Dates to Mark on your Calendar!
Wednesday, September 29th - Parent Coffee Link to Join
Mrs. Brown will share technology updates to access Schoology resources. Mrs. Lomelin will share Student Support Resources for home and school
Thursday, September 30th - Chesterbrook Kickball Kickoff 6PM
McLean High School Baseball field (10/14 rain date)
Monday, October 7 - Referrals Due - Students NEW to FCPS (since January 2021), fall Level IV referrals are due for those seeking placement.
October 11th - Student Holiday
October 29th - End of First Quarter - 2 Hour Early Release at 1:35PM
November 1st - Student Holiday
November 2nd - Student Holiday
School Calendar: 2021-22
Message from the Principal
Dear Chesterbrook Families,
Entering our 6th week, it finally feels like routine is setting in. It's the perfect week for our Chesterbrook Kickball Kickoff and our staff is ready to play! It is not to say there will not be challenges along the way as we have cases to support, students that are paused from in person instruction and staff member that may need to be out. All of these obstacles create hurdles we must navigate and we are ready to support.
Our students have settled in, learned routines, and our patrols begin their work leading this week. Last week Mr. Levesque held a leadership training for our patrols and it was a highlight of my week. Watching our 5th and 6th graders step into this leadership role paves the path for future opportunities and experiences in their lives. As their principal, I'm thrilled to watch them grow and be a part of their journey.
In the parent coffee last week, Mrs. Thomas and I shared information on the new stream in and asynchronous learning options students will have if they need to be home due to a positive Covid test or exposure. We realize that learning cannot take a two week hiatus and want to be there to support students along the way. Most importantly, we want our students to feel cared for and know they are missed. Students will still be supported by their teacher and provided instruction through Schoology. Students have learned this tool at school and it will be critical if we need to pause any children from in person learning.
Thank you for your support and collaboration. I have always held parental support as a foundational necessity in education. As we navigate the difficult years of this pandemic it is critical we work together and have your support. Thank you for your positivity, support and understanding and know if you need anything, we are here to collaborate with you to support your child(ren).
With Gratitude,
Stacy Kirkpatrick, Principal
Ready & On Time for School
Thank you for working to get your children to school on time. We begin arrival at 8:30 and our late bell rings at 8:50. We want all students to participate fully in their morning meeting, so being on time is important.
Beginning this week, our 6th week of school, if you are walking or driving your child to school, we will begin marking tardies for late students. We continue to support double back buses and all students on a bus are marked on time.
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Reminder Right ONLY
The safety of students is critical. During arrival and dismissal, cars should not try to cut across Kirby making a left turn. Please think about the few minutes you may save and the safety risk you create when you want to turn left. It is not worth it.
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Still asking WHY?
Here are a few reasons that a right hand only turn makes sense.
- Driving straight allows the traffic to keep flowing which creates better visibility to walking students and parents.
- Left turns back up traffic on Kirby creating visual barriers and increases strain on traffic flow behind you.
- Left turns into the parking lot often also block oncoming traffic for through cars, which creates a visual barrier on our crosswalk, making this extremly unsafe for our students.
- Patrols will begin this week so hopefully we can unload cars faster which will keep our line moving faster.
Once Kiss N Ride clears and there are no cars making a right into the parking lot, usually after 8:48, feel free to make your left turn. However, arriving this late will mean your child is getting into class late.
Bike Riders
If your children ride their bikes to and from school, please encourage them to walk their bike across the crosswalk.
Thank you for your collaboration to keep our students as safe as possible.
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Virginia Growth Assessments (VGA) Begin this Week
Make ups will be provided if your child is absent from school. Students must take the VGA in person.
If you have questions about this state assessment for your student, please contact Megan Brown (mebrown@fcps.edu) or Farris Thomas (fsthomas@fcps.edu).
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Reading
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Math
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Third Grade
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Tuesday, September 28
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Tuesday, October 5
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Fourth Grade
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Thursday, September 30
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Thursday, October 7
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Fifth Grade
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Thursday, September 30
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Thursday, October 7
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Sixth Grade
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Tuesday, September 28
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Tuesday, October 5
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Water Bottles and Snacks Home Each Day
Out teachers will be asking all students to take home water bottles. In order to properly clean, we use virex spray to disinfect and our custodians are needing to move water bottles to keep our children safe. Please encourage your child to bring their water bottle to and from school each day.
Parent Resource Videos from Virginia Department of Education- Unstuck and On Target
As students begin returning to their classrooms after this stressful year, parents in Virginia can access complementary resources to support elementary school students with developing flexibility and emotional regulation strategies. These resources include:
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For Parents: Twelve, three-five minute Executive Function Basics for Parents about how to support elementary school-age children’s executive functioning skills.
- In a study with 98 parents, the videos reduced interfering executive function behaviors at home.
- Videos can be used on their own, or to support generalization of Unstuck principles that students learn in Unstuck
- Five of the videos are also available in Spanish.
Chesterbrook PTA Sponsors many Before and Afterschool Activities
Check them out here
There are so many to choose from including Fitness Warriors, Spanish, Stem Excel, Money Matters, Entrepreneurs Club, Chess Club and Art.
Upcoming Challenge Opportunities for 4th, 5th & 6th Grade Students
Math Olympiad
Is your child crazy about math? Is he or she up for a little math competition? We are happy to announce that Chesterbrook’s award-winning Math Olympiads will be back for 2021-2022, starting Friday October 22 and running through March 2022! The program is open to 4th, 5th and 6th graders.
In-person sessions will run on Friday mornings from 7:45am to 8:30am and will be headed up by Chesterbrook teachers Mr. Ray Treacy and Jessica Harmon. Registration is open now, but space is limited. Please click here to register.
If you would like more information about Math Olympiads, please contact Kelly Overman or Alicia Plerhoples at matholympiads@chesterbrookpta.org
Word Master's Challenge
Join the inaugural WordMasters Challenge Chesterbrook Team! Flyer Attached
Does your 4th, 5th, or 6th grader love language arts? It's their chance to join the inaugural Chesterbrook WordMasters Challenge Team! The WordMasters Challenge is a national competition for students that encourages growth in vocabulary and verbal reasoning.
The Chesterbrook WMC Team will meet Wednesday mornings from 7:45am to 8:30am (from October 13 through April 2022) and will be lead by Chesterbrook teacher Ms. Beggan.
Registration will open on Monday (9/27) on the PTA's website (www.chesterbrookpta.org). Space is limited. Registration closes on October 6.
f you would like more information about WMC, please contact Alicia Plerhoples or Kelly Overman at wordmasters@chesterbrookpta.org.
McLean High School Homecoming Information
Homecoming Week
On October 1, we are having a Homecoming parade. This is the first parade we have had in a long while and we are quite excited to have the community involved. The parade will start at 5:00 from the McLean parking travel down Davidson Road, right on Chain Bridge Road to Westmoreland, and then back into the parking lot. We would love to have spectators on the side of the road to see our Disco themed cards drive by.
Homecoming Football Game
The game starts at 7:00 against Yorktown High School. This game will be very well attended, and we are requiring that students who are in elementary or middle school be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are $5.00 a person.
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