Chesterbrook PTA Weekly Digest

Q: I see Picture Day is this week, but I'm not sure how it all works -- can you fill me in?

A: Yes! Picture Day is this Thursday, Oct. 6. You should have received an order form in your Thursday envelope last week (if you didn't, check with the front office). All students will have their pictures taken. If you order by Thursday, prices are better, but you are able to order after you see the proofs. If your child is out of school on Thursday, there is a make-up day on Wednesday, Nov. 16. School pictures come out best when kids wear bright colors without "busy"
patterns.

Check out our new FAQs section on the website for more as the year goes on. Send any questions to Ask Chester and we'll answer them here and/or on the website.

No. 6, October 4, 2011

Here's what's coming up in the next few weeks:

Walk to School Day, Wednesday, 10/5, details below
Picture Day, Thursday, 10/6
Directory help needed from everyone, details below
School Outreach fall clothes and supplies collection, details here
Treasurer and assistant still needed, details here
PTA Meeting, Tuesday, 10/11, 8:30 am, cafeteria
Principal's Coffee, 10/12, location TBA
FLEX language starting 10/13 and 10/17, details below
Diary of a Wimpy Kid orders due, 10/18
Candidate Forum, Wednesday, 10/19, 7:30 pm, Haycock gym
Food Day 2011, 10/24, details below
Box Tops due Friday, 10/28
Ann Dolin talk on homework strategies, Thursday, 11/17, NOTE DATE CHANGE, details to follow

Beth Mahood

2011-2012 PTA President

Family Directory

Directory forms were due last Friday, September 30. If you still have yours, PLEASE submit it. We must have it to ensure your entry is in the directory. We cannot produce the Directory until we have all these forms back, and if we must follow-up with families, it will take longer. It is a labor-intensive process so bear with us in working with our new system. Questions? Contact directory@chesterbrookpta.org .

Walk to School Day

We hope to have many families participate in International Walk to School Day this Wednesday. However, we cannot stress enough the importance of safety. As there are NO children in our school designated by FCPS as official "walkers," we expect that all children are escorted by adults and follow all safety rules, use crosswalks, etc. -- we are our children's best example! If you live too far to walk, consider either driving to a closer spot and then walking, or at least walking to your bus stop.

Library Volunteers Needed

Volunteers in the library help our school librarian, Marsha Moseley, by shelving books so her time can be used teaching our children. This is a great opportunity to see what kids are reading, and volunteers may have their own check-out account (to get the books your kids should be reading!). A shelving shift typically takes about an hour and shifts are set for morning or afternoon, so you can come in any time during that period. If you know the alphabet and numbers, you're set! Training is provided to learn where each section is located.

This year shift signups are on Sign-Up Genius. Typically, volunteers work the same shift every other week. If you have questions, contact Leigh Horner, Library Volunteer Coordinator.

FLEX Language Classes

Bonjour! Hola! It's not too late! There is still have room left in both our Spanish class and our French class for this year! Come join us for exposure to a new language, some culture, and fun as your child broadens their horizons and experience. The languages will be taught through conversation using games, songs, drama, drills, dialogues, maps and culturally-related activities. The classes from year-to-year are different, and FLEX guidelines recommend that students take the same class twice before moving on to the next level.

Spanish for Grades 1 and 2, Mondays at 12:55 to 1:55 p.m. Starting October 17
French for Grades 3-6, Thursdays at 3:25 to 4:25 p.m. Starting October 13

You can find registration instructions and additional details on the PTA website. If you prefer paper registration, please contact a PTA FLEX Coordinator at flex@chesterbrookpta.org.

Candidate Forum

On Wednesday, October 19 at 7:30 pm, the Haycock Elementary PTA is hosting Dranesville School Board candidates Janie Strauss and Louise Epstein for a "Meet the Candidates" event. Each candidate will have a turn to speak for twenty minutes. This is not a debate but instead a chance for each candidate to introduce herself and present her views.

Please note that parking will likely be tight that evening so plan to carpool and be prepared to park in the neighborhoods surrounding Haycock. We hope that you can join us! Many thanks to the Haycock PTA for planning this important event.

HomeMade Pizza Night

But before the Candidate Forum, pick up a pizza! Save the date for HomeMade Pizza Night on Wednesday, October 19. For 1 night only, we will receive a donation for every purchase made at the HomeMade Pizza Arlington located at 4514 Lee Highway. Gluten-free crust available! More details to follow. Check out the menu www.homemadepizza.com.

PTA Memberships

PTA memberships may still be purchased ($20 per family, $10 per individual member) online on the PTA website. PTA members receive a free copy of the Family Directory ($8 value). We're up to about 80% of families joining -- don't be left out!

A note about ordering: orders are not complete on the website until you receive a confirmation email. There are still a few of shopping carts with incomplete orders and we cannot be sure whether owners meant to complete them or not. You may need to click on a final "place order" button. Contact webmaster@chesterbrookpta.org if you have questions.

Student Support Activities

We've recently updated the Student Support section on our webpage with a number of upcoming opportunities for parents sponsored by the FCPS Parent Resource Center. Check them out here! Note that we are also sponsoring our own Ann Dolin: Homework Made Simple presentation on Thursday, November 17 at 7 pm.

Food Day 2011

Please support our our Health and Gardens Committee as we join Real Food for Kids Logo

celebrated author, chef, educator and advocate, Ann Cooper and award-winning chef and Chesterbrook parent David Guas of Arlington's Bayou Bakery Coffee Bar & Eatery, Real Food for Kids (including our own Rick Barnard), and students, parents, teachers, administrators from across Faifax County as they create a truck-full sized salad! The Food Day 2011 event will be held on Monday, October 24th at 2:30 pm at Wolf Trap Elementary School. RSVP at www.realfoodforkids.org. This is an important event for all Fairfax County parents and students, as leadership from Fairfax County Public Schools will also be in
attendance, discussing ways to provide "real" food for students without
increasing costs.

A special thanks to local farmer Chris Guerre of Maple Avenue Market
(Vienna, VA) who is donating produce for the event, Whole Foods Market, and Chef Tim Ma, owner of Maple Avenue Restaurant, is coming out to lend a culinary hand.

Food Day, a nation-wide event, organized by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, will encourage people around the country to "eat real" and support healthy, affordable food. Food Day is modeled on Earth Day and is led by honorary co-chairs Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).

Grocery Cards, Etc.

We believe many people have not redesignated their grocery cards. You can redesignate your cards in several ways:

When you join the PTA online, the form asks for your card numbers for each store.
You may email your numbers with store names to Maryam Redjaee, our VP of Fundraising.
You may register your numbers yourself through our website.

Safeway/Escrip will be sending an email based on information you submitted to us; please open it and click on Renew to complete the process.

While you are thinking about free money, we also are an Amazon affiliate, which means that a portion of each purchase comes back to the school when you begin your shopping at http://chesterbrookpta.org/amazonchesterbrook.aspx, which is also on our website. Bookmark it!

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The Chesterbrook PTA Newsletter (Weekly Digest and Digest PLUS) may contain external links to non-Chesterbrook ES PTA websites and access to certain third-party services, which may include, without limitation, social bookmarking services. These external links and services are provided as a convenience, and the Chesterbrook ES PTA is not responsible for the content of any linked website or use of any third-service service. Any external link to a non-Chesterbrook ES PTA website or service accessed from the Chesterbrook PTA Newsletter is independent from the Chesterbrook ES PTA, and the Chesterbrook ES PTA has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy policy, terms of use and practices of such website or service. Any such website or service has terms of use and a privacy policy different from the Chesterbrook ES PTA's privacy policy. In addition, an external link to any non-Chesterbrook ES PTA website or access to a third-party service does not imply that the Chesterbrook ES PTA endorses or accepts any responsibility for the content or use of such website or service. By using any such website or service, you expressly release the Chesterbrook ES PTA from any liability arising from your use of such third-party website and service and any related content.