ARTS & CRAFTS plant pals

Monday is Earth Day! I love that we have a holiday dedicated to our beautiful planet. I try to instill a love of nature into my kids daily, but there's nothing wrong with a little reminder. Here is a cute craft from spoonful.com that will last longer than just a day, will beautify your home, and will teach your kids about how nature works! You'll only need a few things to get started. So go get planting!

Image from Spoonful

Contributed by Darcy, Fairmont Private Schools

FRIDAY FOLDER april 12

Congratulations to 8th Grader, Austin K.  He won the Physics Division at the Orange County Science Fair and will be representing Fairmont at the California Science Fair next week!

Highlights From This Week

Student Led Conferences

Fairmont Private Schools and other schools around the country are leading the charge on a new style of conferences that are student-led. We introduced Student-Led Conferences  this month with wonderful, positive comments from parents, students, and teachers. We encourage you to participate in your child's conference if you have not done so already.  

Student Led Conferences help put students on "center stage" and take more responsibility for their academic achievement, self-discipline, and physical well-being. Student Led Conferences reflect the belief that students should be actively involved in their learning and assume responsibility for the learning process. We look forward to seeing you at the Student Led Conferences to celebrate your child's growth and learning! 

 

Read more about Student Led Conferences in this article by Education World.

Week of the Young Child

The Historic Anaheim Preschool will celebrate Week of the Young Child April 12th - April 19th. Week of the Young Child is a time to recognize and promote early learning whether at home, school, or in the community. The following are different activities that we will promote each day of next week:

Monday, April 15th: Music Appreciation Day

Choral and Instrumental students from the Prep will give a special performance just for our students.

Tuesday, April 16th: Bounce Day

The bounce house is coming! Each class will have a chance to bounce in the Mickey Mouse bounce house.

Wednesday, April 17th: Magic Day

Franklin Haynes Marionettes presents Marionette Magic! Students will be awed by a variety of marionettes featured in this show.

Thursday, April 18th: Pajama Day

Come dressed in pajamas. Students will enjoy special books and bagels snack time with ASB students from the Prep.

Friday, April 19th: Multi-Cultural Day

Children can wear their cultural attire and participate in a school-wide Fashion Show. They will enjoy classroom celebrations with an International Pot-Luck snack.

In celebration of Week of the Young Child, theHistoric Anaheim Main Campus kindergarten students will participate in the following fun-filled activities:

Tuesday, April 16th: Once Upon a Story

Our upper grade princesses (Miss Patterson, Miss Wu, & Mrs. Gilliland) will come share their favorite book with our kindergarten students.

Wednesday, April 17th: Oh My! It is Wacky Wednesday!  

Wear your Wackiest Hair! Mrs. Cameron will join the kindergarten class to share Dr. Seuss'Wacky Wednesday.

Thursday, April 18th: Creative Play Day!

Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, ribbon wands, and more!

Kindergarten students will have afternoon play with all sorts of outdoor toys and will cap it off with a tasty popsicle!  

Fairmont Summer Programs: Now Enrolling! 

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The Fairmont Summer Programs website is now LIVE and accepting applications for all the lords and ladies of the kingdom! Sign up before April 30th to receive a 10% discount on summer school and summer camp.  

Preschool-8th Grade:
http://www.fairmontsummerprograms.com/ 
High School:
http://www.fairmontsummerschool.com/

Weekly E-Newsletters 

Anaheim Hills Campus

Historic Anaheim Campus

North Tustin Campus

April Lunch Menus 

Anaheim Hills Preschool-1st Grade

Anaheim Hills 2nd-8th Grade

Historic Anaheim Campus Preschool

Historic Anaheim Campus Kindergarten

Historic Anaheim Campus 1st-8th Grade

North Tustin Preschool-Kindergarten

North Tustin 1st-8th Grade

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools

HOW TO age-appropriate chores for kids

With four kids under the age of 9, I have a lot of work to do at home. Constantly. 

It is important to me that my children know how to take care of themselves and their home. And I've learned that even my little ones can be very helpful with chores. The younger they are, the more excited and willing they are to help. I love this list of age appropriate chores from Raising Arrows. Here are a few examples for the various age breaks: 

9-12 Months

• Help put away toys

1-2 Years Old

• Use proper "manners" with please, thank you, excuse me, sorry
• Help clean up their own messes

2-3 Years Old

• Help sort laundry
• Help bring in groceries at home 

3-4 Years Old 

• Learn to make their bed
• Begin establishing regular chores like dusting the living room blinds

4-5 Years Old

• Learn how to set the table 
• Learn how to water plants 

5-6 Years Old

• Begin to help younger siblings with tasks
• Learn to wash dishes 

6-7 Years Old 

• Begin learning how to prepare simple meals and snacks 
• Begin learning how to do the laundry from start to finish

8-10 Years Old

• Complete responsibility for their domain (bedroom, specific chores, etc) 
• Unsupervised yard work 

Image from Laptop Clipart

Contributed by Darcy, Fairmont Private Schools

THE FAIRMONT FIVE teachers share secrets for good kid behavior

Here at Fairmont, we believe our teachers are superheroes!  And when it comes to super powers, our early childhood educators have some of the coolest skills. Our ECE teachers can predict meltdowns and stop temper tantrums with a single bound.  They seem to bring out the best in children without yelling or resorting to bad behavior themselves.  Just how do they do it?  Here are a few of their secrets for handling some of parents’ toughest challenges:

1. Solving separation anxiety--Begin each day with a positive outlook.  Take time to talk about the day before you leave for school. Try asking your child simple questions about their daily routine.  “When you are at recess what is your favorite thing to do?”  “I noticed your classroom has some great toys.  What will you play with today?”  Children develop confidence and security by following a routine.  When it is time to leave your child, always say good bye. Give them a hug and send them on their way. Do not linger or keep coming back--this sends the message that something is wrong.  Don’t panic if your child starts to cry.  Have confidence in your child's teacher.  Once a youngster has mastered a daily routine they will be confident and content at school.
2. Positive parenting--I have seen time and time again that children respond better to praise than punishment.  When parents and teachers keep things positive, they see better results.  Children want to feel that pat on the back even more than a reward.  Keep everything positive!
3. Using age to your advantage--"Age Advantage" is using a child's age as a motivation.  For example, "When you are four you will be able to do X.”  “When you are five you can do X."  Also, it can work the other way around, for example: "Now that you are four you no longer need X,” or "Five year-olds don't do X."
4. Mood matters--We have learned through teaching, as well as through parenting, that children will feed off your mood. If you are calm, they are more apt to be calm as well.
5. You're in charge--Being a parent is wonderful, but it comes with responsibility.  Parents are responsible for making decisions for their children. Children need guidance on what is in their best interest. Children are not capable of making those choices.  Parents need to teach that there are consequences for good and bad behavior. Acknowledge when a child makes the right choice and have appropriate consequences when poor choices are consistently made. One hundred percent consistency is imperative and possible. This is where “mean what you say and say what you mean” comes into effect.

To see Fairmont's ECE teachers in action, check out this new video.

Image from photobucket

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

BOOK REPORT fairy tales with a twist

Since launching Fairmont's summer program, we've all had fairy tales on the brain.  We love those "happily ever after" stories complete with princesses, dragons, and magical godmothers. But fairy tales are even more fun when they're told with a twist, like these five original takes on familiar tales. 

Kate and the Beanstalk
by Mary Pope Osborne

Bubba the Cowboy Prince
by Helen Ketteman

Cinder Edna
by Ellen Jackson

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
by Jon Scieszka

Dusty Locks and the Three Little Bears
by Susan Lowell

Image from barnesandnoble
Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

SHORT STORY fairmont prep tec launch gala

On Thursday, March 28 Fairmont Preparatory Academy kicked off its Prep TEC (Technology-Enhanced Curriculum) Program with a special gala event. The evening began with a presentation by Dr. Matt Brandstetter about the components of the program and the importance of technology in education. 

Next year, Fairmont Prep will have a 1:1 student iPad program and iPads will be incorporated into the curriculum in every subject. At the Gala, families were able to see the iPads in action by visiting classroom demonstrations around the gym. 

We were so pleased to have so many Fairmont families in attendance to see the technology integration in action. Thank you to everyone who joined! 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools

ARTS & CRAFTS flower sun catchers

It's officially spring which means flowers are blooming everywhere. Let's get some of those blooms inside too. It's time to make your own Flower Sun Catchers. This craft is easy to do with your child and lets you recycle too! Only a few arts and crafts staples are needed (empty plastic water bottle, colorful tissue paper, glue, a paint brush, and string or yarn). Just follow this easy tutorial from The Chocolate Muffin Tree blog.  Your child will love displaying his or her work on your windows!

Image from The Chocolate Muffin Tree

Contributed by Darcy, Fairmont Private Schools