Fairmont Blog: September 2011

Edgewood Preschool-Kindergarten

Edgewood 1st-8th Grade

Mable 4th-6th Grade

Contributed by Alyssa

Thursday, September 29

BOOK REPORT madeline says merci

Madeline Says Merci: The-Aways-Be-Polite-Book
by John Bemelmans Marciano

The pages that follow offer advice
Oh how to be polite and nice.
As you read, please keep in mind
It all comes down to being kind.
Don't forget to think of others--
Parents, pets and little brothers.

So begins a charming spin-off of the original Madeline book by Ludwig Bemelmans. Children won't mind learning to say "please and thank you" from Madeline and her friends. This clever etiquette handbook helps children understand how to behave in a variety of social situations--from how to greet the Queen to how to properly express gratitude for a gift. Both boys and girls can relate to the rambunctious Madeline and will enjoy the lively prose and witty illustrations. This is a wonderful addition to your home library that will bear reading and re-reading as your children grow and encounter new people and experiences.

Related Activities:

After reading Madeline Says Merci, encourage your children to put their good manners into action. Set up a special snack-time tea party for practicing table manners. Reinforce reading and writing skills by having older children write thank you notes when they receive gifts. Get theatrical and have your children act out some of the scenes from the book. There are a myriad of ways to reinforce good etiquette and this book helps make it fun!

For an entire reading list of books about cultivating good manners, check out the recommended reads at Children's Books Guide including my personal favorite Dude, That's Rude.

Contributed by Danyelle

Wednesday, September 28

THE FAIRMONT FIVE helpful homework tips

How much time should children spend doing homework? Should elementary school children do any homework at all? What role should parents play in the homework process?

According to The Battle Over Homework, elementary students should be doing homework and the ideal amount of time ranges from about 20 minutes in first grade to 60-90 minutes in sixth grade.

Since homework is a vital part of the learning process, we asked our Director of Education, Sandy Cosgrove how to create the ideal homework environment and experience for your child. Here are her top five tips:

Assess your Child. Notice where and when your child is most thoughtful and creative and create a homework environment that matches those inherent preferences. Know what your child typically struggles with and what comes easily and help him or her balance time spent in those subject areas to avoid discouragement.
Establish a Routine. Routine is essential. Doing homework at the same time in the same place as much as possible is often helpful, especially to young students. Help your child stay organized by setting up a process for checking assignment sheets/agendas and “checking off” assignments as they are completed.
Use Natural Consequences. This means you do nothing when it comes to discipline for not completing homework. Alternatively, let homework consequences come from your child’s teacher in the classroom setting to help him or her learn responsibility. Communicate with the teacher yourself if you have specific concerns or questions.
Use the “Positive-Negative-Positive” Method. Whenever a child brings any piece of schoolwork to you, the first thing you say must be something positive – some type of praise. Your child will never want to show you anything if you constantly start with criticism. Instead start positive, then make corrections, and conclude with another positive.
Always Be Encouraging and Supportive. Remember that your attitude is contagious and will influence how your child feels about homework and school.

Happy homeworking!

Contributed by Alyssa and Sandy

(Image from The Comics Curmudgeon)

Tuesday, September 27

SHORT STORY johnny appleseed day

An "Apple-licious" Way to Celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day

Contributed by Alyssa

Monday, September 26

EVENTFUL fall family events in orange county

Kick off October with a weekend full of great family events! Celebrate community, cultural awareness and reading with these three annual festivals.

The Tustin Tiller Days began in 1957 as a tribute to the Orange County's agricultural heritage. Now the event is Tustin's most anticipated family fair, complete with thrilling rides, great food, kids crafts, live performances, and more. Click here to check out the schedule of entertainment.

When

Friday, September 30th: 4:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Saturday, October 1st: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

*Don't miss the parade Saturday morning at 10am

Sunday, October 2nd: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Where

17522 Beneta Way

Tustin, CA 92780

The Irvine Global Village Festival is celebrating its 10th year. Voted "Best Festival" by OC Weekly, this annual event offers live entertainment representing over 50 cultures in addition to ethnic food tastings and an international marketplace. Be sure to visit the Kids Village for engaging arts and crafts projects, face painting and a bounce house--stop by Fairmont's booth to make your own playdough globe while you're there! Admission, parking and shuttles are free.

When

Saturday, October 1st: 10 AM - 6 PM

Where

Bill Barber Park, adjacent to the Irvine Civic Center

4 Civic Center Plaza

Irvine, CA 92606

Parking Details

The OC Children's Book Festival is an annual community fair celebrating the importance of reading. This year, the event will feature: over 100 popular authors and illustrators, books to buy, local exhibitors, family entertainment, live animals, professional storytellers, food and crafts. There will also be a Book Drive held at our Fairmont Schools booth organized by our very own student Megan Mettler! You'll receive a coupon for $2 off at participating author booths for every 2 books you donate (limit 1 per person, 4 per family).

When
Sunday, October 2nd: 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Where
Orange Coast College
2701 Fairview (at Arlington)
Costa Mesa, CA 92628

Contributed by Alyssa

Friday, September 23

FRIDAY FOLDER september 23

Highlights From This Week

Grandparents Day Celebrations

We had a truly grand time hosting our Fairmont grandparents this week at our campus luncheons and breakfasts in honor of Grandparents Day. Lots of great moments were captured on camera and can be seen on our Flickr page.

Give Me A F-A-I-R-M-O-N-T!

Our Tri-Way & DSL Football and Volleyball seasons are in full swing! Come out and help cheer our teams on to victory--see your campus e-newsletter below for game schedules. Also, don't miss Fairmont Prep's Homecoming Game on Saturday, October 8th. Citron will get in the spirit with Spirit Week Oct 3-8 and will be singing the National Anthem at the game.

Fairmont Prep Info Night

Donate Books at the OC Children's Book Festival

Anaheim Hills student Megan Mettler will be hosting a Book Drive at the OC Children's Book Festival on Sunday, October 2 from 9:30am to 4:30pm. The drive will be held at the Fairmont Schools booth (right by the main entrance) and all books will be donated to local schools and non-profits. Be sure to come out and show your support!

Weekly E-Newsletters

September Lunch Menus

-Epicurious Old Fashioned All American Apple Pie

Mable 4th-6th Grade

Contributed by Alyssa

Thursday, September 22

EVENTFUL book drive at the oc children's book festival

Thanks to the dedication of Megan Mettler, our very own 8th grade student and budding philanthropist, the OC Children’s Book Festival will once again include an official book drive this year! Barry Ackerman, the co-founder of the Book Festival, heard about Megan's passion for collecting and donating books and her service trip to Joplin, Missouri this summer. Wanting to bring back a book drive element to the 8th Annual Book Festival, he reached out to Megan and Fairmont to coordinate a book drive to benefit Megan's Kids Read! project.

We are thrilled to announce that the book drive is on and will be held at the Fairmont Schools booth during the event on Sunday, October 2 from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Be sure to bring along all your extra books to donate--both used and new books will be accepted. You'll even receive a coupon for $2 off at participating author booths for every 2 books donated (limit 1 per person, 4 per family). Megan will deliver all of the books she collects to local non-profits and schools, and she will be talking more about her Kids Read! project on stage at the event at 12:25pm.

We look forward to seeing lots of our Fairmont families out enjoying the event and supporting Megan's efforts.

Contributed by Alyssa

SNACK TIME all american apple pie

What better way to use the apples from your apple picking adventure than to bake a homemade apple pie?? Learn more about America's favorite dessert tradition in this post from our school dietitian Leslie.

The apple pie we know and love today is the result of centuries of innovation and good taste. Only crab apples were native to America, so the Pilgrims brought their favorite family pie recipes along with barrels of apples for planting seeds in the New World.

Pioneer women often served pies with every meal, and as settlers moved westward, American regional pies developed. The idiom “As American as apple pie” is a saying in the United States, meaning "typically American". In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, apple pie became a symbol of American prosperity and national pride.

The best apples for pie provide a combination of sweet (e.g. Golden Delicious) and tartness (e.g. Granny Smith) and hold their shape when cooked.

Here are a couple tasty apple pie recipes to try out at home:

-Diana's Desserts All-American Apple Pie

Contributed by Leslie Kay-Getzinger, MS RD, Regional Dietitian for Nutrition Management Services

Wednesday, September 21

THE FAIRMONT FIVE apple picking in oak glen

Romes and Winesaps and Braeburns, oh my! It’s apple season again! You can find these iconic fruits of fall at your local farmer’s market, but it’s so much more fun to harvest them yourself. Consider packing up the family and heading on an apple picking adventure. The little town of Oak Glen, California is just over an hour’s drive from Orange County, but you’ll feel worlds away. Pick your own apples, press a gallon of cider, hike in the San Bernardino wilderness, ride a pony, square dance…and gorge yourself on apple delicacies. Click on the farms below for apple picking and all manner of apple-related fun.

Don't miss the mini apple cider doughnuts at Snow-line!

Los Rio Rancho

Mom’s County Orchards

Riley's Apple Farm

Snow-line Orchards

Willowbrook Apple Farm

Contributed by Danyelle

Monday, September 19

SHORT STORY grandparents day celebrations

A Smile that Spans Generations

Contributed by Alyssa

Friday, September 16

FRIDAY FOLDER september 16

Highlights From This Week
Back to School Celebrations
Each campus is having its own celebration in honor of fall and back-to-school. Be sure to add these dates to your calendar:

Mable & Citron Back-to-School Picnic: Saturday, September 17
Anaheim Hills Fall Festival: Friday, September 30
Edgewood Back-to-School Picnic: Friday, September 23

Extra-Curricular Classes
Extra-Curricular classes begin in the next couple weeks at each campus. Be sure to turn in your student's registration form and payment on time (see your campus e-newsletter below for deadlines).

Weekly E-Newsletters
Anaheim Hills Campus
Citron Campus
Edgewood Campus
Mable Campus

September Lunch Menus

Mable 4th-6th Grade

Contributed by Alyssa

Thursday, September 15

ARTS & CRAFTS sew clever crayon roll

Coloring is a great way to occupy little hands when you're out and about, but you rarely have a fresh pack of crayons handy when you need them. This clever crayon roll keeps a rainbow of colors neatly organized and protected, ready to toss in your tote bag for impromptu art sessions at the restaurant, the pediatrician's office, you name it! This craft requires beginner to intermediate sewing skills, but there's a great step-by-step tutorial complements of gussysews.com to help you along.

Contributed by Danyelle

Wednesday, September 14

THE FAIRMONT FIVE online shops for school and office supplies

Earlier this week I put together a list of fun (and hopefully helpful) school and office supply stores in the OC area. Today, it's all about the online shops. Here are my top five places to browse (not necessarily in order):

Dick Blick Art Supply
Stubby Pencil Studio
See Jane Work
Russell + Hazel
Sanrio (Yes, I still refuse to part with my Keroppi pencil box from the 6th grade! Ah, memories...)

Pictured above is a little round up of some things that caught my eye this season--clockwise from top left: Multicultural Construction Paper, Nerdy Hello Kitty Flash Drive, Eco Pencil Highlighters, "Handy Handle" Pad, Signature Three Ring Binders

Contributed by Courtney

Tuesday, September 13

HOW TO...organize with apps

With school back in full swing, organization is key for student success...and for parent sanity. To all you busy parents, we offer this round up of apps that will turn your smartphone into an organization super genius (and give you a some extra free time).

Teux Deux takes the daily to-do list to a new level. Tasks are organized by day and can be easily crossed off or dragged and dropped to another day. We love the clean layout and that Teux Deux is both a website and an app, allowing you to reference it at work and on the go. ($2.99 for iPhone)

Awesome Note could not be more awesome...calendar, to-do list, organizer, digital filing cabinet, recipe book, and more. This little app does it all in style. ($3.99 for iPhone and iPad and there's a free lite version)

iRewardChart makes Chore Charts a breeze by allowing you to easily track each child's responsibilities and rewards in one convenient place. ($3.99 for iPhone, free for Android)

RedRover has been called the "best of the best" in play date apps. This mom-designed app lets you invite people from all your contact lists into a private social network and shows you kid-friendly stops nearby to help you schedule the perfect play date on-the-go. (Free for iPhone)

Happy organizing!

Contributed by Alyssa

Monday, September 12

oc school supply shopping...A to Z

The other day, someone was asking about where to find school supplies. To help, I've pulled together a few of my favorite local shops for school and office supplies. I really love Seed People’s Market in Costa Mesa (for eco-friendly finds) and the Art Supply Warehouse in Westminister (for everything else). Depending on my list, I’ll also hit up local chains like The Container Store, Target and Paper Source.

Contributed by Courtney

Friday, September 9

FRIDAY FOLDER september 9

Highlights From This Week
Parents Nights
Mark your calendars for our upcoming Parent Nights:

Anaheim Hills: Monday, September 12
Mable: Wednesday, September 14

Sports Physicals

Don't forget that sports physicals are required for each student on one of our DSL or Tri-Way teams and must be completed before the first game. See your campus e-Newsletter below for more specifics.
Picture Days

Mark your calendars for your campus' picture day (and be sure to practice those smiles!):

Anaheim Hills: September 14-15 (see e-Newsletter for grade breakdown)
Mable: September 16 (JH)

Grandparents Day Celebrations

Don't miss your campus' Grandparents Day Celebration! Here are the dates for each:

Anaheim Hills: Friday, September 16 at 11am
Citron: Friday, September 16 from 9am-10am
Edgewood: Thursday, September 22 at 1pm
Mable: Wednesday, September 21

Weekly E-Newsletters
Anaheim Hills Campus
Citron Campus
Edgewood Campus
Mable Campus

September Lunch Menus

Mable 4th-6th Grade

Contributed by Alyssa

Thursday, September 8

SHORT STORY grandpa jackson

In honor of Grandparents Day, we wanted to celebrate one of our favorite grandpas: Mr. Jackson, the President of Fairmont. Outside of work Mr. Jackson is a dedicated father and grandfather. He treasures spending time with his grandkids and making quality memories, like building paper castles and jumping on the trampoline. We love his favorite grandparent tradition:

"Each year before Christmas we take each of our grandchildren shopping with half of the money we use to spend on them for Christmas presents, and they pick out toys for children who won't have a Christmas. It is the highlight of the year when we have the grandkids present these gifts, that would have been theirs, to disadvantaged children. There are always many tears of joy."

Happy Grandparent's Day from the Fairmont Family to yours!

Contributed by Alyssa

international literacy day...A to Z

Happy International Literacy Day--a day dedicated to highlighting the importance of worldwide literacy. UNESCO proclaimed September 8th International Literacy Day in 1965, and each year the day is celebrated with the announcement of three literacy awards by UNESCO and in school communities throughout the world with reading activities and volunteer projects.

According to this article from Education World, the presence of books in the home has a greater influence on a child's education than the parents' income, nationality or level of education. Reading really does make a difference. Celebrate today by learning more about the global condition of literacy in this video, trying out one of these volunteer project ideas, or just by reading a new book with your children.

(Photo by Home Interior Designs Inspiration)

Contributed by Alyssa

Wednesday, September 7

THE FAIRMONT FIVE: grandparents day traditions

It’s not just another greeting card holiday...Grandparents Day, celebrated the first Sunday after Labor Day, is an opportunity to honor the grandparents in your family, neighborhood and larger community.

President Jimmy Carter signed the observance of Grandparents Day into law in 1978. Today, grandparents are very active in the lives of their children, grandchildren and society. Did you know that 4 million children in 3 million households are being raised by their grandparents? And more than 5 million children live in a household with a grandparent present.

Fairmont is very grateful to all of our involved grandparents and hopes you’ll get creative about celebrating this “grand” holiday in your home. Education World shares a wonderful article for teachers packed with educational activities that inspired our Fairmont Five this month.

Grandparent Interview. Extra, Extra! Read all about it: Grandparents are cool! Put your little newshounds to work on breaking news about their grandparents. Brainstorm a list of questions or print out the interview questions provided on the official grandparents day website.
Nursing Home Visit. Did you know that 60 percent of nursing home residents never have a visitor? Schedule a trip to a local nursing home with your children and find out if you can bring along a donation of supplies that could help brighten the day for some adopted grandparents in your community.
Family Tree. Grandparents Day is the perfect time for children to study their family trees. We love this life-sized family tree craft from Martha Stewart Living. Older students can go further with their research and use sites such as genealogy.com and ancestry.com to find their long-lost roots.
Graphing the Ages. Have a budding statistician in the family? Use US Census Bureau data to help your children create a graph illustrating each state's median age.
Poems for Grandma and Grandpa. What better tribute to the grandparents in your children's lives than a handwritten note or better yet--a poem! Suggest a haiku or acrostic to get your kids started. You can also check out some grandparents-themed books at your local library to help get their creative juices flowing.

Contributed by Danyelle

Tuesday, September 6

parent night...A to Z

Whether you were the Class Clown or the Teacher’s Pet back in your grade school days, you’ll want to be in top form for the first big event of the school year—Parent Night. Here’s a quick study guide to help parents prepare.

Book your babysitter: Make arrangements to keep the kids at home so you can enjoy a distraction-free evening.
Arrive Early: Parking is often limited, so arrive early, pick up a program and take some time to explore the campus.
Take notes: Bring day planners or calendars (or the high tech equivalents) to help you keep track of all of the details. From the names of the parents sitting next to you in those pint-sized desks, to important dates, there will be lots of information to take in on Parent Night. You’ll most likely receive a packet of information reiterating the particulars, but it’s smart to have your own planning system handy too.
Bring an open mind: (We love this tip complements of cozi.com) Remember that teachers may seem a bit nervous or awkward when faced with a room full of parents. If your teacher seems organized, reasonable in her expectations and focused on her students’ success, then be willing to overlook what might appear to be less-than-polished public speaking skills.
Introduce yourself: We parents are diligent in teaching our children good social skills, but sometimes we can slip up. Chances are you’re not the only one who feels a little uncomfortable in the group, so smile, introduce yourself and initiate a conversation with your fellow parents. Parent Night is a good time to meet the other moms and dads in your child’s class and swap contact info.
Avoid ambushing the teacher: Yes, we know it’s enticing to pull the teacher aside for a personal conversation about your child. But, keep in mind that Parent Night is not the best time for a one-on-one conference. Instead, call or email your teacher to set up a better time to talk.

Contributed by, Danyelle

Monday, September 5

SHORT STORY playtime

just monkeying around

Contributed by Alyssa

Friday, September 2

FRIDAY FOLDER september 2

Welcome back to school, Fairmont family--we're looking forward to a great new year!

Highlights From This Week

Parents Nights

Mark your calendars for our upcoming Parent Nights:

Anaheim Hills: Monday, September 12
Citron: Wednesday, September 7
Edgewood: Thursday, September 8
Mable: Wednesday, September 14

Sports Try-Outs

Back-to-School and back to sports! Don't miss try-outs for DSL and Junior High Football and Volleyball at Anaheim Hills, Edgewood and Mable next week. Check your campus e-newsletter below for more details.

Weekly E-Newsletters

September Lunch Menus