 Principal's Message
Dear Chesterbrook Families,
Welcome Back! Open House is one of my favorite days of the year and it was great seeing you once again and welcoming our new families. The energy and enthusiasm could be felt all across our building.
We would like to share a few reminders as we kick off this school year:
- Please plan to say goodbye to your student outside of the school building. Our staff will be outside and throughout our building to assist students in getting to their class. Staff will be at kiss n ride to unload cars.
- Please ensure your child’s teacher knows how they are going home at dismissal. K-2 students should wear their name label sticker each day this week with their Name, teacher and dismissal plan. Each family needs to activate Pick Up Patrol (PUP) for the year with your base plan for dismissal. Check your email if you have not. You can easily make a daily change in the app as needed.
- Bus riders will receive their ID badge before week 3, so they are able to tap on and off the bus. Our goal is to have these ID badges distributed by the end of the second week, starting with our oldest students.
- During our first couple of weeks, we will be practicing expectations and routines. While we practice our routines in the cafeteria, we ask that parents hold off on lunch visits during these first two week.
- As we dive in deep to support development of executive function skills, have your child help with packing their lunch and backpack to prepare for school and set out their clothes. This will help support their independence when they get to school. While they pack their back pack, we ask that all toys be left at home. No squishes, fidgets, stuffies or playground equipment should be brought to school. Have a specific need, please talk with your child's teacher.
The 1st day of school is very special and we invite you to walk your child up and get that special picture before they head in the building. Please refrain from parking on Kirby or walking across the bus loop. You may park at the Church, Pool or in our larger parking lot. We cannot wait to welcome everyone back! Get a good night's rest and we will see you tomorrow!
Sincerely,
Stacy Kirkpatrick
Principal, Chesterbrook Elementary
⭐Important Dates
Chesterbrook 100th Anniversary Spirit wear Sale Open until 9/2
Click here to order today! (see more details in our reminders below)
August 24 - First day of school for the 2026-27 school year
August 26 - Preschool Open House 9:30 - 10:30 AM
August 27- First Day of School for Preschool (ECCB) Students
September 4 & 7- No School - Labor Day
September 9- Back to School Night (This event is intended for parents only)
5:30 PM PTA Meeting | 6:10 - 6:40 Session 1 | 6:45 - 7:15 Session 2
*Parents should attend one classroom session for their child's class.
September 21- No School - Yom Kippur
FCPS will continue with limited early release
McLean Pyramid dates: Sept 30 | Nov 18 | Jan 13 | Apr 7
FCPS school year calendar
Kiss N Ride Updates
To ensure a smoother, safer, and faster drop-off and pick-up process for everyone this school year, we are introducing a few key changes to our Kiss N Ride procedures:
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Numbered Spots: Cars will now pull directly into numbered spots along the arrival and dismissal line.
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Utilizing Full Traffic Flow: We will be utilizing both the roundabout and the straightaway to keep the line moving efficiently.
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Pull Up All the Way: Please remember to pull up as far forward as possible to allow maximum cars into the loading/unloading zone.
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Right Turns Only: For the safety of our students and to prevent traffic backups, no left turns are permitted into or out of the parking lot during Kiss N Ride hours.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we roll out these new steps to keep our Chesterbrook community safe and moving!
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FCPS Personal Device Update
To foster an engaging, focused and distraction-free learning environment, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has updated its personal device expectations.
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"Bell-to-Bell" Expectations: Students are prohibited from using personal electronic devices throughout the entire school day—from the morning arrival bell to the final dismissal bell. Devices are not to be used on the bus.
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Prohibited Devices: This policy applies to all personal computing devices and accessories, including cell phones, smartwatches, personal laptops/tablets, earbuds/AirPods.
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Storage Requirement: All personal devices must be turned off (or set to silent) and stored away out of sight in backpacks for the duration of the school day.
Thank you for partnering with us to support our students' social connection, focus, and academic success. If you need to reach your child during the school day for an emergency, please contact the main office directly.
Meet Our New Part Time Teachers
Kendall Maxwell, PE Teacher
Hello! My name is Kendall Maxwell. I am so excited to start my elementary teaching career at Chesterbrook. I have been in FCPS for 3 years teaching high school HPE and am looking forward to the transition. I received my bachelors degree from Roanoke College and my masters from ACE in Health and Wellness Education.
I was born and raised in Baltimore County. MD but have been in VA since 2017. When I am not at school, you can usually find me spending time with my husband, daughter and two dogs! I am also a big runner and love crafty hobbies like crocheting and needlepoint.
I am so excited to get started and become part of the Chesterbrook Family!
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Juliana Kaleskas, General Music Teacher
My name is Juliana Kaleskas, and I am so excited to begin my teaching career at Chesterbrook Elementary as a General Music Teacher! I am a recent graduate of VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Music Education. During my time in Chicago, I developed a love for teaching elementary-aged students through my experience teaching violin.
I come from a military family, so I have lived in many different places, but I spent a good portion of my adolescence in Fairfax County Public Schools, where I graduated from Lake Braddock Secondary School. It is especially exciting to return to FCPS as a teacher!
Outside of school, I love gardening and traveling. I also enjoy spending time with my adorable cat and two lovable dogs, crocheting, and playing the double bass. I am excited to be part of the Chesterbrook Elementary community and to help the next generation learn, grow, and develop a lifelong love of music.
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Items below are reminders from our prior newsletter.
Highlights & Reminders
Back to School Checklist
☑️Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Contact our registrar, Mr. Troskey, if you need an activation code. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE. Also, download the new ParentVUE mobile app so you can access your child’s records easily from anywhere!
☑️Update Your Contact Information
Be sure you receive important information! Update your phone number(s) and/or email address(es) by clicking “My Account” and reviewing the “Online Verification/Update.”
☑️Update Immunizations and Records
Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy.
When your child is immunized, remember to request a copy of their immunization record and bring that to our front office or submit the record via SIS ParentVUE as soon as possible. Find more information on FCPS’ website.
☑️Learn About School Meals
Families need to provide their children with money to purchase meals at school or send them with a packed lunch. Alternatively, families may apply to receive free and reduced-price meal benefits, pending approval.
☑️ Bookmark the School Year Calendar
Bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.
Join the PTA and support our School!
Click here to join our PTA.
Help us get your family data in to the 2026-27 Chesterbrook PTA Directory!
Sign Up for the PTA Directory by September 4th!
- This year our PTA will again be using Membership Toolkit for our ONLINE ONLY Chesterbrook PTA Directory.
- This is a PTA-sponsored app-based directory that is separate from records kept by the school administration and class lists accessed through your child’s Schoology login. IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED, YOU MUST SIGN UP AND INPUT YOUR FAMILY’S INFORMATION! It is not automatically included through your school registration.
- If you have used the online directory in the past, simply log in and you will be prompted to update your information. If not, please follow the directions below. In addition to basic demographics, please be sure to input your child’s homeroom teacher.
- Don’t miss out on playdates and more! Questions? Contact directory@chesterbrookpta.org
Click here to Start Directory Sign Up
1—Click “Register” : Create your account. Each parent can have a unique login and password.
2—You’ve got mail! : Verify that you created the account by clicking the link in the confirmation email.
3—Finish your registration
- Parent/Family and Student Info
- Directory/Publish Preference
Follow Us on Social Media:
Instagram: Chesterbrookchipmunks
Facebook: Chesterbrook Elementary School
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