Chesterbrook PTA Friday Digest

The Friday Digest National PTA Logo

Pertinent Points for the Week Ahead
from the Chesterbrook PTA

Vol.2, No.13

December 17, 2010

I hope everyone is signed up to receive all of the various FCPS closing alerts and no one had a 2-hour early dismissal surprise. When Fairfax County Public Schools have a schedule change (closing or delay) due to inclement weather or other emergencies, the information is communicated as soon as the decision is made in these ways:

Posted on the FCPS website.
Posted on TV Channel 21 (Cox Communications, Reston Comcast, and Verizon cable customers only).
Sent via e-mail to parents through the Keep in Touch system which all families are automatically enrolled in. Notifications can be sent to additional numbers/addresses through the Keep in Touch website.
Called in to area radio and television stations
Posted to Facebook and Twitter.
Please note that due to budget cuts, the telephone hotline is no longer operational.

PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL TO GET THIS INFORMATION--THESE LINES NEED TO BE KEPT OPEN FOR EMERGENCIES.

Thank you to Kate Garcia and her Spirit Wear team and to everyone who ordered spirit wear this fall. Spirit Wear was a phenomenal success! We raised over $2,000! Wow! Orders were delivered to homeroom classrooms on December 16. If you did not receive your order or have any questions, please contact Kate. For those interested in ordering more spirit wear, we plan to take orders again in March -- kicking off at Fun Fair on March 12.

Please note that Before- and After-School Activities signups for the winter programs will open this Monday, December 20. See below for registration information. A flyer went out in the Thursday envelope with additional details.

Finally, Friday is Chesterbrook's monthly Spirit Day! This month is Twin/Triplet Day, so plan ahead. The second Principal's Coffee of the year is Friday also, 10:30 - 11:30 am in the Media Center. Thanks to Kim Suringa, Megan Dennis, and the PTA Special Education committee for providing refreshments!

To Do This Week

Sign Up for Before- and After-School Activities

We have a tight timeline with some of our before- and after-school activities, so we will begin signups this coming Monday, December 20 at 6 pm on the PTA website afterschool activities page. Information is on the website and was in Thursday envelopes. The following classes are available (note days have switched for some):

Art Outreach, grades K-6, Mondays, 12:55 pm and 2:05 pm, 1/24 - 5/2, $190.
Beginning Drama, grades 3-6, Mondays, 1 - 2 pm, 1/24 - 5/2, $83.
Creative Drama, grades K-2, Tuesdays, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, 1/25 - 5/3, $83.
Fitness Warriors, grades 1-2, Tuesdays, 7:30 - 8:15 am, 1/18 - 3/22, $68.
Fitness Warriors, grades 3-4, Wednesdays, 7:30 - 8:15 am, 1/19 - 3/23, $68.
Fitness Warriors, grades 5-6, Thursdays, 7:30 - 8:15 am, 1/20 - 3/24, $68.
Yoga, grades K-2, Tuesdays, 3:25 - 4:25 pm, 1/11 - 3/22, $110.
Yoga, grades 3-6, Thursdays, 3:25 - 4:25 pm, 1/13 - 3/17, $110.

We have changed our Emergency Form procedures. Please complete this Emergency Form and submit to the school office prior to the first day of class. Submission of the form does not constitute enrollment.

Help with Online Auction BiddingForGood

Our Online Auction will open in about 8 weeks on February 13th and there are several ways you can help:

Donate an item or service, or ask someone to do so - all you need is a Donor Form and Solicitation Letter.
Join the auction team - we need help with Solicitations (Delia Swigart, Chair) and Marketing (Lori Boerner, Chair). Send an email to auctions@chesterbrook.org.
Procure a contribution (businesses can do so as a Chesterbrook Business Friend)

For more information, please visit the PTA's auction website or Friend's website.

Get Involved with Special Education

Thanks to our Special Education Committee chairs, Kim Suringa and Megan Dennis, for providing refreshments for the Principal's Coffee at 10:30 am Friday, December 17. The PTA special education committee assists and supports the school community in bringing awareness of our students' rich diversity in learning styles and abilities and as a support group for parents that are new to our school and/or new to the world of special needs education. The Committee is also planning a parent coffee for January 2011. Parents who have children receiving special services should contact Kim or Megan for information or to get involved.

Help with Fun Fair

Time to upgrade your Wii system, cleaning house or just feeling generous this holiday season? The Fun Fair Co-Chairs are looking for a new or used Wii system to use at Fun Fair. Contact Trisha Downey or Kim Johnson if you have one available to lend or donate.

Looking for a fun job for Fun Fair? If you have ideas about products/services you'd like to see sold at Fun Fair, then we've got the job for you!! We are looking for a Chair Person to manage the brand new Fun Fair Boutique. We are also looking for vendors to sell their goods/products at our Fun Fair Boutique. Space is limited so contact Trisha or Kim today if you are interested in having a table or know of someone who would like to vend at our Fun Fair.

Help Others

On behalf of our partner schools, Thank you to the Chesterbrook Community for its tremendous support during the fall clothing and grocery gift card drive. The children of Carlin Springs sent us dozens of lovely and heartfelt handmade thank you cards, which we will hang in the PTA workroom. Please stop in to admire them! We continue our collection of grocery store gift cards in any denomination during the month of December. Food assistance is especially important during the winter school holidays because of the absence of free school breakfasts and lunches. Your generosity has done so much to help our neighbors and is a powerful example for our children to learn just how easy and rewarding it is to make a difference in lives of others. Grocery gift cards can be sent through backpack mail in an envelope marked "PTA School Outreach" through Friday afternoon, December 16th. Please do not hesitate to contact Shawna Saaty or Emily Ludwikowski with any questions. THANK YOU!