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| FAQs | |
Q: I am interested in working on a PTA committee next year. Who should I contact to get more information?
A: That's great! Serving on (or leading) a PTA committee is a great way to meet new people, learn more about the school and help enrich your child's school experience. Please email nominating@chesterbrookpta.org and let us know what you are interested in working on and we will get you connected! Check out our Facebook Page for information on some of the open positions. Have a question you'd like to have answered? Send your questions to Ask Chester and we'll answer them here and/or on our website. Check out our FAQs section on the website to see prior answered questions.
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| Chesterbrook Business Friends | |
Jake
Sullivan
Realtor
Keri
O'Sullivan
Real Estate
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Chesterbrook PTA Digest PLUS
June 12, 2012
Dear Chesterbrook Families,
Thanks for a great year! I hope everyone has a happy & safe summer. Please join us tonight at the band concert for a quick (5 minute) PTA meeting to vote on school improvements and our new PTA officers. This is our last weekly digest for the year and it is the once a month "plus" edition. Please check out these last few thoughts, especially the note about school supply kits which will not be sold at the open house. They will instead be sold online in July and early August.
Thank you all for supporting the PTA this year. Enjoy the time away and we'll look forward to seeing everyone in September.
Beth Mahood,
President Chesterbrook PTA |
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Order School Kits in July | |
School Supply Lists will be posted on the school website in July--but there's no need to think about that now. Just remember that the Chesterbrook PTA offers complete school supply kits for each grade, including Kindergarten. Buy your School Supply Kits online and avoid trips to multiple stores to gather all the needed supplies. This is also a fundraiser for our school!
Everybody wins when you buy PTA School Supply Kits:
- Teachers win when kids buy PTA School Supply kits because it gives them exactly what they need in the classroom.
- Chesterbrook wins because the PTA can raise money to purchase new equipment for our school and students.
- You win more time at the beach and less time shopping (with the rest of crowds)! Plus, kits are delivered directly to the classrooms -- ready and waiting for your child on Day 1.
Support your school and support your teachers. The supply lists are created by the teachers and include specific items that are used in the classroom all year long. PTA does all the shopping for you and distributes School Supply Kits to your child's classroom.
Watch for emails in July announcing when Supply Kits are available for purchase. Kits can be purchased online through August 23rd at www.chesterbrookpta.org and paid for by credit card. You can add a PTA membership to that purchase and pay for multiple students at the same time. In a matter of minutes, you can do all your back to school supply shopping from the comfort of your beach chair! Please Note: Supply Kits will not be sold during Open House this year or after school begins.
Buy early and be prepared before school begins! |
Open House & Ice Cream Social August 31 | |
Chesterbrook will hold its annual Open House on Friday, August 31, so that students and their families can meet with their teachers, meet their classmates, catch up with friends, join the PTA (in-person or online) and update or (for new families) sign up for the PTA Family Directory. Times are as follows:
- Kindergarten: 10 - 10:45 a.m.
- Grades 1-6: 2-3 p.m.
 The Open House will be followed by the PTA's traditional Ice Cream Social from 3-4 p.m. on the playground. It's a great way to catch up with old friends and make new friends. (Note: the Kindergarten Open House is in the morning, but please come back for the Ice Cream Social!)
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Help Stop Summer Brain Drain
| By: Gina Manning
According to several university studies, students lose one to three months worth of learning when returning to school after a long summer vacation. And while Chesterbrook kids are ready for a little down time after spring SOLs, there are many ways to slow down the brain drain and have fun while doing it.
MATH
All the studies show that math is where kids lose retention the most, and it shows, says math resource teacher Mrs. McCannell. Like many teachers, she gives summer packets for her math students,  and also recommends IXL, a comprehensive county-approved math website for kids from Pre-K to algebra. Kids can practice vital skills while having fun earning awards and prizes on the site's gameboard.
CHINESE
Unless your family's vacation destination is China, most likely your kids will lose some ground in this vital world language this summer. Chesterbrook's Chinese teacher Mrs. Leung has these recommendations for keeping kids engaged with Chinese: - The Fairfax County libraries have lots of materials to help kids stay on top of Chinese. Check out these resources:
- Watch & learn Chinese with Professor Toto, Part II. Professor Toto's house(Book & DVD)
- Mandarin Chinese picture dictionary (Book & CD)
- Chinese for Kids Beginner Level 1, Vol. 1 & 2 (DVD)
   READING If your child doesn't yet have a stack of books they're excited to read this summer, here are few places to get started: - FCPS has a comprehensive list of books for rising 6th graders and up on its website: www.fcps.edu/is/summer/reading/index.shtml
- Fairfax County Library's summer reading program for all ages kicks off this Friday, June 15! Get ready to enjoy "Dream Big - Read!" during the 2012 Summer Reading Program at the Fairfax County Public Library. You can register online or in person at your local library branch beginning this Friday, June 15. Preschoolers through high schoolers earn a coupon book with great prizes including free and discounted items by completing their reading and going to their local library branch by September 1.
- Newbery Award Winning books from the American Library Association
- Summer reading programs at booksellers such as Barnes & Noble.
BLACKBOARD More than just a site to check for homework assignments, Blackboard has a surprising amount of material out there for summer computer fun and learning. Check out the folders all the teachers in your child's grade and you may find resources such as fun typing tutorials, comic book design, math games, grammar games, interactive quizzes and more. |
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"Shout Out" to Mr. Levesque's Fitness Warriors Program
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 We wanted to send a special "Shout Out" to Mr. Levesque for running Fitness Warriors this year! Running three 10 week sessions, three days a week before school to help Chesterbrook students get a great start to their day was a big commitment that meant a lot to the participants.
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Still Planning Your Summer? Check out Summer Quest!
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 This year Summer Quest runs from July 9 through August 3. We are offering a variety of fun and educational activities including: science, music, sports, art, cooking, and more! There are am and pm sessions. Kids registered for both may bring a lunch. There's also after camp fun to make a full-day. Classes are $130 per session, plus listed supply fee. Check out the reference chart which 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.
Click here to register your kids for some summer fun! |
Outdoor Classroom Workday - June 16th
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On June 16th from 9 am to 12 pm, volunteers are needed to help Falls Church Water Authority, Lands and Waters, and other community organizations work on the open classroom located across the street from Chesterbrook. This is a community effort to recreate a natural habitat where students can work and learn. Sessions will resume again in the fall on the third Saturday of the month from September-November. All community members are welcomed, especially our alumni and friends from Longfellow or McLean. It's a great way for your child to earn community service hours. For more information on the Open Classroom click here.
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School Supplies Collection for Needy Kids
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 We are continuing to collect school supplies (new and used) through June 22nd. Please leave donations in the marked bins outside the Library. The supplies collected through the end of school will be sent to a group home for abused or at-risk girls in Managua, Nicaragua. Please tear out all used pages from notebooks. Any questions on the Nicaragua program should go to Ann-Marie Turnage. |
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Math Olympiads Team Wins Award |
By Beth Stewart and Delia Swigart, Math Olympiads Parent Co-Chairs
Congratulations to Chesterbrook's Math Olympiads team which placed in the top 20% of all teams in the country! The team was awarded the Certificate of High Achievement for their combined scores in five national contests this school year. In addition, five Chesterbrook students also won individual awards for scoring in the top 10% nationwide.
The Math Olympiads organization had over 3,500 teams and 80,000 students compete in the elementary school division. This was Chesterbrook's first year in the program, and the team was coached by fifth grade teacher Christine He.
Math Olympiads is offered as a PTA After School Activity for students in the 4th to 6th grades. If you have any questions about the team, please contact matholympiads@chesterbrookpta.org.
Congratulations again to Mrs. He and the entire Math Olympiads team! |
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Junior First Lego League Launches This Fall
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 By: Rachel Deutsch
Chesterbrook parents Rachel Deutsch and Carla Post will be organizing teams of rising 2nd and 3rd graders for Jr. First Lego League in the early fall of 2012. All those interested families will be invited to an information session at Chesterbrook in early September.
FIRST Lego League inspires young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills. It is a very fun and educational experience for children who are interested in exploring how to solve real world problems using the basic concepts of science, engineering and robotics in addition to learning how to work in a team environment with their peers and coaches.
Jr. FLL is a parent-run activity and we will be forming teams of 4-5 children each. In addition each team will need at least two parent volunteers so we will be recruiting head and assistant parent coaches assigned to run each team. If you are interested in finding out more information about Jr. FLL please visit the Jr. FLL website at: http://www.usfirst.org/
If you have any questions about the fall program, please email Rachel Deutsch at rdeutsch@2biondi.com
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Mrs. King's Car Gets a Spring Makeover! | |
It's an annual rite of passage here at Chesterbrook...school counselor Sue King's beloved Volvo gets a makeover, courtesy of the winner (and her friends) of this year's Fun Fair Raffle item, Paint Mrs. King's Car! This can't-help-but-be-noticed vehicle sports a chipmunk, space, rainbow and Got Milk? motif this year, thanks to some artistic 5th grade girls.
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Chesterbrook Checks Out Venus Transit
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A crowd gathers in front of the school last Tuesday to try to catch a glimpse of the transit of planet Venus across the sun. Attendees were given special glasses and a NASA poster to commemorate the event. And despite the fast-moving clouds, kids, parents, Mrs. Sweet and Mr. Fuqua all seemed to enjoy themselves.
 
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| Upcoming Events | |
June 12 - 4th grade end of year party
Band Concert 9:45 am and 7 pm
Final PTA Meeting/Election of New Board Members 7 pm
June 13-- Strings Concert 2 pm and 7 pm
2nd grade end of year party
June 14-- 6th grade party
SCA Roundup (Grades 2-6)
June 15-- 3rd grade end of year party
Moving Up Ceremony 8:45 am
Last Day of School (full day)
June 16-- Outdoor Classroom Workday 9 am - 12 pm
June 18/19 -- Teacher Work Days / No School for Students
July -- School Kit information sent out
August 31 --- School Open House (10-10:45 am for Kindergarten; 2-3 pm for grades 1-6) and PTA Ice Cream Social (3-4 pm)
September 4 -- First Day of School!
For a comprehensive list of dates, including the 2012-2013 holidays and events, see the PTA website.
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The Digest PLUS is co-edited by Elizabeth Ende and Gina Manning.
If you have a story idea or any comments, please share them with us at editor@chesterbrookpta.org. Thank you! |
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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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