Chesterbrook PTA Friday Digest

The Friday Digest National PTA Logo

Pertinent Points for the Week Ahead
from the Chesterbrook PTA

Vol.2, No.22

March 18, 2011

Whew! What a month! I have to say I'm glad the last couple weeks are behind us, but only because they have been so extraordinary! Between the Online Auction and the Fun Fair, we (with the help from quite a few non-local bidders) far exceeded our goals! Thank you, thank you to everyone to worked so hard and contributed so much to make these fundraisers such a success, and in particular to Julia Nelson, Roger Moskowitz, Delia Swigart, Trisha Downey, and Kim Johnson. These five parents have spent countless and untold hours working on these fundraisers, and without their enthusiasm and dedication to our school, we simply would not have pulled off such successes.

While much of the funds generated are already accounted for in our expenditures on existing programs and school support (and we started the year with a deficit), with the increase in revenue from the Chesterbrook Friends program and Spirit Wear, in addition to the extras from the Auction and Fun Fair, we are working on a plan to help fund a new gym floor. After we get some more cost specifics, the PTA Executive Committee will draft a budget amendment, and then the full Board will vote on it, and then we will put it to a vote of the full membership. Thank you again to everyone who volunteered, donated, bid, participated, and had fun!

Finally, we welcome many Rising Kindergarten families who have begun signing up for our Kinders email list. I will add the list to our Friday Digest distribution so you can see what's ahead for you. It was nice to meet so many of you Tuesday evening. Please continue to send any questions you may have to kinders@chesterbrookpta.org.

To Do This Week

Register for Summer Quest

Summer Quest registration is still underway and we have been putting up signs and notices in a number of spots, so please register soon. We have cancelled several camps for which no one registered and will start reviewing lower enrollment camps soon. If you are still considering your plans, please make them soon. We want to make sure everyone can get in their first choice camps. Check out the catalog of summer camps or review a quick-reference table to compare what is offered for whom and when. Camps will be held the weeks of July 11-15, July 18-22, July 25-29, and August 1-5, with sessions from 9 am - 12 pm, 1 - 4 pm, and new this year, After Camp Fun time until 6 pm.

Registration is open on our new PTA website. Email summerquest@chesterbrookpta.org with any questions. And please tell your friends and neighbors who might not know about Summer Quest what an awesome line-up we have this year!

Register for Fitness Warriors

Registration for Fitness Warriors begins at 6 pm this evening on our new PTA website. You cannot use your account from the old website, but can create one on the new site. If you purchased Fun Fair items or registered for Summer Quest and created an account, you can sign in with that email address.

Fitness Warriors is a BEFORE school program for grades 1-6 that provides 45 minutes of structured physical fitness activities designed by PE teacher Jay Levesque. Get ready for spring sports and summer with better fitness, improved focus in the classroom, and more fun with your friends. The Chesterbrook Fitness Warriors program has been created to help our Chipmunks become physically fit and enjoy structured physical fitness activities and to continue our journey to build Strong Minds, Strong Bodies, and Strong Character.

The Spring session will begin the week of March 29 and continue through June 9. There will be no session the week of April 18-22 (Spring Break).

Grades 1-2 Every Tuesday morning 7:30-8:15 am
Grades 3-4 Every Wednesday morning 7:30-8:15 am
Grades 5-6 Every Thursday morning 7:30-8:15 am

Minimum enrollment for each class is 15. Maximum enrollment for each is 25.
Where: Chesterbrook Elementary School's Gym -- meet at the side Gym door at 7:30am
Cost: $68 per student for the 10-week program.

Please contact physical education teacher Jay Levesque or (703) 714-8218 or PTA parent representative Eleanor Gollob if you have questions.

Take Part in Fairfax County and FCPS Budget Process

The FY2012 budget process is underway in Fairfax County, and budgets are still tight. The Fairfax County Council of PTAs is asking us to raise our collective PTA voices in support of Fairfax schools. Together, we can make a difference.

Attached are several documents advocating for various programs, including an FCCPTA Action Alert with details about how members can get engaged in the budget process to support Fairfax schools by attending the local "town hall meetings," signing up to testify on March 29th, 30th, or 31st, attending the Education Rally on March 29th, and contacting their Supervisors. Other documents are Proposed FCCPTA Resolutions on: (1) Support for K-12 Education, (2) Support for

FCCPTA Logo

Full Day Kindergarten, (3) Support for Real Food for Kids, and (4) Support for Safe Routes to School. The FCCPTA has asked PTA presidents to attend a meeting on Tuesday, March 29th to represent our PTA's views on these various initiatives. Please send any thoughts you have on any of these to Laurie Plishker at president@chesterbrookpta.org by the 29th. The Executive Officers will discuss these issues, but we'd like to have some broader input as well. Thank you.

Volunteer for 2011-2012

Please consider volunteering for a PTA committee or board position. We have added new open positions for the 2011-2012 school year on our website. There is something for every schedule, and most positions don't require any experience or background. Here are a few: