March 18, 2016

Volume 4 / Issue 27

IN THIS ISSUE:

- Note from Dr. Beekley
- CES S.T.E.A.M. Fair
- March Fitness Calendar
- CES Lunch Accounts
- Social Development News
- Social Development Books from CES Library
- PTO Fun Run Challenge
- PTO Book Fair
- Community News

Digital Backpack

Chester Parks and Rec Camp Calendar

Chester Parks and Rec Camp Registration

PTO Fun Run Flyer

PTO Fun Run Registration Form

PTO Fun Run Sponsor Form

NCYC Junior Sailing Summer Program

YMCA Summer Camp Brochure

Tuesday, March 22nd

- PTO Book Fair
(8:00 am-4:00 pm)
- Book Fair Family Night
(6:00-8:00 pm)

Wednesday, March 23rd
- PTO Book Fair
(8:00 am-2:00 pm)
- Early Dismissal (Parent/ Teacher Conferences)

Thursday, March 24th
- PTO Book Fair
(7:00 am-2:00 pm)
- Books with Bagels
(7:00-8:00 am)
- 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
(6:15-7:30 pm - Gymnasium)

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

Early Dismissal on March 23 & 24, 2016. School will dismiss at 1:00 for Parent/Teacher Conferences. Lunch will be served.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held next week. This is an excellent time to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Parents can sometimes spot a school problem before the teacher does. Sometimes, your formerly happy child comes home silent and withdrawn. Sometimes, you see the frustration as your child struggles with homework. If you think there's a school problem, this is an excellent time to share your concerns with the teacher.

Here are some tips on how you can make the most of your meeting:
* Write down details. When you are discussing a concern, it's best to be as specific as possible. Be sure to write down some notes and refer to them during your meeting.
* Tell her what you've tried. Let the teacher know what steps you have already taken at home to try and help your child with the problem.
* Ask the teacher for her insights and her help. Let the teacher know you want to work on this as partners.
* Remember that you and the teacher have the same goal: your child's success. Starting out on a positive note is a great way to end with a successful plan for your child.

Joanne D. Beekley, Ed.D.

Principal

ANNOUNCEMENTS

S.T.E.A.M. FAIR

Our S.T.E.A.M. Fair Open House will be held on March 29th. Participating students need to bring their completed projects with display board and log to school on the morning of Tuesday, March 29th. To avoid drop off congestion, please bring your child's project to school starting at 7:30 am on Tuesday. The judging of student inventions will take place in the morning on March 30th. More details will be sent home under separate cover with your child.

Full STEAM ahead!

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

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 are asking families to donate used crayons with the paper removed. This service-learning project began on Tuesday, March 15th and will run through Thursday, March 24th. Our Social Development Committee members will be making fun shaped crayons to send along with the coloring books.

Social Development Night

A fun night was had by all at our annual Social Development night. Families enjoyed a performance by Magic Jim, followed by an ice cream social in the cafeteria. Thank you to our PTO for sponsoring this event. Also, thank you to our Social Development Committee for all their hard work in setting up and running this event.

Photos Courtesy of Jessica Dobratz
Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

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.

A Day's Work by Eve Bunting

When Francisco, a young Mexican-American boy, tries to help his grandfather find work, he discovers that even though the old man cannot speak English, he has something even more valuable to teach Francisco.

Tell the Truth, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra

When Big Bad Wolf, who now lives at the Villain Villa Retirement Residence, is invited to tell his story at the library, he faces the truth about what he did to the three little pigs and decides to make amends.

The Boy Who Cried Alien! by Marilyn Singer

A boy known for telling lies announces that aliens have landed in Malarky Lake, and not surprisingly, no one believes him.

Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel by Avi

A ninth-grader's suspension for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom becomes a national news story.

Back to Top

PTO NEWS

PTO FUN RUN CHALLENGE

The 2016 Fun Run Challenge 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

Back to Top

PTO BOOK FAIR

March 22-24, 2016

Wear Your Tie Dye Clothes to School
on
Tuesday, March 22

Back to Top

COMMUNITY NEWS

CHESTER PARKS AND RECREATION

Chester Parks and Recreation
Celebrating Community through People, Parks and Programs!

Please call 860-526-0013, x223 or email parkrec@chesterct.org for availability before submitting registration.

MAKE A SPLASH THIS SUMMER!

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

2016 CAMP CALENDAR

2016 CAMP REGISTRATION

Summer Camp availability the week of: June 27 = 7 spaces, July 5 = 4 spaces, July 11 = 1 space, July 18 = waiting list, July 25 = 10 spaces (includes swimming lessons), August 1 = 10 spaces (includes swimming lessons), August 8 = waiting list, August 15 = waiting list, Introduction to Camp for ages 4 & 5 July 5 = 1 space (includes swimming lessons)

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. The weeks of July 5, July 25, August 1 and August 15 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, teacher led swimming and story time. The children have their own teachers, lunch time, and activities in their group of 8 to 12 campers, running concurrently with our grades 1 through 7 camp, at the same location. The cost is $80 for the 4-day week.

SWIMMING LESSONS are included in the Introduction to Camp program and by request, for all ages, the weeks of July 25 and August 1.

Back to Top

YMCA SUMMER CAMP

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

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

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.

Back to Top

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