Registration for Summer Quest 2015 Underway

Summer Quest is sponsored by the Chesterbrook PTA and provides fun, educational sessions for your elementary school child over four (4) one-week sessions each summer, with morning and afternoon sessions and an after-camp program. The sessions are primarily taught by Chesterbrook Elementary teachers. Camps will run in week-long sessions July 6 - July 31 with classes for rising kindergartners through rising 7th graders. Cost is $155 per session.

Registration has been open for a few weeks and classes are filling. A couple of updates:

* Longtime favorite Beginning Arts & Crafts is back! (Week 1 for grades 2-4).
* Move and Shake - Pop Style has moved from Week 1 to Week 3 (for grades 4-7)

Just a few of the other great Summer Quest classes this year:

* Beginning Field Hockey (Weeks 1 & 3 for grades 1-3);
* Introduction to Sign Language (Week 1 for grades 3-5);
* Cook with Books (Week 2 for grades 1-3);
* Creative Writing (Week 2 for grades 3-5);
* Summer Strings (Week 2 for grades 5-7);
* Craft Camp and More! (Week 3 for grades 3-5);
* Summer Days (Week 3 for grades 2-3); and
* Fun with Friends (Weeks 1 & 4 for grades K-2)

More details about these classes and all of this summer's offerings, as well as Summer Quest policies, can be found at the links below. Please email questions to summerquest@chesterbrookpta.org.

Food Pantry

Did you know that Chesterbrook was the founding school of the local Food Bus community school food collection program? And did you know that our Food Pantry at Chesterbrook collects the children's unopened perishable food for donation to our needy neighbors?  The Food Bus donation program was started by one of our own Chesterbrook moms, Kathleen Weil, and has been recognized by the USDA and Washington Parent Magazine.  Check out the article here.  Ask your kids about the program and they will tell you how it works. To volunteer for this very worthwhile program, please contact Jennifer Ruggiero.  Way to go, Chipmunks!  

There is still time to order your 2014-15 yearbook!

New this year, you will now have the option to add special enhancements (current events insert, re-positionable stickers, personalized cover) that will only be available online. Order your yearbook today and check it off your list!

Follow this link to order now
https://ybpay.lifetouch.com
(enter yearbook id: 11568815)

Email Julie Schwan with any questions.

Formula For Rest!!!

 

THANK YOU to Chesterbrook's amazing parents and community for a very successful Fun Fair!!! We raised over $20,000 and we couldn't have done it without the hard work and dedication of Jennifer Von Elm and Hope Perlish, their Fun Fair team, and support from the entire Chesterbrook community. What an exciting day from the awesome bake sale, to the fun games, fantastic moon bounces, AMAZING class baskets, great teacher experiences, those colorful cinch sacks and much more, what a truly FUN day!!!

 

CO-Chairs For 2017 Needed!!! Hope Perlish and Jennifer Von Elm have agreed to co-chair Fun Fair for one more year. They are looking for one or two people to shadow them and take this great Chesterbrook tradition over in 2017. It can seem like an overwhelming job from the outside. Rest assured there are many helping hands including wonderful committee heads who make the Fun Fair easy to execute. If you are interested in getting more information please email Hope Perlish and Jennifer Von Elm at funfair@chesterbrookpta.org. 

 

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!

 

We are thrilled to be supporting the American Heart Association to help teach students and families how to take care of their hearts through Jump Rope for Heart. Last year Chesterbrook raised $26,990.62 becoming the AHA's #1 school in the Greater DC Region and #3 in Virginia! Since last Thursday, 30 Chesterbrook students have already raised $3,469!

Parents, when your child raises $5 online for Jump Rope for Heart, they can turn in their coupons (from their Thursday folders) to Mr. Levesque on Fridays from 8:20 am- 8:40 am in the cafeteria to receive both Splatter Quacky and Scribbles Ninja Duck, as well as a lanyard! 

For instructions on how to set up your child's online page please watch this step by step two minute video; How to Register Online.

On Tuesday, April 21, bring your family to Chipotle on Old Dominion in downtown McLean between 4 pm and 8 pm to support Chesterbrook Elementary's fundraising efforts! When you're at the register all you have to do is mention that you are there for the fundraiser or show the flyer and 50 percent of all proceeds will go to our wonderful school. This is going to be a great time, so come on out, visit with friends, and enjoy some yummy burritos, tacos, and salads! See you there!

On March 7, 2014, a team of seven third-graders from Chesterbrook competed in the Northern Virginia Regional Odyssey of the Mind competition. Odyssey of the Mind ("OM") is an organization that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students of all ages. Teams are made up of 5-7 students who work together to create solutions to problems ranging from building mechanical devices to writing and performing plays. Through solving long-term and spontaneous problems, students learn life-long skills including how to think critically, how to work in a group, how to overcome obstacles, and how to rise to meet any challenge.

Chesterbrook's team members included Alex Abraham, Hailey Buursink, Sean House, Evan Perlish, Addison Schwan, Malia Solomon, and Andrew Von Elm, and was coached by Chesterbrook parent Jeff Abraham. For its "long term" problem, the team was required to create a play depicting the classic tale of Pandora's Box as a video game. The team met every week from September through March to develop characters, write a script, design and make costumes, and build props for their play. On competition day, the team performed their 8 minute skit in front of an audience and a panel of several judges, and also participated in the "spontaneous" problem, during which the children are asked to come up with creative answers to a question or problem in just a few minutes, without knowing beforehand what the question or problem would be.

Competing in a division comprised of 3-5th graders, Chesterbrook's team placed 4th overall. In addition to this outstanding outcome for their inaugural year in OM, the Chesterbrook Elementary School team was awarded the Ranatra Fusca Award which "represents the essence of Odyssey of the Mind and is presented to the teams...who exhibit exceptional creativity." Only one team that day was awarded this honor for their long term problem outcome.

We hope to expand this program within Chesterbook. Please watch for upcoming informational meetings on how you can become an OM coach and how your child/children can be involved in future OM teams at Chesterbrook!

Save the date! The spring Book Fair is coming April 27 through April 30. Look for more details in Thursday folders in April and future issues of the Digest! 

What to do with the kids on April 17th Teacher Work Day?  Celebrate 45th Anniversary of Earth Day on the National Mall, April 17-18.  

Family Day at Udvar-Hazy is on April 25th: Celebrate Hubble's 25th Anniversary with Astronauts, Scientists and More. Free event, except for parking.