Chesterbrook PTA Weekly Digest

Q: Does the PTA have a position on the School Board elections? Who should I vote for?

A: It is a requirement of both National and Virginia PTA bylaws (and the IRS) that PTAs "not participate in or intervene in, directly or indirectly, any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office." While individual members may, as a whole we do not endorse, financially support, or share our contacts with any campaign. We do however encourage all families to learn about the candidates and vote on November 8, because the School Board does have an impact on our all children. The Haycock PTA is holding a forum this week (which is allowed) where you can learn more. See article to the right for more information.

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. 8, October 17, 2011

This just in: the Annual SCA Tradition is back--Wacky Hair Day is Friday, October 28. Don't forget...because you'll have to wait a year to make it up to your kids!

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

School Outreach fall clothes and supplies collection, details here
Treasurer and assistant still needed, details here
Beginning Drama signups still open, details below
Family Directory, extra copies available, details below and here
Diary of a Wimpy Kid orders due, 10/18
HomeMade Pizza Night, 10/19, details below
Candidate Forum, Wednesday, 10/19, 7:30 pm, Haycock gym
Food Day 2011, 10/24, details below
Auction Kick-off Meeting, 10/26, 8:45 am, Julia Nelson's home
Wacky Hair Day, Friday, 10/28
Box Tops due Friday, 10/28
Book Fair volunteer signups (Fair runs 10/31-11/7), details here and below
Ann Dolin talk on homework strategies, Thursday, 11/17, 7 pm, NOTE DATE CHANGE, details to follow

Beth Mahood

2011-2012 PTA President

Family Directory

The Family Directory is almost ready for the printers. Please contact directory@chesterbrookpta.org immediately if you haven't completed an update form. All PTA members receive a copy of the Directory, but if you would like an additional copy, you can order one for $5. Nonmembers can purchase a Directory for $8...or just go ahead and join the PTA for $10 (single) or $20 (family). You may purchase on our website.

Library Volunteers Needed

Thanks to all the new volunteers for the library! We still have a few empty slots and can use a few more volunteers. Those who've volunteered are welcome to sign up for more shifts too. Shift signups are on Sign-Up Genius.

If you are new, and even if you aren't, we encourage you to come to a very brief training -- 5-10 minutes tops! -- as some materials have been moved this year. It's really important that books be shelved correctly so students can find what they need. There will be a brief training at 8:30 am on Tuesday, October 11, just before the PTA meeting. If that's not convenient, contact Leigh Horner, Library Volunteer Coordinator, to find another time.

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.

6 Spaces Left in Beginning Drama

Beginning Drama is a 60 minute class for 3rd-6th graders designed around a brief script. A literature-based curriculum, Beginning Drama puts emphasis on reading and adaptation to stage direction. Each class begins with a warm-up followed by stage direction exercises and then work on the selected script. Character development skills grow through additional theater games. This class will meet Wednesdays 3:30-4:30 pm in the Pod for 6 weeks, Nov. 2-Dec. 14, 2011 (no session Nov. 23 prior to Thanksgiving). The last class concludes with a short performance for parents and friends.

Visit our PTA website, to log on and register online with PayPal. Questions? Contact Jamie Rennert. Scholarships are available - inquire in the front office.

Tired of Cooking? On Wednesday, Raise Some Dough for Chesterbrook!

For ONE night only, this Wednesday, October 19, Chesterbrook will receive a donation for every purchase made at the HomeMade Pizza Co. store located at 4514 Lee Hwy [Lee Heights Shopping Center in Arlington]. PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS! All sales benefit us; no Chesterbrook connection required.

Order NOW for Wed, Oct 19 - to be sure your get your favorite pizza and salad. Order online (www.homemadepizza.com) or by phone (703-527-6556), and pick up your dinner between 3 pm and 9 pm. (No delivery.) For every purchase, regardless of Chesterbrook affiliation, they will donate:

$5 for every large pizza sold (including gluten-free crust, available in Medium size only, but we'll still get $5!)
$2 for every large salad sold
$1 for every dessert sold

If you have never had a HomeMade Pizza, it is made of all-natural ingredients and you bake it at home in about 10 minutes. They also offer a variety of fresh salads, bake-at-home cookies and ice cream. Let's turn pizza dough into Chesterbrook dough! Questions, contact Julia Nelson.

Collecting Recyclables

The Art room is in need of materials to use as paint containers and for storage of art materials. If you have any of the following recyclable items, please send them to the Art room: yogurt

Clean baby food jars
gallon ice cream buckets
6oz. plastic yogurt containers (no Yoplait or Chobani)

Haycock Fall Festival

The Haycock PTA is inviting the whole community to their Fall Festival this year. On Saturday, October 22, from 4-7 pm, they'll have food trucks, live bands, moonbounces, slides, face painting, a ortune teller, scarecrow stuffing...all for $8 kids' admission. Click here for more information.

Online Auction Kick-Off

We are looking to expand our auction team. Everyone is welcome to come to Julia Nelson's house (1970 Massachusetts Avenue) to learn what it's all about and how you can help. The Auction will open from February 12 until March 4, 2012, but we need to get started soon. Can you help us with any of the following?

solicit auction items - NO "cold calling" required, we have a long list of businesses which have donated before with contact information, requests may be made by email, phone or letter
enter auction items into online system
proofread auction items online, very flexible timing, work when it's convenient for you
produce and send thank you letters to donors
package and mail auction items 1 week after auction closes

Fall Book Fair is Coming

Our Fall Book Fair is Monday, October 31 - Monday, November 7, 2011. books

Book Fair proceeds will generate funds for our school library. Volunteer shifts are generally in 1-hour increments, but please sign up for consecutive shifts if you can! Friday, Oct. 28th is set-up and inventory; Monday, Oct 31st and the morning of Tuesday, Nov 1st are preview days; the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov 1st through Monday, Nov 7th are selling days; and Tuesday, Nov 8th we will break down/pack up the remaining books.

Adult signup is here.
Middle schooler signup is here.

Questions? Contact Marsha Camp. Thank you for volunteering!

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!

Chesterbrook PTA Newsletters Disclaimer

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.