FRIDAY FOLDER: june 19

Highlights of the Week:

 Students tie-dye camp t-shirts

This week campers enjoyed tie-dyeing white camp t-shirts and taking a Friday field trip to Camelot Theme Park! Moving into the third week of summer camp, students will travel to Angels Stadium to watch the Angels of Anaheim take on the Houston Astros! Campers will also have the opportunity to participate in Thursday Theme Day by dressing up in their favorite sports fan gear! To conclude the week, campers will visit the Long Beach Aquarium!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

FRIDAY FOLDER: june 12

Weekly Highlights:

 Swim Day with North Tustin

 Swim Day with Historic Anaheim

Swim Day with Anaheim Hills

With the first week of summer camp completed, campers had a great time swimming, dressing up in surfer attire, and playing together during the beach party hosted by the Anaheim Hills campus! Next week campers will enjoy a whole host of new activities such as surfboard canvas art, tie-dye camp shirts, and a Friday field trip to the Camelot Theme Park in Anaheim! 

Visit the Fairmont Summer Programs' Facebook page or Fairmont Flickr for more summer photos!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

FAIRMONT FIVE: planning a kid-friendly vacation

One of the rites of spring is figuring out this summer’s family vacation. Planning can be as simple as loading up the car for a fun road trip, or as complicated as making airline and hotel arrangements around busy schedules for a trip across the country or overseas. Either way, we have provided some tips to make your next vacation extra-memorable for your children.

1.       Avoid over-planning and focus a little more on being flexible—Arranging a tight travel schedule might squeeze out unexpected pleasures such as visiting a country fair, shopping at a farmers market, or attending a concert in the park. Block out a couple of days to be spontaneous and experience life as a local.

2.       Involve your child in the vacation planning process—While mapping out the itinerary, discuss possible places of interest with your child. Encourage them to practice geography skills and test their knowledge of history as they research potential sites to visit. Math skills can be exercised while determining the distance and the time it will take to drive to a particular destination.

3.       Follow the 15-minute rule—For every one hour on the road, plan 15 minutes to stop and get out of the car. If pulling over every hour is not practical, drive three hours and take a driving break for half an hour. This offers opportunities to stretch the legs and fully appreciate scenic spots along the journey.

4.       Take a break from the screen—Provide alternative traveling activities for children to prevent them from being completely glued to their smartphones and iPads. Encourage them to pay close attention to points of interests during the drive. Have them create a photographic journal of the different sights along the trip. Bring books, puzzles, and word games to occupy their minds while on the road. When visiting relatives, ask your child to put on a reporter’s cap and interview grandparents, aunts, and uncles. This will open the door to some great storytelling and provide the child with fascinating insights related to their family’s heritage.

5.       Don’t leave healthy habits home alone—Be sure to bring a bag of snacks for the road that includes nuts, carrots, string cheese, fruit, and crackers. Sometimes vacations bring out the desire to indulge in junk food that is not common fare in the home. Keeping candy consumption to a minimum will prevent kids from getting too “sugared up” in the back seat.

By the end of vacation,  your child will have a detailed journal of wonderful memories, stories, and discoveries.

Please note If you are planning for your child to join the adventure at Fairmont's Summer Programs, enroll by April 30th to save 10% on summer camp and school. 

Contributed by Doug Fleischli, Fairmont Private Schools

Image credit: fueld

CHALK TALK: how summer camp boosts self-esteem and builds social skills

The end of the school year is fast approaching. How will you keep your child engaged during the three months of summer vacation? Summer camp is the perfect answer. More than just a daycare provider, summer camps are extremely beneficial for all types of children to foster what the American Camp Association calls “resiliency skills.”  As noted in their post Benefits of Camp: Psychological Aspects, the ACA states that summer camps provide a great environment for children to learn to apply life skills, pro-social behaviors, and boost self-esteem and self-reliance.

Just how do summer camps grow your child’s social skills and self-esteem? By removing the structure of the classroom, children are more apt to explore new situations and develop new methods of creativity. Camp allows children to reach beyond their immediate peer group and make new friends. Summer camps also create “risk-taking” situations, such as learning a new game, going to a new place, or introducing themselves to new people. By engaging students in these potentially unfamiliar activities, summer camps gently stretch children to explore areas outside of their comfort zone and help them to grow emotionally.

Summer camp also works to make your child feel special and involved in a specific community. Children who attend summer camp are immersed in a camp culture that is unique, which creates a collective identity and comradery among campers. This teaches children the importance of teamwork and taking pride in the group to which they belong.

Since the creation of Fairmont Private Schools, Fairmont Summer Programs has fostered a special feeling of community steeped in the Fairmont culture of academic success and character building. Visit www.fairmontsummerprograms.com to view summer school and camp offerings, and register before April 30th to receive an automatic 10% discount!

Contributed by Rebecca Merrell, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by Poconomoms

A to Z: Plan a Summer of Fun, Discovery, and Life-Long Friendships for Your Children

“Surf’s Up!” This Summer with Fairmont!
The days are becoming warmer and, before you know it, summer will be upon us! Fairmont Summer Programs offer a one-stop destination for children to have fun in the sun, foster confidence in academics, and gain personal enrichment. The theme this year is “Surfin Through Summer With Fairmont.” Yes, SURF's UP!, and we are looking forward to an "EPIC" summer! The buzz is now out about the many exciting opportunities that await your children. Register today by visiting www.fairmontsummerprograms.com.

Since 1953, Fairmont Private Schools has provided children with countless summertime memories of fun and adventure while sharpening their academic skills in preparation for the upcoming school year. At the end of summer, children leave with a greater determination to succeed in life, a deeper appreciation of teamwork, and a broader understanding of the importance of character.
 

Our Summer Program is Accredited!
At Fairmont, we take our summer programs very seriously. We are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), the leading 100-year-old authority on youth development working to preserve, promote, and improve the camp experience. ACA accreditation guarantees that the Fairmont Summer Program meets or exceeds more than 250 standards for student health, safety, and program quality.

The ACA highlights the four "C's" of the camp community: compassion, contribution, commitment, and character. These important values practiced during summer camp help students grow personally and develop essential leadership qualities. Camp counselors provide children with a network of caring adults to look up to, and an organized camp program creates a safe environment for discovery and exploration. 

The ACA lists the following benefits and anticipated outcomes of the camp experience:

Social Skills Development 

Leadership 

Communication 

Participation

Self-Respect and Character Building
Responsibility 

Resourcefulness 

Resilience

Community Living/Service Skills 

Caring
Fairness
Citizenship
Trustworthiness 

Developing these key life skills and character traits at a young age gives children an advantage as they grow and mature.  We are looking forward to giving your child a wonderful, fun-filled summer of discovery and adventure.  

Contributed by Doug Fleischli, Fairmont Private Schools

FRIDAY FOLDER august 8

Highlights of the week:

Soaking it up in the sun at the Long Beach Aquarium

North Tustin Campus - Twin Day

Anaheim Hills Campus - Bowling Champions

This week, Fairmont Summer Programs wrapped up another exciting, fun season of discovery and learning. Many fond memories were made under the bright Orange County sky. Fairmont is grateful for everyone who made this year's Summer Programs a tremendous success. We especially appreciated your children for joining us and being a part of our vibrant community of adventurers. We look forward to seeing our little campers next summer!

Anaheim Hills Campus
Historic Anaheim Campus
North Tustin Campus

Contributed by Doug & Neha, Fairmont Private Schools

FRIDAY FOLDER june 27

Highlights of the week:

Floating Island Electric Slime

Western Day

Queen of Castle at Medieval Times

Western Day

This week's theme was "King of the Road". Our campers had a lot of fun with activities such as Ninja Garden Slime, Swim Day, and learning several fun line dance moves. The theme Thursday was Western Wear and all of the campers rocked the look.

For the upcoming field trip campers will visit Sky High Sports in Costa Mesa, a trampoline park which offers children the opportunity to engage in exciting activities! Please check your campus weekly newsletters below for more summer camp news and information on what your child needs to bring and wear for the field trip.

Anaheim Hills Campus
Historic Anaheim Campus
North Tustin Campus

Contributed by Neha, Fairmont Private Schools

SNACK TIME summer ready safe foods

Keep Summertime Foods Safe

With the warmer temperatures of summer, it's important to be careful about food handling, cooking, and storage because bacteria thrive in warmer weather.  When certain disease-causing bacteria or pathogens contaminate food, they can cause food-borne illness, often called "food poisoning." Each year in the USA there are an estimated 76 million food-borne illnesses.  Children are at a greater risk for food-borne illness due to their immature immune systems.

Salmonella, a common food-borne bacteria, can be transmitted by eating under-cooked chicken or raw eggs found in ice cream and cookie dough (so, no more eating raw cookie dough, wait for the cookies to be cooked!).

There are precautions you can take to help prevent food-borne illness, because after all, what would summertime be like without a picnic or backyard barbecue?

Food Handling

• Thaw or marinate meat in the refrigerator (not on the kitchen counter-top or sink) to prevent bacteria from growing at room temperature.
• Avoid cross contamination.  Do not use the same utensils for raw meat and cooked meat without thoroughly washing them first.
• Keep side dishes and condiments such as ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise in the refrigerator or ice chest until ready to serve.
• Use a food thermometer to check temperatures. Bacteria can grow rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees.

 Cooking

• Cook meat thoroughly. 
• Use a meat thermometer.
• Again, avoid cross contamination. Don't place cooked meat on the same platter used for the raw meat  without thoroughly washing it first.

 Food Storage

• Serve grilled food right away or keep it hot (above 140 degrees). Don't let it sit at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Pack ice coolers with plenty of ice to ensure a temperature below 40 degrees. Bacteria multiply rapidly on food kept at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees.
• Place leftover foods in the cooler or refrigerator immediately after everyone is served. Throw away any food left out for more than two hours.

For more tips on serving safe food click here click here.

Keep summertime picnics and barbecues safe and fun by following food safety practices.

Image credit: Home Food Safety

Submitted by Leslie Kay-Getzinger, MS, RD

Regional Dietitian for Nutrition Management Services Company

FRIDAY FOLDER june 20

Highlights of the week:

Castle Park field trip - Anaheim Hills Campus

Our little SUPERHEROES - Historic Anaheim Preschool Campus

Thursday Theme Day  "Superhero" at Historic Anaheim Preschool Campus

Peace, Love & Tie Dye - North Tustin Campus

Future Champs - Anaheim Hills Campus

Summer Camp Fun!

Week 2 of Summer Camp was another great experience, and our little campers surely had a lot of fun. From Theme Thursday "Superhero" to Tie Dye, Tiny Bubbles, some even mixed smoothies. And the week ended with a field trip to Castle Park!

Next Friday, campers will head to Medieval Times in Buena Park.  Students will travel back in time as they take in the pageantry of a live jousting tournament, held inside a replica 11th century castle. For more summer camp news and information on what your child needs to bring and wear for the field trip check your campus weekly newsletters below.

Anaheim Hills Campus

Historic Anaheim Campus

North Tustin Campus

Contributed by Neha,Fairmont Private Schools

FRIDAY FOLDER june 13

Highlights of the week:



Congratulations 8th Grade Class of 2014!

What a fantastic year it's been! Congratulations especially to our 8th Grade Class of 2014 who we said goodbye to in our promotion ceremonies last week. We wish you all the best in your future adventures and look forward to sharing more memories with you!  

Swim Day

Theme Thursday: Neon Day

Field Trip: Anaheim Hills Campus 

Summer Camp Kick off!

This week marked the beginning of Fairmont's 2014 Summer Camp season! This year's summer theme is Road Trip USA and our little campers enthusiastically got into the spirit of  Summer Road Trip.  We welcomed our new campers with fun activities such as Swim Day, our first Themed Thursday, "Neon Day",  and a Road Trip to the Anaheim Hills Campus. 

During next week's Friday field trip, campers will travel to Castle Park in Riverside. Check out your campus weekly newsletters below for tips about what your child needs to bring and wear for the day.

Weekly Newsletters:

Anaheim Hills Campus

Historic Anaheim Campus

North Tustin Campus

Contributed by Neha,Fairmont Private Schools

SNACK TIME healthy summer camp snacks

Healthy snacks are important for growing children and teens, but being away from home often poses nutritional challenges. Planning ahead and packing your own snacks can be a plus.

Many healthy foods are perishable and need to be refrigerated to ensure freshness and flavor, but by bringing perishable-free snacks to camp--problem solved! Try the following:

Fruit (canned or dried). An all-time favorite, applesauce, fruit cups and canned fruit are still popular as snacks. Check canned fruit for an easy to open, pop-up top. Dried fruit and canned fruit in juice have a long shelf life, are low-cost, convenient, and healthy.

Dried fruit. Raisins, figs, dates, pears, apricots, apples, cherries, cranberries, pineapple, and papaya are delicious alternatives to fresh fruit. Some dried fruits contain sulfur dioxide (such as golden raisins) which keeps the product from discoloring, but can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Read labels and choose brands that don't use preservatives including sulfur dioxide.

Nuts. High in protein, with healthy monounsaturated fats, and rich in antioxidants, just a small handful of nuts can prevent hunger. Pick your favorite (raw or roasted), such as:  peanuts, pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or cashews. Caution with peanut and/or tree nut allergies.

Trail mix or "gorp". Trail mix is a filling snack that can satisfy your salty and sweet cravings all in one bite. They are easy to make and can be tailored to suit your own taste. Items to include in your trail mix: low-fat granola, whole grain cereals, nuts, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin), and dried fruits. For an extra sweet treat, include dark chocolate bits.

Soy "nuts". Soy nuts are made from soybeans soaked in water, drained, and then baked or roasted. They can be used in place of nuts and are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Granola bars. Store-bought or homemade granola bars offer a wide variety of flavors and textures, from chewy to crunchy and everything in between.

Nut or seed butters on whole grain crackers or rice cakes. Nut butters include peanut, almond, hazelnut, cashew, sunflower and soy butter (from soybeans). It is recommended that you select rice cakes made from brown (whole grain) rice, which come in many flavors including plain, apple cinnamon and caramel.

Non-perishable snacks are also a smart choice for emergency preparedness. Or just keep non-perishable snacks on hand  to ensure you won’t be caught hungry.

Image Credit: rockettes.com

Submitted by Leslie Kay-Getzinger, MS, RD

Regional Dietitian for Nutrition Management Services Company