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March 11, 2016
Volume 4 / Issue 26
 
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Note from Dr. Beekley
- PTO Cultural Arts Workshop
- CES S.T.E.A.M. Fair
- March Fitness Calendar
- Chester Enumeration
- CES Lunch Accounts
- Social Development News
- Social Development Books from CES Library
- PTO Fun Run Challenge
- PTO Book Fair
- Community News 


Friday, March 11th
- Grade 2 Animal Reports
(9-10 am & 2:00-2:45 pm)

Tuesday, March 15th
- Grade 5 Science CMT

Wednesday, March 16th
- Grade 2M LEARN Field Trip to Bushy Hill Nature Center

Thursday, March 17th
- Student Banking & Box Tops Due
- Grade 2 Field Trip to Charlotte's Web Play
- Social Development Night
(6:30 pm - Gym)

Tuesday, March 22nd
- PTO Book Fair

Wednesday, March 23rd
- PTO Book Fair
- Early Dismissal (Parent/ Teacher Conferences)

Thursday, March 24th
- PTO Book Fair
- Early Dismissal (Parent/ Teacher Conferences)
- Chester Board of Education Meeting
(7:00 pm - CES Library)

Friday, March 25th
- Good Friday (No School)

Tuesday, March 29th
- S.T.E.A.M. Fair Open House

Wednesday, March 30th
- S.T.E.A.M. Fair Judging

Saturday, April 9th
- PTO Fun Run (Rain Date April 10th)

Tuesday, April 12th
- PTO Meeting
(7:00 pm - CES Library)

Thursday, April 14th
- Student Banking & Box Tops Due

Friday, April 15th
- Early Dismissal (Professional Development for Staff)

April 18th-April 22nd
- Spring Recess

Monday, April 25th
- Possible Snow Make-up Day

Tuesday, April 26th
- Possible Snow Make-up Day

Friday, April 29th
- Arbor Day

Friday, April 30th
- State Invention Convention

Tuesday, May 3rd
- PTO Teachers' Appreciation Lunch

Wednesday, May 4th
- ACES Day
- Spring Arts Festival

Tuesday, May 10th
- PTO Meeting
(7:00 pm - CES Library)

Tuesday, May 17th
- Grade 3 Field Trip to Trash Museum

Thursday, May 19th
- Student Banking & Box Tops Due

Tuesday, May 24th
- Grade 1 Field Trip to Theaterworks

Thursday, May 26th
- Chester Board of Education Meeting
(7:00 pm - Location TBD)

Friday, May 27th
- Early Dismissal (Professional Development for Staff)
- Memorial Day Program

Monday, May 30th
- Memorial Day (No School)
- Memorial Day Parade

Tuesday, May 31st
- Possible Snow Make-up Day
- PTO Spring Clothing Drive

Wednesday, June 1st- Friday, June 3rd
- PTO Spring Clothing Drive

Thursday, June 2nd
- Grade 6 Unity Day (JWMS)

Tuesday, June 7th
- Grade 3 Field Trip to British Art Museum & Yale Art Gallery
- Grade 6 Field Trip to Puerto Vallarta Restaurant

Wednesday, June 8th
- Grade 4 Field Trip to State Capitol

Thursday, June 9th
- Grade 1 Field Trip to The Children's Museum

Monday, June 13th
- Field Day

Tuesday, June 14th
- PTO Meeting
(7:00 pm - CES Library)

Wednesday, June 15th
- Early Dismissal (Last Day of School - depending on number of weather/ emergency days used)
A NOTE FROM DR. BEEKLEY     
 
Critical Thinking Skills
Is your child feeling overwhelmed by a history project? Or feeling stuck as s/he tries to figure out a challenging math word problem? Helping children understand how they think and solve problems is one of the best tools a parent can provide. Strengthening critical thinking skills will help your child in school. But it will also give him/her the ability to solve problems in the real world.

Help your child:
* Become aware of how s/he thinks. Educators call this metacognition, or the ability to think about the thinking process. Good thinkers have a plan before they take action. They know if they need more information before they make a decision. And if they get new information, they adapt their plan. Before your child starts a project, say things like, "Let's think this through." Also, help your child see his/her strengths and weaknesses as a problem solver. "Remember that sometimes you tend to rush in before you make a plan."
* Draw on past knowledge to address current problems. S/he may not have had to do an assignment just like his/her history project, but s/he has done other big projects. What did s/he learn about how s/he works best?
* Focus on effort. "It's not that I'm so smart," Albert Einstein once said, "it's that I stick with a problem longer." So when your child gets discouraged, encourage him/her. Help him/her see the progress s/he has already made, and let him/her know he can reach his/her goal.

Source: A. Costa, Developing Minds: A Resource Book for Teaching Thinking, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Joanne D. Beekley, Ed.D. 
Principal        
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
CES PTO PROVIDES KINDERGARTEN CULTURAL ARTS WORKSHOP
On March 10, our Kindergarten classes enjoyed hands-on science fun in a High Touch, High Tech Weather or Not workshop. The children learned about weather, as we took an up close and hands-on look at a real tornado; watched as we made clouds and rain indoors; discovered all the amazing properties of air and air pressure; touched lightning; and made the conditions change as we lifted ice cubes with a string. Curriculum links: Science, Problem Solving
 
Thank you to our community of parents, teachers and administration for making this PTO Cultural Arts Workshop possible! 
 
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S.T.E.A.M. FAIR 
 
Chester Elementary School is once again charging full STEAM ahead, introducing students to important 21st Century skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Design and Math, through our S.T.EA.M. Fair.
 
The ways in which students can participate are outlined below:
Grades K, 1, 2 & 3 = Invention (optional)
Grade 4 = Science Experiments (mandatory)
Grades 5 & 6 = Invention or Engineering Design (mandatory)
 
Mrs. Lenz has introduced the invention opportunity, as well as the importance of considering art and design elements as you invent, engineer, or experiment, to all CES students.
 
Mrs. Clark will be working with all fourth grade students on the scientific method. Each student will be participating by researching and completing an experiment as part of a class assignment.
 
Mr. O'Brien, Mr. Kalkreuth and Dr. Beekley have introduced fifth and sixth graders to the engineering options. Students in fifth and sixth grades have the opportunity to invent something or participate in one of three engineering challenges:
Engineering Challenge 1 = Catapult
Engineering Challenge 2 = Rube Goldberg Machine
Engineering Challenge 3 = Buoyant Vessel
 
Our S.T.E.A.M. Fair Open House will be held on March 29th. The judging of student inventions will take place in the morning on March 30th. Competitions for the three engineering challenges will take place in the afternoon on March 30th and March 31st. Full STEAM ahead!
 
More details have been sent under separate cover with your child.
 
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MARCH FITNESS CALENDAR  
 
At Chester Elementary School, we encourage our students to be physically active both inside and outside of the school setting.

Our March Fitness Calendar offers you and your child simple ideas for how to integrate physical activities throughout a busy day. Check it out for ways to get your whole family moving! 
Please click here for the March Fitness Calendars.

 
CES LUNCH ACCOUNTS
 
Many cafeteria accounts are not up-to-date, and we ask that all accounts be brought current. If you receive a letter with a lunch deficit, please be sure to include all of the information on the check or the front of the envelope if payment is sent to school. You may also pay on-line at any time. Your assistance with this is greatly appreciated by all of us.
 
 
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT NEWS 
 
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Service-Learning Project
Our winter service-learning project is in collaboration with Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Our students will be making coloring books for the patients at CCMC. Along with that, we will be asking families to donate used crayons with the paper removed. Our Social Development Committee members will be making fun shaped crayons to send along with the coloring books. Please be looking for more information on this very important service-learning project to follow soon.    

Social Development Night 
Please come join us for a night of family fun on March 17th at our annual Social Development Night.  The performance starts at 6:30 with ice cream immediately following in the  cafeteria.  
 
Jim Vagias is an expert in character education and anti-bullying programming. He is the only magician in the Northeastern United States with a teacher's background. Mixing the art of magic with humorous storytelling, he has performed for students throughout the United States and has been on national television several times. Jim's magic and motivational performances have been seen by over 500,000 students throughout the years. His love for children, his joy in their achievements, and his strong commitment to using his background to foster better educational opportunities has made him a favorite among students and faculty alike. Jim lives in Central New Jersey with his wife (also a teacher) and his daughter.

Thank you to the CES PTO for their generous funding of this event.
                                          
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SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT THEMES

The Social Development Theme for the month of March is Honesty. The Social Development Book of the Month is  Olive and the Big Secret. Please enjoy a description of the book below.
                                              
When Molly shares a secret with Olive, the urge to tell is just too great! Olive tells Joe who tells Matt who tells Lola. But Lola is best friends with Molly. Uh-oh, the secret is out, and Olive is in for it!

The goal of our Social Development Book-of-the-Month is to integrate literature and concomitant language arts objectives with themes and ideas that support our social development program. 
 
The Chester Public Library is graciously partnering with us on our social development Book-of-the-Month initiative.  Our Book-of-the-Month is displayed at the library and there are multiple copies available for families to borrow, so that the discussion begun at school can be shared and extended at home.

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SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT BOOKS AVAILABLE FROM CES LIBRARY 
 
Our Social Development theme of the month for March is Honesty. There are many excellent books in our library about honesty. A few will be featured during March and any may be borrowed from the library to be shared with your family. Just email Mrs. Moshier at bmoshier@reg4.k12.ct.us to request the book, and she will send it home with your child.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf: A Retelling for Aesop's Fable by Eric Blair
  
A retelling of the fable in which a young boy's false cries for help cause him problems when he is really in need of assistance.    

Arthur and the True Francine by Marc Brown 
  
Francine and Muffy are good friends until Muffy lets Francine take the blame for cheating on a test.
  
Sam, Bangs, & Moonshine by Evaline Ness 
 
Relates the experiences of a little girl as she learns to tell the difference between make-believe and real life.  

Liar, Liar: The Theory, Practice, and Destructive
Properties of Deception by Gary Paulsen
   
Fourteen-year-old Kevin is very good at lying and doing so makes life easier, but when he finds himself in big trouble with his friends, family, and teachers, he must find a way to end his lies forever.

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PTO NEWS
 
PTO FUN RUN CHALLENGE
This week, we announced an exciting change to the 2016 Fun Run Challenge. This year's event takes on a whole new flare with challenging obstacles that participants can navigate to test their physical ability at their own pace.

We've corrected the flyer to clarify that there is no fee required to participate, but we hope that all will make an effort to raise sponsor money to support this PTO fundraiser. Not only is this event a healthy way for your child to spend the morning, all the proceeds go right back to CES to support enrichment activities throughout the year. Every $25 raised gets an entry into a drawing for prizes like sports gear, ice cream, day camp and other certificates for kid friendly businesses.

Last year's event was a huge success, and we hope with the addition of the obstacle course we can even do better!

Please see the Chalk Talk Digital Backpack, or click on the following links, for the Fun Run Flyer, Registration Form and Sponsor Form.

Thank You! 
CES PTO

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PTO BOOK FAIR
171216_feelin'_groovy_book_fair_clip_art_flowers.pngSAVE THE DATE171216_feelin'_groovy_book_fair_clip_art_flowers.png 
       
 
 
March 22-24, 2016

Volunteers needed, please sign up at:

http://ces-pto.wikispaces.com/Book+Fairs
 
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COMMUNITY NEWS 
 
CHESTER PARKS AND RECREATION

Chester Parks and Recreation
Celebrating Community through People, Parks and Programs!
860-526-0013 extension 223, parkrec@chesterct.org 
Visit our website for program information and registration forms:  
http://chesterct.org/?page_id=7810 

MAKE A SPLASH THIS SUMMER!   

We are an outdoor program specializing in waterfront activities! Our Camp Counselors are Certified Lifeguards.  

Our SUMMER CAMP rivals any camp in the area!
We offer swimming, sports, science & nature, arts & crafts, team building, and more, but unlike many camps, children choose most of what they wish to participate in throughout the day from a variety of programmed activities.  It is open to children entering grades 1 through 7, and the hours are from 8:15am until 3:45pm, the weeks of June 27, July 5, July 11, July 18, July 25, August 1, August 8, and August 15, at Chester Elementary School on Mondays, Fridays and severe weather days, and Cedar Lake on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The children take field trips on Fridays. The fee is $115 per child, per week, and payable at the time of registration. The weeks of July 5 (SEE INTRODUCTION TO CAMP BELOW) and August 15 are 4-day weeks without a field trip, for $80 each, and are open to children entering Kindergarten, too!

INTRODUCTION TO CAMP for children ages 4 and 5 meets from 8:15am until 3:45pm, Tuesday and Friday at Chester Elementary School and Wednesday and Thursday at Cedar Lake, July 5th through 8th with staff and programming designed specifically to meet the needs of younger children. Activities include games, sports, crafts, nature, story time, teacher led swimming and swimming lessons. The children have their own teachers, lunch time, and activities in their group of 12 campers, running concurrently with our grades 1 through 7 camp, at the same location. The cost is $80 for the 4-day week.

Our Camp fee includes all program and field trip expenses, except lunch. Children do not need to be Chester residents to attend.

For up-to-date availability, visit http://chesterct.org/?page_id=7810, or call 860-526-0013, x223.

 
YMCA SUMMER CAMP

For information on the Valley Shore YMCA Summer Camp, please see the Chalk Talk Digital Backpack, or click here.

 
LITTLE LEAGUE SIGN UPS!
 
New for the 2016 season -  Chester and Deep River Little League will merge into one League.

You may sign up now at www.deepriverll.com.

Important Dates/Info:

3/19 - Assessments. If your child wants to play minor or major league softball or baseball they MUST attend. This makes it easier for the board and coaches to make teams. Place and time TBD.

4/30 - Opening day:  Place and time TBD

5/2 - Golf Tournament:  Info to follow

6/4 - Yard Goats Game

If there are any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Bryan Knudsen at bryanknudsen@yahoo.com or 760-271-8274 after 3pm. Thank you.

 
REGION 4 COLLABORATIVE PRESCHOOL  
 
The Region 4 Collaborative Preschool is seeking community children for the 2016-2017 school year. The Collaborative Preschool is an integrated setting located at Essex Elementary School. We offer preschool and prekindergarten classes for children with and without special needs. Children being considered for the program must reside in Deep River, Chester or Essex and be 3 by September 1st. Applications are due by April 12, 2016. For more information about our program, the enrollment process and to download an application, please visit the Collaborative Preschool link on the Region 4 School District website http://www.reg4.k12.ct.us or contact the staff at (860) 767-3195 or (860) 767-8215 before or after school hours.
 
SAILING CAMP 
 
The Pettipaug Sailing Academy is offering a Junior Sailing Program in Essex, CT for ages 8-16. For more information, please see the Chalk Talk Digital Backpack, or click here.
 
 
Chester Elementary School
"It Takes a World of Differences to Make a Difference in this World"
23 Ridge Road / Chester, CT  06412 / 860-526-5797
www.ces.reg4.k12.ct.us