As the first quarter comes to a close, I would like to thank our PTA Board Members who have led us through our first big projects. Thank you to Judy Williams, Karen Clark, and Candace Stromberg-Soberman for setting up and processing all our Great American Opportunities fundraising program and orders. Items will be available for pick-up during the teacher conference workdays November 1 and 2.

Thanks also to Beth Lord and Marsha Camp for organizing our Fall Book Fair. If you haven't made it in yet, you have a little more time. The Fair will be open on Friday  until 4 pm and on Monday, November 1st during teacher conferences. The Book Fair is my favorite Chesterbrook event, so I hope you can make it. Thanks Beth and Marsha and all the volunteers who have worked this week and next.

Thank you to Betty Ende for taking over our Reflections program, with no experience and little background! Entries are currently with the judges and we will submit Chesterbrook's winners to the county next week. Look out for an announcement of the winners, as well as the actual entries in the Media Center window display when you are at school for the Thanksgiving Luncheon, Thursday, November 11. Hope to see you all there.

And lastly, Dana Renz and Nancy Stuckwisch have undertaken the monstrous task of preparing our database and Family Directory. This involves combing through our PTA website database accounts, comparing contact information with the school's data on teacher assignments, cleaning up address and telephone formats, and formatting the directory itself. It is tedious work on a moving target! Kudos to Dana and Nancy for even surviving! The directory is at the printer this week-thanks Gralla Family!-and will be distributed as soon as it is available.

Speaking of our database and website, I plan to form a committee this winter to investigate rebuilding the PTA website on a more standard platform, including revising the afterschool registration process, the database and directory, and Chipmunk Avenue (our store for paying for memberships, camps and classes, and school kits). If you are interested in joining the committee let me know, particularly if this is a project you or your business could undertake.

Our next PTA General Membership meeting is November 9 at 7:30 pm. After some brief PTA business, our Health, Safety, Wellness, and Nutrition Committee will present a program on Nutrition for Academic Excellence featuring Anita Capizzi, RN, CHC (realfoodrealhealth.com). This should be very interesting and informative and a great addition to our focus on improving nutrition. We would love to have a good turnout for Ms. Capizzi -- hope to see you there!

Don't forget about Wacky Hair Day tomorrow!

Laurie Plishker,  President Chesterbrook PTA

 

The Chesterbrook Health and Wellness Committee is encouraging the kids to "Eat A Rainbow". Last week was Fairfax County Health and Nutrition Week and Chesterbrook celebrated in many ways.

Our cafeteria has posters of actual Chesterbrook kids painted as their favorite color food - we have red, blue, green, yellow and orange! The posters serve as a reminder to eat many colors.

The committee also had food tastings in many of the classrooms. Children were introduced to jicama and star fruit and other basic and exotic fruits and vegetables.

Our morning news program had daily clips reminding the kids about Health and Nutrition week. Videos included our school mascot, Chester the Chipmunk, joining the kids in the cafeteria and encouraging good healthy choices.

Chester also had workouts with our PE teachers and explored the gardens to promote being outside. Overall, the program was a success with the kids. The Health and Wellness committee will continue the program for the entire year, so look out for more healthy fun!

Health and Wellness Chairs, Melinda Settles and Rick Barnard

What kind of background is needed to be an art teacher?

Mrs. Kodsi: "To be an art teacher not only do you need to be creative, organized, and an advocate of the Arts, you need to have an understanding of all the different art mediums. Some colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in Art Education, but I went to school first to study just art.  I received my Bachelor's in Art from a program where I studied the basic fundamentals of art as well as photography, painting, drawing, figure drawing, sculpture, printmaking, bookmaking and art history. Then I went back to school for my Master's in Art Education where I learned all about how to teach art to children."

Mrs. Gottke: "When I was doing my undergrad degree, it was required that I have a comprehensive major in art and a minor in education to be certified to teach in grades K through 12.  I also have a major in history and government and additional art courses towards a masters."

How did you get interested in becoming an art teacher?

Mrs. Kodsi:  "Growing up, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian because I love animals, but I really struggled with some of the math and science courses in college. After being frustrated, I talked to my advisor who had me brainstorm about all the things I liked and what I was good at.  Art kept popping up on my list.  I knew I loved it, was good at it, and I wanted it to be a part of my life so I changed my major to studio arts.   After I graduated from college with my degree in Studio Arts I decided to volunteer in a High School Art program where I worked with two wonderful teachers who were inspiring.  I wanted to be able to share my energy and enthusiasm about art with children and help spark their creative thinking, so I decided to go back to school for Art Education."

Mrs. Kodsi: "Don't be afraid to use your imagination and try something new.  A wiggly line can transform and become a beautiful piece of art.  A mistake can turn into a masterpiece!  Also, be sure to check out the Art Link under Specialists in Blackboard where you can find my 'recycled materials wish list', art news, homework, private art lesson information as well as museums and art websites.

Mrs. Gottke: "When you come to art, this is the time of the week when there is not one right answer.  You will be challenged to come up with your own ideas and solution to the art problems we give you.  Have fun trying new techniques, materials and ideas.  Sometimes how the project looks when finished is important and sometimes just learning how to do new things is what is important."

What makes art fun for you?

Mrs. Kodsi: "I love the challenge of thinking differently and creatively.  It's scary starting out on the blank canvas but every little mark sparks new thoughts and there are endless possibilities.  The great thing about art is that everyone's work is different and there isn't just one way to create it!"

Mrs. Kodsi: "I was born in LaCrosse, WI, and raised in LaCrescent, MN. I have 2 sisters, and I love to make trips back home to Minnesota where my family lives.  I love all kinds of art including architecture, and the art I make is mostly drawings, paintings and some photography.  I love reading, gardening, traveling, cooking, going out to new restaurants, spending time with my husband, and playing with my two cats. This is my seventh year of teaching art in Fairfax County and I'm totally thrilled to be a part of the Chesterbrook family!"

Mrs. Gottke: "I was born in Ohio, grew up in Nebraska, went to college in Indiana and Arizona and then moved to the DC area.  I have lived in McLean for 28 years, my husband, Bob is a CPA here and all three of our children have gone to school first at Churchill Road, then Longfellow or Cooper and graduated from Langley H.S.  My oldest daughter graduated from William and Mary, my son from University of Tennessee and my youngest daughter is at Virginia Tech.  I have been active in the PTA while my children were in school and in my 'free' time; I read, garden, paint and walk."