summer brain drain...A to Z

Summer is just around the corner. While we definitely believe that summer should be a time for family vacations, relaxation, exploration, and memory making, we--as educations--also dread the summer brain drain that most students experience. Check out these stats from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning, quoted in Dr. Ruth Peters' MSNBC interview about summer learning loss. 

Summer Learning Loss Stats 

• All students experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer.
• On average, students lose approximately 2.6 months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during the summer months.
• Low-income children and youth experience greater summer learning losses than their higher income peers.
• Students may not have the same structured meal schedule and access to nutritious meals during the summer.
• Studies show that out-of-school time is a dangerous time for unsupervised children and youth.

Important Facts 

• Only about 10 percent of students nationwide participate in summer school or attend schools with non-traditional calendars.
• A majority of students (56 percent) want to be involved in a summer program that “helps kids keep up with schoolwork or prepare for the next grade”.
• Research shows that teachers typically spend between 4 to 6 weeks re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer.
• At least 11 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 12 care for themselves over the summer months (unsupervised).

Yikes! So what can you do to help your child beat the summer brain drain this summer? At Fairmont we recommend a careful balance of summer fun and academic preparation. Fairmont's Summer Program offers a split-day program with summer school in the morning, summer camp in the afternoons, and off-site field trips on Fridays. This model gives children a chance to prepare for the next school year while still having a summer camp experience--complete with pool days, crafts, outdoor excursions, team building, and more. 

No matter what your plans are for your kids this summer, be sure to supplement play time with learning opportunities whenever possible so they are well prepared for the next school year. 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

FRIDAY FOLDER may 25

Highlights From This Week

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! Read about the benefits of summer camp in this blog post. Enroll today for a week or the whole summer at www.fairmontsummerprograms.com

Mable Students Honored in Water is Life Poster Contest 

Congratulations to Mable students Courtnie B., Alexisse Y., Tiffany K., and Daryuish K. for placing in the "Water is Life" poster contest which is sponsored by the Anaheim Public Utilities. The contest celebrates California's "Water Awareness Month." Courtnie placed first in the 1st grade division. For winning her division, Courtnie will receive a $100 savings bond. Fourth grader, Alexisse, and fifth grader, Tiffany, placed second in their respective grade level divisions. Daryuish placed third in the 5th grade division. The winning artwork will be displayed in the lobby of the West Tower of Anaheim City Hall. The winners were also recognized on the field before the Angel game on Wednesday, May 16. Way to go Courtnie, Alexisse, Tiffany, and Daryuish! 

Anaheim Hills JH Students Return from Class Trips 

The Anaheim Hills 7th graders took a trip to the Grand Canyon and the 8th graders visited Washington D.C. They had a great time exploring new cities and learning about nature and history. Read all about their adventures in this week's newsletter. 

Edgewood Recognizes Teachers with Poetry 

We love this poem from 5th grader, Huda K.:

Kind, helpful, caring and glad

teachers who never get mad

Happy and compassionate

So fair and dispassionate

Such great Leaders!

Teaching us several subjects

eloquent education preachers

Our Fairmont Teachers

Citron Performs in Spring Musicals

The Preschool Musical this past Wednesday was a smash! Thank you to all our parents for your support. Watch their rendition of "You're a Grand Old Flag" here. Elementary parents, please set aside Wednesday, May 30th at 5:30pm for the Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten performance at Mable and enjoy the musical talents that have been serenading the Citron Campus. JK and K students will be traveling to the Mable Campus next week during school hours for rehearsals. Each child will be wearing a specific costume that correlates to their classroom performance during the production.

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

SHORT STORY preschool lemonade stand

To learn about money and practice their math skills, our Edgewood preschoolers held their very own lemonade sale. We love when summer tradition meets education! 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

THE FAIRMONT FIVE memorial day must-haves

Summer is just around the corner and nothing ushers in the season better than an outdoor Memorial Day celebration with  family, friends and neighbors. In my opinion, you've just gotta have the following:

1. American Flag—The stars and stripes is an enduring symbol of all that our country represents. Fly  Old Glory with pride on Memorial Day, and share these fun flag facts with your kids.
2. Grilled Food—Memorial Day unofficially kicks off grilling season. Before you fire up the barbie, get your grill in shape with these prep tips.
3. Patriotic Decorations—Red, white and blue are festive colors to play with on Memorial Day and any decorations you craft can do double duty a few months later for Independence Day. Check out these décor ideas from Martha Stewart Living.
4. Moment of Remembrance—at 3pm on Memorial Day, observe the National Moment of Remembrance and take a minute to remember the men and women who have paid the ultimate price to safeguard our American way of life. Take your patriotism a step further by visiting a war memorial or donating to a quality cause supporting our veterans such as the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
5. Dessert!—There are plenty of sweet ways to top off your celebrations, but I’m partial to desserts that make the most of the spring’s bounty of berries. I'll be trying these Grilled Balsamic and Brown Sugar Strawberries.

Photo from Chasing Delicious 

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

HOW TO avoid summer sunburns

It seems like every summer there is new news about how, when, where and why to use sunscreen. We all know we need it, but my eyes start to cross when I arrive at the sunscreen aisle. So, this year I really appreciated the super informative article on sun protection in the June issue of Better Homes & Gardens.  Here's an excerpt from the article 10 Signs You're About To Burn by Jan Sheehan to help you avoid sunburns this summer:

Signs You're About to Burn

1. You're outdoors when your shadow is short--A stumpy shadow means the sun is directly overhead, the point at which UVB rays poke straight down through the ozone layer with minimal scattering.  As a result, a person's UVB exposure is up to 50 percent higher during this stretch of day than in early morning or late afternoon.
2. Your sunscreen absorbs in seconds--Sorry, but a think squiggle of lotion isn't going to cut it.  To get the SPF level promised on the label, you need to slick on enough for your skin to stay damp for a minute or two.  (When wearing a swimsuit, count on using an amount that fills your palm.)
3. You apply your first coat of sunscreen outside--Beware: You could burn while the stuff is booting up.  Modern chemical formulas--those made with oxybenzone, avobenzone, and similar ingredients--work by absorbing ultraviolet rays.  For the products to be effective, they must first bind to proteins in the skin, a process that takes about 20 minutes.
4. You grab sunscreen from the car--On a bright summer day, you could fry an egg on the dashboard of a parked vehicle.  Don't let those triple-digit temperatures cook your sunscreen, too.  Take your sunscreen with you when you leave your car, and while outdoors, do what you can to shield it--say, by stashing the tube in a drink cooler.
5. You pop a pain reliever--Once absorbed by the body, common medications can react with ultraviolet light on the skin's surface, resulting in serious burns.  This rapid reaction, known as photosensitivity, is most often seen with ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve), certain antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and diuretics.

Photo from Microsoft Office Clipart Gallery

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

SNACK TIME healthy picnics

Enjoying time as a family in the outdoors is a great way to have fun with your children this summer. Eating outdoors is especially fun for kids. And with a little planning, your family can take pleasure in eating healthy, kid-approved meals on your next picnic or camping trip.

Here are some tips to ensure an outdoor meal-time success: 

• Keep the meal simple, easy to prepare and a snap to clean up.
• Finger foods are good options and kids love anything they can dip. Turkey or veggie wraps and roll ups are well accepted. A baggie full of carrot and celery sticks, cucumber and bell pepper slices, sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes will go quickly if there's a dip to go with them.
• Small finger-sandwiches, chicken nuggets, cheese and crackers, melon balls, cookies, bottled water and juice boxes are also very popular. Freshly grilled corn-on-the-cob is delicious, messy, and fun to eat!

Quick Food Items

If you’re short on time to prepare, here are a few suggestions for readily available items:

Hard boiled eggs

Edemame

Canned beans

Sugar-snap peas

Grape or cherry tomatoes

Carrot, cucumber, celery sticks

Hummus and avocado dips

Trail mix

Bread sticks

Whole grain crackers

Mini-pita bread slices

Luncheon meats

Cheese slices

Apple slices

Dried fruit – mango, papaya, banana, pear, apple, apricot

Grapes or summer berries

Melons – watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew

Muffins

Mini-cupcakes

Tip: Involve the children in the picnic planning process.  Depending on the child’s age, you can also have the kids help with grocery shopping, assembling the ingredients for the picnic or helping with the food prep. Kids love to pick their own food and assemble it on their own. Even young children can assist with stirring ingredients for a dip, washing fruits or vegetables or filling a baggie with snacks.

When you involve children in the food selection and preparation process they'll be more likely to eat what is served. 

Photo from SheKnows.com

Contributed by Leslie K. Kay-Getzinger, MS, RD, Regional Dietitian for Nutrition Management Services

FRIDAY FOLDER may 18

Highlights From This Week

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! Read about the benefits of summer camp in this blog post. Enroll today for a week or the whole summer at www.fairmontsummerprograms.com

Congratulations 6th Grade Pentathlon Teams! 

On Saturday, May 5, Fairmont students participated in the Orange County Academic Pentathlon. This one-day event provided an opportunity for our students of all ability levels to engage in an academic competition that evaluated their performance in five content areas: social science, science, math, literature, and essay. The competition attracted eighty-six teams from public and private schools throughout Orange County. Since January, the teams have been preparing with their teachers. Their dedication and teamwork paid large dividends. In Division 1A, the most challenging division, the Fairmont teams took home numerous individual and team awards! 

Anaheim Hills Campus 

Information to follow on Monday, May 21. 

Edgewood Campus

Edgewood Eagles Team

Super Quiz Team Award - 3rd Place 

Overall Team Award - 6th Place

23 Individual medals

Edgewood Talons Team

Super Quiz Team Award - 4th Place

Overall Team Award - 5th Place

21 Individual medals

Mable Campus 

80 Individual Medals Total 

Fairmont Panthers Team 

Super Quiz Team Award - 1st Place 

Overall Team Award - 2nd Place 

Fairmont Mable Team 

Super Quiz Team Award - 2nd Place 

Overall Team Award - 3rd Place 

Mable Campus Bruce Hockman Carnival
Friday, May 25

Mr. Bruce Hockman was a social studies teacher at the Mable campus 33 years ago, and he wanted to show his students about some of the theories they were learning about. So he proposed the students organize, and run a carnival for the other students. The goal was that the 8th graders would learn about supply and demand, profit and loss, planning, scheduling and time management.  Any profits from the carnival would go towards the junior high promotion events planned for later that year. The carnival was a huge success and all the students had a great day and the 8th graders learned a lot about hard work! When Mr. Hockman passed away the carnival was renamed in his honor. Students from all campuses are invited to attend. Read more in the carnival flyer. 

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