SHORT STORY this is the place

As we wrap up the school year, we remember the moments that made it so special--the first day of school, winning the League Championship, making a new friend. We sign yearbooks and prepare for graduation ceremonies, and we enjoy our last few weeks with teachers and friends before saying so long for summer.

We invite you to celebrate the past year by watching the video above, a compilation of thoughts and memories from our students and parents! 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools

SCHOOL NEWS junior high students win math awards

On April 13, 2013, eight junior high students from Fairmont’s Historic Anaheim campus participated in the third annual Sage Hill Mathematics Invitational held at Sage Hill School in Newport Beach, CA. Fairmont students took Second Place Overall in both the seventh and eighth grade levels and won a number of team and individual awards.

The Math Invitational is a one-day team-based competition for local middle schools with the goal of promoting and celebrating mathematics by providing a fun environment for middle school students to collaborate and share their interests. The Historic Anaheim Campus’ seventh grade team, coached by Michelle Paraiso, included Michael C., Adnan I., Michael K. and Jocelyn L. The 8th grade team included Ejay C., Han C., Tara F. and Ronik K.

“We have a wonderful group of students who work very hard throughout the year on building their skill and mastery in math. I’m very proud of their success,” said Fairmont Historic Anaheim Campus teacher and team coach Michelle Paraiso.

Congratulations to the Historic Anaheim Campus, Ms. Paraiso, and all of the students who participated in the Sage Hill Mathematics Invitational.

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

ARTS & CRAFTS clever teacher appreciation card

May is Teacher's Appreciation Month at Fairmont and schools all across the country.  There are so many wonderful ideas for recognizing the teachers who do such an amazing job of preparing the next generation for success.  There's no shortage of clever crafts on Fairmont's Pinterest boards but we especially loved the witty sentiment behind these cards, created by Chickabug and available as a free download on our Elementary board.

Image from Chickabug.com
Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

SCHOOL NEWS eighth grader named shining student

Congratulations to Fairmont Anaheim Hills campus 8th grader Jack Renton who made OC Register Family magazine's coveted Shining Students of 2013 list.  Jack is an Honor Roll regular, an awesome athlete, and a stand-out student leader.  A two-time golden gavel winner in the Orange County Middle School Debate League and an award-winning Model UN participant, Jack is destined for greatness.  His teachers and friends claim he's Most Likely to Become President!  Check out his write-up in the April issue of OC Family.

Way to represent, Jack!

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

FRIDAY FOLDER april 26

Anaheim Hills preschoolers met local police and police K-9 for Week of the Young Child

Highlights From This Week

Historic Anaheim Junior High Students Have Strong Showing At Sage Hill Math Invitational

On April 13, 2013, eight junior high students from the Historic Anaheim campus participated in the Third Annual Sage Hill Mathematics Invitational. The 7th grade team consisted of Michael C., Adnan I., Michael K. and Jocelyn L., while the 8th grade team consisted of Ejay C., Han C., Tara F. and Ronik K. It is a one-day team-based competition for local middle schools. Its goal is to promote and celebrate mathematics by providing a fun environment for middle school students to collaborate and share their interests.

Competitive events include:
Grade 7
-Mental Math
1st place - Michael C.
2nd place - Michael K.
Overall 1st place - Fairmont
-Algebra and Logic
2nd place - Fairmont

-Data Analysis and Probability
-Measurement
-Geometry and Reasoning

-Engineering Challenge
1st place - Fairmont

7th Grade Overall Team Winner - 2nd place - Fairmont

Grade 8

-Mental Math
2nd place - Ejay C.
Overall 2nd place - Fairmont

-Algebra and Logic
-Measurement
-Geometry and Reasoning -1st place - Fairmont

-Engineering Challenge
8th Grade Overall Team Winner - 2nd place - Fairmont

Anaheim Hills Preschoolers Love "Week Of The Young Child"!
The Week of the Young Child started off with a high-energy "Kids are Super" show by the Nick Anderson Music Company. All the preschoolers were dancing and jiving and giggling with joy as they pretended to be butterflies, trains, frogs and fish! It was so heartwarming to see them thrilled to jump up and down with sheer joy.
The preschoolers celebrated Earth Day by planting a dwarf orange trees, carrots, daisies, broccoli, sunflowers, cucumbers, pumpkins, and watermelon seeds in the preschool garden. Our littlest gardeners really were showing us their 'green thumbs' with their shovel and careful planting skills!

Community Helpers Day was exciting as our preschoolers were visited by the Anaheim Police Department and the Anaheim Fire Department. We are so thankful to our wonderful police and fire departments for their time and kindness! Our preschoolers truly were in awe of the big trucks and sirens! A very special treat was a visit from the Anaheim Police K-9 unit, and our preschoolers loved seeing "Jager" and learning about his training.
On Thursday all our littlest students loved playing with bubbles and sidewalk chalk! We all loved having our faces painted!!

International Day was a very special way to finish this very special Week of the Young Child! Our students wore clothing from their native country or just a favorite costume and had a parade! Next on the agenda for the day was a language lesson, as a story was read to students in different languages. And of course the perfect way to end a  special day and a special week...ice cream!!

North Tustin Student Led Conferences
The North Tustin Campus Student Led Conferences were very successful. Kindergarten - 8th grade students presented a profolio to their parents and discussed their academic achievements and experiences. The first grade team has received many positive responses from both parents and students. Students worked with their teachers, Mrs. Fraser and Mrs. Chewning, to choose their favorite and best examples of academic subjects to share with their parents. These extraordinary works were then separated into 5 academic categories and organized in portfolios. Both teachers held coaching sessions with their students to prepare them for their presentation to parents. Each student completed a summary sheet with academic goals and objectives for the current trimester, and a Behavior Report Card with their personal ratings for categories like, "Do you finish your work in a timely manner?" and "Is your desk clean and neat?" These prompts helped children explain portfolio choices to their parents and guided them through the conference process. All of the students took great pride in their presentations, and parents were pleasantly surprised at how well they handled themselves during the conferences. Thanks to everyone who attended the conferences and to our wonderful students who were "Shining Stars" in their roles!

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

THE FAIRMONT FIVE benefits of summer school

The last day of school--it's something kids look forward to all school year long (even if they secretly love to learn).  Students, teachers and parents yearn for the slightly less structured days of summer.  There are no tests to study for, no special projects to complete at the last minute, and no homework for the dog to eat!  The tricky thing about summer is that as soon as the last school bell rings, kids brains begin to suffer from what is known as "summer learning loss".  

Did you know that students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months?  When you compare standardized test scores for tests taken at the end of the school year and the same test taken at the end of summer--there's a significant dip in student achievement.  Summer brain drain is a fact, but it's not inevitable.  

Studies also show that quality summer programs keep the learning going all year long and can actually boost a child's academic achievement and confidence by the start of the new school year.  Here are five good reasons to consider summer school for your child:

1. Extra practice and review of key concepts in reading, writing and math helps reinforce academic skills and fill in any gaps in your child's education over the past year.
2. The smaller class sizes often available in summer school classes allow for more one-on-one time between teachers and students.  Children may feel more confident speaking up and asking for help in areas where they just don't "get it".
3. Kid's brains actually don't need "downtime" from learning.  The steady stimulation that summer school provides is much more beneficial to your child's brain development than, say, hours of unstructured time watching TV or playing video games.
4. The slower more relaxed pace of summer school allows kids to "play" at learning, discovering new areas of interest and ways of solving problems.
5. Summer school helps children build confidence in their academic abilities and a little confidence can go a long way to helping your child succeed in the coming school year.

Find out more about Fairmont's summer programs including day camp, summer school and enrichment programs by visiting www.fairmontsummerprograms.com.  Save 10% on summer school and summer camp if you enroll by April 30th!

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

SNACK TIME pass the pears please!

On April 10 and 12, the preK – K children at Anaheim Hills and Historic Anaheim Preschool students enjoyed an interactive presentation about PEARS. The children learned that pears come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, even flavors.

Do you know your pear varieties?

Can you guess? Hint: Some varieties come in more than one color.

Which varieties of pears are available in the color Red?  = a Red Anjou, Red Bartlett and Starkrimson pear

What about Brown? = a Bosc pear

Yellow? A Bartlett pear turns from green to yellow when fully ripe.

Green? The Comice or Green Anjou pear is sweet and stays green even when fully ripe!

Red and Green and tiny? The Seckel are bite-size, crunchy and super sweet. They are green with a dark red blush. Perfect for a child’s lunchbox or after school treat.

Beige and round and crunchy? = an Asian or “Apple” Pear. These pears are unusual because of their unique shape - not your typically bottom heavy pear shape or flavor.  Some students thought this pear looked like a softball because it was so large and round.

Healthy habits are easier to practice when learned early. The children were good sports and enthusiastically sampled a fresh pear, a canned pear and a dried pear. Everyone had smiles and some students asked for seconds.

FUN FACTS

FLOAT OR SINK?

Do pears float or sink when placed in water? The children had fun guessing if the same size apple and pear would float or sink in a large container of water. Guess what? Apples float! Pears don’t! Apples float because they contain more air. Pears sink because they are more dense than apples and contain less air. Pears can’t “breathe” or exchange oxygen and it’s also the reason why apples stay fresher longer.

CHECK THE NECK

Pears are one of the few fruits that don’t ripen on the tree.  Check the “neck” of the pear for ripeness. If it gives under pressure, the pear is ready to be eaten. If it’s still hard, wait a couple more days. For best results, ripen at room temperature for 4 to seven days. Some pears, like the Anjou can take up to 10 days to fully ripen. A ripe pear is a sweet pear and is worth the wait.

For more information, games and puzzles about pears check out these websites:

RESOURCES:

http://www.usapears.com/Kids%20And%20Classroom.aspx

http://www.pbhfoundation.org/pub_sec/edu/kids_act/

http://pearworld.kidzsmart.com/

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