FRIDAY FOLDER: September 18

Highlights of the Week:

Historic Anaheim Campus

 Anaheim Hills Campus

 

North Tustin Campus

 

 

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

 

A to Z: Back-to-School Acrostic Advice Poem

Fun is always to be had in the classroom.
Always treat classmates and teachers with respect.
Incorrigible students can always learn and grow.
Running in the hallway is never a good idea.
Mondays can be tough, but they don’t last forever.
Offer assistance to younger students.
Never say, “The dog ate my homework.”
Treat others in a way that you would like to be treated.

Practice will turn the novice into the master.
Reading can take you on far-off adventures.
Inclusive is better than exclusive.
Voice your ideas and let yourself be heard.
Allow yourself to learn from mistakes.
Try out for school plays and sports teams.
Eat a good breakfast everyday.

Spend time with your family.
Colleges will love your ability to succeed.
Homework comes before relaxation.
Over-studying is not possible.
Opt to tell the truth in every situation.
Learning lasts a lifetime. 
Say a simple “Thank you” to your teachers.

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

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

SNACKTIME: Back-to-School Sandwich Ideas

School is back in session, so get ready to fill that shiny, new lunchbox or those crisp, brown paper bags! Planning your child’s lunch can get monotonous after the first few weeks of school. Ditch the peanut butter and jelly, and spice up your child’s lunch with a few of these creative sandwich ideas!

 Fairy Sandwich courtesy of Kids Activities Blog

 Chicken Potpie Empanadas courtesy of Real Simple

 Sandwich Skewers courtesy of I Love My Disorganized Life

 Minion Sandwich courtesy of Eats Amazing

 Snowflake Sandwich courtesy of Eats Amazing

 Rocket Sandwich courtesy of Eats Amazing

 Roll-Ups courtesy of Martha Stewart

 Starfish Biscuit Sandwich courtesy of Martha Stewart

Visit Fairmont’s Snacktime Pinterest board for more great food ideas and meal tips!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images by MarthaStewart.com, RealSimple.com, EatsAmazing.co.uk, ILoveMyDisorganizedLife.com, & KidsActivitiesBlog.com 

FRIDAY FOLDER: august 21

First Day of School at the Fairmont Campuses

 

To view more First Day photos, visit Fairmont Flickr!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

A to Z: twas the night before school started

The new school year begins tomorrow at Fairmont Private Schools, and hopefully your student is ready to return to the classroom! Here’s a simple checklist to ensure that you and your child are prepared for the first day of school:

1. Fill backpacks with necessary school supplies.
2. Pack a lunch or ensure that lunch money is available to the student.
3. Launder and lay out the student’s clothes for the morning.
4. Plan a hearty breakfast.
5. Ensure that your student has his or her class schedule or teacher’s name.
6. Review with your child the transportation plan for pick-up and drop-off.
7. Charge your phone or camera for First Day of School pictures and use #FairmontFirstDay when posting to social media.

Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep the night before and wake them up with positive energy to start the day off right. Making the transition from summer vacation to a classroom setting as seamless as possible will help your child succeed early in the year!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by Mysixringcircus.com

HOW TO: apps that introduce kids to coding

The need for children to be “tech-savvy” is becoming more apparent as technology continues progressing at such a rapid pace. Beyond inspiring future career paths, introducing children to coding opens the window to a new way of thinking in regards to solving problems, nurturing creativity, and completing projects.

Engaging in age-appropriate computer programming also enables children to gain confidence in embracing new technology by helping them understand how technology works and the processes involved in developing it.

The following apps offer children simple and kid-friendly opportunities to become familiar with coding.

Scratch
Designed specifically for children, Scratch was created by MIT students and staff.

ScratchJr
 (iPad)
Introduces coding to children as young as five-years-old.

Tynker
(Web)
An effective tool for teaching programming.

Hopscotch
(iPad)
This is a great tool to help students without coding experience gain confidence in the basics of programming, logical thinking, and problem-solving.

Daisy the Dinosaur
(iPad)
This provides an easy introduction to programming for younger students. 

Contributed by Doug Fleischli, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by ibtimes

HOW TO: prepare for back-to-school

With family vacations and lazy days by the pool coming to an end, the new school year is just around the corner. Here are some great tips to prepare you family for the back-to-school routine:

1. Sleeping Schedule - Children love summer because of the relaxed bedtime schedule. To encourage a school year bedtime, try getting children to bed early and setting their alarms for a school morning two weeks before the start of school. This will help children acclimate to the new sleeping routine that’s sure to start with the new school year.
2. Family Calendar - Before school starts, gather as much information about sports schedules, class times, special events, etc. and outline everyone’s schedule on a calendar posted in a highly trafficked area of the house. Develop a color-coding system using highlighters or colored pens to help make dates and times clear for each family member. Tech-centered families can use calendar apps, such as iCloud Calendar, Google Calendars, or Sunrise Calendar, to seamlessly coordinate and synchronize schedules.
3. Streamline Cooking - Gear up for back-to-school season by making freezer meals one-to-two weeks before the start of the school year. Prepare as many healthy meals as possible before the new schedule sets in. Don’t forget that freezer meals are not just for dinner, but breakfast, too! Check out Fairmont’s Snacktime Pinterest board for great freezer meal ideas!
4. Fall Cleaning - Start the school year off with a clean house! After the upheaval of family vacations and summer activities, take time to put away all items and clothes that won’t be necessary during the fall and winter months. Clean up areas of the house that become easily cluttered, and try out a new organizing system with color-coded paper files, whiteboards, storage bins, etc. Don’t forget to clean out the family car before carting kids to and from school and events.

Taking the time to prepare your family and home before the back-to-school rush will help make a smooth transition into the school year!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by HAAN