Chesterbrook PTA Friday Digest

The Friday Digest National PTA Logo

Pertinent Points for the Week Ahead
from the Chesterbrook PTA

Vol.2, No.8

October 22, 2010

I hope everyone is enjoying fall. My favorite school event in the fall is the Book Fair, which starts next week. Students will have an opportunity to preview the books and make wish lists (younger students get adult helpers to write the titles and price) during class. And then they will have shopping time later in the week, either with their classes or on their own, at the teachers' discretion. The highlights are the evening events -- Dress as a Book Character Night (treats for those in costume) on Tuesday and Pajama Night (cookies and milk and bedtime stories) on Wednesday! These are popular events, so you won't want to miss them! Both run from 6 to 8. The fair runs through November 1 during teacher conferences. If you can spare an hour, we still need some volunteers (see below).

This week's new dining surprise is our new relationship with Silver Diner. Silver Diner is no greasy spoon, dark diner! They have a whole new menu of fresh, local produce, including a better-for-you kids menu, gluten-free options, and much more! They even host a farmer's market every so often (watch out here for the next date), and you could be dining on whatever was selling in the parking lot that morning! Every family received yesterday or will receive today an Eat Well, Do Well card. With each purchase, the PTA gets 1% of your check total, and if you preload money to use as a debit card, the PTA gets 5% of the preload amount. It's easy money! By the way, we made $78 at Jason's Deli last week -- not too much, but it was easy and yummy. We'll do it again too.

As a reminder, in the past couple weeks, we have had about 60 email addresses get automatically "unsubscribed" from our Constant Contact account, and we are unable to resubscribe them ourselves. If you are receiving this, your email is fine. And welcome back and thank you to the 32 of you who resubscribed. But if you know someone who didn't, please direct them to our website to resubscribe. We don't want anyone to be left off any important emails!

See you at the Book Fair,
Laurie

To Do This Week

Volunteer at Book Fair

Chesterbrook's Annual Book Fair is coming up October 25 through November 2 and we still need some more help! The Book Fair is a fun event to volunteer with because you can preview the books, meet other parents, and see lots of kids! Volunteer shifts include set-up and take-down, helping younger students prepare wish lists, selling books, and helping with the costume and pajama party evening events. Adults can sign up here! We still need a few middle school students to help on the evening of Tuesday, October 26, 5:45 - 8 pm. Students can get volunteer service hours. Student volunteers can sign up here. For additional information, contact Marsha Camp.

Support Outside Volunteer Opportunities

The School Outreach Committee is launching a new initiative to inform Chesterbrook families about local volunteering opportunities. If you have any volunteer opportunities you'd like included, please email Emily Ludwikowski (eludwikowski@gmail.com) or Shawna Saaty (shawna@saaty.com). There is a generationOn event this Saturday, Oct. 23 and a Stop Hunger event on Saturday, Nov. 6. For more information and links to register, please visit the PTA website.

Silver Diner

Sign Up for Silver Diner's Eat Well, Do Well Program

Everyone received an Eat Well, Do Well card in their Thursday envelopes yesterday, or it will come home today. Register your card and preload it to start earning for the PTA every time you eat out! The food is great, and you can eat at any Silver Diner restaurant. Go to the EWDW website to get started!

Join PTA to Get Free Family Directory

The Family Directory will be distributed in the next few weeks. If you have not joined the PTA or paid the nonmember directory fee, you will not receive one! PTA membership is $20 for families, $10 for individuals. Nonmembers pay $8 for a directory. The directory is indispensable for arranging playdates, finding someone who understands the homework, and planning class events! You may pay for PTA memberships or the directory online.

Help with Chesterbrook's Online Auction
Chesterbrook's Online Auction 2011 is opening in less than 4 months on February 13! Come hear what it's all about at the Kick-off Meeting on Thursday, November 4 at 8:45 am at Julia Nelson's house (1970 Massachusetts Avenue in Franklin Park). If you don't like cold-calling or begging for auction items, that's okay. While solicitations are key to a successful auction, it's not ALL about asking for donations. We need help with:

thank you notes to donors
inputting auction items to the online system
PR and marketing
proofreading
brainstorming about businesses to solicit
follow-up distribution of items at the Fun Fair
mailing items that have been purchased by bidders out of the immediate area

Julia Nelson and the auction team needs your help!

Donate to Local Students and Families

Please help us collect items needed by the students of Carlin Springs Elementary and by needy students in our own school pyramid. Your donations can make a world of difference to kids without warm clothing and out-of-work parents who are struggling to feed their families.

Grocery gift cards in any denomination
New or gently used pants, coats, mittens and hats for boys and girls, sizes 4-16
New boys and girls underpants, size 4-16
Small gifts, toys and treat to fill grab bags for Carlin Springs' Fall Festival

Please place items in the bin marked School Outreach outside the Media Center by Friday, October 22. Contact Shawna Saaty or Emily Ludwikowski at with any questions or if you and your child would like to volunteer.

Pick Up Great American Items

Great American items ordered for pickup will be available at school on November 1 and 2, during teacher conferences. Please retrieve your items then, so your children don't have to carry them home.

You can still order items online through our Great American sale and credit the school. As a reminder, our school code is 1874999; online orders over $60 are shipped for free. Get a jump on holiday shopping! Any questions, call/contact Judy Williams at 703.442.3984 or email Judy Williams.

Donate Gently Used School Supplies for the Needy

And since you've bought new school supplies, perhaps you have some gently used (or even new) supplies you don't need. Once again, Ann-Marie Turnage is collecting supplies to be sent to needy families in Nicaragua through the Peaceworks Foundation. Please tear out any used notebook pages and place school all supplies in the marked box outside the library. Contact Ann-Marie with questions.

Watch Out for Reflections Results Reflections logo

Thank you to everyone who submitted a Reflections entry. The artwork is being processed and prepared for judging. We expect to announce our local winners in the second week in November. Good work everyone!

Looking Ahead

October 22	School Outreach donations due
October 25 - November 1	Book Fair
October 25 - 29	National Red Ribbon Week
October 26, 8:50 and 9:40	Magic Show morning assemblies (PM-K invited)
October 26	Third grade performs at Sylvestry
October 27, 9 am	Third grade Choral Performance in cafeteria
October 29	School Spirit Day -- Wacky Hair Day
November 1-2 November 1-2 November 4, 8:45 am	Teacher Workdays, Student Holidays Great American items ready for pick-up Auction Kick-off meeting
November 8-12	Salvation Army canned food drive
November 9, 7:30 pm	PTA General membership meeting (program topic TBA)
November 10	Picture make-up day
November 11 November 16 November 19	Thanksgiving Luncheon Cultural arts assemblies Candid and make-up pictures

In This Issue

Book Fair

Volunteer Opportunities

Free Family Directories

Online Auction

School Outreach

Great American Orders

Used School Supplies

Reflections Results

Upcoming Dates

Quick Links

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