STUDENT SPOTLIGHT edgewood spotlights singing sensation brandon donovan

Fairmont students are usually well-rounded, intelligent, and unique and seventh grader Brandon Donovan is no exception to that rule.  Those of us who know Brandon are well aware of his good sense of humor and quick wit.  We also know he's smart, curious and talkative; always willing to share a story or ask about your day.  But what he may not share very often is his talent for singing.

Brandon is dedicated to the All American Boys Chorus, a choral ensemble that is composed of boys from around Southern California. This is Brandon's 6th year as a member of the group, a tenure that is one of the longest amongst the boys in the chorus.  He sings second tenor, the highest voice in the boys' choir, although he doesn't know if he will be able to keep this seat for much longer.

Brandon’s singing talents have opened up a world of new experiences.  Last year, Brandon and the choir travelled to Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Canada.  This year, the choir is planning a major US tour.  He has also had the opportunity to meet and sing with many talented vocalists over the years, including Josh Groban.

Brandon practices with the chorus at least 6 hours a week, but sometimes as much as 9 hours a week.  Practices are held both on weeknights and weekends, so there isn't much time for many other activities in Brandon's life, although he did find time to play on Edgewood’s soccer team last year.

If you hear Brandon talk about his experiences, you'll know that he's extremely proud of his singing, his school, and his family.  His mom, cat, and parrot are all supportive of the time and effort Brandon puts into his singing and schoolwork.  He says he couldn't do it without them. 

They aren't the only ones proud of Brandon, so are we, his school.  His teachers and his friends are proud of all of his accomplishments, both academic and vocal.  Brandon is a unique and special kid, who fits in perfectly at Fairmont.

Contribed by Jonna, Edgewood campus 

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT anaheim hills features pianist valerie narumi

Valerie Narumi is in the 6th grade and volunteers as our piano accompanist for the school’s Cougar Chorus.  Outside of school, Valerie is an accomplished young pianist and composer.  At the age of 10, Valerie achieved Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) Certificate of Merit – Advanced Level in Piano Studies with Branch Honors, MTAC’s highest piano studies level and completed Yamaha’s Piano Performance and Fundamentals Grade 5 teacher level examinations in 2011.  She has performed her original piano and ensemble works at Yamaha’s National & Regional Junior Original Concerts in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010 across the country and at the 2009 and 2010 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show in Anaheim, California.  In 2009, Valerie organized and performed two charity recitals to benefit UNICEF and continues to volunteer and share her musical talents at various community events throughout the year.  She has been honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, Gold Level from President Obama for her outstanding community service.  In addition, Valerie enjoys playing the violin, figure skating, and art.  Valerie was named a Shining Student for 2010 by OC Family Magazine and was featured in an article in the October 2010 Parenting OC Magazine.  She aspires to become a medical doctor and to continue helping less fortunate children around the world with her charitable work and music. 

Contributed by Vicky, Anaheim Hills 

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT mable's kile young an artistic athlete

Kile Young is a one-of-a-kind young man who exhibits excellence in everything he does.  Not only is he academically gifted (he has been listed on the Director’s Honor Roll every year and is a member of Mable’s award-winning Academic Pentathlon Team for the third year running), but he excels outside of the classroom as well.  Kile has won many local and state art competitions including first place in contests sponsored by The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, The Council on Aging, Alcohol, Tobacco, Drug and Violence Prevention, and California Dept. of Boating and Waterways.  Kile is currently developing a nonprofit organization called The Charitable Art Project that focuses on enriching the lives of the senior community through art.  In addition to his artistic talents, he is an accomplished student and teacher of sport-judo.  He devotes time weekly to the development of children learning judo through instruction and coaching.  A member of the US Judo Federation Academic Honor Society, Kile currently is ranked third in the United States for his age and weight.  He is also an avid golf and tennis player.  In the running for valedictorian of his eighth grade class, Kile has made an impression on Fairmont and will undoubtedly make a name for himself in his future endeavors.

Contributed by Karen, Mable campus

BOOK REPORT citron's read is an optical illusion

Duck! Rabbitt!

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

all ages

Looking for a fun read-aloud for the younger set that is just as amusing for mom and dad?  This clever take on an age-old optical illusion will really get your little ones engaged and will have them passionately defending what they think they see. Is it a duck or is it a rabbit?  This book is a chance for opinionated preschoolers and kindergartners to express themselves and, in the end, to discover it's okay to agree to disagree.  Oh, and it's a great gift to fill a certain Bunny's basket this spring!

Contributed by Danyelle, Marketing

BOOK REPORT mable mixes it up with math rhymes

The Best of Times 

by Greg Tang

Ages 4-8

The author of The Grapes of Math and Math for All Seasons, Greg Tang, continues his crusade to make math make sense by taking on the biggest of math bugbears: the multiplication tables! Greg Tang's proven methods--giving kids tools rather than rules and more memorization--pay off once again, as he uses rhymes and commonsense tricks to walk through the multiplication tables from zero to 10. For example, if you know how to multiply by two ("Two is very fast and fun, quickly double and you're done. What's that you say, be more precise? Okay then, just add it twice!"), then fours ("... please just always double twice!") and eights ("... doubling three times works just great!") should be a cinch. Some of the rhymes are even as clever as Tang's tips: Over a panda pool game, he advises, "Nine is faster to compute if at first you overshoot. Here's a very clever tack, do 10 times and then subtract! What is 9 x 9? It's ten 9's minus 9.... What is 9 x 7? It's ten 7's minus 7."--Amazon.com

This book is so much fun to read because it helps you learn how to multiply with rhyming words.  You also learn some tricks that allow you to multiply even faster.  This book has great illustrations and a different animal for each times table.  Plus, it gives you problems to try on your own! Do you know your multiplication facts?

Contributed by Kim, Mable campus

BOOK REPORT edgewood sets sail with The Wanderer

The Wanderer 
by Sharon Creech
Ages 8 and up

This Newbury-winning book is part mystery, part coming of age story, and part adventure. Thirteen-year-old Sophie is the only girl among the motley crew of The Wanderer, made up of her three uncles and two cousins. As the crew makes their way across the Atlantic Ocean from Connecticut to England, where Bompie, Sophie’s and her cousin’s grandfather lives, the sea calls to Sophie. However, the personal journey she takes brings her deep into a mysterious, forgotten past. Sophie's struggle to reclaim who she is inspires those around her,as the crew discovers the joys and trials of belonging to a family. All members of the crew have unrealized dreams they want to come true and relationships they need to mend. It takes a crisis at sea,and then a crisis on land, to resolve the problems of the crew members. Sharon Creech tells a literal and metaphoric adventure-filled story of a courageous girl's journey across the ocean and into the memories of her past.

Contributed by Yvonne, Edgewood campus

BOOK REPORT anaheim hills' pick pops a wheelie

The  Mouse and the Motorcycle

by Beverly Cleary

Ages 8 and up

"Pb-pb-b-b-b. Pb-pb-b-b-b." With these magic vocables, Ralph the mouse revs up a dream come true--his very own motorcycle. Living in a knothole in a hotel room, young Ralph has seen plenty of families come and go, some more generous with their crumbs than others. But when young Keith and his parents check in to the hotel, Ralph gets his first chance to check out. He has always fantasized about venturing beyond the second floor, maybe even outside. Curiosity overcomes caution, and Ralph must have a go at Keith's toy motorcycle. Soon, the headstrong mouse finds himself in a pickle, when all he wanted was to ride a motorcycle. Lucky for him, the boy understands how it is. When he discovers Ralph in his thwarted attempt to abscond with the toy bike, Keith generously encourages the rodent to ride. He even teaches him the simple trick of starting the motorcycle: "You have to make a noise... pb-pb-b-b-b." The subsequent situations Ralph motors into require quick thinking and grownup-sized courage. The team of Beverly Cleary and Louis Darling has been a great favorite for decades, introducing young chapter readers to Ramona, Beezus, Henry, and of course Ralph the mouse.--Emilie Coulter from Amazon.com

Contributed by Vicky, Anaheim Hills campus