SHORT STORY halloween haunt

Harry Potter magically multiplied at the annual Halloween Haunt!

Contributed by Alyssa 

FRIDAY FOLDER october 28

Highlights From This Week 

Mable Student Wins Anaheim Post Contest 

Daryuish, a Mable 5th grader, won the City of Anaheim's National Preparedness Month Poster Contest! His poster correlated with the contest theme "prepare your neighborhood for an emergency." Click here to see his poster! 

Edgewood Student Achievements 

Many congratulations are in order at the Edgewood campus! The debate team competed in the Pegasus Scramble, and our students took home 8 of the top 25 speaker awards, including the first place Golden Gavel winner Sophie E. On Saturday October 22, Sara A. arrived in 15th place out of 147 girls in all seven grades at the Mt. Sac Cross Country Invitational. And our Junior High Football team, lead by Coach Powell will be heading to the playoffs on Tuesday, November 1! 

Field Trips & Campus Activities 

This week was jam packed with fun field trips and activities for all of our campuses. Citron took a trip to Tanaka Farms and went pumpkin picking. Anaheim Hills hosted its very own pumpkin patch on campus and celebrated its fall athletes with a school-wide Pep Rally! Check the campus newsletters below for more details and great photos. 

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

November Lunch Menus 

AH Preschool-1st Grade

AH 2nd-8th Grade

Citron

Edgewood Preschool-Kindergarten

Edgewood 1st-8th Grade 

Mable 

Contributed by Alyssa 

SHORT STORY tanaka farms field trip

Picking the perfect pumpkin at Tanaka Farms 

Contributed by Alyssa

THE FAIRMONT FIVE halloween safety

If you're a kid, Halloween is all about having fun! You dress up in silly costumes.  You eat lots of candy. You tromp around the neighborhood at night and, probably, get to stay up a little past bedtime too.  When your children are over-excited, as they are likely to be on Halloween night, rules about staying safe might drift away from their candy corn-crazed brains.  So, it helps to remind them of a few basics.  We like these tips for parents and kids from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

1. Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.  Carry a flashlight.
2. A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds. If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home. Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.
3. Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic. Never cut across yards or use alleys. Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom). Never cross between parked cars or out driveways.
4. Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will!
5. A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats. Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.

 Contributed by Danyelle


(Image from Microsoft Office clip art)

SNACK TIME spooky cake pops

In North America, Halloween has evolved into a community-based event filled with child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. For kids, Halloween is a day filled with costumes, silliness, and sweets. Cake pops or cake balls on a stick are bite-size treats that are fun to make--and a great way to celebrate Halloween!

Create your own silly, spooky or scary faces such as skeletons, mummies, ghosts, one-eyed cyclops, werewolves, goblins, pumpkins, the list is endless! For ideas and recipes check out 365 Cake Pops. 

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

FRIDAY FOLDER october 21

Highlights From This Week 

Red Ribbon Week 
The Anaheim Hills and Edgewood campuses will be recognizing Red Ribbon Week next week. This annual tradition helps educate students about the importance of living drug free. Check your campus e-newsletter for the week's schedule of activities. 

Halloween Festivities 
Halloween is just around the corner, and each campus has a few tricks and treats up its sleeve to help families get in the spooky spirit! At Edgewood, you can stock up on candy at the ECPA Halloween Fundraiser and you won't want to miss the annual costume parade on Monday, October 31 at 1:15pm. Mable's annual Halloween Haunt* on Friday, October 28 is sure to be a screaming good time, and 1st-2nd grade students will show off their Halloween fashions in a parade on Monday, October 31 at 10am. Purchase a Boo Gram for your little one at Citron, and don't forget to donate to Operation Candy by Thursday, November 3. Halloween Parades and Mr. Scott's PE Halloween Extravaganza will get the Anaheim Hills campus in the spirit on Monday, October 31. 

*Families from all campuses are invited to attend Mable's Halloween Haunt! 

Healthy Eating Assemblies
Dietitian Leslie Kay from Nutrition Management visited some of our P3-Kindergarten grades this week for interactive presentations on healthy eating. She taught them about the importance of eating five fruits and vegetables each day and shared a variety of vegetables, ranging from Indian eggplant to brussels sprouts. Check in with your little one to see what healthy tips he or she learned. 

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

October Lunch Menus 

AH Preschool-1st Grade

AH 2nd-8th Grade

Citron

Edgewood Preschool-Kindergarten

Edgewood 1st-8th Grade 

Mable 1st-3rd Grade 

Mable 4th-6th Grade 

Contributed by Alyssa 

red ribbon week...A TO Z

Red Ribbon Week originated after the kidnapping, torture and brutal murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985. In Agent Camarena's home town, Calexico, CA, the public outpouring of support grew into an organized community response in which citizens wore red ribbons. They became a voice for prevention in order to reduce the demand for illegal drugs and illegal use of legal drugs in America. The following year, the California State PTA adopted the Red Ribbon Week campaign. Then, in 1988, Red Ribbon Week was recognized nationally with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan serving as the first Honorary Chairs. Today, Red Ribbon Week brings millions of people together to raise awareness regarding the need for alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention, early intervention, and treatment services. It is the largest, most visible prevention awareness campaign observed annually in the United States.

Fairmont will be celebrating the 2011 theme "it's up to me to be drug free" across campuses the weeks of October 17th and October 24th. At Mable, each classroom sends a volunteer to participate in the annual hanging of the giant red ribbon around the campus' iconic fig tree. First through fourth graders will also be decorating the doors of their classrooms in a red ribbon theme.  Students at Edgewood will be wearing  special Red Ribbon Week wristbands and dressing in red on Friday in honor of Red Ribbon week.  At the Anaheim Hills campus, there will be themed free dress days throughout the week including "Sock it to drugs" day on Friday where everyone is encouraged to wear their craziest pair of socks.  Students will also be decorating the campus with red ribbons, making classroom “anti-drug” posters, and signing anti-drug pledges.

Contributed by Danyelle

THE FAIRMONT FIVE halloween crafts

A new season is upon us, and it's time to get crafty. There are more clever Halloween projects out there than a goblin can shake a stick at, but we particularly like these:

Halloween surprise balls make great favors for a Halloween get-together.


Recycled milk jug lanterns become bright decor to light the way for trick-or-treaters.

Spooky specimens will delight your mini mad scientists.

Candy topiaries (like those pictured above) take ordinary Halloween candy to a new level of sophistication.

Glue ghoulery necklaces are the must-have fashion assessories this Halloween season.

Contributed by Danyelle

BOOK REPORT halloween night

Halloween Night

By Marjorie Dennis Murray

Illustrated by Brandon Dorman

Twas Halloween night and all through the house

Every creature was stirring including the mouse

The walls were aflutter with little brown bats

While hordes of black spiders crept out of the cracks

By the fire in the kitchen, the witch stirred her brew;

To make it more smelly, she threw in a shoe.

There's something irresistible about this Halloween take on everyone's favorite holiday read-aloud, The Night Before Christmas. Halloween Night twists the original tale of golly old St. Nick into a not-so-spooky ghost story complete with all the traditional Halloween fixins'--ghosts, witches, spiders... You'll love the lush illustrations as much as the imaginative text. Short and sweet, it may just become a Halloween holiday tradition.

Here are some other great Halloween book suggestions, all available online at amazon.com:

The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

By the Light of the Halloween Moon by Caroline Stutson

Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper

Boo to You Too! by Elizabeth Rodger

Contributed by Danyelle

ARTS & CRAFTS dinosaur terrarium

Have you noticed?  Terrariums are everywhere these days.  Housed in beautiful glass vessels--from modern, streamlined vases to old-fashioned, oversized mason jars--they become whimsical home decor.  And, they're also a living science project you can create with your children.  In honor of International Dinosaur Month, you may get inspired, as we were, by this prehistoric version of a terrarium, complements of yellow brick home.

Contributed by Danyelle

SCHOOL NEWS fairmont wins anaheim chamber family owned business award

We are honored to accept the Anaheim Chamber's 2011 Family Owned Business Award and would like to congratulate all of the other winners! We'd also like to recognize the Jackson family for their unwavering dedication to making Fairmont a phenomenal school and a second family for so many students, parents, teachers and administrators for the past 58 years. 

Contributed by Alyssa 

FRIDAY FOLDER october 14

Highlights From This Week 

Parent Teacher Conferences 

Parent Teacher Conferences are around the corner on Friday, October 21. Look for correspondence from your child's teacher with your exact time slot and make note that there is no school on that day. Make the most of your Parent Teacher Conference with these helpful tips. 


Red Ribbon Week 
Red Ribbon Week will be celebrated at the Mable Campus next week and at the Anaheim Hills and Edgewood Campus the following week (10/24-10/28). Each campus recognizes this week with its own unique activities, so check your campus e-newsletter below for more details. 


Halloween Festivities 
Halloween is just around the corner, and each campus has a few tricks and treats up its sleeve to help families get in the spooky spirit! At Edgewood, you can stock up on candy at the ECPA Halloween Fundraiser and you won't want to miss the annual costume parade on Monday, October 31 at 1:15pm. Mable's annual Halloween Haunt on Friday, October 28 is sure to be a screaming good time, and 1st-2nd grade students will show off their Halloween fashions in a parade on Monday, October 31 at 10am. Purchase a Boo Gram for your little one at Citron, and don't forget to donate to Operation Candy by Thursday, November 3. Halloween Parades and Mr. Scott's PE Halloween Extravaganza will get the Anaheim Hills campus in the spirit on Monday, October 31. 

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

October Lunch Menus 

AH Preschool-1st Grade

AH 2nd-8th Grade

Citron

Edgewood Preschool-Kindergarten

Edgewood 1st-8th Grade 

Mable 1st-3rd Grade 

Mable 4th-6th Grade 

Contributed by Alyssa 

SNACK TIME owl smores

Who, who, who can resist this wisely concocted smore treat?  It’s the perfect after-school snack for your own little smarty. How to make?

Contributed by Danyelle

THE FAIRMONT FIVE nearby pumpkin patches

'Tis the season for all-things-pumpkin! From pumpkin pie to jack-o-lanterns to roasted pumpkin seeds to pumpkin spice lattes--pumpkins are the quintessential fall ingredient. Celebrate fall with a family trip to one of these great local pumpkin patches. You're guaranteed to find the perfect pumpkin, and make some lasting memories too.

Tanaka Farms is conveniently located in Irvine and offers a U-Pick Pumpkin Patch open daily through October 31st from 9am to 6pm. Admission and parking are free. In addition to a vast selection of pumpkins and fresh vegetables, there are wagon rides, a petting zoo, and a corn maze. Enjoy games, arts & crafts, and a Food Open each weekend too!

Irvine Park Railroad offers the ultimate pumpkin patch experience--complete with train rides, hay rides, tractor races, face painting, panning for gold, a child-friendly haunted house, great food, and more. Irvine Park Railroad is open 7 days a week from September 17 to October 31 from 10am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 6pm on weekends. Admission is free and parking is $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends.

Johnson Brothers is also centrally located in Irvine and boasts a harvest decorating headquarters. You can pick up all sorts of goodies to make your house festive for fall. There are also pony rides, barnyard animals, and a pumpkin graveyard to enjoy. Admission is free and the pumpkin patch is open every day until Halloween from 9am to 9pm. 

Pumpkinpalooza at Zoomar's Petting Zoo in San Juan Capistrano offers all sorts of activities and is included with admission to the petting zoo. Visit Zoomar's Facebook page for more details about this year's event and consider taking the train to San Juan for an added adventure! 

Big Horse Corn Maze in Temecula boasts the largest corn maze in Southern California, which just may make it worth the drive. Also unique are its pick-from-the-field pumpkin patch, hay wagon rides, corn cannon, and pumpkin bowling! Enjoy these Harvest Festival activities  Saturdays and Sundays through October 30 from 10am to 4pm. 

Contributed by Alyssa

SHORT STORY spirit week

Showing School Spirit with Crazy Hair and Silly Smiles

Contributed by Alyssa 

the columbus controversy...A TO Z

1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Okay, that part is true, but it turns out that most of what you and I learned about Columbus when we were in grade school was more myth than historical fact. I know what you’re thinking—don’t ruin it for me. Columbus Day is a holiday after all, legitimately celebrated by many who revere Columbus as a hero, much as I did when I made my first cut-and-paste versions of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Unfortunately, we may have fallen for a legend instead of a real man. True or False?

--Columbus discovered America.

--Columbus proved to everyone that the earth was round.

--Columbus and the Native Americans got along famously after he arrived in the New World.

OK, so you might have guessed that last statement is a whopper, but the other two “facts” are False as well.

Today’s history teachers have a more complicated task ahead of them when they broach the subject of Columbus. First, there’s getting rid of the misinformation; then, there’s dealing with the darker topics that surround Columbus, namely, genocide and slavery. Yikes!

It’s probably unfair to blame it all on Columbus. Chances are he was just a man of his time--an adventurous spirit looking for fame and fortune and willing to do unthinkable things in the name of progress. Hmm, something sounds familiar here. There are many ugly moments in American history and many flawed individuals we revere as heroes. Still, Christopher Columbus had courage, he had vision and he had persistence…and maybe that's enough to celebrate this Columbus Day.

Find out more about Christopher Columbus, his life and times by visiting:

History Channel: The Columbus Controversy
Wikipedia: Christopher Columbus
Biography Christopher Columbus


Then, test your recall with a Columbus Day quiz


Contributed by Danyelle

FRIDAY FOLDER october 7

Highlights From This Week 
Fairmont Family Night

The Fairmont Preparatory Academy will be playing their home football game on Saturday, October 8th. We would love to have all Fairmont families attend the game to show our school spirit. There will also be activities such as a bounce house and face painting. You can also enjoy a treat from the snack bar.  

Congratulations Edgewood Cheerleaders 

For the third year in a row, the Edgewood Cheerleaders won first place in the Tustin Tiller Days Competition! Congratulations to the squad and their coaches! 

Parent Teacher Conferences 

Parent Teacher Conferences are around the corner on Friday, October 21. Look for correspondence from your child's teacher with your exact time slot and make note that there is no school on that day. Make the most of your Parent Teacher Conference with these helpful tips. 

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

October Lunch Menus 

AH Preschool-1st Grade

AH 2nd-8th Grade

Citron

Edgewood Preschool-Kindergarten

Edgewood 1st-8th Grade 

Mable 1st-3rd Grade 

Mable 4th-6th Grade 

Contributed by Alyssa 

SHORT STORY celebrate international dinosaur month

Did you know? The first dinosaur fossil ever found on the West Coast of North America was found accidentally on Irvine Ranch, in 1927.  It was a duck-billed dinosaur or Hadrosaur (pictured above).  Have any dinosaurs in your backyard?

Contributed by: Danyelle

THE FAIRMONT FIVE halloween costumes

Halloween is the closest thing kids get to their very own holiday.  Think about it.  There are tricks and treats and they get to pretend to be real live superheros/princesses/space aliens/fairies...  Spooky stuff aside, Halloween can be a celebration of your child's active imagination. Embrace the fun with these festive costume suggestions:

Cutest witch on the block.  There's nothing more classic Halloween than a witch, and this Pottery Barn costume features a cozy cape (in case it's cool for trick-or-treating) and a super-girly tutu skirt.

Make your own costumes.  Thanks to Martha Stewart Living, outfitting your children for trick-or-treating can be easy and budget friendly. Choose from several fun costume ideas perfect for boys and girls.

Brainteaser get-ups.  If you like plexers you'll love these clever, last minute costume ideas from Real Simple including this "pumpkin pie" costume.

Halloween's for the dog.  -If your pooch is good around kids, there's no need to leave him at home when you head out trick-or-treating, especially when he's dressed as a mini dinosaur!

Disney's big night out.  Calling all those wannabe Rapunzels and Lightning McQueens, this is your chance to transform into the Disney character of your dreams. And since Disney costumes are made to stand up to wear and tear, your character gear will be around for plenty of play dates to come.

Contributed by Danyelle

HOW TO make the most of your parent teacher conference

So, it's time for your parent teacher conference. You're eager to meet face-to-face with your child's teacher, but you may be a little apprehensive as well. What if things aren't all gold stars and A pluses? Yes, you want to know the truth, but can you handle the truth?!

In order to make the most of this experience, it helps to do your homework. Think ahead about any concerns you may have and be prepared to share them with your child's teacher in an open and non-threatening way. Share important details about your child that the teacher may not know and that could help maximise your child's success in the classroom. Take advantage of the teacher's unique perspective to get a well-rounded picture of how your child is doing socially and emotionally as well as academically.

Let these tips from Scholastic be your guide and you'll be on your way to a productive parent teacher conference.

Before the Teacher Conference

Start preparing early. Don't wait until the night before to get organized. Create a folder at the beginning of the year in which you store test scores, big homework assignments, and your notes (about things your child has told you or any other topics you want to address).

Talk to your child. Ask how he or she's doing in class, what's going on during lunchtime, recess, and when he or she goes to special classes like music or gym.

During the Teacher Conference
Arrive early. With only a few precious minutes to spend, you don't want to be late. It will shorten your time with your child's teacher and affect her day's entire schedule.


Enter with the right attitude. The goal of both the teacher and the parent should be the success of the student, but sometimes parents have a hard time discussing tough issues. Rather than put the teacher on the defensive, arrive with a compliment to start the conference off on the right foot. ("My son is really enjoying the unit on space" or "We had a great time on the field trip.") Then address any concerns in a respectful way.


Find out the communication protocol. Don't let this be the only time you talk to your child's teacher. Ask how he or she likes to communicate, whether it's by e-mail, notes passed through a folder, or phone calls.


After the Teacher Conference
Follow up. If the teacher brings something to your attention that needs to be addressed with your child, take steps to put the plan in motion, whether it's helping with organizational skills, getting extra help, or addressing a social issue.

Update your child. Start with the positive things his or her teacher had to say, then fill him or her in on any concerns you and the teacher discussed. Explain how you can all work together to ensure your child has a successful year.


Contributed by Danyelle

BULLETIN BOARD october tricks and treats

Who says the Southland doesn’t experience fall color! This month, we enjoy a vibrant entree into fall with inspirational images plucked at the peak of harvest perfection.  We love Crate and Barrel’s Marimekko Kumina Orange tablecloth setting a modern but none-the-less festive tone for October.  There are so many cute Halloween crafts out there, but for starters check out Family Fun’s recycled milk jug lanterns and Favecrafts Halloween wreath—the best decorations are the ones you and your kids make together!  Enlist your children's help in outfitting gingerbread men and women with skeletal "costumes" or take a short cut to seasonal sweets by ordering decadent Halloween caramel apples from Williams Sonoma.  And October just wouldn’t be the same without a glowing jack o’ lantern—learn how to carve pumpkin masterpieces at Roger's Gardens' Pumpkin Carving Seminar on Oct. 15. from 9-11am.

Contributed by Danyelle