SHORT STORY grandpa jackson

In honor of Grandparents Day, we wanted to celebrate one of our favorite grandpas: Mr. Jackson, the President of Fairmont. Outside of work Mr. Jackson is a dedicated father and grandfather. He treasures spending time with his grandkids and making quality memories, like building paper castles and jumping on the trampoline. We love his favorite grandparent tradition: 

"Each year before Christmas we take each of our grandchildren shopping with half of the money we use to spend on them for Christmas presents, and they pick out toys for children who won't have a Christmas. It is the highlight of the year when we have the grandkids present these gifts, that would have been theirs, to disadvantaged children. There are always many tears of joy."

Happy Grandparent's Day from the Fairmont Family to yours! 


Contributed by Alyssa  

international literacy day...A to Z

Happy International Literacy Day--a day dedicated to highlighting the importance of worldwide literacy. UNESCO proclaimed September 8th International Literacy Day in 1965, and each year the day is celebrated with the announcement of three literacy awards by UNESCO and in  school communities throughout the world with reading activities and volunteer projects. 

According to this article from Education World, the presence of books in the home has a greater influence on a child's education than the parents' income, nationality or level of education. Reading really does make a difference. Celebrate today by learning more about the global condition of literacy in this video, trying out one of these volunteer project ideas, or just by reading a new book with your children. 

(Photo by Home Interior Designs Inspiration)


Contributed by Alyssa

THE FAIRMONT FIVE: grandparents day traditions

It’s not just another greeting card holiday...Grandparents Day, celebrated the first Sunday after Labor Day, is an opportunity to honor the grandparents in your family, neighborhood and larger community.

President Jimmy Carter signed the observance of Grandparents Day into law in 1978. Today, grandparents are very active in the lives of their children, grandchildren and society. Did you know that 4 million children in 3 million households are being raised by their grandparents? And more than 5 million children live in a household with a grandparent present.

Fairmont is very grateful to all of our involved grandparents and hopes you’ll get creative about celebrating this “grand” holiday in your home. Education World shares a wonderful article for teachers packed with educational activities that inspired our Fairmont Five this month.

1. Grandparent Interview. Extra, Extra! Read all about it: Grandparents are cool!  Put your little newshounds to work on breaking news about their grandparents. Brainstorm a list of questions or print out the interview questions provided on the official grandparents day website.
2. Nursing Home Visit. Did you know that 60 percent of nursing home residents never have a visitor? Schedule a trip to a local nursing home with your children and find out if you can bring along a donation of supplies that could help brighten the day for some adopted grandparents in your community.
3. Family Tree. Grandparents Day is the perfect time for children to study their family trees. We love this life-sized family tree craft from Martha Stewart Living. Older students can go further with their research and use sites such as genealogy.com and ancestry.com to find their long-lost roots.
4. Graphing the Ages. Have a budding statistician in the family?  Use US Census Bureau data to help your children create a graph illustrating each state's median age.
5. Poems for Grandma and Grandpa. What better tribute to the grandparents in your children's lives than a handwritten note or better yet--a poem!  Suggest a haiku or acrostic to get your kids started.  You can also check out some grandparents-themed books at your local library to help get their creative juices flowing.

 Contributed by Danyelle

parent night...A to Z

Whether you were the Class Clown or the Teacher’s Pet back in your grade school days, you’ll want to be in top form for the first big event of the school year—Parent Night. Here’s a quick study guide to help parents prepare.

• Book your babysitter: Make arrangements to keep the kids at home so you can enjoy a distraction-free evening.
• Arrive Early: Parking is often limited, so arrive early, pick up a program and take some time to explore the campus.
• Take notes: Bring day planners or calendars (or the high tech equivalents) to help you keep track of all of the details. From the names of the parents sitting next to you in those pint-sized desks, to important dates, there will be lots of information to take in on Parent Night. You’ll most likely receive a packet of information reiterating the particulars, but it’s smart to have your own planning system handy too.
• Bring an open mind: (We love this tip complements of cozi.com) Remember that teachers may seem a bit nervous or awkward when faced with a room full of parents. If your teacher seems organized, reasonable in her expectations and focused on her students’ success, then be willing to overlook what might appear to be less-than-polished public speaking skills.
• Introduce yourself: We parents are diligent in teaching our children good social skills, but sometimes we can slip up. Chances are you’re not the only one who feels a little uncomfortable in the group, so smile, introduce yourself and initiate a conversation with your fellow parents. Parent Night is a good time to meet the other moms and dads in your child’s class and swap contact info.
• Avoid ambushing the teacher: Yes, we know it’s enticing to pull the teacher aside for a personal conversation about your child. But, keep in mind that Parent Night is not the best time for a one-on-one conference. Instead, call or email your teacher to set up a better time to talk.

Contributed by, Danyelle

SHORT STORY playtime

just monkeying around 

Contributed by Alyssa

FRIDAY FOLDER september 2

Welcome back to school, Fairmont family--we're looking forward to a great new year! 

Highlights From This Week 

Parents Nights 

Mark your calendars for our upcoming Parent Nights:  

• Anaheim Hills: Monday, September 12
• Citron: Wednesday, September 7
• Edgewood: Thursday, September 8
• Mable: Wednesday, September 14

Sports Try-Outs 

Back-to-School and back to sports! Don't miss try-outs for DSL and Junior High Football and Volleyball at Anaheim Hills, Edgewood and Mable next week. Check  your campus e-newsletter below for more details. 

Weekly E-Newsletters 

Anaheim Hills Campus 

Citron Campus 

Edgewood Campus 

Mable Campus 

September Lunch Menus 

AH Preschool-1st Grade

AH 2nd-8th Grade

Citron

Edgewood Preschool-1st Grade

Edgewood 2nd-8th Grade 

Mable 1st-3rd Grade 

Mable 4th-6th Grade 

Contributed by Alyssa

BULLETIN BOARD back-to-school

Happy September! This month's inspiration board is all about going back-to-school and the nostalgia and emotions this season conjures up for all of us. 

Old school flash cards hearken back to Fairmont’s early days in the 1950s. Vintage-inspired periodic table chart art is the perfect addition to any science genius' bedroom or classroom. Celebrate the end of summer with this pencil vase craft.  

We love the iconic symbol of the apple on these teacher note cards, which reminds us that parent/teacher communication is the best way to help kids succeed this school year.  A utilitarian lunch kit inspires us to fuel our minds and bodies with healthy eats all school year long!

Contributed by Danyelle