Did you visit a National Park this summer? KidsPost has a picture contest ending August 30th for some of the best photos taken this summer in America's National Parks. Celebrate 100 years of family trips to National Parks across the country. Take advantage of the several National Parks, memorials, monuments, and historical sites that the Washington DC area has to offer and send your pictures in! Photo shots must have been taken following May 26th, 2016. All entries due by August 30th! Be sure there is at least one person in the image age 5-13. Check out the details here!
Not traveling anywhere this summer? Or have you just recently gotten back from your vacation? You could win a prize from the KidsPost by submitting photos of all your summer fun! Don't be shy! What better way to start the school year with a prize pack! See the link below for full article on the The Washington Post . Check out the details here!
The Montessori curriculum is a unique educational method that has been changing the lives of children for over a century. This method of education is distinguished for its multi-age class structure and exploratory methods. Rather than adhering to high-pressure traditional schooling methods with grades and tests, Montessori programs give students educational tools appropriate to their age groups, and allows students to choose their own work and learn in a collaborative environment. With more than 5,000 private Montessori schools in the United States that employ the method, it's clear that the educational movement is alive and well. While we may know about Montessori schools, many do not know about the woman behind this movement. Maria Montessori was a groundbreaking woman of her time that pushed the boundaries of her gender and the education system as she knew it. Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870. She was an exceptionally smart and...
Arts education is an important part of Brooksfield’s mission. Exploring rhythm on drums and percussion instruments encourages students to develop their ear for music. By making music together, we have fun and build a sense of community. Often students take turns making music for each other, with one group dancing to the original musical creations of their friends. Children are encouraged to teach their parents the dances they are learning as “homework” on the weekends, and report back on how everyone danced together at home!
Every week throughout the school year, young artists at Brooksfield gather to dance, drum, sing and express themselves. Fall and Spring, we use puppets and masks to turn the Pine Grove & Peace Garden into a magical land where animals play and make friends. When we depart, faerie houses and elf forts dot the landscape! During the Winter months, we stay cozy and create indoor environments for imaginative play, including a tiny trampoline, a loooong cloth river & waterfall, and music from cultures around the world.
Brooksfield is happy to announce it will now be offering BEFORE and AFTER care to students attending Chesterbrook, Haycock and Kent Gardens Elementary schools! The afternoon Extended Day program has welcomed students from Chesterbrook Elementary school for the last several years. With the purchase of Buster, our school bus, we are now excited to expand the program and offer BEFORE and AFTER care to students at Chesterbrook, Haycock and Kent Gardens in grades K through 6th. Buster will be able to drop off students in the morning to the three schools and pick the students up from Kent Gardens and Haycock. Chesterbrook students will continue to ride the county bus to Brooksfield in the afternoons. Extended Day hours will be from 7:30am to 9:00am and 3:30-5:55pm. Brooksfield's Extended Day program is designed to provide a home-like setting with activities that are fun in nature including arts and crafts, cooking, field games,...
Brooksfield School is happy to announce that it will be opening up a two year old toddler program beginning in the Fall 2016-17 school year! We are really excited to offer another wonderful Montessori program to our families that will incorporate the Montessori curiculum as well as the arts and the outdoors! The program will consist of a 5 day a week schedule with 9am to 12pm, 9am to 3pm and 7:30am to 5:55pm options. The best part about the program?... the child does NOT have to be potty trained! If you have a two year old or a rising two year old who you would like to be considered for the program, please contact Sarah Krawchuk, the Admissions Director.
Claire and Ceyda's Class started a six-week program that combines both grace and courtesy and mindfulness in the classroom. This program fosters positive outcomes of love, kindness, and empathy through interacting with furry friends and reading books about a dog named Little Dude. The series of books focus on different topics: feelings, empathy, respect, kindness, manners and courage. Over the last few weeks, the children have had the opportunity to read or talk to Brownie, our class guinea pig! Brownie’s cage was set out on a rug and children were able to sit on “The Brownie Rug” and read, talk or just sit beside Brownie. Today, Claire's class had a special guest visit Brooksfield. Coco, Carlie’s dog, came to Brooksfield for the morning! The children took turns reading, walking and playing with Coco. The children practiced using gentle hands, being kind to Coco and showing her respect. As an act...

When supporting the biodiversity of our environment, it is easy to overlook the contributions of the smallest creatures that inhabit our gardens. Insects are one of the most successful living organisms and constitute almost half of all species on earth. Too often we kill them without realizing that they are actually our allies. Some help decomposition by eating large amounts of dead leaves and spent organic matter while others eat caterpillars and small snails that attack our vegetables and flowers. Our bug hotel provides lots of different habitats for different kinds of helpful creatures to live in the summer and hibernate throughout the winter. Here are some of the materials we used to provide habitats for specific creatures: The hotel structure was made from recycled wooden pallets and off-cuts donated by Home Depot in Merrifield. Hollow stems, such as old bamboo canes, and holes drilled into blocks of...
Join Brooksfield School and LōKL Gourmet on Friday, April 22nd for fun-filled day of Earth Day activities including recycable arts and crafts, music, nature scavenger hunts, pansy planting and more! LōKL Gourmet will be here to give out free food samplings! The event runs from 9:30 to 11am and is open to the public! Hope to see you there!