Chesterbrook Academy
Chesterbrook Academy
4401 Roger Stover Drive, Fairfax, VA
Thankful!
That is what we are here at
Chesterbrook Academy and this is the month to
show it. We are thankful for all our children,
families and teachers who make our school so
special. This month, the children will be learning
about “Fall Harvest” the following themes will be:
Fall Leaves, Harvest Time, Pilgrims and Native
Americans, and What am I Thankful For?
Scholastic Book Fair Follow-Up
The Scholastic Book Fair was a HUGE success!
Thank you so much for participating in our fund
raiser. We also want to give a special thanks to all
the families who supported our classrooms bought
books for our classrooms.
We sold over $1500 this year! In addition, we
earned over $750 in new books for our school!
Reading is one of the most powerful educational
tools that we can give our children. We really
appreciate the donations and support! Again,
thanks so much!
FALL FESTIVAL
Fall Festival is on Saturday November 7th from
10-1pm! Every year our school has a wonderful
time and this year we are having a petting zoo
and pony rides! Trunk or Treat families who will
be decorating their trunks, we will have the front
spaces reserved for your cars to pull forward. DO
NOT BACK IN THE SPACES! We anticipate
many families so there is additional parking
across the street. Please be careful when crossing
the road! Please remember to have age
appropriate treats and also nut free. Thank you in
advance for your participation.
703-803-7920
NOVEMBER
11.07.15
11.11.15
Annual Fall Festival- Saturday 10-1
CLOSED-Veteran’s Day
(Teacher Development Day)
Operation Hunger DC- Canned
Food Donation Collections
Food Donation Field Trip- Prek2 to
Chantilly KIDS Campus
Thanksgiving Luncheon- Parents
Welcome!
CLOSED- HAPPY
THANKSGIVING DAY!
Limited Hours- TBD
11.9.1511.20.15
11.20.15
11.25.15
11.26.15
11.27.15
*Please see sign up on classroom door*
11.30.2015
First Progress Reports sent home
DECEMBER
12.11.15
12.18.15
Parent Date Night!
Holiday Recitals and Classroom
Parties @ 3:30 (More info soon)
Thanksgiving Luncheon
Please join us on Wednesday 11.25.2015 for our
Thanksgiving Luncheon. Parents are invited to join
the classroom from 11:30-12:30 for a parent watch
Open House and stay to join their child’s classroom
for lunch at 12:00 pm.
What on the Menu:
Turkey
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Green Beans
Corn Bread
Cranberry
**Please RSVP by email:
sydney.ashman@nlcinc.com
jessica.baldwin@nlcinc.com**
Thanksgiving Sign-ups
It is hard to believe that we are only weeks
away from the holidays! With that being said,
we wanted to get a head start on schedules so
that we can staff accordingly. We have posted
a schedule for the week of Thanksgiving on
each classroom door. Please find your child's
name and mark the days and times that they
will be here for the week of Thanksgiving.
Also, please note that we will be CLOSED
Thursday, November 26th for Thanksgiving,
and we will have LIMITED HOURS the day
after on Friday, November 27th. If you have
any questions or concerns, please feel free to
contact and we will be happy to help!
Holiday Vacations & Schedule
Changes
A friendly reminded with the holidays coming
up, you will need to submit any Vacation
Requests 2 weeks before the vacation. Once
you are enrolled for 6 months you are able to
request a vacation week and will not be billed
out that week.
Any children who need a schedule change or
accommodations with days coming up, please
submit your request to management ASAP. To
get an approval on a schedule change or
withdraw you must have a 4 week notice prior
to your last day. Please let us know if you have
any questions
Operation Hunger DC- Canned
Food Drive
We invite you to participate in our 2nd Annual
Thanksgiving Food Drive! Last year Chesterbrook
Academies from the Northern Virginia area
donated approximately 2,000 items of food. This
year we are shooting for 5,000 items! All boxed,
canned, and turkey donations are acceptable as
long as they are not expired. We are extending our
help to Northern VA, Maryland, and DC soup
kitchens this Thanksgiving and appreciate all
donations and input regarding our drive!
THANK YOU!
Get Involved
Donate
www.operationhungerdc.org
We will have a donation box at the front lobby
from Nov. 9th to Nov. 20th.
Thank you for your generosity in advance! Our
Prek-2 children will drop off donations on the 20th
at the KIDS Campus.
Progress reports will be distributed
November 30th. If you would like to
set up a conference with your child’s
teacher, please email Ms. Sydney at
Sydney.Ashman@nlcinc.com.
Important
Reminders…
Illness Policy Review:
We all know that this is the season for illnesses, so I
wanted to take the time to review our policy. We
ask parents to keep children home if they or their
children have any fever (over 101 degrees
Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius), diarrhea
and/or vomiting. All children will be required to
stay at home until they are symptom free for at
least 24 hours. This should be determined without
the use of fever- or pain-reducing medications (any
medicine that contains ibuprofen or
acetaminophen). Also, children must be seen by a
doctor if they have any eye discharge or unknown
rash and will only be allowed to return with a
doctor’s note. The best prevention that we have to
keep our children healthy begins at home. If your
child is not well, or you feel something may be
wrong always call your doctor right away. And
remember, when you do visit the doctors, please
bring us a signed note with the date to return and
the diagnosis. In addition, please call in to the
school when your child is going to absent, we really
appreciate the call and being able to inform other
families of any exposure to illnesses.
ACH and Tuition Payments:
A friendly reminder that tuition payment is due by
Monday mornings of each week and is considered
late close of business Monday evening. A $25
dollar late fee will be applied if payment is late. Is
writing checks a drag? Sign-up for our Automatic
Payment (ACH) today! Forms are available at the
front desk! Please let us know if you have questions
on this.
Parent Referral Program: Refer a family and
after 90 days of enrollment, receive a free week
of tuition just for spreading the word! Thank you
to all the families who have already referred
families to us!
Late Pick Up: We do have a late pick up policy
that is stated on your fee schedule. Our hours of
operation are 630am-630pm, if your child is
picked up after that time, you must pay the late
pickup fee.
Vacation Credit: If you are planning to take a
vacation and would like to use your one week
vacation credit, please make sure to fill out a
form in the front lobby. Just a reminder, we ask
for a two week notice if you are planning to use
your vacation credit!
Weather Changes: As we head into the end of
summer please make sure you have spare
clothes that are weather appropriate, including
a jacket and extra socks!
Principal’s Conference
Follow-up
I wanted to say thank you to the families and
staff for all the support while I was away at
Nobel Learning Communities Annual
Principal’s Conference in Las Vegas! It was a
wonderful experience and I was able to connect
with many Principals and get great information
for our school. Thank you for the well wishes
when I left and welcoming me back on my
return! I truly felt missed!
I am happy to be back and excited to train our
teachers with the newest implementations of the
Links to Learning Curriculum. We will be
training the teachers for Professional
Development Day on November 11th. We are
passionate and energized to learn something
new! Please let me know if you have any
feedback while I was away. Please feel free to
email me, my door is always open!
Starts: November 2, 2015
Ends: November 25, 2015
Operation Hunger DC
We invite you to participate in our 2nd Annual
Thanksgiving Food Drive! Last year
Chesterbrook Academies from the Northern
Virginia area donated approximately 2,000
items of food. This year we are shooting for
5,000 items! All boxed, canned, and turkey
donations are acceptable as long as they are
not expired. We are extending our help to
Northern VA, Maryland, and DC soup kitchens
this Thanksgiving and appreciate all donations
and input regarding our drive!
THANK YOU
For more information:
Andrew Lewis: Andrew.lewis@nlcinc.com 703-986-9985
Richard taylor: info@operationhungerdc.org 571-327-1289
Www.operationhungerdc.org
Educational Article
4 Ways to Instill Thankfulness in Young Children
It’s never too early to teach your child about thankfulness. By learning
concepts of generosity and compassion, children strengthen their
connection to their community and become sensitive to the feelings of
others.
The holiday season is quickly approaching, so now is a great time to
reinforce the importance of thankfulness and giving back to those in
need.
Below are age appropriate activities that we implement in the
classroom, as well as activities for you and your child to do at home.
TODDLERS: Be a good role model
In the classroom: Our teachers introduce “please” and “thank you” to our toddlers by using sign
language and verbal communication. Students practice good manners with their dolls, stuffed animals
and each other.
At home: Modeling positive behaviors is a great way to teach your child good manners. Say “please”
before asking him to do something, and always follow with “thank you.”
Recommended reading: Little Critter® I Am Helping by Mercer Mayer
BEGINNERS: Share your gratitude out loud
In the classroom: Our teachers encourage our Beginner students to name a few of their favorite toys
and games, and bring one in from home to share with friends. By sharing their belongings, children
nurture connections with their classmates, and build necessary problem-solving skills.
At home: Talk with your child about the things in your life for which you are thankful, and ask him to
name a few as well. Extend the discussion beyond physical possessions. For instance, if he is thankful
for a favorite toy, say “Grandma bought you that toy, and we are thankful for her.”
Recommended reading: Spot Helps Out by Eric Hill
INTERMEDIATES: Show appreciation through actions
In the classroom: By age three, children begin to understand the concept of appreciation. They
create birthday cards for their teachers, make art projects for friends, and write thank you cards for
classroom visitors.
At home: Go shopping with your child, and buy a small token of appreciation for a friend or family
member. Ask your child to draw a picture or write a thank you note to accompany the gift.
Recommended reading: Clifford's Good Deeds by Norman Bridwell
PRE-K/PRE-K2: Give back to those in need
In the classroom: During the holidays, many of our schools host donation drives for organizations in
need. Our older preschoolers discuss why they are participating, count the items donated, and
sometimes have the opportunity to deliver the donations.
At home: Donate canned goods to a local food pantry, and allow your child to choose the food that he
would like to donate. Explain to him that you are thankful to have good food to eat, and that you want
to make sure that others have the same.
Recommended reading: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
We provide many opportunities for our preschoolers to develop thankfulness and show gratitude
towards others. By setting this positive foundation, your child will be more appreciative and generous
as he enters elementary school and beyond.
- Lauren Starnes, PhD – Director of Early Childhood Education