By: Julia Nelson and Amanda Abraham, Auction Co-Chairs

By: Trisha Downey, Fun Fair Co-Chair

Slither on over to Chesterbrook  to play carnival games, jump on multiple moon bounces, win a gourmet cupcake, get your face painted, win an activity with a favorite teacher via the teacher raffle, and try your luck at the amazing class basket raffle and mystery raffle. There will be a lot of fun on the agenda! Finish off the day with other Chesterbrook families enjoying delicious food and treats while raffle winners are announced in the cafeteria (cafeteria & bake sale open until 2:30 pm).  Bring the whole family for a day of fun!

 Read on for what to do now to get ready! 

Summer Quest will be held over four one-week sessions beginning July 8, 15, 22, and 29, with morning and afternoon sessions and an after-care program. The Program Guide includes descriptions of all camps. We also have a Matrix that shows classes by week and age group. We are awaiting a few details on refund policies and getting our online registration system set up, but will announce the registration date and provide policy details ASAP! We don't anticipate any major changes, but reserve the right to make minor changes prior to the registration date. We wanted to provide families as much time as possible to review their options.

**Please note that due to planned replacement of the roof at Chesterbrook, all Summer Quest camps will be held at Haycock Elementary (about 1.7 miles away at Westmoreland Street and Haycock Road in Falls Church).

Questions? Contact summerquest@chesterbrookpta.org.

 

Do you have photos you'd love to see in this year's yearbook?

You can submit them to be considered for use in the yearbook by uploading to http://community.lifetouch.com   Use Image Upload Site Access Code: FURQCA. Please indicate the grade of the student(s) pictured in the photo(s). Or, you can email photos to chesterbrookyearbook@gmail.com 

Missed the Early Bird Deadline for ordering a yearbook?  Don't worry, you can still place an order for a yearbook at the non-discounted price of $20.  Please send a check payable to Chesterbrook Elementary School to your child's teacher. Please be sure to include your child's name, grade, teacher and number of yearbooks ordered.  The full color, soft-cover yearbooks will be distributed near the end of the school year.

Thanks!!  The Yearbook Committee

By: Robin Birchfield 

Do you feel the need to organize in a quiet, zen-like setting?  Is there a Type A personality in you waiting to be unleashed?  Then, volunteering in the library is for you!  There are several slots available to shelve library books through the rest of the school year.  Check them out and sign up here.  Each shift usually lasts between 30 minutes to an hour.  

If you would like a tutorial prior to your first shift or if you have any questions, feel free to contact Robin Birchfield. Thank you!

Chesterbrook's Third International Night was a great success!  Thanks so much to Nancy Stuckwisch and Kate Garcia for organizing this fun event.  Many families came to sample food and learn about customs from 20 countries. It was a delicious and fun event which celebrated the wide array of cultures represented at Chesterbrook. In case you missed the event, check out the great coverage we got on pages 6&7 of the February 13th edition of the McLean Connection.

Join Chesterbrook and Springhill ES parents on Thursday, February 21st at

9 am at Spring Hill Elementary for Michelle Kriebel's presentation. Michelle, a counselor and educator who has been positively influencing students for more than twenty years, will share strategies for laying a solid foundation to keep children on the right track and give them tools to make good decisions.   

Michelle's core philosophy is that the way we parent our children in elementary school directly impacts their ability to make responsible decisions as they get older. Elementary school is when we, as parents, begin the tug-of-war with our children about what they can and cannot do. How we manage these battles and the outcomes will be indicative of how we manage the even more important tug-of-war that occurs in junior high and high school when the choices are more complex and potential outcomes more dangerous. The presentation is sponsored by the Safe Community Coalition.

Chesterbrook Elementary Girl Scout Troop #3841 voted to donate $400 from the proceeds of their cookie money to Heifer International. The $400 contribution paid for a share of a llama, a goat, a hive of bees, chicks, a growing garden and a trio of bunnies. These animals were chosen by the troop and were sent to deserving families in different parts of the world.

By: Elizabeth Ende
 

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has a student achievement goal that 'All students will learn to communicate in at least two languages by the time they graduate from high school'. The Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) Program is an approach to language learning which allows students to develop basic communicative skills in a language while reinforcing and enriching content in other disciplines.

Through a special Congressional Grant, Chesterbrook 1st through 6th grade students are enrolled in twice weekly Mandarin Chinese FLES classes, taught by Peggy Leung and Beesha Hung.  FCPS offer the FLES program because research studies have indicated that the early study of a second language results in cognitive benefits, gains in academic achievement, and increases in self-esteem, creativity, and positive attitudes toward diversity.  Chesterbrook has embraced the Chinese FLES program. In addition to the classroom lessons, every day the Chesterbrook news team puts on "Time for Chinese" where words are introduced to all students.  Students also celebrated the Chinese New Year (Feb 15th).

Sixth Grade Mandarin Chinese Assignment

At the Principal's Coffee on February 13th, Ingrid Badia, from FCPS' World Languages Team explained to Chesterbrook parents how the FLES program will work at the middle school level.  Click here to view 'Benefits of Enrolling in a World Language Class over Two Years'.  Ms. Leung, Ms. Hung, Ms. Chou and Mr. Fuqua gave an overview of the Chesterbrook program. You can email Ms. Leung to get a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation.

Tuesday, February 26 is Sleep Night in Fairfax County! Attend Sleep Night from 7-9 p.m. at Annandale High School's Lecture Hall and learn why the FCPS School Board set a goal to start high schools after 8 a.m. like most Virginia counties. Dr. Judith Owens, Director of Sleep Medicine at Children's National Medical Center will present findings from her study of a school that shifted to later start times and explain how early start times harm some students.  

Sleep Night also will feature a student photo contest with cash awards, a raffle for teachers and students, and a panel discussion with Dr. Owens; Dr. Helene Emsellem, author of Snooze or Lose: 10 No War Ways to Improve Your Teens Sleep Habits; teacher Steve Greenburg, President of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT); and an FCPS high school student. You will be able to ask questions and share your own experiences with early school start times.

Sleep Night is presented by the Fairfax County Council of PTAs, SLEEP (Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal), and the FCFT. Light refreshments will be served.

Photo contest theme "I can't do my best when I don't get my rest." Deadline for submissions February 24, 2013. Link to the contest rules.

SNOW DATE: March 6th 

Feb. 19    --  PTA Meeting 7 pm (speaker on environmental stewardship)

Feb. 21    --  Peer Pressure Presentation 9 am, Spring Hill ES  

Feb. 22    --  Wacky Sock Spirit Day

Feb. 26    --  4th Grade Colonial Day

March 1   --  Read Across America Day 

March 6   --  Sixth Grade Field Trip to American Art Museum

March 12 --  Kindergarten Orientation 7-8 pm

March 15 --  Fun Fair setup  3:30 - 8 pm

March 16 --  Fun Fair, 10 am-2 pm (raffle winners unveiled 2-2:30 pm) 

March 19 --  4th Grade NSO Concert

March 25-29 -- Spring Break

April 27    -- Parent Social