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Gold and Platinum Business Friends | 

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FAQs | Question: This was my year to help more at school...and I haven't yet. I see how the other kids love seeing their parents at school. Is there anything left? Where else can I help if I can't do any regular classroom help? I only have a couple hours.
Answer: Of course there is always something else! All week we are having parents help with sorting for our new lunchtime recycling program and we have quite a few slots left.
Next week our Spring Book Fair begins and there are a few slots left there as well. Even Picture Day needs a volunteer.
Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up in early May. Look out for a few volunteer opportunities coming soon from your room parents. Look out also for opportunities at Family Movie Night on May 11 and The Brain Show in June 8. Most grades have field trips coming up and will need chaperones. Plus, lots of help is usually needed at the end of year parties.
And if you can't do any of those, you can support the school during Pizza Night on April 25 (see right). And if you can't do that....you might as well come to our Parent Social on April 28!
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.
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Chesterbrook PTA Weekly Digest
No. 25, April 16, 2012
It's National Volunteers Week this week! All are welcome at our April PTA general membership meeting tomorrow morning, Tuesday, April 17 at 8:30 am and Mr. Fuqua's Principal's Coffee tomorrow afternoon--this is a great time to ask questions about anything on your mind...things which are often on others' minds too! Insider secret: the staff often leaves goodies for volunteers in the office this week.
- National Volunteers Week, 4/16-4/20
- PTA General Membership Meeting (DATE CHANGE), Tuesday, 4/17, 8:30 am
- Principal's Coffee, Tuesday, 4/17, 2-3 pm
- Administrative Professionals Week, 4/23-4/27
- Spring Book Fair, Monday, 4/23 through Thursday, 4/26, preorders due 4/27
- Home Made Pizza Co. Night, 4/25, 1-9 pm
- Parent Spring Social, featuring Veronneau, 4/28, 8-11 pm, Vinson Hall Penthouse, see below
- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL--NEW DATE! Friday, June 15, 3:20 pm (full day). Mark your calendars that there is NO SCHOOL now on June 18 or 19 for students.
If you should happen to have any cardboard egg cartons or toilet paper rolls, the 3rd grade could use them for GRECO Day. Please leave in Ms. Reid's room by Wednesday, April 18. Thanks!
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Going Green @ Chesterbrook |
The school and the PTA are coming together to help make Chesterbrook a more environmentally friendly place for all--and we REALLY need some extra help. Sign up here! This is a great opportunity for kids and just in time for EARTH DAY.
- Already each classroom has a wastebasket for recyclable trash items. At the end of each day the janitors clear this trash and deliver it to a "recycle only" dumpster.
- Starting TODAY, with the assistance of some parent helpers, we are recycling trash items in the cafeteria at lunch by sorting them into the appropriate collection container.
- Coming later will be additional recycling options for foil lined containers (CapriSun, etc.).
In the coming months, also watch for: composting and donating unopened prepackaged foods. This is for items which otherwise go into the trash but can now be donated to a local food bank.
Education will be key to making this a success. Your kids will hear more about this on the morning news, and there will be signs in the cafeteria to help them understand what can be recycled. Please consider talking with your child about why we recycle and remind them to participate at school. The school's recycling program will be similar to how the county recycles for residents.
Can you help? Sign up here! We will need volunteers to be in the cafeteria the first week the program is started. Those volunteers will be stationed near the cans in order to help the kids get the items into their proper places. Since lunch covers a broad span of time, we have broken it into two shifts. Also, the Monday schedule is different from the other days of the week.
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Rising 7th Grade Longfellow Parent Event
| If your student will be entering Longfellow next fall, plan to attend "Parent Insider: A program for parents of rising 7th graders" on Tuesday, April 17 from 7 - 8:30 pm in the Lecture Hall. See the flyer HERE. This free event covers everything from lockers to late buses, lunch to Lancer time, plus hear from the counseling staff, a developmental psychologist, current students, and experienced Longfellow parents. Contact Katie Hanusik, 703-442-9114 for more information.
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Register Now for our First Annual Parent Spring Social - April 28 |
Join us for a night of music, food and fun featuring Chesterbrook's very own Veronneau "an acoustic, song-based group playing Latin Jazz, Gypsy Swing and much more." Tickets are on sale NOW on our website. We are limited in capacity, so register ASAP!
We have reserved the Penthouse at Vinson Hall for Saturday, April 28, 2012 from 8-11 pm. Located right next to Chesterbrook, the Penthouse offers us a lovely space, food and drinks. Book your sitters now!
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Book Fair Coming Soon!
| Our Spring Book Fair runs April 23-26, 8:15 am - 4 pm. Gear up for summer vacation and travel with new books from your favorite series and old standards. Games and activity books are fun teaching and learning resources during the summer months. Also, remember books and games make great gifts, so stock up your birthday party stash!
- We will not be placing reorders as books sell out, so shop early for the best selection on popular titles!
- We'll have
- Brand new titles
- Activity books and fun stuff
- Travel-sized games and activities
- Titles for adults that make great poolside reading
Our book specialists at Bookworm are also offering a book pre-sale to get started on your summer reading. Please note that not all titles will be sold at the Spring Book Fair itself, and we will not do reorders for out-of-stock titles. So pre-order books to ensure they are available! Here's how it works:- Browse summer reading titles
- Pre-order on attached form by Friday, April 27 to ensure your choices are available.
- Books will be delivered to your child's classroom. Orders will be available by the end of May/beginning of June.
- Browse a fresh selection of additional titles, including games and activities, at the Fair on April 23 to 26.
It's that easy! And you will be helping support the library with materials that support curriculum and operating expenses for the year ahead. For more information or to help with the fair go to our Sign-Up Genius or contact the Book Fair chairs. |
Summer Quest Registration Open
|  The 2012 Summer Quest camp registration has been open for a few weeks and classes are filling. However, we are nearing the point at which we must consider cancelling camps that have not met minimum enrollment. Please sign up soon to make sure your camp stays in business! This year camp runs from July 9 for 4 weeks through August 3. Again we have morning and afternoon sessions (children registered for both may bring a lunch) and after camp fun to make a full-day. Cost is $130 per session, plus listed supply fee. The reference chart lists camps by week, with morning (9 am-12pm) or afternoon (1-4 pm), grade levels (rising K through rising 7), camp name, and supply fee. The full program adds a description for each camp. Camp is open to all students regardless of school attending. Please note that because we opted not to password-protect our website, registration is open to ANYONE on the first day. Also, Summer Quest information is available on our Business Friend CampEasy's website this year, so we will have much more publicity and families all over the area can access our information. Chesterbrook students DO NOT get priority placement, so register early! The CampEasy site can help you sort through the Summer Quest options for your multiple kids' interests around your vacation schedule. Get ready for some summer fun! |
Spring Activities Registration |
There is still space left in Drama! Register on our website for grades K-2 on Tuesday and grades 2-5 on Wednesday. Classes begin April 18th and 19th. The drama age groupings have changed to address the larger demand for younger grades, and second graders will have flexibility to pick either session. Flyers and details on our website. Please contact After School Activities Chair with additional questions.
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HomeMade Pizza Co. Night | We are having another Pizza Night with HomeMade Pizza Co. on Wednesday, April 25. You can order online now and pick-up anytime between 1 pm and 9 pm on the 25th.
- $1 off every order of NEW breadsticks
- $5 off NEW gluten-free pizza, medium size
- 20% of all gift card purchases donated to the school
- $5 donated for every large pizza sold
- $2 donated for every large salad sold
If you have never had a HomeMade Pizza located at 4514 Lee Highway (Lee Heights Shopping Center in Arlington), 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. Donations are made for every purchase at this location, regardless of Chesterbrook affiliation! Order by phone (703) 527-6556 or online at www.homemadepizza.com. Let's turn pizza dough into Chesterbrook dough! |
Rising Kindergarten Playdates
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We're still collecting contact information for our Rising K Playdate list. Over the summer our coordinators, Carrie Moore and Melissa McManus, will organize several playground playdates so kids (and parents!) can make some new friends before school starts. Please contact kinders@chesterbrookpta.org if you have questions about the playdates or anything about kindergarten. You can also register for the Kinders list, as well as PTA mailings on our website at the Newsletter Sign-Up on the righthand menu.
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Safe Community Coalition Bullying Awareness and Prevention for Parents
| Please join the Safe Community Coalition and Jewish Social Services Agency for an informational interactive workshop for parents. Topics that will be discussed include:  - Understanding the "Bullying" dynamic, the impact on the child and warning signs
- How to deal with the "aggressors," the "witnesses," and the "targets"
- How to work with your school
- The "Cyber-Bullying Phenomenon"
- Promoting Conflict Resolution self-advocacy skills for your child for now and for the future
When: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM Where: McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Avenue Presented by: Andrew McGahan, LCSW, NoVA JSSA Clinical Director All schools, faith organizations or other civic groups in the Safe Community Coalition service area with at least three participants at this meeting will be eligible for a $250 grant to provide follow-on bullying awareness activities at their school. Please let us know if you attend! |
FLEX Summer Language Camp
| The FLEX program will offer Chinese, French, German and Spanish one-week summer language camps at four FCPS elementary schools. These camps are ideal for current FLEX students or newcomers who want to discover fun with languages. Children can begin or continue their world language learning while enjoying crafts, music, and activities, and sharing their experience with new friends. NOTE: These are different than the Spanish and Italian camps we are offering through our own Summer Quest program.
Most camps are from 9 am to noon; German Immersion* is from 10 am - 1 pm. Tuition is $179 per student. Languages include Chinese, French, German, and Spanish for beginning language learners in grades K - 6. Registration opens March 9, 2012 on the FLEX registration website.
Please download required FCPS Emergency Care Form. This form is used during the summer session and is required at the first class.
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FCPS Youth Survey Findings for McLean Pyramid
| Dr. Dede Bailer, FCPS School Psychology Services, will be presenting the 2011 FCPS Youth Survey Results at the McLean High School Pyramid level on May 2nd from 6:30-8 pm in the McLean HS Lecture Hall. This is a unique opportunity for our community to see what our 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th grade students are saying about their behaviors, experiences, and risk and protective factors that influence their well-being. The 2010-2011 Fairfax County Youth Survey Data will be broken down to illustrate data for just the McLean High School pyramid schools. Data at this level have never been publicly available before! Topics will include: alcohol and other substance usage, nutrition, sleep, bullying, and sexual health (6th graders not surveyed on sexual health topics).
This session is for any parent or staff member who has in interest in better understanding our children in order to help them be healthier and safer. These survey data will provide a lot of information about our youth: some expected, some shocking. How can we help our students if we don't understand what they are experiencing, thinking and feeling? There will be a presentation on the survey results followed by a discussion about what we can do as a community to improve the safety and health of our children, called "Three to Succeed."
Light snacks will be provided given that this presentation will take place during the dinner hour. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Longfellow/MHS parent Wilma Bowers.
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Check out the Chesterbrook PTA Facebook page! We'll keep you up to date and in the know! |
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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. |
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