THE FAIRMONT FIVE benefits of summer camp

Summer is in the air! As the days get longer and warmer, kids can't help but anticipate the carefree months of summer ahead. For you, the summer anticipation includes planning what the kids will do with their time--summer school, summer day camp, sleep-away camp, swimming lessons, vacation? 

As we remember from our childhoods, summer is a special time for kids, a time for self-discovery and making memories. Summer camp provides a unique, enriching environment for this experience, and the benefits of participating in a quality summer camp stretch far beyond the memories. 

According to the American Camp Association, a 100-year-old organization of camp professionals committed to preserving, promoting and improving the camp experience, summer camp helps children build personal competencies reflected in the four "C's" of the camp community: compassion, contribution, commitment, and character. 

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. 

Fairmont is proud to offer a Summer Program that is accredited by the American Camp Association. Fairmont offers a mix of both summer school and summer day camp so children can experience a quality summer camp program and beat the summer brain drain. 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

SHORT STORY author/illustrator headed to fairmont

What does an ancient dragon, the Wild West and Fairmont's Anaheim Hills library have in common? Answer: They will all collide on Tuesday, June 5 from 6-7:30pm for the Anaheim Hills Library Grand Opening. Author/illustrator Troy Howell will be meeting with students during the day offering tips and inspiration from his career as an author and illustrator. As part of the Grand Opening celebration, he will be giving an interactive reading of his book The Dragon of Cripple Creek and signing books. Troy is an old classmate and friend of third grade teacher Denise Carroll and we're super excited that she was able to help us connect with this wonderful author/illustrator. 

You're invited to join in the festivities! Let us know you're coming by RSVPing here. 

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

SCHOOL NEWS student artists shine in competition

First Grader, Courtnie B. from the Fairmont Mable Campus took 1st Place in the Water is Life Poster Contest for this adorable piece. She will receive her award at the Angel's Game on May 16. 

At Fairmont, we believe in the importance of a well-rounded curriculum that includes fine and performing art. We give every student the opportunity for artistic expression in weekly art classes with a designated art teacher. In addition to projects for class, students are encouraged to create artwork to submit to local art festivals and competitions. This spring many of our students have been recognized for their submissions. Here are some of our spring art highlights: 

Water is Life Poster Contest 

On May 16 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim we will celebrate the winners of the Water is Life poster contest. Each year Anaheim Public Utilities hosts the annual water conservation poster contest as part of the celebration of May as Water Awareness Month in California. First through sixth graders are invited to participate in this contest. Three winners are selected from each grade. Winning posters are displayed in the lobby of Anaheim West Tower and trophies are presented at a ceremony prior to an Anaheim Angels baseball game. First place winners also receive a $100 savings bond. Students and their families will be treated to an Angel's game where they will receive a special trophy, hat and the chance to be on the field before the game starts. 


Fairmont Mable Campus Winners: 

• Courtnie B. - 1st Grade, 1st place winner. She will also receive a $100.00 savings bond.
• Alexisse Y. - 4th Grade, 2nd place winner
• Tiffany K. - 5th grade , 2nd place
• Daryuish K. - 5th grade, 3rd place winner

Color It Orange Exhibit 

Color It Orange is an annual art invitational for OC public and private schools. Six students from each school are invited to submit artwork for the exhibit. 

The following Fairmont Anaheim Hills students have artwork on display: 

Ryan C.     " Panda"   brush painting    Grade 2

Sunny Y.    "Sunface"   oil pastel drawing     Grade 5

Isabella L.   "Sunface"  oil pastel drawing     Grade 5

Karina P.   "Galleon"   watercolor painting     Grade 4

Ava M.    "Presidential Portrait"      oil pastel drawing     Grade 5

Sarah M.    "Golfer"   plaster sculpture     Grade 8

Laguna Festival of Art Junior Exhibit 

The following students have work in the Laguna Festival of Art Junior Exhibition which will be held in July and August in Laguna Beach. Their work will also be recognized in the Imagination Celebration 1,000 Pieces of Art Exhibition which will be on display in the South Coast Plaza Crate and Barrel Wing from May 16th to May 30th and then at the Laguna Festival in July and August. The student’s work was selected by a panel of judges from hundreds of pieces submitted by both public and private schools in Orange County. 

Fairmont Anaheim Hills Campus Winners:

Myra F. - Kindergarten           

Ava M. - Grade 5

Raina R. - Grade 6

Fairmont Edgewood Campus Winners: 

Maximo R. - JK

Brandon M. - JK

Kiera A. S. - JK

Vienna P. - JK

Alyssa J. - K

Nika S. - 1st

Andrew S. - 1st

Dhruv P. - 4th

Rayan H. - 5th

Council on Aging Poster Contest

Congratulations go out to Fairmont Mable Campus students Yiyi O. and Tiffany K. for winning first place in the Council on Aging Orange County's (COAOC) yearly art contest. Yiyi won in the 1st through 3rd grade category and Tiffany won in the 4th through 6th grade category. The theme of this year's contest was "Celebrate Successful Aging." Yiyi's and Tiffany's artwork will hang in the COAOC offices in Tustin for the next year, and the students will be recognized at the 7th Annual Council on Aging Orange County Luncheon held at the Irvine Marriott on May 4. 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

FRIDAY FOLDER may 11

Highlights From This Week

We Love Our Fairmont Mamas! 

To recognize our amazing Fairmont moms, some of our campuses hosted picnics and celebrations this week. Our Citron students enjoyed Muffins with Mommy this morning. They serenaded their moms with songs they'd been practicing and had a morning snack. The JK and Kindergarten students at our Anaheim Hills campus loved seeing their moms at the Mother's Day Picnic. 

We also got a jump start on celebrating Mother's Day this week with some mom-inspired blog posts:

• BOOK REPORT: You Weren't Always My Mom?
• THE FAIRMONT FIVE: Mom Blogs We Love 

We wish all you moms out there a very happy Mother's Day. Thank you for everything you do! 

Fairmont Summer Programs 

Summer is just around the corner! Fairmont Summer Programs is setting sail for a summer to remember, and you won't want to miss it!  Whether you are joining us for summer school, summer camp, or specialized enrichment workshops, Fairmont guarantees that this summer, adventure awaits you! Enroll today for a week or the whole summer. www.fairmontsummerprograms.com

Mable Campus Inducts National Junior Honors Society Students
On Thursday, April 26, Mable Campus inducted 31 students into its chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). The ceremony was hosted by Mrs. Riley and Mr. Ickes, the NJHS faculty advisors. Students that are currently on the NJHS board spoke about the qualities of  NJHS members. Bernard K., the acting President, spoke about scholarship, Leanne A. spoke about service, Justine G. spoke about leadership, and Ronik K. spoke about character. After the speeches, the new members were inducted. They each received a pin and signed the Mable NJHS Registry. View the complete list of inductees in the Mable Campus newsletter. 

Weekly E-Newsletters 

Anaheim Hills Campus

Citron Campus 

Edgewood Campus 

Mable Campus 

May 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 

HOW TO use the fairmont blackboard mobile app

In 2010 Fairmont launched the Blackboard Learning Management System for our preschool-12th grade programs to further integrate technology into our curriculum and extend learning beyond the classroom. Blackboard serves as an interactive portal for teachers to publish homework, course content, announcements and key resources for students to access from home any time. Our teachers have adopted this new platform with enthusiasm and are using Blackboard in amazing ways. We have also been pleased to provide parent logins to all of our parents, enabling you to easily access teacher and school announcements and keep track of your student's progress. 

This year you asked us to take Blackboard to the next level by integrating a mobile app so that your child(ren) can access their classroom from any device at any time. We loved hearing your feedback, and we listened! We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Blackboard Mobile Learn app. The app is available for free download on the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry smartphones, Android devices, and HP web OS devices. The app is designed for student use, and Fairmont recommends the app specifically for grades 4-12. Students can log in and access all of the same resources as the web-based version, but in a dynamic, mobile-friendly way. Blackboard studies show that schools who integrate the mobile app see a significant increase in student online participation, and we are excited to offer our students another way to engage with coursework outside the classroom.  

Unfortunately, Blackboard's Mobile Learn app does not yet support the parent login and interface. However, developing the best way to provide parents mobile access to homework, grades and key announcements is a project we are prioritizing this year and working with Blackboard to achieve. 

Please read the instructions below to help your student start using Fairmont's Blackboard Mobile Learn app today! 

To download and start using the Blackboard Mobile App: 1)  Search for "Blackboard Mobile Learn" in your App Store  2) Once Blackboard Mobile Learn is installed, search for "Fairmont-Thesys" using the  search bar that automatically appears when you open the app 3)  Select "Fairmont-Thesys" 4)  Log in using the same username and password you normally use to access Blackboard Additional Resources:  Blackboard Mobile Learn Feature Guide by Device  Tech Support  End User FAQ's for Android  End User FAQ's for Blackberry  End User FAQ's for iOS  End User FAQ's for Palm   Contributed by Sandy Cosgrove, Fairmont Schools Director of Education

THE FAIRMONT FIVE mom blogs we love

In the past couple years, mommy bloggers have taken off! While the sheer number of mom blogs out there can be overwhelming, the good ones provide great content for moms with children of every age. Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, here are five mom blogs to bookmark. They'll make your life a little easier--and a little more fun! 

1. Cool Mom Picks. Just like it sounds--cool moms who find and share the coolest stuff. We love this blog for finding inspiration of all kinds: birthday party gift ideas, stylish diaper bags, organization apps, etc. Kristen, Liz, and their content contributors write in a quick, snappy way. We also recommend their sister blog Cool Mom Tech for all you techies. 
2. Design Mom. "I post on the intersection of design and motherhood." What stylish mama doesn't love that? Blogger Gabrielle Blair shares her experiences as a designer and mother of six who is currently living in France. She shares craft ideas, travel tales, amazing photography, mom advice, and much, much more. 
3. Rage Against the Minivan. Best blog name award, right there. Minivan hater (but admitted minivan driver), Kristen Howerton is mother to an amazing multicultural family, built through both adoption and birth. She blogs about the tough stuff, including the balance between parenting & adoption and the impacts of race, religion, and politics on her family. We appreciate her unique perspective (and her very sarcastic sense of humor). 
4. Alive in Wonderland. A great blog for Orange County moms. Writer Suzanne Broughton is OC Family's top mommy blogger, among many other titles. Her blog boasts everything from family excursion ideas to interviews with top OC chefs to awesome giveaways. 
5. Mom 101. Liz Gumbinner is a witty mama who knows how to write. Her posts on parenting tribulations, the challenges of being a working mom, and on mom blogging itself will get you hooked. She has a loyal following for a reason, and she's known for still replying to reader comments herself--imagine that! 

(Photo from The eMarketer Blog) 


Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

SHORT STORY fairmont student w-i-n-s parenting oc spelling bee

On April 27, Fairmont Mable Campus 5th grader Dayne T. took First Place at the Parenting OC Spelling Bee after spelling the winning word "mercurial" correctly. Campus Director Carole Calabria was there to cheer him on as he went up against 48 other student spellers! 

Dayne's classmate from Fairmont, Emaad R. took second place in the Bee, and the judge's favorite moment was when the boys continued to high-five even after learning they were each other’s competition in the spell-off for the title of champion. Great sportsmanship always deserves an applause! 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools