BOOK REPORT: Thanksgiving Must-Reads

November is a month of falling leaves, hot cider, and preparations for the holidays. With the onset of Thanksgiving, you might be interested to read several fun and interesting books to your young learner. Check these titles out at your local library and share the spirit and history of Thanksgiving with your child!

Mayflower 1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage, Peter Arenstam

Readers will learn about the realities of the Mayflower’s long voyage to America with primary sources detailing what the voyageurs wore, what they ate, the dangers of the journey, how they survived, and much more.  

Squanto’s Journey, Joseph Bruchac

A Native American descendant, Bruchac tells the story of Squanto, who, after being kidnapped by Europeans and taken to Spain, returns to his homeland and helps a group of new Europeans bear the harsh winter and create the Thanksgiving holiday celebrated today.

Magic Tree House: Thanksgiving on Thursday, Mary Pope Osborne

On another whirl-wind adventure, Jack and Annie are transported back to 1621 and must work together to help the pilgrims prepare the first Thanksgiving meal!

Thank You, Sarah, Laurie Halse Anderson

Anderson’s book shares the history behind how Thanksgiving became a national holiday! Through the persistence and petitioning of Sarah Hale, Thanksgiving become a nationally recognized holiday with Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863.  

Milly and the Macy’s Parade, Shana Corey

Based on the true story behind the inception of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, this book tells of Milly, a young Polish girl living in New York City during the 1920’s. Noticing the homesickness of her fellow immigrants, Milly persuades her father’s boss, the Macy’s shop owner, to host a parade in hopes of boosting spirits during the holiday season in a new country.  

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images by Amazon & Goodreads  

ARTS & CRAFTS: Pine Cone Owl

It’s the first day of autumn! Celebrate the commencement of this new season by decorating your home with a few of these adorable pine cone owls! Spend time with your child as you take them outside to gather materials for this quick and fun craft!

Materials:

Acorn Cups

Leaves

Hot Glue

Googly Eyes

Orange Craft Foam

Pine Cone

Cardstock

Instructions:

1. For a base, measure and cut a circle in a sheet of cardstock to fit the base of the pine cone.
2. Cut a beak and feet from the orange craft foam.
3. Glue the feet to the flat base of the pine cone.
4. Glue the base of the pine cone to the cardstock circle, ensuring that the pine cone will stand upright once dry.
5. For eyes, glue one googly eye into each acorn cup, then glue the cups near the top of the pine cone. In order for the eyes to sit into the pine cone, you may need to remove one or two of the pine cone spines.
6. For wings, glue one leaf to each side of the pine cone.
7. Glue the beak to the pine cone just below the center of the eyes.

For more great craft ideas, visit Fairmont’s Arts & Crafts Pinterest board!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Craft Instructions & Image by Broogly

A to Z: Classical Music on the Brain

For years, researchers have been searching for links between music and cognition. Many parenting resources suggest that playing classical music to your infant promotes brain stimulation and cognitive growth in hopes that the child will develop more efficiently in a mental and social capacity. But does music really impact the IQ of your child?

1993 proved to be the height of music-brain research with the “Mozart Effect” study, which detailed the effects of Mozart on high school and college students while taking tests. The study demonstrated a correlation between receiving high scores on an exam and the students who listened to Mozart sonatas before the exam. The Mozart Effect, however, proved inconclusive due to the fact that other researchers were never able to duplicate the results. The outcome of the follow-up studies concluded that classical music aides in spatial awareness, but not overall intelligence. Spatial awareness is defined as the ability to recognize the characteristics or location of an object in relation to another object. Related subject areas include geometry, geography, art, and technology.

Researchers have identified that while classical music won’t directly increase intelligence, the complexity of classical music does play a significant role in opening the brain to more complex problems and solutions. The mathematics and patterns involved in writing music, playing an instrument, or simply listening to music with complex structures has been found to aid in the mental and visual solving of puzzles and patterns.   

Other benefits of classical music can include the lowering of blood pressure and an increase in the sensation of relaxation. Classical music has also proven to decrease the effects and frequency of seizures in epileptics. Essentially, studies have shown show that people who listen to complex music, such as classical or opera, are more likely to see an increase in creativity, concentration, and the ability to manipulate spatial relationships.

In honor of Classical Music Month, here are several great classical and operatic tracks to enjoy with your child:

Ave Maria, Schubert

Waltz of the Flowers, Tchaikovsky

Dance of the Swans, Tchaikovsky

The Flight of the Bumblebee, Rimsky-Korsakov

Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332: III, Allegro Assai, Mozart

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by USC News

BOOK REPORT: The Best Book I Read This Summer

In honor of Library Card Sign-Up Month, several Fairmont students and faculty members have recommended their favorite summer reads! Visit your local library to sign your child up for their very own library card and to check out these great titles!

The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf

A passive, young bull calf, Ferdinand desires to spend his days smelling flower instead of participating in the famous bullfights of Spain.

Recommended by Ms. Aguilar, 1st Grade Teacher

Junie B., First Grader - The Dumb Bunny, Barbara Park

Junie B. Jones is stuck is a bunny costume, but does her best to win the Easter egg hunt without getting egg on her face!

Recommended by Saba T.

 Bob the Dog, Rodrigo Folgueira

Bob the Dog and Mark must figure out what to do when Bob accidentally swallows a yellow canary!

Recommended by Yasmina S.

 Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl, Barbara Park

Junie B. Jones looks for ways to show everyone how grown-up she is at her Aunt Flo’s wedding.

Recommended by Sofia K.

What Makes Popcorn Pop?, Time Life for Children

A question and answer book for kids’ questions about food!

Recommended by Ms. Johnson, Junior Kindergarten Teacher

Spark the beginning of a life-long journey by encouraging your young learner to read! Before taking a trip to the library, be sure to visit Fairmont’s Pinterest board Literary Genius for great reading ideas and book recommendations!
  

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images by Pinterest, BTSB, Goodreads, Little Sprout Speech, Comidaconalta, & Sort It Apps  

ARTS & CRAFTS: STEM Crafts

With the increase of STEM (science, technology, education, mathematics) curriculum in the classroom, students are being encouraged to pursue STEM-related careers and paths of higher education. STEM concepts and projects promote collaboration, investigation, and critical thinking. Here are some great STEM crafts and home experiments for your budding scientist or engineer!

Pyramid Catapult courtesy of Instructables

Gyroscopic Whirligigs courtesy of Instructables

 Solar Oven courtesy of Totally Tots

Engineer a Bridge courtesy of Scholastic

 LEGO Balloon Car courtesy of Homegrown Learners

Other great STEM resources include Code Studio, Master’s in Data Science, Childhood 101, Instructables, and Raising Lifelong Learners! Not sure what exactly STEM is? Visit Chalk Talk: Decoding STEM for a clearer picture of STEM’s implications on the field of education.

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images and Activities by Homegrown Learners, Scholastic, Totally Tots, & Instructables 

FRIDAY FOLDER: August 28

Weekly Highlights:

North Tustin Campus

 

Anaheim Hills Campus

Historic Anaheim Campus

 Fairmont Preparatory Campus

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

CHALK TALK: Study Habits for Junior High Students

Transitioning from elementary school into junior high can be slightly daunting. The academic and behavioral expectations are different and the amount of homework is bound to increase. But junior high doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming. Encouraging good study habits is a great way to ensure that your student is succeeding academically, as well as potentially improving his or  attitude towards classroom learning. It’s important to remember that a student’s success builds self-confidence, which inspires the student’s eagerness to learn.

Developing strong study habits in your junior high student is the best way to prepare him or her for success in higher education. To begin, observe your student while he or she does homework or prepares for a test. Look specifically at the kinds of notes that your child takes during class. Are the notes organized, or simply a random collection of words? If your student has little sense of organization when jotting down class material, this is the best place to start.

Talk to your child about potential organization strategies such as outline structures and highlighting. Encourage your child to adopt a format of notetaking that is meaningful and memorable to him or her. Students who participate in notetaking strategies while in class are more likely to be engaged with the conversation or lecture, and the act of writing or typing helps to ingrain the facts and ideas into the student’s memory. Once your student adopts a method of notetaking, show him or her how to highlight or color-code important keywords and phrases. Warn your student about over highlighting. When a student highlights more than necessary, nothing significant stands out on the page.

Now that your student is getting older, create a study space where he or she is able to have access to all study supplies and can spread out textbooks and notes. Providing your student with a small office desk in a place with the least distractions will help aid the study process. Also, if your child’s school doesn’t require students to have a planner or online assignment calendar, purchase a planner for your child and spur him or her to keep track of assignments and due dates. If your child uses an electronic device to enhance studying, choose a free notetaking or organizer application such as myHomework or Evernote to keep track of notes and due dates.  

Finally, another large component of fostering good study habits lies in the student’s ability to manage his or her time wisely. A planner helps aids this process, however junior high students need to learn to prioritize their daily tasks effectively. Develop an after-school routine where your child is able to participate in extracurricular activities, but understands that time must be devoted to homework.

Taking the time to understand your student’s daily routine and expectations in the classroom will better help you to help your junior high student succeed in high school and beyond!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by Fairmont Private Schools