EVENTFUL: Spruce Goose Flies on this Day in History

 Movie producer and founder of the Hughes Aircraft Company, Howard Hughes was a successful aircraft designer and builder who is most famous for the design and creation of the Spruce Goose. Affectionately known as the “Flying Boat,” the Spruce Goose took its one and only flight on this day in 1947 in the harbor of Long Beach, California.

As the United States entered World War II, Hughes was commissioned in 1941 by the United States government to build an aircraft capable of carrying mass amounts of soldiers and supplies across large distances. With a wingspan larger than a football field and costing over $28 million ($453 million in 2015 dollars) to construct, the Spruce Goose project resulted in an airplane made entirely of spruce and birch wood (due to wartime restrictions on heavy metals) capable of carrying over 700 men. Powered by eight propeller engines, the massive machine was finally completed in 1946, following the war’s conclusion.

Piloted by Hughes, who personally tested each of his own designs before manufacturing, the Spruce Goose was put into flight on November 2, 1947. While thousands of spectators crowded around the Long Beach harbor to observe the test flight, the Spruce Goose taxied on water, then lifted 70 feet above the water’s surface and remained airborne for one mile, turning disbelievers into true believers.

The largest plane ever constructed, the Spruce Goose never made it into production after critics doubted the plane’s ability to withstand the wear and tear of multiple flights. A tribute to American industry and ingenuity during World War II, the “Flying Boat” is currently housed in the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images by History.com, Mediamerge.com, & Fridrichdesign.com  

FRIDAY FOLDER: October 30

Weekly Highlights:

 Historic Anaheim

Anaheim Hills

North Tustin

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

EVENTFUL: A Grown-Up's Guide to “Treating” Trick-or-Treaters

"Trick or treat?" How you answer that question on Halloween night will impact your household’s reputation for the entire year. Children have a sixth sense when it comes to scouting out the best candy houses and are quick to discover which houses to swarm and which to avoid during their night of scavenging. Since this is the only time when taking candy from strangers is socially acceptable, remember to play by the rules in order to become the beloved Willy Wonka of your neighborhood. As any trick-or-treater will tell you, not all candy is created equal.

Golden Rule – While “fun size” is fun, “king size” is better.

Rule #1 – No Popcorn Balls or Homemade Pinterest Attempts

Popcorn balls are good for two things: pelting siblings and gunking up a child’s candy receptacle. And unless you’re hosting a Halloween bash, refrain from dispensing homemade treats to wandering children. Popcorn balls do not belong in a pillowcase or plastic pumpkin. No parent is going to let their child eat treats made by the hands of a stranger, no matter how nice and unassuming you seem. Give Pinterest a rest and don’t waste your time in the kitchen. Think pre-wrapped and store-bought.

Rule #2 – Chocolate > Hard Candy

Not only is chocolate far superior in taste and satisfaction in comparison to hard candy, chocolate also has the bonus of being less of a choking hazard. Lemon Heads, Jolly Ranchers, and the like are delicious, but no kid can resist the smooth taste of a Snickers or Hershey's Kiss.

Rule #3 – Fruit Spoils Happiness

Unless you want to be known as the Grinch of Halloween, do not answer the door holding a bowl of fruit. Nothing makes a child’s gleeful smile disappear quicker than an apple or clementine on Halloween night. The same goes for toothbrushes and raisins. Save yourself the embarrassment and keep the fruit for your own kid’s lunches.  

Rule #4 – Protect Your Candy

For one night only, candy is king. Like a scene from a zombie movie, parents allow their children to wander the streets in search of these nutrient-lacking nuggets. So, protect your stash. Don’t leave your candy bowl unattended on the porch. It only takes one punk teenager with a heart full of greed and a mouth full of cavities to ruin the fun for a gaggle of tiny trick-or-treaters. No one wants that.

Rule #5 – Stay Away from Wax Lips & Wax Fangs

No one knows what these are, or why they were created. Enough said.

Rule #6 – Mom & Dad Tax

Think about being the house on your street that caters to the Mom & Dad Tax. Candies such as caramels, Almond Joys, Good & Plenty, and Mounds are usually lower on a child’s candy-trading scale and therefore act as acceptable payment for the Mom & Dad Tax at the end of the night.

Rule #7 – Accidental Lighting

Don’t be the person who is clearly home and has left the porch light on, but refuses to answer the door. If you run out of candy or don’t wish to be greeted by ghouls and goblins, turn off the porch light. Think of those little tykes patiently waiting for candy, and then realizing there is none.

Have a happy Halloween!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by Clip Art Sheep  

EVENTFUL: Halloween Haunt Recap

Last Friday, little ghouls and goblins Fairmont-wide celebrated Halloween early by attending the Historic Anaheim Campus' Annual Halloween Haunt. An evening of face panting, wandering through haunted houses, skipping around pumpkin patches, and playing fun carnival games, the 2015 Halloween Haunt was a great way to begin the autumn season! Sponsored and organized by the Historic Anaheim Campus Parent Association, the Halloween Haunt created many memories as students and families arrived in costume to eat, laugh, and play together!

 

Click here for more event photos!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

  

FRIDAY FOLDER: October 23

Highlights of the Week:

Historic Anaheim

Anaheim Hills

North Tustin

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

A to Z: Developing Hobbies

People often need a constructive distraction from the pressures of daily life. Deadline-free in nature, hobbies are a great solution because they allow participants to engage in the activity at their own pace. Encouraging your child to pursue a hobby is a great way to build upon skills and reinforce concepts learned in the classroom and at home. For example, collection hobbies require patience and observance. Craft hobbies, such as modeling or sewing, require fine motor skills and an element of creativity. Even if your child has yet to master fine motor skills or has trouble with being patient, hobbies are a great opportunity for children to engage in an interest with no outside pressure, while subconsciously honing specific skills.

Introducing your child to a new pastime also creates the potential for bonding. Does your child show an interest in a hobby of yours, or simply a desire to be near you? If so, take the opportunity to include your child in your favorite pastime. Doing this not only allows you and your child to spend more time together, but also allows you to pass down specific knowledge.

Another great benefit of hobbies is that many are relatively cheap. Collection hobbies, such as stamp or coin collecting, simply require that the participant be watchful and learn to look for the items in the spare change jar or pile of discarded envelopes. Even if you are not experienced in a hobby that your child takes an interest in, resources such as YouTube, Pinterest, and books from your local library can quickly educate you and your child about a particular activity. Here are a few basic hobby ideas:

Birdwatching

Natural Collecting (rocks, leaves, etc.)

Meteorology

Astronomy

Gardening

Stamp Collecting

Coin Collecting

Model Building

Cooking

Photography or Filmmaking

Crafting (knitting, crochet, sewing, cross stitch, etc.)

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by All Womens Talk  

A to Z: 10 DIY, Non-Scary Halloween Costumes

Halloween is only two weeks away! Still need to find a costume for your child? Here are ten non-scary, clever costumes that you and your child can create together without breaking the bank!

Garden Gnome

  

Pippi Longstocking

Alice in Wonderland

The Lorax

 Dwight Schrute

Where the Wild Things Are

Crayola Crayons

Where's Waldo

Mary Poppins and Bert the Chimney Sweep

Ninja Turtle

 

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images by Free Halloween Images, Pinterest, Modern Kiddo, Mommy Shorts, Pottery Barn Kids, Costume Works, Zeppy, & The 36th Avenue