Dear Parents
and Guardians,
Fall is in
the air!
I hope you and your family are getting out to enjoy the seasonal
activities. I know several of our
classes have been on a field trips and have enjoyed the experience. I want to thank all of the parents who took
time out of their busy schedules to chaperone these events. Extending the classroom is important to
expanding students’ experiences and knowledge.
As you know, we have an extremely talented and dedicated staff who work
earnestly to provide your children with an appropriately challenging and
motivating school experience. Meeting the students’ needs is central to everything they do. The amount of time that they take in planning
their lessons, responding to parents’ questions, providing support and
enrichment activities for students, and creating a positive learning climate
for the school is unlike anything I have witnessed. Their positive can-do attitude is
contagious. Please take time to
recognize their efforts for all that they do in order to educate your children.
I am looking
forward to November 10th when we will celebrate Veteran’s Day and the
Thanksgiving Holiday, by inviting our parents to join our students to our
annual Thanksgiving luncheon. I am
thankful for our veterans that have served our country while protecting our
freedoms. This did not happen without
making many sacrifices and hardships. It
is appropriate that our school’s Thanksgiving celebration is on Veteran’s Day.
“This nation will remain the land of
the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.”
—Elmer
Davis
This month’s
article looks forward to the next 30 years and what will be needed by our
children to be successful. It was
written by Thomas Friedman who was the author of The World is Flat.
What the New Era Portends for Young People
By: Thomas Friedman
“The notion that we can go to college for four years
and then spend that knowledge for the next 30 is over,” says Thomas Friedman in
this New York Times column. “If you
want to be a lifelong employee anywhere today, you have to be a lifelong
learner.” He quotes education-to-work expert Heather McGowan: “Stop asking a
young person WHAT you want to be when you grow up. It freezes their identity
into a job that may not be there. Ask them HOW you want to be when you grow up.
Having an agile learning mind-set will be the new skill set of the 21st
century.”
Friedman reports that the College Board is reshaping
its PSAT and SAT tests to encourage lifelong learning. A study showed that
students who analyzed their PSAT results and spent 20 hours with free Khan
Academy instructional videos racked up 115-point gains on the SAT they took
subsequently – double the average gain of students who didn’t self-improve.
Those gains occurred for students regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or
level of parental education.
“So the tough news is that more will be on you,”
Friedman concludes. “The good news is that systems – like Khan-College Board –
are emerging everywhere to enable anyone to accelerate learning for the age of
acceleration.”
“Owning Your Own Future” by Thomas Friedman in The New York Times, May 10, 2017,
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/opinion/owning-your-own-future.html
Thank you
for your continued support.
Augie
LAST CHANCE THIS FRIDAY!
6th graders have been working hard to raise money
for Red Cross hurricane relief. Tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 20, is the last day to
buy a handmade bracelet to help people in need. cost is $1 per bracelet, and 6th
graders will happily accept donations as well.
Coming
this weekend!
SAT. OCT. 21 8-1:45
Fairfax High School
Are you or your child stressed? Overscheduled? In need of help with
executive functioning? Wanting to find your
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS CONFERENCE
Tools for Fostering Success at Home, in School,
and throughout Life
The fourth annual FCPS Mental
Health and Wellness Conference will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2017, at
Fairfax High School from 8:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Dr. Scott
Brabrand, FCPS Superintendent, will open the conference, and Dr. Jonathan
Dalton, founder of the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change, will be the
keynote speaker. Participants in this conference will be able to
choose from over 50 breakout sessions, and there will be many resource tables
available representing public and private offices and agencies providing
services within our schools and community.
To register, or for more
information, please visit:
https://www.fcps.edu/mentalhealthwellnessconference.
Contact: Jill Jakulski, (571) 423-4414, jejakulski@fcps.edu
SAVE THE DATE!
Thursday, November 2, 2017 - Raising Confident, Resilient,
Responsible Children 7:00-8:30 pm at Haycock ES (flyer follows)
Sunday, November 19, 2017 – Family Fun Festival for Grieving Families
2:00-5:00 PM (flyer follows) see www.hopeforgrievingfamilies.org
Chesterbrook’s
Counselors
Sue King Grades K, 1, 3 & 5
sue.king@fcps.edu
(703)714-8215
Mon-Fri 8:15-3:45
Sarah de Kramer Grades 2, 4, 6
shdekramer (703)714-8229
Tues, Thurs, and some
Mons 8:15-3:45
Contact us anytime!
We’re here to help
Raising Confident, Resilient,
Responsible Children
- Learn practical tips for helping your
child be successful at home, school, and in life
- Gain tools to reduce anxiety and
stress
- Understand how to respond effectively
to children’s behaviors, moods, and attitudes
Presented by: Rachel Bailey
http://rachel-bailey.com
Haycock ES
Thursday, November 2, 2017
7 -8:30 pm
|
Ni hao! 你好！
Welcome to LTC Chinese!
1st grade: We sang classroom rule song and
the song你好吗 (ni hao ma?) and practice how to
say how are you? 你好吗 (ni hao ma?) I’m fine, thank
you! 我很好，谢谢! (wo hen hao, xie xie). We also did a Chinese
number 1 – 10 exercise. Ask your kid
to show you how to count Chinese numbers from 1 – 10 with the body gesture.
It helps them remember how to write the Chinese number characters.
2nd grade: We reviewed numbers, months, and
seasons in Chinese before students took a writing assessment to see their
current levels. Students started to learn basic shapes in Chinese and learned
new songs related to shapes.
3rd
grade: We reviewed numbers, months, and seasons in Chinese. Students learned to count from 0 to
100, read and write dates, and talk about their own birthday in Chinese. Students
also had the opportunity to review simple greetings at the beginning of each
lesson.
4th grade: We sang a new greeting song.
They can say good morning 早上好, good afternoon下午好, how are you 你好吗？,
I’m fine我很好,
thanks 谢谢and
I’m happy to see you in Chinese我很高兴见到你. Please check out the song on the
blackboard for the lyrics and encourage your kid to sing to you. We are going
to learn about shapes this month.
5th grade:
We review the classroom rules song and review simple greetings and
sights words/phrases. Kids can check out the blackboard or visit this link
Study Stack to review the September words by using flash cards, matching,
hangman, crossword, hungry bug….etc: http://www.studystack.com/flashcard-1646721
6th grade:
We talked about self-introduction and practice writing the words: I 我, like喜欢, why为什么, because因为, love 爱. These are the sights words that will
use a lot and I would like them to practice more and know how to write them
by the end of the school year!
How
to practice Chinese on Blackboard
(Log in to Blackboard 24/7 -> 035-schoolinfo-1718-YR:
CES School Information -> Chinese LTC)
Blackboard
is a great learning tool for children to review what they learn in class. On
blackboard, each grade levels have their own folders. Children can click on the
folder to find the topic that they are learning right now. Besides, there are many learning resources
links, songs, videos and games. Please check out the Chinese-LTC on blackboard!
If you have any question or concerns,
please feel free to contact us!
谢(xiè) 谢(xiè)! Thank
you for supporting the Chinese program!
Pik
Kei (Peggy) Leung (1st, 4th, 5th &
6th grades)
Yina
Chang (2nd
& 3rd grades)
Autumn flies by in a flash, so take advantage of
the crisp weather and beautiful foliage with this list of fun things to do: Rake leaves, go apple picking, go on hike to see the fall colors, go to
a corn maze, play some football, plant bulbs in the garden for the spring, run
in a fall race, carve a pumpkin, and jump in a pile of leaves!
Motivating Kids to Get
Fit
With
childhood obesity increasing at staggering rates, parents and caregivers must
play an active role in protecting children’s health. Eating healthy foods is a
key factor in maintaining their overall well-being. But, this has to be
balanced with regular physical activity.
Children who are physically active on a regular basis will reap enormous
benefits. Studies have shown that they:
- Are less likely to become overweight
- Have a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Have reduced blood cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure
- Have higher self-esteem and reduced incidences of depression and anxiety
- Are more likely to build strong bones and muscles
-
Are more attentive in school
We know why children need to be
active, it’s time to get them up and moving. Here’s how:
-
Focus on fun, Limit TV and computer time, Choose fitness-oriented gifts
- Schedule play dates, go to the playground
- Get fit as a family and Encourage walking or biking to school.
- Be a model of fitness and Be a fitness advocate at your school.
Kindergarten is learning to MOVE!
Ask them to show you their Locomotor skills.
1-6: Throwing and Catching
4-6:Throwing and Catching, Fitness: Body Composition and Nutrition
|
Thank you to all walkers! |
|
 |
Greetings from the Music Department!
Check out what we are doing this month….
Sixth Grade!
The Sixth grade is getting prepared for their American-themed concert on Wednesday, November 29th at 2:00 and 7:40 pm! We are learning a traditional Chesterbrook favorite about the states and capitals and will start a song to surprise you with on this, their last Elementary School concert. We have been learning “This Land is Your Land” on recorder, as well.
Remember: if your child is playing recorder, they will have practice records due. If you would like to keep up to date with music assignments, please check Blackboard!
Fifth Grade
The Fifth grade is playing the recorder. Our first song is a traditional American melody, “Simple Gifts”. We are reviewing notes, rhythms and fingerings and will add history and words to this song in the coming weeks.
Remember: if your child is playing recorder, they will have practice records due. If you would like to keep up to date with music assignments, please check Blackboard!
Fourth Grade
The Fourth grade had a field trip to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center! We have been listening to the pieces that were played at the concert which celebrates Leonard Bernstein’s 100 birthday. Keep an eye out for the “Cuesheet”—a publication from the NSO that the students have read through about the music they will hear. Now we will get ready for their concert on Wednesday, November 29th at 7pm.
Remember: if your child is playing recorder, they will have practice records due. If you would like to keep up to date with music assignments, please check Blackboard!
Third Grade
The Third grade is getting ready for their performances next month! We will be taking a walking field trip to the neighboring retirement communities to sing for them. We will be performing a special set of music especially for Veterans Day including a medley of Armed Forces theme songs, a song to thank our vets and a special song for each class. They are doing a fantastic job using their singing voices and “Singers’ Secrets”. “Singers’ Secrets” are little slogans that teach proper professional singing techniques (ask your child what they are!).
Second Grade
In Second Grade, we learned about the Russian folk story of “Bony Legs”. We learned some songs to accompany the story and played instruments too! Now we are connecting this Russian folk story to a large work of music by Modest Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition. We are learning musical vocabulary words to describe how the music connects to the pictures. We also learned how a large musical work has connections to large chapter books.
First Grade
In First Grade, we are working with the musical opposites of high and low. We have been singing pumpkin songs and doing movement that demonstrate how the melodies go high and low. We are learning about the staff and how many lines and spaces it has. We will connect the concept of high and low with the staff (notes that are high on the staff sound high and notes that are low on the staff sound low.).
Kindergarten
The Kindergarteners are learning about musical opposites: High and low, fast and slow, loud and quiet. We have been listening to different “spooky” music. We have been singing pumpkin songs to connect with the field trip to the pumpkin patch. We have also been doing movement that describes what they hear in the music. We have been using scarves and “pumpkins” to show what we hear in the music (fast, slow, high, low). The kindergarteners don’t know it yet, but they know how to read basic rhythms using quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes and repeat signs. They are really “tricky”!
5th and 6th Grade Choir
The 5th and 6th grade choir has already started for the year! 5th grade choir is meeting Fridays during REACH and 6th grade choir is meeting Tuesdays during REACH. Thank you for signing up for choir. If your student has signed up for choir, please put the November 29th concert date on your calendars!
ANNOUCEMENTS:
- 4th and 6th grade concert: November 29th
- If your class is playing recorder, please check Blackboard for practicing assignments!
- 3rd grade field trip Keefer - Nov. 13, Skousen - Nov. 8, Heugel - Nov. 10 Swift - Nov. 15
Have a question?
mlzenk1@fcps.edu
skater@fcps.edu
Please check the music section out every month to see what your children are up to in music class!
Until next month,
Mrs. Ater
Upcoming Events
October 26th: SCA Spirit Day - Wacky Hair Day
October 27th: 1st Grade Field Trip to Claude Moore Farm
October 27th: 4th Grades Field Trip to Jamestown
October 31st: Fall Pictures
November 3rd: 1st Quarter Ends - 2hr Early Release
November 6th-7th: Student Holidays
November 8th-17th: Book Fair
November 8th: Mrs. Skousen's Walking Field Trip
November 10th: Thanksgiving Luncheon
November 10th: Ms. Heugel's Walking Field Trip
November 11th: Books and Breakfast - Book Fair
November 13th: Ms. Keefer's Walking Field Trip
November 14th: Pizza Night - Book Fair
November 15th: Ms. Swift's Walking Field Trip
|
