FRIDAY FOLDER february 27

Highlights of the week:

Junior High Drama Production of Seussical, Jr. is a Block Buster at our Anaheim Hills Campus SMASH hit!

Junior High Drama performed four shows of Seussical, Jr. this week and everyone loved it! Our students dazzled us with their amazing talent. They sang and danced through stories of the Cat in The Hat, Jo-Jo, Horton the Elephant, Sour Kangaroo, Gertrude McFuzz andMaysie.  Our students are truly talented, and they loved entertaining us with their gifts!

During the past three months of rehearsal, the students of the 8th period drama class learned theatre disciplines, including but not limited to, improvisation, mime, character/scene study technical theatre, and much more.The performances were a compilation of what they have learned.~Mr. Halkyard

 

 

For more news and updates from the campuses, please click below:

Weekly Newsletters:

Anaheim Hills Campus 

Historic Anaheim Campus 

North Tustin Campus 

February Lunch Menus:

Anaheim Hills (2nd - 8th Grade)

Anaheim Hills (P - 1st Grade)

Historic Anaheim Preschool

Historic Anaheim Campus (JK - K)
Historic Anaheim Campus (1st - 8th)
North Tustin Campus 

Contributed by Neha, Fairmont Private Schools

 

HOW TO: Teach Children Responsibility

Your teenage son comes home from school and calls you to his room for help. He has placed all his dirty clothes in the laundry basket and he needs help carrying it all to the laundry room downstairs.

Your daughter in kindergarten finishes dinner and puts her dishes in the sink.

Teaching children responsibility fosters valuable life skills. Responsibility is not just about completing a task -- it is about attitude. Teach your children about taking action and being proud of themselves. Once that attitude becomes ingrained, children will begin to take responsibility for tasks without reminders from their parents and they will feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing tasks independently.  

Here are some helpful tips on how to incorporate responsibility into your child’s life:

Begin Early
It may be difficult to suddenly expect responsibility from your teenager if that has not been the norm for them during their younger years. It’s much easier if you teach responsibility from the start. For example, you can begin by teaching your toddler to not only play with their toys, but to also put them back in their place when they’re done playing.

Set a Good Example
One of the best ways to teach responsible behavior is to be a good role model. For example, you can always try to place your personal belongings in their proper places – such as always hanging your coat on the coat rack or placing your keys in the key tray. You can always clean up after yourself in any situation – such as placing your plate and eating utensils in the sink after each meal. While you complete your tasks, talk about it with your children: “Let’s go put our dishes in the sink and wash them up!” 

Let Them Help You 
Invite your child to participate in helping you complete tasks. This will both reinforce the positive sense of accomplishment and can also serve as quality time spent together. Make the task a part of a team effort and help them feel that they have ownership so they feel valued and proud. Do it with a smile! 

Show Them the Way 
Help your child along by giving tasks according to his/her skill level and be there to provide them guidance and assistance. For example, you can provide your toddler with a toy bin and then demonstrate where the toys go after they are done playing with them. As another example, provide your elementary aged child with a clothing hamper in their room. It is important for parents to pave the way by providing both guidance and the necessary tools to succeed.

Remember to be positive and consistent when helping your child manage responsibility. Teaching responsibility may not be easy, but it will provide your child with a feeling of accomplishment and with skills and good habits that will last a lifetime.

Contributed by Natasha, Fairmont Private Schools
Image from: About Parenting

SNACKTIME Why fruits and veggies are important during the flu season

To keep your family in tip-top shape during the cold and flu season, make sure everyone is giving their bodies the resources they need to fuel their immune systems. This means fresh, healthy food!

Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals (plant compounds) that help children stay strong and healthy.  These nutrients support skin, eyes, heart, and the digestive system. Did you know that eighty percent of our immune system is located in our digestive system?

Color Counts!
Try a variety from the rainbow colors listed below to help support your family's immune systems.

-Green fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, sugar snap peas, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, green beans, celery, spinach, kale, and bok choy.

-Red fruits and vegetables contain beta-carotene, known to be involved in the immune function. Some examples include cherries, cranberries, pomegranate, red/pink grapefruit, red grapes, watermelon, beets, red onions, red peppers, red potatoes, rhubarb, and tomatoes.

-Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C and alpha/ beta-carotenes, which protect cell membranes. Examples include oranges, tangerines, papayas, apricot, cantaloupe, grapefruit, mango, papaya, pineapple, carrots, yellow pepper, yellow corn, squash, and sweet potatoes.

-Purple and blue fruits and vegetables contain anthocyanins and vitamin C. They have antioxidant benefits and help protect the body’s cells. Examples include blackberries, blueberries, plums, raisins, eggplant, and purple cabbage.

-White, tan, and brown foods contain flavonoids that protect cell membranes, which help support heart health and reduce cancer risks. Examples include bananas, pears, dates, cauliflower, mushrooms, garlic, onions, parsnips, turnips, white-fleshed potatoes, and white corn.

School-age children need between 1 1/2 to 3 cups of vegetables and 1 to 2 cups of fruit each day. A few bites at every meal can easily add up. Kids love to dip! Have sliced fresh fruit or vegetables ready for after-school snacks. Try dipping veggies or fruit in yogurt, bean dip, peanut butter, or low-fat salad dressing.

*******************************           
Submitted by Leslie Kay, MS, RD
Regional Dietitian for Nutrition Management Food Services

Image Credit: Everyday Families

FRIDAY FOLDER february 20

Highlights of the week:

Courtnie B. Wins CASTO Art Competition
Each year, the Orange County Chapter of the California Association of School Transportation Officials (CASTO) holds a poster contest. This year, the theme was "Bully Free Zone."  Courtnie B., under the tutelage of Mrs. Gormin, entered the CASTO contest with her "Bully Free Zone" entry, and she came in first place for the Local Chapter 2. Courtnie will receive a class party and $25 spending money. Way to go, Courtnie!

For more news and updates from the campuses, please click below:

Weekly Newsletters:

Anaheim Hills Campus 

Historic Anaheim Campus 

North Tustin Campus 

February Lunch Menus:

Anaheim Hills (2nd - 8th Grade)

Anaheim Hills (P - 1st Grade)

Historic Anaheim Preschool

Historic Anaheim Campus (JK - K)
Historic Anaheim Campus (1st - 8th)
North Tustin Campus 

Contributed by Neha, Fairmont Private Schools

A TO Z: Saving Battery Life

We have all been there.  You turn on your iPad in class or for a meeting, you see the icon in the corner - battery is at two percent.  What can you do to maximize that last bit of battery juice? How can you prevent a low battery situation?

Prolonging Your Battery

Here are six quick tips to help your battery last longer.

1. Identify Culprits

A new feature in iOS 8 allows you to view the apps are using the most battery life.  Click on Settings —> General —> Usage —> Battery Usage.  Apps that are using up your battery life should be closed when not in use or deleted if they are not essential.

2. Turn Off Background App Refresh

Some apps run in the background even when you are not actively using them.  This is convenient when you are multitasking, but it drains battery life. Go to Settings —> General —> Background App Refresh.  You can turn off the feature in general, or select certain apps that you would like to refresh and turn it off for others. 

3. Turn Off Data Push or Fetch Email Less Often

If you are using the Apple Mail app to check your email, you can manage how often the app will connect to the mail server and search for new messages, called Data Push or Email Fetching.  How often the app fetches email will affect your battery life.  To adjust these settings, go to Settings —> Mail, Contacts, Calendars —> Fetch New Data. If the Push setting is switched on, your iPad will connect to the server frequently to find new data.  Turn this feature off to save battery life.  You can then select how your data will be fetched for each account.  To save battery life, select the Manual option - data will only refresh when you open the account. Alternatively, you can select Fetch, and select a fetch option that is less frequent, such as hourly.  

4. Use Auto Brightness or Reduce Screen Brightness

The screen display will eat up battery life if it is set to a high brightness.  You can save your battery by either using Auto Brightness or by dimming your screen when possible.  Go to Settings —> Display —> Brightness and turn Auto-Brightness to on.  You can also access your brightness quickly by swiping up from the bottom of your screen to open the Control Center.

5. Auto-Lock Sooner

Your battery will continue to drain while your iPad is on.  Using the auto-lock feature will put your device to sleep and save on battery.  You can adjust how quickly this will occur in Settings —> General —> Auto-lock.  Use a quicker auto-lock to save on battery life.

6.  Turn Off Parallax

The feature that makes the wallpaper appear like it’s moving behind your apps is called parallax. Whether you find this to be distracting or want to reduce the huge battery drain it causes, you can turn it off. Go to Settings —> General —> Accessibility and switch Reduce Motion to on.

I hope these tips are helpful in ensuring your iPad is fully functional when you need it the most! I would like to know your thoughts and ideas regarding saving the battery life for an iPad. Please feel free to contact me at: rosborne@fairmontschools.com. 

Contributed by Natasha, Fairmont Private Schools
Image from Freepik.com 

HOW TO: Helping Students Prepare for the Next Grade

Having a daily routine of reading, writing, and practicing math facts at home significantly helps a child prepare for the next grade level. Here are some recommendations for parents to help their children confidently make the transition.

-Encourage your child to read books that appeal to his/her interests. For children who cannot yet read on their own, being read to aloud by an adult or older sibling is a wonderful way to finish a busy day.

-Talk positively about math with younger children and provide examples how addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are tools for solving everyday problems. Explain how math helps figure out the cost of going out for lunch, save money for purchasing a toy, and determine the cost of groceries during a trip to the market.

-Accelerated Math (AM): For older children who have a strong grasp of their basic math facts, AM is a great way for expanding their mastery of mathematics.  It enables them to review a variety of math topics in order to remain current.

-Writing is an accrued skill. Steady practice results in better writing. Parents can help their younger children foster a love for writing by encouraging them to write in a journal every day. Keeping these journal entries will help track the progression of writing skills over time.

Along with assisting in practicing academic skills, it’s equally important for parents to remember that encouragement and assurance go a long way to helping their children prepare for the next grade level.  

Contributed by Doug Fleischli, Fairmont Private Schools

Image from Scholastic 

CHALK TALK Learning Science at Home

It would be advantageous if children had some knowledge of science, even if they have interests outside of physics, chemistry and biology.  Students need to have a basic understanding of science to make informed decisions about their own health and their surrounding natural environment. Embracing the basic scientific concepts complements a well-rounded education. 

Parents can play a significant role in helping their children develop a curiosity and appreciation for science. There are many educational resources readily available for parents to explore. What is more beneficial than joining your child in the exploring, observing and learning about the wonderful world of science around you.  

Taking your child on a fun journey to a museum or observing nature at a park are a few of the many exciting opportunities in your community to engage in scientific exploration. For example, you and your child can take a walk on the beach and examine the diverse biosphere of a tide pool. In the comfort of your own home, you can study how water boils when it reaches very hot temperatures! You can even conduct a scientific experiment by watching how items float in your sink or bathtub! 

Everyday interactions can inspire your child to observe and appreciate the wonders of nature and science. 

Here are ideas for you to try at home:

·         Look for constellations in the night sky

o   Do you know how to describe a constellation? It is a group of stars that makes a pattern and has a name. Can you spot the big dipper in the night sky? You can familiarize yourself with different constellations, including the big dipper, by conducting a quick search online.

·         Bake a cake

o   It’s one of the first lessons in culinary school: baking is a science. Each ingredient has a job to do. Flour provides the structure, baking powder and baking soda give the cake its airiness, eggs bind the ingredients, butter and oil tenderize, sugar sweetens, and milk or water provides moisture.

·         Observe nature – different trees, rocks and leaves

o   Collect and identify leaves or rocks. Talk about the differences between the color, texture and smell of the objects you encounter! Where are they located? Do certain trees only grow in certain terrain? Do leaves change color in different seasons?

·         Learn about different animal breeds

o   Go for a walk and talk about how the dogs (or birds or cats) that you see are alike and different. Observe your favorite animal(s) around your neighborhood or park. If you love dogs, then talk about the different breeds and what that includes, such as: color of fur, size and even different barks!

Contributed by Natasha

Photo courtesy of Slate.com