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Principal's Message

I hope everyone enjoyed the winter break with friends and family. This week we are excited to settle back into the new year with a few new families joining our community. It is always great to welcome in new students. If you are new, we encourage you to get involved, join our PTA and join us for community events.  Our next PTA meeting is next week!  It was great to have everyone back today to kick off 2024! 

Today, we welcomed Cora Russell to our 3rd grade team who will be filling in for Mrs. Jankowski's maternity leave.

On January 16th, Mrs. Gales will be returning from her maternity leave in 2nd grade. We are thankful to have had Mrs. Ali supporting our 2nd graders during her absence.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Stacy Kirkpatrick

Upcoming Dates to Note

January 2 - First Day Back from Winter Break

January 10 - Longfellow Curriculum Info Night - Rising 7 Graders (see below)

January 11 - PTA Meeting (time TBD)

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)

February 19 - President's Day - No School

FCPS annual calendar is here. 

Foreign Language in the Elementary School - CES Survey ends 1/12

Over the past six years parents and students have shared requests to review and evaluate the possibility of providing a different language at Chesterbrook.  In the process of reviewing the language instruction provided, we also want to ensure we have all the feedback from our community. Recently FCPS provided a survey to families that was available in November and December. Parents are encouraged to provide any feedback by Friday 1/12 on this Chesterbrook specific survey.

Winter PTA Before/Afterschool Activities

This winter the PTA has put together many wonderful opportunities for our students before and afterschool including: 

• *New!* Math Club (Currently LOW enrollment, so please sign up soon if you are interested!)
  • Chesterbrook PTA is proudly sponsoring a new Math Club for sixth graders and advanced fifth graders. The math club is run by the Russian School of Math, a premier math after school program featured in NPR.  The class will focus on preparing students for middle school with a sensible mastery of computations and order of operations with rational numbers, fractions, and decimals, solving equations, and working with algebraic expressions. The class will be on Tuesday afternoons from January to the end of the school year. See the flyer below for more info!

• Fitness Warriors (K, 3-4, and 5-6)
• Yoga
• Comic Book Illustration
• Electronics w/ Minecraft Redstone
• Introduction to Game Design
• Glass Fusing
• Art Club
• Chess Club

Please visit the PTA website here for more information including registration details. For questions, contact Rachel or Carmen at [email protected].

Longfellow Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night - Jan 10th

Wednesday, January 10, 2024, Longfellow MS will be hosting an in-person Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. Make-up day will be Wednesday, January 17, 2024. During curriculum night important information regarding the transition to middle school will be shared, including selection of electives and core classes. Families will also have time to walk the building. The presentation will also be available on our website.

Dual Language Immersion Registration

All rising kindergarten and first grade students who live in Fairfax County may enter a lottery to participate in Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs. In DLI programs, students are learning elementary content in two languages with students spending half of the day learning in either language. English Language Arts and Social Studies are taught in English. Math, Science, Health, and Target Language Arts are taught in another language. FCPS offers DLI programs in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Online lottery application begins on January 22nd at 9 a.m. A SIS account is required to complete the application. If a student is not currently enrolled in FCPS, registration at the base school is required. FCPS does not provide transportation for students who live outside the attendance area of the DLI school. A one-time fee of $100 must be paid upon acceptance of an out-of-boundary placement (see Notice 5922). 

Kent Gardens will host an information session led by Beatrix Preusse from the World Languages Department on January 18th at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. 

For more information including program sites and information sessions, please visit: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/dual-language-immersion-programs-registration

Snow Days This Winter

For the current school year, FCPS will be returning to its previous procedure for snow days — there will be no virtual learning days when school is closed due to bad weather. During snow days, students may still access Tutor.com, complete any supplemental learning opportunities recommended by their teachers, and view educational programming (available virtually and on public access television channels):

• Elementary school instruction: Red Apple 21.
• Middle school instruction: Channel 25.
• High school instruction: Channel 99.

Eleven snow days are built into the existing FCPS calendar. Eliminating virtual learning days will allow us to maximize students’ in-person learning and provide equitable access to instruction and student services.

Kent Gardens Boundary Update

As previously communicated, FCPS made its recommendation for a boundary adjustment to address the overcrowding issue at Kent Gardens and  recommended "Scenario B".  Scenario B reassigns an estimated 380 students among five elementary schools. A map of affected homes can be found here (scroll to Scenario B).

• Rising Kindergarten and 1st-grade students will be reassigned to attend the newly assigned school for the 2024-25 school year.
• Rising 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade students have the option to attend the newly assigned school or remain at their prior assigned school for the 2024-25 school year and until they matriculate to middle school.

Open Houses for each elementary school will be held on January 25th at 3 PM

Chesterbrook ES-  1753 Kirby Rd, McLean, VA 22101

Churchill Road ES-  7100 Churchill Rd, McLean, VA 22101

Haycock ES-   6616 Haycock Rd, Falls Church, VA 22043

Franklin Sherman ES- 6633 Brawner St, McLean, VA 22101

The adopted phasing plan allows students/caregivers the option to remain at their current school or change schools now, addressing the different perspectives voiced in public feedback. It also considers the needs of older elementary school students who were in school during COVID, and another change may be stressful. The phasing plan allows continuity for students enrolled in the French Immersion program at Kent Garden, which starts at first grade. 

Students that are involved in phasing over the next several years will be provided bus transportation to their elementary school.  Please understand that with a current shortage of bus drivers in our area and the requirement of additional bus runs to accommodate phasing, your patience will be required as all of these new runs are established.  We need those that are involved in the affected neighborhoods to fill out the form indicating which school your child will attend by the February deadline so our transportation staff has maximum planning time.

The McLean Elementary Boundary Webpage will continue to be updated with important news going forward. 

Outside Opportunity Register for McLean Little League by January 22!

Come discover baseball or softball this spring and make friends from all over McLean!  Our beautiful facility at 1836 Westmoreland Street is a 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 from Chesterbrook!  We have programs for children of all ages and abilities, and adaptive programs for children with special needs.  Any child attending Chesterbrook is eligible!

Please send us any questions at [email protected], and to register, visit us at mcleanll.com and press the REGISTER button!

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
Attendance: 703.714.8282 | Web | Facebook

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Congratulations Mrs. Farris Thomas New Principal of Franklin Sherman Elementary School

Mrs. Thomas has been a beloved member of our Chesterbrook community as our Assistant Principal.  I am proud to share the news of her promotion to the principalship at Franklin Sherman. It is wonderful that our greater McLean community can continue to benefit from her leadership. She will be greatly missed but we wish her well.  The following news was shared by our Region Assistant Superintendent, Megan Vroman.

Sincerely,

Stacy Kirkpatrick, Chesterbrook Principal

The Region 2 Leadership Team is pleased to announce Farris Thomas, current Assistant Principal at Chesterbrook Elementary School, has been selected as the new principal of Franklin Sherman Elementary School.

Ms. Thomas began her career in education with Fairfax County Public Schools in 2004 at McLean High School where she was an English teacher and the English department chair. She also served as Instructional Coach, Testing Coordinator, and Assistant Principal at Rachel Carson Middle School, where she supported staff and students with Portrait of a Graduate skills and Project Based Learning. As Assistant Principal at Washington Irving Middle School for five years, Ms. Thomas oversaw the Special Education department as part of her schoolwide support for all students. Returning to the McLean community in 2020, Ms. Thomas has been the Assistant Principal at Chesterbrook since then, ensuring that all students receive access to rigor and high academic standards. She supports teachers in their own learning, providing modeling and feedback to all staff, and has helped make Chesterbrook a school filled with meaningful learning for all.  

Ms. Thomas has been trained by the Buck Institute in California for Project Based Learning integration in instruction and developed the curriculum and taught the FCPS Academy course for teachers on this topic.  Ms. Thomas’ strong work creating positive behavior intervention supports for students and supporting the needs of the special education community earned her recognition as a finalist for the 2019 Outstanding Administrator of the year from Fairfax County Special Education PTA (SEPTA). She also won the McLean pyramid Outstanding Leader award in 2023, and was a finalist for the Region 2 Outstanding Leader award in 2023 as well.

She earned a Bachelor's degree in English and a Master’s degree in Education from James Madison University. She also holds a Master’s degree in Initiatives in Educational Transformation and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration, both from George Mason University. Ms. Thomas also wears the hat of a proud mom to three beautiful young daughters, Macie, Evie, and Josie. 

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Thomas as the new principal of Franklin Sherman, starting on January 16, 2023.

Megan R. Vroman, Assistant Superintendent Region 2

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
Attendance: 703.714.8282 | Web | Facebook

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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. 

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. 

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, [email protected]

Grades 4 and 6: Heather Lomelin, Counselor, [email protected]

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

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: [email protected] 

2nd graders were hard at work on their collaborative math walk this week!

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
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Congratulations! Mrs. Betsy Butler
The McLean Pyramid
Elementary Teacher of the Year Principal's Message

We are so pleased to share that Mrs. Betsy Butler was recognized as the McLean Pyramid Elementary Teacher of the Year.  Mrs. Butler gives so much of her personal time and talents to her classroom.  Have you walked into a second grade room where the calming strategy is weaving? Do your kids learn to make Cranberry Chutney in school or build a butterfly garden? Has their teacher hand made cooking aprons to keep them clean on Applesauce making day?  Mrs. Butler brings her many talents to the classroom and truly cares about helping our kids grow in so many ways.  Thank you for all you do Mrs. Butler.

The recent snow days gave us a time to slow down and hopefully for our children to enjoy the snow they have been hoping for. I want to share a huge thank you for one of the hardest working custodial teams around - they were here for hours while we were warm at home cleaning up after two storms. Their work to get our school ready is appreciated!  Please thank them if you see them. Our building supervisor, Mrs. Lan Ong, took the photo but she was working just as hard alongside them.

The snow was wonderful but does bring difficulties with recess.  I have heard upset grumblings of upset children due to no outdoor recess. I enjoyed my conversation with two students today about the subject.  They really wanted to go out and play in the snow at school - Oh We Wish!  Truly, it is easier for students and teachers when we have outdoor recess.  We know they need to run, play, laugh and scream to their friends. I showed the students the photos below and they were understanding of the situation that keeps us indoors and I hope you do to!  We are READY to be outside once again.  The school grounds photos are from just this morning.  You can see even our blacktop is not ready for our students.

Please welcome Mrs. Melissa Wallace to our administrative team. She is serving as our interim Assistant Principal. You will find here information below. I'm thankful for her support and that of our Region 2 leadership to support me during this transition and find such a great interim! Mrs. Wallace has been in lunches, welcoming students in the morning and supporting any behavior pops. We are holding interviews for our new Assistant Principal on Friday.

Our students are working hard and jumping right back in.  At the bottom you will find our 3rd graders hard at work in math. January has been a disrupted month of instruction but we are all working hard!

Have a great rest of the week!

Sincerely,

Stacy Kirkpatrick, Principal

Welcome to Chesterbrook Melissa Wallace New Interim Assistant Principal

Mrs. Wallace support CES while we interview and hire our next assistant principal. Mrs. Wallace is an experienced educator that currently supports Pine Spring Elementary as the Special Education Department Chair and Dean of Students working alongside the administrative team. She will support our work with staff and students in the coming weeks.

Upcoming Dates to Note

January 25 - End of Quarter and 2 Hour Early Release at 1:35

3-4PM  Open House for Franklin Sherman Families with Boundary Change

January 26 - Teacher Workday (No School for Students)

January 30 - PTA sponsored Science Assembly - Electromagnetism by the Science guys 

February 8th - PTA Meeting 2:30 - 3:30

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. 

Chesterbrook Tutoring Resources and Staff List

During the school year, parents sometimes request private tutoring options for the school year. Below is a list of Chesterbrook staff who are available for private tutoring. 

Chesterbrook Winter 2024 Private Tutoring List

Parents are free to contact the staff members listed below to make such arrangements (pricing, subject matter, and frequency) for the school year. In this capacity, staff members are considered private contractors and any arrangements made are between the family and staff member. 

During the school year, FCPS staff are not permitted to privately tutoring their own students for compensation. Grade level teachers run different programs throughout the year.  Therefore, we do not have grade level teachers tutor their same grade level during the academic year. 

The Family Resource Center also maintains a current list of all FCPS staff who are available for private tutoring. Parents may contact the Family Resource Center at [email protected] to request that listing. 

FCPS has a new resource for all students- Tutor.com. This service provides unlimited access for students 24/7, on-demand, and online at no cost to families. Tutoring may be on-demand and/or scheduled at a time convenient for the student and/or family.  Please visit fcps.edu/resources/online-tutoring-services for more detailed information. 

Pencil Sale is Back!

Student Ambassadors will be hosting our Pencil Sale on the following dates:

Wednesday, January 31

Wednesday, February 7

The sales run from 8:30-8:45 and are in the Cafeteria. Our Student Ambassadors sell novelty erasers, pencils, bookmarks, pens, and other fun items. Prices range from $0.25 to $1.50. 

It is most appreciated if students bring loose change or small bills ($1 or $5 bills). 

Funds raised during Pencil Sales go to help purchase items that our students use- recently, our funds helped to support a new water bottle filling station right outside the 3rd Grade hallway.

Any questions, please contact Heather Lomelin, School Counselor, at [email protected].

Our 3rd Graders Working Hard at Math! Love the collaboration!!!

And...Check out the Flexible Seating.
Our kids love all the options added to classes this year.
Thank you for all your support of our teachers!!!

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
Attendance: 703.714.8282 | Web | Facebook

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School Counseling
Appreciation Week

Thank you Mrs. Lomelin and Mr. Buchanan!

Please take time to thank our school counselors for the hard work they do to ensure the social emotional well being and growth of our students. They are supporting our students daily and providing classroom lessons to ensure our students are thriving. Chesterbrook is so lucky to have this fabulous team!

2nd Quarter Progress Reports are posted for parents online through Parent Vue Monday morning, 2/5/2024.  If you need assistance in accessing, please contact our front office staff. At the end of the school year, we provide a hard copy for each student. IEP progress reports will be emailed to parents on Monday.

Kiss N Ride Safety Reminder

Cars dropping off students must come through kiss n ride. Do not allow your children to exit your car on Kirby Road. Parents may park and walk their children using appropriate cross walks and sidewalks. When walking to door 1, do not cut across our bus driveway.

CES Spirit Week ~ Spread Kindness Throughout February Yearbook Cover Contest All Entries due Friday, February 23rd
Hand Delivered to Mrs. Remer

All current Chesterbrook students are encouraged to show their school spirit and creativity by entering our yearbook cover contest! The winning entry will be selected to be displayed on the front cover. Entries not selected for the cover may be highlighted inside the yearbook.

All entries must:

• be hand-delivered to Mrs. Remer by Friday, February 23rd;
• be oriented vertically on an 8.5” x 11” sheet of white paper;
• be the student’s original work;
• feature our school / yearbook theme “Together we are Better”;
• include our mascot, Chester; and
• have the artist’s first and last name, grade and teacher’s name written in pencil on the back.

Design Tips:

• Use bright and bold colors (lightly colored artwork will not print well).
• Have your design cover the entire paper.
• Be creative, have fun and do your best!

Yearbook Sales are Starting!!!

 Click here to Order   Chesterbrook Code 24891

Upcoming Dates

February 5th - 9th - School Counselor Appreciation Week

February 6th - Yearbook Club & Candid Photos 

February 5th - 2nd Quarter Progress Reports Posted in Parent Vue

February 8th - PTA Meeting 2:30 - 3:30

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 12th 8 PM - Summer Quest Camp Registration will Open

February 19 - President's Day - No School

February 23rd - Yearbook Cover Contest Entries due to Mrs. Remer

Looking Ahead

March 5th - VA Presidential Primary Election Day - No School

March 25 - 29 - Spring Break

April 2nd - Rising Kindergarten Orientation

FCPS annual calendar is here. 

Thank you Chesterbrook PTA for sponsoring our
Mad Science Assembly

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
Attendance: 703.714.8282 | Web | Facebook

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No Parking in Fire Lane

Do not use the entrance #1 curb which is also a fire lane to park. If you are picking up a child or just dropping off and remaining in your car, that is fine.  If you need to exit your vehicle, you need to park in a parking spot. We have buses in and out during the day and need to keep this access clear at all times.  Thank you!

Illness Note

We are seeing a quick rise in illness within the school.  Please be mindful and do not send your children if they are not feeling well. We are increasing our sanitization of high touch surfaces and handwashing/sanitizing practices.  

If there are specific classes with trends in flu or another illness we will work to notify those classes to be extra mindful. At this time we are seeing a wide range of students impacted across the building and wanted all families to be mindful. We appreciate your support to keep our staff and students healthy.

Lost & Found

We have many items that would love to be reunited with their owners.  Do you recognize anything? Parents are welcome to check in with our office staff and look through items located across from our library.  

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
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Welcome our New Assistant Principal, Ms. Lara Macdonald

I am pleased to announce that Ms. Lara Macdonald has been appointed the new Assistant Principal for Chesterbrook Elementary.  She will officially begin in her AP role on March 7th.  I wanted to take this opportunity to share a little more about her background in education as we welcome her to the Chesterbrook family.

Originally from Massachusetts, Ms. Macdonald comes to us with more than 27 years in education with Arlington County Public Schools. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Ithaca College and master’s degree from The George Washington University in Special Education. As a life-long learner, Ms. Macdonald has continued to grow her skillset in the field of education receiving specialized endorsements in Literacy, Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disturbance, English Language Learners and Administration and Supervision. 

As an instructional leader, she has held roles as a reading specialist, lead teacher, mentor and most recently Interim Assistant principal of two different schools within Arlington County. Ms. Macdonald brings a wealth of experience in special education, literacy, and differentiated instruction which has contributed to her success in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and academic excellence. 

In her free time, Ms. Macdonald enjoys spending time with her husband, Dave, and two children, Abby and Zack, and their dog, Summer. She also loves reading, running, and crafting.

It was evident in her interview, that Ms. Macdonald brings a positive, warm and caring heart to our school ready to support our staff, students and families. She will be a wonderful asset to our community. I look forward to working alongside Ms. Macdonald and welcoming her to our team at the beginning of March.

Sincerely,

Stacy Kirkpatrick

Congratulations Chesterbrook Spelling Bee Winner

After 37 rounds of words, we have our winner and runner up! All of our students did a phenomenal job.

Winner Austin Y. (left)
Runner Up Yoham E. (right) Chesterbrook Celebrates Lunar New Year

Chesterbrook celebrated the beginning of Lunar New Year on Friday evening with wonderful songs, dances and an instrumental performance. Thank you to all families that shared delicious food on Friday evening. Thank you to Mrs. Leung for all of her work with our students in recent weeks to prepare. 

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
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Calling Chesterbrook Student Artists!!!

We need your help with our creating the 2023 - 2024 Chesterbrook Yearbook Cover Contest. See our contest rules below and submit items to Mrs. Remer by next Friday.

Yearbook Cover Contest TIME Extension for Yearbook Cover All Entries due Friday, March 1st
Hand Delivered to Mrs. Remer

All current Chesterbrook students are encouraged to show their school spirit and creativity by entering our yearbook cover contest! The winning entry will be selected to be displayed on the front cover. Entries not selected for the cover may be highlighted inside the yearbook.

All entries must:

• be hand-delivered to Mrs. Remer by Friday, March 1st.
• be oriented vertically on an 8.5” x 11” sheet of white paper;
• be the student’s original work;
• feature our school / yearbook theme “Together we are Better”;
• include our mascot, Chester; and
• have the artist’s first and last name, grade and teacher’s name written in pencil on the back.

Design Tips:

• Use bright and bold colors (lightly colored artwork will not print well).
• Have your design cover the entire paper.
• Be creative, have fun and do your best!

Yearbook Sales ~ Order Today!!!

 Click here to Order   Chesterbrook Code 24891

Yearbook Photos from School Events Needed

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; and
• are taken only at school sponsored events.

Please use the links below to upload your photos.

• 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

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
Attendance: 703.714.8282 | Web | Facebook

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Principal's Message

As we reflect on February, students have been deeply immersed in learning, our tutoring program for math has been up and running smoothly and we held our quarter 2 Pep Rally on one of the nicest days this month. We were able to capture a school wide photo of the event which you will see below. Entering March, grade level teams are focused on strong instruction leading into Spring Break and rounding out plans for the remaining events this school year. 

This past Friday, we said good-bye to our interim Assistant Principal, Melissa Wallace. She has been instrumental in supporting our staff and students since mid-January and I wanted to share my gratitude for her work.

I look forward to introducing Ms. Macdonald to our school community as she joins our team. Ms. Macdonald will start with us on Thursday, March 7th. Additionally, as we prepare for the 2023-24 school year I've been busy interviewing to find talented staff to join our team next school year. With our boundary growth, we will add students from the new boundary to our Kindergarten and 1st grade teams as well as smaller increases in upper grades.

This week we also celebrate our Social Worker, Maria Mahoney during the National recognition for school social workers. Thank you Ms. Mahoney for all you for for our students and families at Chesterbrook. We appreciate you!

As Spring is soon upon us, please mark your calendars for our upcoming school wide events. Check our schedule below for our upcoming Book Fair, Spring class photos and Kindergarten Orientation for rising students.  

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Kirkpatrick

Upcoming Dates to Note

March 4 - 8: National Social Work Week; Read Across America Week;
Friday, 3/8 PJ Day

Tuesday, March 5: Student Holiday, Election Day; Chipotle Restaurant Night

Thursday, March 7: Welcome Ms. Macdonald, New Assistant Principal, Mathnasium Family Fun Night 6 - 7 PM

Friday, March 8th: CES PTA Parent Social at Northside Social (Tickets)

Thursday, March 14th: PTA Meeting 9:15 AM

March 14 - 19: Spring Book Fair (More info will be sent)

Monday, March 18: Spring Picture Day (Class Photos; 6th Grade Panoramic); Spirit Day: Dress to Impress

Tuesday, April 2nd:  Rising Kindergarten Orientation 10 - 11:30AM
We are currently registering new students for the new year. We will send out more information soon!

Summer Quest Registration is Open (July 8 - 26) - Click Here to Register

Calendar for 2023-24 School Year 

Calendar for 2024-25 School Year 

Read Across America Week

Get ready for a fun week of stories! Read Across America Week is this week, March 4 -  8.  Students will enjoy great read alouds and end the week with Pajama Day, because who doesn’t love reading in your coziest PJs. We will also be kicking off our Virginia Reader’s Choice Battle of the Books with classes voting for their favorite books, until we reach a winner on Friday, March 15th. 

March 5 Presidential Primary

The Fairfax Board of Elections requested that schools be closed on Tuesday, March 5, to accommodate the administration of the 2024 presidential primary election. March 5 will be a holiday for students and a virtual School Planning Day for teachers. Central offices and school offices will remain open.

Chesterbrook FLES Program Language Change to Spanish Update

Over the past two years, we have worked to examine our current FLES Chinese language program, work to grow the program and examine the needs of our students in many ways. Steps to examine our current program and evaluate whether there was a need for a change to the language were as follows:

• Historical data was collected from Longfellow regarding language course selections over the past few years
• A parent coffee was held in June 2023 on our FLES program and information shared with community via newsletters
• Two parent survey opportunities were given to the Chesterbrook Community in June 2023 and December 2023
• A staff presentation and survey was given in January 2024
• Ongoing conversations were held with the World Language Office Team, CES PTA members, staff, Dranesville School Board members, the MS and HS principals, Region 2 Leadership and input considered from students.
• Direct work with our current FLES teacher over the past two years as we have examined the program and options.

Based on all these factors, an administrative request was made to the FCPS Leadership team to approve a change of language from Chinese to Spanish. The request to change was recently approved and this change for Chesterbrook students will take place at the start of the 2024-25 academic year.

Our administrative team will work with the World Language office to hire a highly qualified Spanish teacher to help us transition our Chesterbrook students in K-6 to Spanish in the 2024-25 school year. Our students who would like to continue with Chinese language will have the opportunity to enroll in Chinese 1 when making their course selections for Longfellow.

FCPS Family Engagement Survey

FCPS’ Family Engagement Survey will open Sunday, March 3rd. Parents/caregivers will receive the survey link via email from independent research firm K12 Insight. Please participate — your feedback is critical in helping to inform and improve practices to best support our students.

Taking this survey will also help strengthen the partnership between your family and your school. When that partnership is strong, students can experience a range of benefits including improved school readiness, higher student achievement, better social skills and behavior, and an increased likelihood of graduating high school.

The survey will take about 10-15 minutes to complete and will be available in 10 languages. Please visit the Family Engagement Survey webpage for more information. Your voice matters!

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
Attendance: 703.714.8282 | Web | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

 Principal's Message

In our last week before spring break our students have continued to work hard. It is so nice to walk our halls and see the great work of our students, filling our halls with so much color. It is also a joy to see students showcased that are being role models in our school and great examples of the Chesterbrook character we expect. These have been seen in some of our STAR awards, Students of the Month with House point recognitions, Principal Positive Referrals and Grade Level Star Students. We have so many students that show the values we expect in our Chipmunks and I wanted to take a moment to mention the ways we are working to recognize the great things we see. 

This week, our staff and students have enjoyed spirit week, we played a staff game, and enjoyed a taco lunch from our PTA on Wednesday. We also wrapped up a very successful book fair.  Thank you parent volunteers and our librarian, Mrs. Schorr.  We appreciate all your support as we finish out 3rd quarter strong!

Thank you to Mrs. Cora Russell who has served as a long term substitute for Mrs. Jankowski.  Today was her last day with our students.  Mrs. Jankowski will return after Spring Break.

When we return,  we kick off April with our Kindergarten Open House on April 2nd from 10-12, Friday we will have our Quarter 3 Pep Rally and Monday, April 8th we will focus time to learning about the solar eclipse happening in the afternoon.  I'll be sharing more about this as we return from break.

Upcoming Dates

Friday, March 22nd - End of 3rd Quarter

March 14 - 30 - McLean Pyramid Art Show; McLean Community Center- Emerson Gallery; 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, VA  22101

March 25 - 29 - Spring Break- We will have limited office staff available. Office closed 3/28-29.

Monday, April 1st and 2nd - No School for Students; Teacher workdays

Tuesday, April 2nd - 10AM - 12PM  Kindergarten Orientation

April 1 - 5 - Assistant Principal's Recognition Week - Thank you Ms. Macdonald

April 4th - School Librarian's Day - Thank you Mrs. Schorr!

Friday, April 5th - 3rd Quarter Pep Rally

Monday, April 8th - Solar Eclipse (Afternoon)

Family Engagement Survey - Ends today!- We need and value your input! Please take a few minutes to provide your feedback. Taking this survey will also help strengthen the partnership between your family and our school. Please check your email for the survey invitation or use this survey link. Get more information on the Family Engagement Survey webpage.

Wishing you all a wonderful Spring Break! 

Sincerely,

Stacy Kirkpatrick

Congratulations to
Mrs. Lan Ong Region 2 Outstanding Operational Employee Quiz Bowl Student Recognitions

In our first year of quiz bowl, our Chesterbrook students are working hard and showcasing their knowledge. Thank you to our parent lead, Dr. Jordan Kyle, and AART, Mrs. Amy Vallath, for their work with our students. We are so proud of all the efforts our students are putting forth to dive into learning. 

In a recent Baltimore Regional Round, we congratulate our Chesterbrook students on their accomplishments:

Qualification for Nationals in History and Geography
Ethan S. and Zachary S. 

Qualification for History Internationals
Zachary S.

Qualification for Geography Internationals
Ethan S.

Congratulations Ethan and Zachary!

 

Spring Break Reading Challenge

Thank you so much for all of your support of our book fair!  We hope you were able to find some great Spring Break reads.  This Spring Break we will also be having a Spring Break Reading Challenge.  Have your child complete as many squares on the Spring Break Reading Challenge Board as possible and return the completed paper on Wednesday, April 3rd to get a free raffle ticket for the Book Fair Raffle Baskets.  We can’t wait to hear about all the reading our students do over the break.

2024-25 School Year Planning Intent to Move for the 2024-25 School Year

Chesterbrook Elementary is in the process of planning for next year!  In order to monitor class size and hire the very best staff, we need to know plans for our families.  If you are NOT planning to return to Chesterbrook next school year, please complete this student/family intent form letting us know of your plans.

Parent Input for Class Placement

Parents that wish to contribute information towards class placements for the 2024 - 2025 school year, may submit this information on this form.  Completion of the form is optional, however, the deadline for submission is May 4th, 2024. Thank you for your partnership.  Parents of rising kindergarteners will receive a separate link this summer. Kindergarten placement takes place in August when we have completed our ore-assessments of all students. No requests for a specific teacher can be made. These requests will be deleted.

Elementary Institute for the Arts

Students in all FCPS schools can enroll in the Elementary Institute for the Arts. IFTA is a weekly Arts enrichment program for students in rising 3rd through 6th grades during the month of July. Students take classes in Art, Music, Theatre, and Dance every day. Transportation is provided from around the county. Tuition assistance is available for students who qualify. Check out the Elementary Institute for the Arts website for more information or email [email protected].

End of Year SOL Assessment Dates Chesterbrook Summer 2024 Program Options

There will be two options for summer programs for students. The CES PTA Sponsored one week camps are funded through camp fees while the FCPS summer bridge academic support program is a three week free program.

CES PTA Sponsored Summer Quest at Chesterbrook Elementary

Register for Summer Quest Here

The long-standing summer tradition of Summer Quest continues!  Each summer Chesterbrook Elementary PTA has offered fun summer camps for students. This year our program will run from July 8 - 26. The camps including  fun, educational, creative and play based opportunities to support our community and also raise additional funding for programs, specifically technology. 

CES Summer Quest will be held at Chesterbrook with morning and afternoon sessions with an optional add on lunch session bridge. For more information on Summer Quest camps offered, please click on the PTA site above. Parents need to provide transportation for Summer Quest.

FCPS Bridge to K, SOAR and Young Scholars at Timberlane ES

The past three summers, to support post-Covid academic recovery, FCPS held a 3 week summer academic support program from July 8 - July 26. This will include Bridge to K, SOAR and Young Scholars. Each program is a FREE three week academic bridge for students to benefit from continued academic support over the summer.

This year the FCPS academic support programs will be held at Timberlane ES for all McLean pyramid elementary schools. These programs will be run in the morning and transportation will be provided for students. 

If your child has received academic tiered support this year, they may be a good candidate for these programs. Rising Kindergarten students who have not attended preschool or may benefit from additional academic and social supports to prepare would also be good candidates. More information will be shared in the coming weeks as we fill our available seats in the program. Participating students should be available to attend all 3 weeks.

McLean Pyramid Art Show
Congratulations to our Chesterbrook Artists

1753 Kirby Road, McLean, VA 22101  |  Main Phone: 703.714.8200 
Attendance: 703.714.8282 | Web | Facebook