“We Nurture the Mind and Body!”

Tuition Programs

The following programs are included in your child's tuition:

Our School-Age Program at Chesterfield Academy is unique because our school-agers help create their own learning environment and experiences! We strive to keep our before and after school experience fun, so your school ager stays motivated in a stimulating environment. The children get to spend time with friends and enjoy activities that keep them interested and engaged.

Our program coordinates with the local elementary school calendars, so we have a fully-functioning program during holidays, teacher in-service days, and school breaks (inter break, spring break, etc.) We also provide transportation to and from many of the local schools so you know your child will be in a safe, secure environment before and after school.

• Homework support from the classroom teacher in our Homework Center
• A safe, comfortable environment where your child will learn to build self-esteem, confidence, and social skills
• Computers in the classroom with many fun, educational games
• Fitness activities in our Multipurpose Room to keep your child active and healthy, even in the winter months
• Daily communication by the classroom teacher to keep you informed about your child’s day

Mr Mac the Music Man

Music classes can enrich the lives of children through their participation in broad musical experiences. The goals of this music class curriculum are twofold:

1. Assist students in discovering and/or developing their musicianship.
2. Assist each student in discovering and/or developing a general appreciation for music.

Sub-goals are to help the children:

• Differentiate between loud and soft (volume), high and low (pitch), long and short (note values), fast and slow (tempo).
• Develop their gross motor skills through movement to music
• Develop the ability to identify and perform rhythmic patterns.
• Develop a music vocabulary.
• Expand their singing repertoire.
• Develop knowledge of musical instruments and their uses.
• Appreciate and identify various musical styles and songs.

Mr. Mac (Dennis McFarland) is a lifelong educator, has taught in both public and private schools, and has also taught private lessons for many years. He has also been performing in the St. Louis area for decades.

This program is included in your tuition!

Languages

Baby Sign Language

Infants’ understanding of language and their motor skills develop much faster than their ability to speak. And babies love to mimic! Most discover how to wave and point long before they can say "bye bye" or "look at that!"

Some benefits of your baby learning how to sign is less frustration (getting their needs met), creating a closer bond between parents and baby, and helping language develop (enhancing, not replacing language). Our teachers will also teach you how to sign with your baby and give you some information to take home with signs your baby is learning.

Spanish Program

Because children have the natural ability to learn multiple languages at the same time, exposing your child to another language as early as possible, such as Spanish, helps your child pick up a native-like pronunciation and proficiency. Studies show that the ability to process two languages simultaneously enhances reasoning ability and problem-solving know-how.

Our Spanish teacher, Ms. Rebecca, graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature with a concentration in translation. She has taught Spanish in Hockessin, Delaware as well as here in St. Louis. During the course of the year, Ms. Rebecca's goal is to incorporate Chesterfield Academy's weekly themes into her lessons by teaching Spanish vocabulary, reading stories and singing songs in Spanish, and to follow up the lesson with an activity. Children up to the age of eight have the ability to learn a foreign language fluently without an accent, and the best way for them to do so is by immersing them in the language. Therefore, Ms. Rebecca intends to speak as much Spanish as possible during her lessons, using English only for clarification.

Additional Fee Programs

Now Offering Half Day Pre-Kindergarten Program

Starting January 2010, we are rolling out our new Half Day Pre-Kindergarten Program! This program is perfect for families of children who will be going to kindergarten in fall 2010 and who are only interested in a morning program. Our Pre-Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Melanie, has her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education as well as Early Childhood Education and is certified to teach through sixth grade. Our curriculum focuses on kindergarten-readiness and is geared toward getting each child prepared and ready to be in kindergarten. This is great not only from an academic standpoint, but it also helps to prepare children socially and emotionally. Having early group childcare experiences helps children to be less anxious in kindergarten.

We are flexible with our options to help accommodate many busy schedules, so we offer three different options for our Half Day Pre-Kindergarten Program:

• Option A: 9:00-11:00am. for curriculum and instruction only.
• Option B: 9:00-12:00pm. for curriculum and instruction, and includes lunch.
• Option C: 9:00-2:00pm. for curriculum and instruction, lunch, and nap time.

Please contact us with any questions you may have about our new Half Day Pre-Kindergarten Program.

Book Club (Scholastic)

Chesterfield Academy will provide families with monthly book club order forms to purchase seasonal and favorite books for your child or for gifts. The classrooms will benefit from the monthly club by receiving points and purchasing power to maintain new and interesting books available year round in the classrooms.

www.scholastic.com