A to Z: twas the night before school started

The new school year begins tomorrow at Fairmont Private Schools, and hopefully your student is ready to return to the classroom! Here’s a simple checklist to ensure that you and your child are prepared for the first day of school:

1. Fill backpacks with necessary school supplies.
2. Pack a lunch or ensure that lunch money is available to the student.
3. Launder and lay out the student’s clothes for the morning.
4. Plan a hearty breakfast.
5. Ensure that your student has his or her class schedule or teacher’s name.
6. Review with your child the transportation plan for pick-up and drop-off.
7. Charge your phone or camera for First Day of School pictures and use #FairmontFirstDay when posting to social media.

Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep the night before and wake them up with positive energy to start the day off right. Making the transition from summer vacation to a classroom setting as seamless as possible will help your child succeed early in the year!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by Mysixringcircus.com

FRIDAY FOLDER: august 14

Memories of 2015's "Surf's Up" Summer Camp

 

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools 

A to Z: 10 classic movies to share with your child

Need some fresh entertainment ideas for Family Night? Tired of watching cartoons? Fire up the popcorn maker and transform your living room into an old-time movie theater with these classic flicks! Each film listed below is accompanied by the MPAA rating and appropriate viewing age as determined by CommonSenseMedia.Org. Introduce your child to the timeless films that have enriched so many young hearts once upon a time:  

Wizard of Oz, 1939

Appropriate for ages 6+

Rating: G

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 1971

Appropriate for ages 8+

Rating: G

Swiss Family Robinson, 1960

Appropriate for ages 8+

Rating: G

The Sound of Music, 1965

Appropriate for ages 6+

Rating: G

Doctor Dolittle, 1967

Appropriate for ages 5+

Rating: G

Mary Poppins, 1964

Appropriate for ages 6+

Rating: G

Muppet Treasure Island, 1996

Appropriate for ages 6+

Rating: G

Back to the Future, 1985

Appropriate for ages 10+

Rating: PG

Hook, 1991

Appropriate for ages 8+

Rating: PG

Princess Bride, 1987

Appropriate for ages 8+

Rating: PG

Look for these films on Netflix, Hulu, iTunes, at RedBox locations, or your local library! Use Can I Stream It or Go Watch It to view streaming options and availability!

Individual parental discretion will determine which films are suitable for a family’s child.

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images by Wikipedia, IMDB, Wikia, WonderlandAmericas, & ThemeParkTourist    

HOW TO: teach your child about money

It’s never too early to provide your child with a strong foundation of financial wisdom and guidance. Learning financial principles at a young age will set the stage for a smoother transition into adulthood. From making small purchases with his or her own money to paying for college and beyond, wise financial stewardship is an essential skill.   

The Forbes article titled “The 5 Most Important Money Lessons to Teach Your Kids” encourages parents to take advantage of teachable moments in order to advise children about personal finance. For example, include your six-to-ten year old when making purchases at the grocery store. Give him or her several dollars and allow the child to make a selection based on parameters you have given (e.g. money must be spent on fruits or vegetables, cost not exceeding the specified amount, etc.). Parents should also remain interactive while shopping with children. Talking aloud and posing questions to your child, such as “Is this item essential?” or “Should we save money by buying an off-brand item instead?,” will keep him or her engaged in the activity and foster the concept that money is finite.

A U.S. News & World Report article, “7 Ways Smart Parents Teach Their Kids About Money,” references CEO of Offers.com Steve Schaffer’s method of teaching his own children about money. When doling out weekly allowances, Schaffer deducts a quarter for “family taxes” and requires each child to put 15% of the week’s money into a savings account. The child may then choose what to do with the remaining amount, which is where a multitude of teachable moments occur organically. For instance, instead of buying the toy that your child has been begging for, encourage him or her to set a goal and save their own money for the purchase. This is a perfect situation for eliminating instant gratification and teaching goal-setting, money saving, and perseverance. As discussed in past blog post “HOW TO: Foster a Strong Work Ethic,” present opportunities for your child to earn extra money by establishing a list of chores to be completed for payment.

Another idea to consider is using a clear container instead of the classic piggy bank. This will give your children a visual reminder of their saving and purchasing goals. You can also teach the value of coupons and sales by encouraging your child to hunt for coupons in the newspaper. Also, consider limiting the amount of advertising your child is exposed to when trying to teach money-conscious values. Open a dialogue about advertisements and commercials by asking questions like “Would you spend your money on that?,” “How much do you think that item costs?,” or “Do you think we really need that item?” View past blog post “CHALK TALK: Helping Young Children be Aware of the Purpose of Advertising” for more about parenting in an ad-saturated world.

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by Claudio Jule, FreeImages.Com

FRIDAY FOLDER: august 7

Highlights of the Week:

Fairmont summer campers enjoy the last week of camp

Fairmont Summer Programs has concluded this year's 'Surf's Up' summer camp! During the final week of camp, students enjoyed Swim Day, knocked down pins at the bowling ally, dressed up for Superhero Day, and celebrated during on-campus parties.

Fairmont has enjoyed spending the summer with your child! To see more photos from this summer, visit Fairmont's Flickr and Facebook pages!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools 

 

HOW TO: foster a strong work ethic in your child

The development of a strong work ethic begins at home. In today’s world, success is based on academic achievement, character, and determination. A strong work ethic feeds into all three of these areas. Here are four steps for teaching your young child the value of hard work and honest effort:

1. Believe Chores are Necessary - Marie Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D., states in her article Teaching a Work Ethic, that “[parents] need to rethink [their] whole notion of chores. If you think they are optional,... so will your kids. [...] Our kids pick up our attitudes whether we say them or not.” Hartwell-Walker also notes that in order to teach proper work ethic, parents need to believe and exemplify that work is a necessity of life.
2. Model Hard Work - As your child’s foremost role model, lead by example when it comes to completing projects and chores. If you desire your children to put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher, make sure that you’re putting your dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Model to your child that work becomes easier when done thoroughly the first time.
3. Assign Age-Appropriate Jobs - Teach your child to be a contributing member of society by first encouraging him or her to be a contributing member of the family. Give each child age-appropriate chores to be completed routinely. Establish the boundary between chores that are required of family members, and those that can be done later for extra pay. 7 Ways to Teach Good Work Ethic While They are Young has more great ideas about assigning chores at home!  
4. Outline the Consequences - Hartwell-Walker explains the importance of clearly outlining the consequences of neglected chores when she says: “It’s [difficult] to connect life’s consequences with household chores, but consequences are still there. Unfortunately, the natural consequences are often visited mostly on [the parent]. Chores left undone fall in [his or] her lap... But, with a little creativity, you can make consequences clearer. For example, if [m]om has to do someone else’s job, she can’t possibly have the time to taxi that person where he or she wants to go. No need to be angry about it. It’s just a fact. And facts, presented factually, are far more impressive to kids than the high drama of anger and recriminations.”

Establish a routine, develop the understanding that everyone must contribute, and display the consequences of ignored work, to help your child understand the value of contributing to a family and accomplishing a goal as a team. Fostering a strong work ethic in your child will greatly prepare him or her for success in all future endeavors.

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by Little Pickle Press

HOW TO: apps that introduce kids to coding

The need for children to be “tech-savvy” is becoming more apparent as technology continues progressing at such a rapid pace. Beyond inspiring future career paths, introducing children to coding opens the window to a new way of thinking in regards to solving problems, nurturing creativity, and completing projects.

Engaging in age-appropriate computer programming also enables children to gain confidence in embracing new technology by helping them understand how technology works and the processes involved in developing it.

The following apps offer children simple and kid-friendly opportunities to become familiar with coding.

Scratch
Designed specifically for children, Scratch was created by MIT students and staff.

ScratchJr
 (iPad)
Introduces coding to children as young as five-years-old.

Tynker
(Web)
An effective tool for teaching programming.

Hopscotch
(iPad)
This is a great tool to help students without coding experience gain confidence in the basics of programming, logical thinking, and problem-solving.

Daisy the Dinosaur
(iPad)
This provides an easy introduction to programming for younger students. 

Contributed by Doug Fleischli, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by ibtimes