Principal's Message
Students have been hard at work after returning from the winter break. We are finishing the second quarter strong and finalizing midyear winter assessments for first through sixth grades. Students completed the Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) in December and are currently completing their iReady. Teachers have worked together to determine supports that need to be adjusted, especially as we have new math tutors starting with students next week. See more information below.
Today, we say good-bye to Mrs. Thomas after the dedication she has provided Chesterbrook the past few years. Thank you for all you have done for Chesterbrook, Mrs. Thomas.
Melissa Wallace, current Special Education Department Chair and Administrative Dean at Pine Spring, will be joining our team as Interim AP as we work to hire a new Assistant Principal.
Mrs. Wallace is an FCPS graduate, having attended Kent Gardens, Longfellow and graduating from McLean High School. She received her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech and Master’s from UVA. Mrs. Wallace also received her Administration and Supervision license from Virginia Tech. In her work with FCPS she has served as a Special Education teacher and Special Education Lead, Great Beginnings Mentor, Bridge to K and Young Scholars Administrator and Afterschool Program Administrator.
Mrs. Wallace brings a wealth of knowledge to support our staff, students and families during this transition. Please help me welcome her to our Chesterbrook team!
Sincerely,
Stacy Kirkpatrick, Principal
Upcoming Dates to Note
January 12 - Last day for CES FLES Survey
January 15 - MLK Jr. Birthday Holiday - School Closed
January 18 - Immersion Information Session - 5:30 p.m. Kent Gardens
January 25 - End of Quarter and 2 Hour Early Release at 1:35
January 26 - Teacher Workday (No School for Students)
January 30 - PTA sponsored Science Assembly - Electromagnetism by the Science guys
February 9th - 2nd Quarter Pep Rally for Students;
Lunar New Year 5:30; Sign up to bring a dish to share at our event
February 19 - President's Day - No School
FCPS annual calendar is here.
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Meet our Math Tutoring Team
Chesterbrook has acquired one position which will be split with two tutors for the rest of the school year. Welcome to Nancy Berusch and Amber Boyd Vincent!
Our intervention team will be working with some students in math alongside their classroom teachers. Letters were sent out to parents if your child is working with on a math goal with our teachers. The addition of math tutors allows more focused intervention for students in the classroom as well as those students receiving pull out support.
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Lunar New Year
We look forward to hosting our 2nd Lunar New Year celebration at Chesterbrook. We will enjoy some student performances and time with families. Please join us for this event!
Bring a Dish to Share
If your family would like to share a dish during this special evening event, please sign up here. The PTA will provide paper products for the event.
Upcoming SEL Screener for Grades 3-6
FCPS is committed to supporting all students’ mental wellness and social and emotional learning. FCPS approved a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener that students use to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. These skills include achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. These factors are critical to positive academic, social, and emotional success. All students in grades 3-12 have the opportunity to participate in the screener twice a year, in the fall and spring.
The SEL Screener elevates the voices of our students by making sure their perspectives are considered in decision-making. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students. Division and school level results, which do not include individual student information, may be used by staff to improve SEL and mental wellness practices and to inform strategic plans. Division and school level results may also be shared with the community to describe the needs of our student body and provide opportunities for partnership.
Individual students’ Screener data will only be accessible to teachers, administrators, and staff with legitimate educational interests. Results will be maintained in secure files and databases accessible only to these individuals. In partnership with families, staff review this data alongside other information to plan interventions for students with identified needs. Parents and guardians will receive an individualized report regarding their student’s screener results following each assessment window. School staff are available to discuss results with families.
You can opt out your child from participating in the SEL Screener by completing the SEL Screener Notification and Opt-Out Form. The opt out applies to the current school year and must be completed annually. Please note if you have already opted your child from taking the SEL Screener for this school year, you do not need to resubmit an opt out.
The Opt Out form must be received by Chesterbrook Elementary no later than Feb.16, 2024.
To review what the screener looks like by grade level, please go to the FCPS SEL Screener webpage. The SEL Screener window for Spring is February 26-March 15.
For more information, please connect with your child’s counselor:
Grades 3 and 5: Beau Buchanan, Counselor, BSBuchanan@fcps.edu
Grades 4 and 6: Heather Lomelin, Counselor, HELomelin@fcps.edu
Yearbook Photos Needed
Did you chaperone a field trip, make cranberry chutney with the 2nd graders, help out at a winter party, or attend any of the great Chesterbrook activities this fall/winter (First Day of School, Back to School BBQ, Kickball Kickoff, Turkey Trot, Family Fun Nights, etc.)? If you did, and you took photos, we'd love to have them for the yearbook! Please be mindful of what you submit - ideal photos for the yearbook:
- feature identifiable faces (not just backs and/or tops of heads)
- include 3-5 students
- do not include students making hand gestures
- are taken only at school-sponsored events
You can use the links below to upload photos to the appropriate album. Note that although passwords are not required to upload photos, the albums are stored on a password-protected, unlisted site.
Kickball Kickoff: https://www.smugmug.com/upload/KQ5hbd/Kickball
General (mixed grades, staff, etc.): https://www.smugmug.com/upload/GPWPWk/general Kindergarten: https://www.smugmug.com/upload/CHQjjf/kindergarten First: https://www.smugmug.com/upload/RmZpPH/first Second: https://www.smugmug.com/upload/d3dfzB/second Third: https://www.smugmug.com/upload/McXBRZ/third Fourth: https://smugmug.com/upload/QGGsMt/fourth Fifth: https://smugmug.com/upload/VLgMcG/fifth Sixth: https://smugmug.com/upload/brwsd7/sixth
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Opioid Awareness
Conversation to Raise Awareness of Fentanyl and Other Drugs
In this video, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid interviews the Fosters, a family who tragically lost their son Cayden to a half pill of fentanyl mistaken for Percocet. This heart-wrenching yet eye-opening video of their experience is essential to raise awareness among parents/caregivers and students about the dangers of fake painkillers.
FCPS’ website also has resources to help you to start the conversation and additional support for families struggling with substance misuse.
Conversation to Raise Awareness of Fentanyl and Other Drugs
In this video, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid interviews the Fosters, a family who tragically lost their son Cayden to a half pill of fentanyl mistaken for Percocet. This heart-wrenching yet eye-opening video of their experience is essential to raise awareness among parents/caregivers and students about the dangers of fake painkillers.
Outside Opportunities
Girl Scout's Camp Discovery
For girls in Grades K-5 and are not currently a Girl Scout- if you are interested in learning about being what a Girl Scout is all about, along with experiencing the outdoors, arts & crafts, and STEM- please check out this fun event that is being held during Spring Break- March 25-28, 9AM-4PM. Check out the flyer for additional details!
Encuentro de Chicas
Encuentro de Chicas Latinas de las Girl Scouts is an annual leadership conference for Latina girls in grades 6-12. Girls in the middle school age range will learn about conflict resolution and building healthy relationships. This event is held on Saturday, March 9 from 9:30AM-4PM. Check out the flyer for additional details (registration is free until Feb. 28!)
McLean Little League Seeks Chesterbrook Chipmunks!
Register by January 22! Come discover Baseball or Softball this spring and make friends from all over McLean and neighboring communities! Our beautiful facility at 1836 Westmoreland Street is a nearby social hub for families and buzzes with Baseball and Softball into the night all spring. Roughly 1,200 children grow with us every year including many Chesterbrook Chipmunks! We have programs for children of all ages and abilities, and adaptive programs for children with special needs.
Any child enrolled at Chesterbrook can play at McLean Little League regardless of residential address! https://www.mcleanll.com/ (look for the REGISTER button)
Contact: Geoffrey Inget: registration@mcleanll.com
 2nd graders were hard at work on their collaborative math walk this week!
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