No.1, August 7, 2013    

Welcome back -- almost! The PTA has been working hard this summer to get ready for another successful year of programs for our students and families and fundraisers to support those programs. Keep reading below for more information on the following upcoming activities:

• Family Directory data collection: begins August 15 
• Supply Kit and PTA membership sales: ongoing through noon on August 23
• Supply Kit assembly: August 26-29, volunteers needed
• Back to School Folder assembly: August 29, volunteers needed 
• Rising K Playdates:
• Open House: August 30, Kindergarten, 10-10:45 am; Grades 1-6, 2-3 pm 
• Ice Cream Social: August 30, 3-4 pm 
• First Day of School: September 3 
• New Parent Coffee: September 9, 8:45 am, cafeteria 
• Lavender's Fall Catalog Fundraiser begins: September 12 
• Back to School Night: September 24 
• McLean 5K Run with the Warriors: October 5 

If you know of new families, please use the "forward" link at the bottom of this email to send it to them and encourage them to sign up for newsletters on the PTA website.   

Chesterbrook will hold its annual Open House on Friday, August 30, 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 expected to be 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! 

Are you new to Chesterbrook? Please join us for a casual and informative coffee. It's a great opportunity to learn more about Chesterbrook and meet the administrators and other parents of students who are new to our school! Take a tour of the school and learn how you can get involved. We will have coffee and a light breakfast, a tour of the school and a question and answer session.

Monday, September 9th at 8:45 a.m. in the cafeteria.

Email Elizabeth Hale at halefamilyva@gmail.com to RSVP, or just come over! 

We are still looking to fill some important PTA positions. Don't wait for us to find you! We don't know who is ready to step up until you tell us. Please review and consider any ways you can help. If there is something you'd like to do that is not on the list, then please let us know by emailing the Nominating Committee.  Working with the PTA is rewarding and a great way to make new friends!!

Treasurer in Training/Assistant Treasurers: We are looking for someone to shadow our Treasurer Delia Swigart with an eye toward taking over the position next year. We also are looking for volunteers to assist Delia with various record keeping tasks on an individual project basis. Work schedule would be flexible and although accounting experience would be helpful, it is not necessary. We can find projects to fit your availability and interest. Contact treasurer@chesterbrookpta.org 

Weekly Digest Editor(s): Prepares and sends biweekly email to PTA members about upcoming Chesterbrook events and noteworthy news. This can be done by several editors, alternating weeks or separating aspects of production. Contact editor@chesterbrookpta.org 

for more information.

Website Assistant: Assists webmaster with updating website and managing website orders, including activity registrations. Contact nominating@chesterbrookpta.org for more information.  

Cultural Diversity Liaison: In the past, the liaison has worked with ESOL students and students new to our country and their families to help navigate school programs and processes and to act as a resource for any questions.  It is a great way to reach out to our international families!  For more information, please contact nominating@chesterbrookpta.org. 

Escrips/Recycling: Oversees the collection and return of printer cartridges and other recyclable electronics to Escrips, which earns money for the school. For more information, please contact Maryam Redjaee at vpmembership@chesterbrookpta.org. 

Good news! Work on the 2013-2014 PTA directory already has begun. This year the PTA has partnered with AtoZ School Directories

to produce our directory. PTA members not only will receive a free copy of the new and improved printed directory, but also access to a secure/password-protected directory app from AtoZ via a smart phone or any web-enabled device - so you can view the directory data where and when you need it!

 

Our goal is to have the printed directory available in October, but we need your help!

Returning Chesterbrook Families: If you are a returning Chesterbrook family and your family's information was in last year's directory, you will receive a "verification" email from chesterbrook@schooldirectoryupdate.com on August 15th. The verification email will contain your user name, password, and instructions on how to access and verify your directory information, as well as access the AtoZ School Directory App. Please follow the directions outlined in this email to update your family data by Friday, September 6th. If you do not receive a verification email, please contact us at chesterbrook@schooldirectoryupdate.com as soon as possible and we'll make sure that it is forwarded to you.

New Chesterbrook Families: If your family is new to Chesterbrook this year (or your family's information did not appear in last year's directory), please email us at chesterbrook@schooldirectoryupdate.com as soon as possible (please include your full name, your children's full names, and their grades this fall). We will then email you information on how to access our directory database (including your own login and password information) so that you can enter and verifty your directory information. We will also provide instructions on how to access the AtoZ School Directory App.

This year's printed directory will be spiral bound with larger print for easy reading and will include a resource guide in the back of the directory listing sponsorships from local businesses that have defrayed the cost to the PTA of this new and improved directory. Anyone interested in promoting their business in the directory or placing a Kid's Classified ad (see below) can email AtoZ Directories at info@atozdirectories.com or click here for more information. 

If you have any questions, please contact the directory team at either chesterbrook@schooldirectoryupdate.com or directory@chesterbrookpta.org. Thank you for continued help with the directory!

                  
Don't forget if you shop Amazon over the summer, you can help earn money for Chesterbrook at no extra cost to you by clicking through the Amazon link.  Chesterbrook PTA earns between 4% and 10% of every item sold and shipped through the PTA Amazon link depending on the type of product and number of items shipped each month. The more items purchased and shipped, the higher the percentage earned each month. It's as simple as: 

• Visit the PTA website www.chesterbrookpta.org and click on the Amazon PTA Link in the upper right hand corner ; "book mark it" or "add to your favorites" for easy access in the future.
• Use the PTA Amazon.com link BEFORE adding items to your cart
• ANY and EVERY purchase made through the PTA Amazon link counts, including music downloads, toys, Kindles, books, on demand movies, clothes and toys!
• If you have items in your wish list, click on Amazon link before you place your order.

Thanks very much to Joy Molony for promoting the AMAZON link this year which resulted in increased funding for Chesterbrook.