THE FAIRMONT FIVE spring break day trips

Spring break is just a bunny hop, skip and jump away.  Have you made your plans?  If not, here are some great getaways perfect for some family-friendly day trippin'.

Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Coast--One of my favorite places in the OC for savoring the natural beauty of our California coastline.  Enjoy a long walk on the beach, hike along the coastal nature trails or check out the restored historic district complete with colorful beach cottages, gift shop and museum.  Don't miss lunch or dinner at the Beachcomber for delicious, no-fuss fare and a view that can't be beat!

Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach--In keeping with the aquatic theme, visit Long Beach's homage to the Pacific ocean.  Kids will love the playful otters, the shark lagoon and the hands-on animal experiences available every day of the week.

The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch--You don't have to be a plant lover to LOVE this excursion to one of the most colorful places in Southern California this spring. Stroll among 50 acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers and be sure to bring your camera!

The Great Park in Irvine--Float 400-feet above the landscape in the Great Park's Balloon ride, open Thursday-Sunday. While you're there, ride the carousel and check out Kids Rock--a play area of misting shade structures, climbing rocks and “underground tunnels."

Catalina Island--Head off-shore for an adventure in Catalina Island.  In addition to the exciting ferry ride, you can enjoy hiking, kayaking, helicopter tours, parasailing, zip-line fun and more in this close-to-home island paradise.

Photo from Crystal Cove Alliance

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

ARTS & CRAFTS yarn baskets

These yarn baskets remind me of my mom and all of the thrifty DIY projects that my sisters, brother and I would enjoy as each new holiday rolled around.  It's simple and only requires a few basic materials.  But, it's messy--which can be incredibly cool for your kids and a nightmare for parents if you're not prepared.  So, cover the kitchen table with some newspaper or, better yet, take the crafting outside and enjoy the beautiful spring weather in the process.

Yarn Baskets

complements of eighteen25

Materials:

• a bowl
• plastic wrap
• yarn (i bought the variegated skeins)
• a few bottles of Elmer's glue

 Instructions:

1. Turn a bowl upside down and cover with plastic wrap.
2. Cut strips of yarn about 17 inches long. i don't know how many we cut, but it was a lot.
3. Soak the yarn in a shallow dish of glue (we added a little bit of water to ours).
4. Pull out strands and drape over plastic-covered bowl.
5. After the bowl is covered with yarn, let it dry overnight.
6. Remove bowl and peel plastic away from strings.

 Photo from eighteen25

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

BULLETIN BOARD spring has sprung

Spring is here--and that's no April Fool's joke! It's the time of year once again to break out the gardening gloves and start planting. Spring Break is a great time to get the kids involved in gardening, especially with Earth Day just around the corner. We love these earthy inspirations to put us in the springtime mood. Remember, April showers bring May flowers ;)

1. Egg-stra Delicious Cupcakes 2. Simply Beautiful Easter Table Setting 3. Make-Your-Own Daffodils 4. Organic Tomato Seeds 5. Printable Earth Day Flash Cards 6. Re-usable Sandwich Bags 

Contributed by Danyelle & Alyssa

FRIDAY FOLDER march 30

Highlights From This Week

Upcoming Events 
Chalk Talk: How to Parent Your Kids (Without Losing Your Mind)
Tuesday April 3, 2012, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Fairmont Edgewood Campus

If you've ever dreamed of being a better parent or educator, this is the event for you! Learn how to make the most of your parent/child/school relationship from acclaimed speaker, Scott Peebles, M.A., MFCC, H.B. Scott was one of the youngest licensed Marriage, Family & Child Counselors in California, and he has been deemed one of the most exciting and entertaining parenting speakers in the country. Scott calls his method "Slightly Off the Wall Parenting." We think you'll call it amazing! All Fairmont parents, faculty and friends are welcome! 
Click here to RSVP

Fairmont Parent Survey 
You should have received an email last week with the annual Fairmont Parent Survey. Your feedback is valuable and we appreciate you taking the time to provide it to us. When you take the survey, you will be eligible to win $1,000.00 off tuition discount good for the 2012-2013 school year. One winner will be drawn from each campus and all survey participants will be eligible. 


Anaheim Hills Teacher Featured on The Teaching Channel
We're proud to announce that one of our Fairmont teachers, Heather Lopez was featured on The Teaching Channel! This channel is a membership-based website and content provider created just for teachers by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In the video, Mrs. Lopez shows how to teach a C-V-C Phonemics lesson to Kindergartners. This footage will air live on PBS sometime next fall. Congratulations Mrs. Lopez! 

Mable Students Know How To Debate! 

On Sunday, March 25, Mable students Nick P., Grace B., Tarek S., Gurveer S., Adnan L., Alexis D., Jonathan L., Justin C., and Bryan D. competed in a debate competition held at Serra Catholic School in Rancho Santa Margarita.  

Students competed in teams of three and debated 5 different topics. The topics were: Eating Meat is Unethical, The United States Should Make English the Official Language, Tax Increases are Good For America, and States Should Allow Cell Phone Use in Prison. The competition also included an impromptu debate round. Mable won 11 out of their 15 debates which placed them 2nd in Percentage of Overall Wins. Eighth grader Nick P. placed in the top 25 speakers. Grace B. just missed breaking into the top 25.  The team of Nick P., Grace B., and Tarek S. placed seventh and the team of Gurveer S., Adnan I., and Alexis D. placed eighth. 

Good Luck Pentathletes 

We want to extend a big "GOOD LUCK" to our Junior High Pentathletes who will be competing in the Academic Pentathlon on Saturday, March 31, at Bolsa Grande High School! Look for results in next week's Friday Folder. 

Weekly E-Newsletters 

Anaheim Hills Campus 

Citron Campus 

Edgewood Campus 

Mable Campus 

April Lunch Menus 

AH Preschool-1st Grade

AH 2nd-8th Grade

Citron

Edgewood Preschool-Kindergarten

Edgewood 1st-8th Grade 

Mable 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

SCHOOL NEWS fairmont debaters win big

The Fairmont Preparatory Academy Debate Team traveled to Claremont McKenna College this past Saturday to participate with nearly 100 other high school debaters in this year's fourth tournament in the High School Public Debate Program (HSPDP). Three cheers to Fairmont students and their coach Mr. Matthew Brandstetter for bringing home the following awards:

• 2nd Place Overall in Debate: Nikhil N., Austin K., and Anjali N.
• 4th Place Speaker Award: Nikhil N.
• 4th Place Overall School Award
• 3rd Place Sweepstakes

Tiany Z., Jessica C., Justin L., Milan M., and Meeran I. also contributed to Fairmont Preparatory Academy's overall point total allowing Fairmont to receive its two school awards.

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

THE FAIRMONT FIVE sites to keep you smarter than your kids

I shouldn't pretend to keep up with Fairmont students! ;) But here are five websites with free content that keep learning alive for parents. Much of the content on sites like Khan Academy is appropriate for younger students as well, and can be useful to parents who like to plan educational enrichment exercises for their kids during the weekends or our upcoming spring break.

1. TED Ed --Illustrated videos that pair extraordinary educators with talented animators.
2. YouTube EDU --Videos of academic lectures, speeches, How-To's, etc.
3. Khan Academy --Educational videos about almost everything combined with practice exercises.
4. iTunes U --Entire courses from colleges and universities like Stanford, Yale, and MIT along with several other K-12 and higher ed institutions.
5. Fast Company's 30 Second MBA --Business tips from C-Level execs from every industry neatly packaged in 30-second clips--who doesn't have time for that?

Photo from iTunes U

Contributed by Courtney, Fairmont Private Schools

SCHOOL NEWS fairmont summer program receives aca accreditation

Jamie Gonce, Fairmont's Director of Summer Programs and 2012 ACA Rising Star 

As Fairmont Private Schools unveils its summer program for 2012 it does so with a new feather in the schools’ cap—American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation. In order to receive ACA’s stamp of approval, Fairmont’s program was carefully scrutinized and was found to comply with or exceed over 300 ACA safety, security and program design standards. In addition, Fairmont Summer Programs Director Jamie Gonce has been recognized as an ACA Rising Star in the western region.

“Fairmont Private Schools started as a summer program 59 years ago, and though our schools are accredited through a number of organizations, 2011 was the first year our camp program sought accreditation,” said Gonce.  “I am very proud of our staff for earning the accreditation and look forward to drawing on the ACA’s support and resources as our summer program continues to grow and improve.”

The American Camp Association’s Rising Star Award recognizes individuals who are new to service in organized camping and have shown great potential for leadership in and contribution to the field of camping.

"Four summers ago when I started with Fairmont Schools, I was new to organized camping--now I just can't get enough! Involvement with ACA has allowed me to access an incredible network of people--resources and support that strengthens and elevates Fairmont's Summer Camp Program. It has been such a highlight for me to volunteer with ACA and connect our program and staff with the best of the best in the Southern California camp community,” said Gonce.

The American Camp Association (formerly known as the American Camping Association) is a community of camp professionals who, for 150 years, have joined together to share their knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs. As a leading authority in youth development, ACA and its 9,000 plus membership work to preserve, promote, and improve the camp experience.

“Parents in Orange County have many options when it comes to choosing a summer camp experience for their children.  ACA accreditation will help further differentiate Fairmont Summer Programs as a high quality program that balances fun with academic preparation and personal growth,” said Gonce. 

This year’s theme of adventure on the high seas comes complete with pirates, mermaids and buried treasure and promises to be one of Fairmont’s most exciting summer programs yet.  The program features day camp, enrichment courses and summer school and can be customized to fit each camper’s needs and each family’s busy schedule.  For more information, visit fairmontsummerprograms.com.

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools