class Look Books featuring the names and pictures of the teachers, school board,
and children in each class. The softcover, 20­page, color­printed Look Book will be delivered via tote by the end of
October or early November. If your child's photo was not taken on Sept. 7 at the open house, you must send us your
child’s picture for inclusion in the Look Book. Email photos to suzanne@wordstylellc.com or send a photo via tote
bag (C/O Judy Leonard ­ 3s T/TH AM) by no later than October 10. To receive your copy of the Look Book, you must
order a copy in advance. Books cost $10 each and can be ordered by sending payment (please include your child's
name and class) via tote (C/O Judy Leonard ­ 3s T/TH AM) by no later than October 10
.
Centreville Day
CPI will be offering a host of fun family activities during this year's Centreville Day festival on October 19 from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. There will be free animal balloons, games, prizes, and more on our school grounds as well as free
temporary tattoos or face painting at our information booth in the main Centreville Day sponsor area. Come by and
join in the fun! For information on parking and the many other events associated with Centreville Day, visit
www.centrevilleday.com.
Enrollment Update
We are in great shape going into this new school year with almost 100% enrollment in our Beginners, 3's, & 4's
classes. If you know of anyone that is eligible for our Pre­K class, please refer them to one of the members of our
enrollment team or call (703)830­5656 and in return, if they enroll and stay for two months in good standing, we will
give YOU one month of free tuition for your enrolled child at the end of the two months. Get the word out and make
sure they let us know who referred them!
For our current members with children in the 4's and Pre­K programs, we have a few spots left in our Thursday and
Friday Explorers classes and our Lunch Bunch programs. Add on lunch or another day of preschool and get them
ready for full­day Kindergarten. It'll be here before you know it!
Lunch Bunch for the 3s classes
We are pleased to announce that we are now offering the Lunch Bunch options on Thursday and Friday to our 3's
classes. The cost is only $36/month and the kids have the benefit of more playground time and lunch with their
friends and CPI teachers. Please contact Tasha Floyd (tasha.floyd@me.com) to enroll your child (space is limited,
so first come, first served!). If you have any further questions, feel free to email or call me. Please remember that
even at lunch, we cannot have any peanut (or produced in a facility with peanuts) products.
Mark Your Calendars
Oct. 1st
2nd tuition installment due
Oct. 10th
Look Book Pictures Due
Oct. 14th
No School ­ Columbus Day
We’re online at www.centrevillepreschool.com.
Phone us at 703­830­5656
CPI ­ Where Children Grow to Learn
13916 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20120
The Chalkboard
October 2013
Oct. 15th
CPI Board Meeting ­ 7pm at CPI
Oct. 19th
Centreville Day ­ 10am to 5pm
Oct. 30th & 31st
Halloween Parties and Parade
Nov. 1st
3rd tuition installment due
Nov. 19th
CPI Board Meeting ­ 7pm at Centreville Library
Advertisements
Need a babysitter? Hire a Kilburne!
Two sitters who live in Centreville are available for hire in the surrounding areas. Jack, a 17 year old CPI alum, has
six years experience and can build Lego contraptions and forts to please all ages. Lucy, a 15 year old CPI alum,
has four years of experience and loves nothing more than spending hours entertaining babies and toddlers. All are
familiar and adept with children ranging from newborns through 11 years old and are capable of simple meal
preparation as well. References are available and furnished upon request.
To contact Jack or Lucy (or their mother Jennifer Kilburne) please call 703­818­8815 or 703­593­535.
We’re online at www.centrevillepreschool.com.
Phone us at 703­830­5656
CPI ­ Where Children Grow to Learn
13916 Braddock Road, Centreville, VA 20120