SHORT STORY halloween

Our Historic Anaheim preschoolers put on a great Halloween show for their parents performing Michael Jackson's Thriller! 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

Operation Candy Drop...A to Z

Operation Candy Drop is a tradition at the Historic Anaheim Preschool. Each year we invite our families to share their extra Halloween Candy with our troops through "Operation Gratitude." Our partner ensures that our candy, pictures, and letters are safely delivered to soldiers serving in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard serving abroad. This "candy drop" means so much to our American troops.  

Candy donations will be accepted October 29 through November 9, 2012. Military personnel will attend our flag salute that day to accept the candy donated by our generous Fairmont families. Please talk with your children about this special event and encourage them to share their Halloween candy this year! 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

FRIDAY FOLDER october 26

Anaheim Hills students sport their red for Red Ribbon Week! 

Highlights From This Week

Anaheim Hills Welcomes New Campus Director 

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Michelle Lowe has accepted the position of Campus Director of our Anaheim Hills Campus. Ms. Lowe joined Fairmont Private Schools in 2010 as our Managing Director of P-12 Admissions. Ms. Lowe holds a Master's degree in Education from Mary Baldwin College in addition to a Bachelor's degree from Old Dominion University. She worked as a counselor with adolescents for several years before becoming a classroom teacher for Waynesboro Public Schools and Virginia Beach Public Schools in Virginia. While teaching, Ms. Lowe was responsible for all elements of classroom management and family relations including lesson plans, communications, assessments, etc. She provided leadership on her Principal's Advisory Council regarding curriculum, testing, and behavior management--and received high honors as Exemplary Teacher of the Year! In addition, Ms. Lowe worked for Kaplan as the Director of Educational Partnerships for three states. While working with Kaplan, she partnered with school districts and site level administrators to customize curriculum solutions that would help their students achieve academic success.

As a well-respected member of our Fairmont Leadership Team, Ms. Lowe has been a key advocate for student and parent satisfaction, and a driver of popular initiatives at Fairmont such as the Fairmont Expo, Husky Elite, Leader In Me, and many others.

Ms. Lowe will be immediately transitioning to her role as Campus Director. Over the next 90 days, Ms. Lowe will be working closely with Mrs. Carole Calabria (Director of Fairmont's P-8 campuses) and Mr. Bobby Mendoza (Headmaster of Fairmont Preparatory Academy), in addition to meeting regularly with Mr. Drake and Ms. Jarvis. Towards the end of the calendar year, Ms. Lowe will begin meeting with parents on our Anaheim Hills Campus. Ms. Lowe will fully assume her role as Anaheim Hills Campus Director following our Winter Break (offices re-open on January 2nd and students return to school on January 7th). At this time, Mr. Drake will fully transition to his role as Jr. High Assistant Director.   

Please join us in welcoming Ms. Lowe to the Anaheim Hills family!  

Upcoming Events & Reminders

Halloween

We are looking forward to celebrating Halloween on our campuses next week! We can't wait to see our student's creative costumes! Please be respectful to everyone on campus and make sure your child's costume is appropriate and not too scary! No weapons or blood are allowed. Check out these awesome homemade costumes if you are still looking for ideas. 

Here is a list of the events going on at each campus: 

• Anaheim Hills
• We are so excited to show off our wonderful lil ghouls and goblins! Please join us at 8:30am for the preschool parade and at 9:15am for the JK-5th Grade parade.
• Historic Anaheim 
• HALLOWEEN HAUNT
  Food Trucks! DJ! Dance and Costume Contests! Game Booths!  Pumpkin Patch! Come check out the new and improved Halloween Haunt. There is something for everyone in the family!  Junior High ASB is hosting a special preschool area with fun games and activities.  Game booths are brought to you by student groups and clubs. Don't miss the delicious food trucks! The Burnt Truck featuring all types of sliders and Fire Truck Company 77 featuring homemade pizzas on a refurbished fire truck. The Haunt will take place in the Historic Anaheim Campus Gym and Cafeteria on Friday, October 26th from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Tickets can be pre-ordered or purchased at the door. Flyers and ticket order forms are available at the front office. 
• PRESCHOOL: Halloween classroom celebrations were moved from Wednesday, October 31st to today, October 26th so children could have all their Halloween celebrations on one day. Wednesday, October 31st will be a free dress day. We ask that students NOT wear their costumes on this day.
• ELEMENTARY: Happy Halloween! Our Kindergarten costume parade will take place on Wednesday, October 31st at 9:30 A.M. The 1st and 2nd Grade costume parade will follow at 10:00 A.M. It will take place on the blacktop behind the library building.  Please come and check out all the wonderful costumes!
• North Tustin 
• Next Wednesday, October 31st is North Tustin's annual Halloween Parade at 1:15 pm on the basketball court. Here are a few tips and reminders for this special day. All students must wear their school uniform to school and will change into costume after their lunch period. Classes will begin to walk out to the basketball court and sit in their assigned seating areas. The church parking lot and the school parking lot will be available to park. If attending a class Halloween party, please sign-in in the front office and wear a parent name badge while on campus. When all grades are in their assigned seating areas, each grade level will be called out to parade around the basketball court to show off their costumes. There will be an assigned seating area for parents as well. Please feel free to come and cheer on your student and their class.

Weekly E-Newsletters 

Anaheim Hills Campus

Historic Anaheim Campus

North Tustin Campus

October Lunch Menus 

Anaheim Hills Preschool-1st Grade

Anaheim Hills 2nd-8th Grade

Historic Anaheim Campus Preschool

Historic Anaheim Campus Kindergarten 

Historic Anaheim Campus 1st-8th Grade

North Tustin Preschool-Kindergarten

North Tustin 1st-8th Grade

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools

letters alive...A TO Z

“Wow!” “Awesome!” “This is soooo cool!” When is the last time you heard your child say those words when it came to learning letters and sight words?  In reality, or better said, in “augmented reality,” you may be surprised to learn that those are actual quotes from Fairmont's preschool students who have been introduced to Fairmont’s new Letters Alive program.

We are all familiar with old-school flashcards, but imagine taking those tried-and-true two dimensional learning aids and bringing them into the age of augmented reality.  With Letter’s Alive, the bear that illustrates the letter “B” is a three-dimensional, lifelike, animated animal that moves, makes noises and responds to commands.  The shark for the letter “S” actually swims.  Kids can view video of the shark and all of his animal buddies in their natural habitat.  Children can put letters and sight words together to form basic sentences that tell the alphabet characters what to do—jump, swim, fly…

“I was so excited by Letters Alive when I saw the demo last year,” says Education Coordinator Chelsea Drake, who discovered the program at the Computer Using Teachers (CUE) Conference last March.  “It’s such a dynamic, fun way to teach phonics and I just knew our kids would love it.”

Teachers participated in a day-long training on Letters Alive in late August and are now implementing it in the classroom.  So, if your child comes home with a wild story about an elephant or a monkey coming to class, you will know it’s all part of how Fairmont is using the latest educational technology to inspire and instruct our little digital natives.

Want to see Letters Alive in action?  Check out this demo on YouTube.

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

HOW TO carve the perfect pumpkin

Halloween is almost here! Are your pumpkins showing off their toothy grins on your front step? If not, follow these few steps and round up the family to start carving! Even if your child is too young to use the carving tools, he or she can still help in other ways.

First, you will need a few things:

• A pumpkin
• Three tools: pen, mini screw driver, mini carving saw (available in a pumpkin carving kit) 
• Paper pattern: make one or print one you find online
• Tape
• A candle

Carving Instructions: 

1. Cut an opening in the top of your pumpkin, but make it big enough so you can get your hand in to pull out the guts. Save the top so it can be used as the lid.

2. Clean and scrape out the inside. Let your child dig in and get messy! This is a perfect task for the little ones. 

3. Cut out the pattern you found online or make your own out of a piece of paper. Tape it to the pumpkin.

4. Transfer the design. Using the pen, poke through the paper making dots along each outline on the pattern. Make sure to pierce the skin to give your screwdriver a starting hole. Then remove the pattern. (Save it and refer to it while you are carving.)

5. Drill the holes. Hold the pumpkin in your lap and twist the screwdriver into each hole made by the pen in step 4. Turn the drill gently until it creates a larger hole.

6. Start sawing. Move the saw steadily up and down, working from dot to dot. Always hold the saw at a right angle to the pumpkin.

7. Cut a chimney. Light a candle inside the pumpkin, then close the lid. Quickly put out the flame and look for the blackened spot inside the lid. Cut a small hole there; it will let the smoke and heat escape while a candle glows inside.

Have a great Halloween! 

Contributed by Darcy, Fairmont Private Schools 

FRIDAY FOLDER october 19

North Tustin Students Practice Photography

Highlights From This Week

North Tustin Jr. High Students Enjoy the Back to School Dance 

Last Friday, October 12th, the Junior High students at North Tustin had their first Back to School Glow Dance in Allison Hall. With the DJ playing tunes, glow sticks shinging all over the room, the students danced the night away and had a great time. Thank you chaperones, Mrs. Liess, Mrs. Letson-Drake, & Mr. Smiens. The students appreciated seeing you.

Upcoming events and reminders:

Red Ribbon Week

Fairmont's North Tustin and Anaheim Hills campuses will be recognizing Red Ribbon Week on Monday, October 22nd - Friday, October 26th.  Red Ribbon Week is an opportunity for parents and teachers to emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyles and strong character. Refer to your campus e-newsletter for specific activities for Red Ribbon Week.

Conference Month

October is conference month at Fairmont. We invite you to take advantage of this important opportunity to meet with your child's teacher. 

Weekly E-Newsletters 

Anaheim Hills Campus

Historic Anaheim Campus

North Tustin Campus

October Lunch Menus 

Anaheim Hills Preschool-1st Grade

Anaheim Hills 2nd-8th Grade

Historic Anaheim Campus Preschool

Historic Anaheim Campus Kindergarten 

Historic Anaheim Campus 1st-8th Grade

North Tustin Preschool-Kindergarten

North Tustin 1st-8th Grade

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools

THE FAIRMONT FIVE homemade halloween costumes

Ask most kids their favorite holiday and most of them will undoubtedly say Halloween. They get to stay up late, take home tons of candy, and play dress up! This Halloween, instead of running to countless stores to find your child's costume, try making it yourself! Here are a few creative and fun DIY costumes that you and your kids can make together.

1. If your kids want to dress up as a group try making these adorable toadstool and gnome costumes. For more than one toadstool and gnome try changing the colors for each child to make a garden!

2. A beautiful butterfly is always striking and can be a great costume for a small child even up to a teenager. Let your child in on the creative process and allow her to choose her own color combinations. 

3. If your son just doesn't want to go the superhero route, have him help you make this dashing knight costume. 

4. For an alternative to the princess, try this creative paper doll costume. Get your child involved by letting her choose the color. She can also help by cutting and coloring. 

5. Your child will want to jump in and start exploring the deep in this crafty scuba diver costume. But put your sewing machine away, because this is a new sew costume. 

Contributed by Darcy, Fairmont Private Schools 

SNACK TIME pumpkins--not just for carving

Native to North America, pumpkins have a long history as part of American tradition. They are often transformed into scary faces, but there are other options than simply carving a decorative jack-o-lantern.

Pumpkins can be boiled, baked, steamed, or roasted. Seasoned with spices and a bit of butter, they make a tasty and nutritious side dish. Add canned or cooked pumpkin to a protein smoothie for great color and flavor.

Save the seeds! Separate pumpkin seeds from pulp, rinse and spread the seeds on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until seeds are dry. Add to trail mix or eat as a stand alone snack. Yum!

Besides the infamous pie, pumpkin is a versatile, nutritious vegetable that can be added for moisture or flavor to make bread, muffins, cookies, soup, cheesecake, muffins, cupcakes, ravioli, pudding... the list is endless.

Photo from Microsoft Office online photo gallery

Contributed by Leslie, Nutrition Management Services

FRIDAY FOLDER october 12

Highlights From This Week
Anaheim Hills Supports Breast Cancer Research
Denim Day was a wonderful success at the Anaheim Hills campus this week. Fourth grade teacher, Marci Schafer, and sixth grade parent, Kristin Davtyan, coordinated the philanthropic effort that raised over $2,500 to support breast cancer research. Way to go students, teachers and parents!

Upcoming events and reminders:
Red Ribbon Week
Fairmont will be recognizing Red Ribbon Week on Monday, October 15th - Friday, October 19th.  Red Ribbon Week is an opportunity for parents and teachers to emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyles and strong character. Refer to your campus e-newsletter for specific activities for Red Ribbon Week.

Conference Month
October is conference month at Fairmont. We invite you to take advantage of this important opportunity to meet with your child's teacher. There will be no school for students on Friday, Oct. 19th due to conferences.

9th Annual College Fair at Fairmont Prep  
Mark your calendars! The 9th Annual College Fair at Fairmont Prep is coming up on Tuesday, October 16. Representatives from over 60 colleges and universities will be on campus to talk with parents and students about their schools. It's never too early to start thinking about college and learning more about the college admissions process. Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity! While you're on campus, you can also stop by Fairmont Prep's Community Open House to tour the campus and learn more about the school. Click here to learn more and RSVP.

Weekly E-Newsletters 
Anaheim Hills Campus
Historic Anaheim Campus
North Tustin Campus


October Lunch Menus 
Anaheim Hills Preschool-1st Grade
Anaheim Hills 2nd-8th Grade
Historic Anaheim Campus Preschool
Historic Anaheim Campus Kindergarten 
Historic Anaheim Campus 1st-8th Grade
North Tustin Preschool-Kindergarten
North Tustin 1st-8th Grade

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

FAIRMONT FIVE pumpkin patch picks

Fall is finally here. Time for flannel, hot cider, and a visit to the pumpkin patch. Kick off the holiday season with a trip to one of Orange County's top-rated pumpkin-picking destinations. Make it an adventure for the whole family and don't forget to bring your camera!

1. Tanaka Farms is conveniently located in Irvine and offers a U-Pick Pumpkin Patch open daily through October 31st from 9am-6pm. Admission, parking and corn maze are free. In addition to a vast selection of pumpkins, there are U-Pick vegetables, wagon rides, and a petting zoo. On the weekends enjoy the Fall Harvest with food, games, ATV rides and more. 
2. 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-October 31 from 10am-5pm on weekdays and 10am-6pm on weekends. Admission is free.  Parking is $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends.
3. Johnson Brothers is also centrally located in Irvine and includes many free activities including barnyard animals, an Indian Village with authentic tipis, do-it-yourself face painting and much more. There are also pony rides and a bounce house. Admission is free and the pumpkin patch is open every day until Halloween from 9am-9pm.
4. Pumpkinpalooza at Zoomar's Petting Zoo  in San Juan Capistrano offers pumpkins, petting and pony rides, plus lots more for the admissions price of $7 (kids) and $8 (adults). It is open daily from 9am-5pm. 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. 
5. 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 piglet and ducky races, hay wagon rides, corn cannon, and pumpkin bowling! The maze is open weekdays from 1pm-5pm and weekends from 10am-4pm. Some activities are only available on weekends, so make sure to check the website for details.

Photo from Microsoft Office photo gallery

Contributed by Darcy, Fairmont Private Schools

HOW TO get a jump start on college

It's never too early to start thinking about college, especially with college admissions becoming more and more competitive. You can help your child get ahead by planning for and talking about college in the elementary years, and College Fairs are a great place to start. These events attract representatives from a variety of colleges nation wide. The reps set up a booth and talk with parents and students about their schools. Attending a College Fair will give your child the opportunity to see a variety of schools and start getting excited about college and give you the chance to gain an understanding of the college admissions and financial aid processes.

Fairmont is hosting our 9th Annual College Fair on Tuesday, October 16 from 6:00pm-7:30pm, and we encourage all Fairmont students and their families to take advantage of this opportunity to gain a competitive edge in college admissions. You'll have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with college admission representatives from a number of leading colleges and universities in California and around the world.

Admissions personnel from over 60 colleges and universities will be available to answer questions related to academic programs, extra-curricular activities, student life, tuition and financial aid. Representatives from our College Counseling Center will also be on hand to answer questions and provide their insights on the college admissions process, in addition to a financial aid specialist who will share best practices.

Click here to view the full list of attending colleges and to RSVP. 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

FRIDAY FOLDER october 5

Rainbow hair rules at the 2012 Anaheim Hills Campus Fall Festival.

October is Conference Month at Fairmont

Wondering how your child is doing so far this school year? You don't have long to wait to find out. October is parent/teacher conference month at Fairmont and we are delighted to have this one-on-one opportunity to meet with you. At Fairmont, we believe a strong parent-teacher partnership is essential to your child's success. Conferences are one way we strengthen this connection. What can you expect from your parent-teacher conference?  It varies by teacher and grade level, but you can count on hearing details about your child's academic progress including areas where he or she is excelling and areas where he or she may need some extra help. Please feel free to take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions and share any concerns or insights you may have regarding your child's education.  Although meetings are scheduled throughout the month, Friday, October 19 is Fairmont's official Conference Day and there will be NO SCHOOL for students on this day.

9th Annual College Fair at Fairmont Prep  
Mark your calendars! The 9th Annual College Fair at Fairmont Prep is coming up on Tuesday, October 16. Representatives from over 60 colleges and universities will be on campus to talk with parents and students about their schools. It's never too early to start thinking about college and learning more about the college admissions process. Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity! While you're on campus, you can also stop by Fairmont Prep's Community Open House to tour the campus and learn more about the school. Click here to learn more and RSVP.

Weekly E-Newsletters 

Anaheim Hills Campus

Historic Anaheim Campus

North Tustin Campus

October Lunch Menus 

Anaheim Hills Preschool-1st Grade

Anaheim Hills 2nd-8th Grade

Historic Anaheim Campus Preschool

Historic Anaheim Campus Kindergarten 

Historic Anaheim Campus 1st-8th Grade

North Tustin Preschool-Kindergarten

North Tustin 1st-8th Grade

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

HOW TO maximize your parent/teacher conference

Few things make a parent beam with pride more than a glowing review from a teacher. We love to hear that our children are bright, hard-working and responsible, and, chances are, that's just what you'll hear at your upcoming parent/teacher conference. Keep in mind that it is also a valuable opportunity to dig a little deeper and find out areas where your child may need support.

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 maximize 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.

Photo from whattoexpect.com article on building parent/teacher relationships

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. 13 from 9-11am.

Contributed by Danyelle

SHORT STORY historic anaheim kindergarten room ribbon cutting

On Wednesday, September 26 we celebrated the Ribbon Cutting of the new 21st Century Kindergarten Classrooms at the Historic Anaheim Campus. 

Our Kindergarten students showed off their cutting skills as they helped their teachers cut the ribbon and reveal their new classrooms to their parents. 

Parents and students then enjoyed a demonstration of some of the technology features in the rooms, including the Activotes, Eno Boards, Apple TV, and iPads. 

Thank you to our wonderful Historic Anaheim Kindergarten teachers for a special evening! 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools