Friday, September 30

FRIDAY FOLDER september 30


Highlights From This Week 
Donate Books this Sunday!    
Don't forget to bring books to donate to Anaheim Hills student Megan Mettler's Book Drive this Sunday at the OC Children's Book Festival. All books will go to local schools and non-profits through Megan's Kids READ project. The book drive will be held at the Fairmont booth, so stop by, say hi, and support a great cause. And check out these other great weekend events for the family!

ASB Elections 
The winners of the Junior High ASB elections were announced this week at each campus. Check your campus eNewsletter below to see who are the new leaders! 

Fairmont Prep Info Night    
Save the date for Fairmont Preparatory Academy's annual Info Night on Tuesday, October 4th. Fairmont Junior High families are invited to a 5:30pm canapĂ© reception with Headmaster Bobby Mendoza to kick off the event. Info Night will begin at 6:00pm. Click here to RSVP.  

Fairmont Family Night
The Fairmont Preparatory Academy will be playing their home football game on Saturday, October 8th. We would love to have all Fairmont families attend the game to show our school spirit. There will also be activities such as a bounce house and face painting. You can also enjoy a treat from the snack bar.  

Weekly E-Newsletters 

October Lunch Menus 

Contributed by Alyssa 

Thursday, September 29

BOOK REPORT madeline says merci



Madeline Says Merci: The-Aways-Be-Polite-Book
by John Bemelmans Marciano

The pages that follow offer advice
Oh how to be polite and nice.
As you read, please keep in mind
It all comes down to being kind.
Don't forget to think of others--
Parents, pets and little brothers.

So begins a charming spin-off of the original Madeline book by Ludwig Bemelmans.  Children won't mind learning to say "please and thank you" from Madeline and her friends.  This clever etiquette handbook helps children understand how to behave in a variety of social situations--from how to greet the Queen to how to properly express gratitude for a gift.  Both boys and girls can relate to the rambunctious Madeline and will enjoy the lively prose and witty illustrations.  This is a wonderful addition to your home library that will bear reading and re-reading as your children grow and encounter new people and experiences.

Related Activities:
After reading Madeline Says Merci, encourage your children to put their good manners into action.  Set up a special snack-time tea party for practicing table manners.  Reinforce reading and writing skills by having older children write thank you notes when they receive gifts.  Get theatrical and have your children act out some of the scenes from the book.  There are a myriad of ways to reinforce good etiquette and this book helps make it fun!

For an entire reading list of books about cultivating good manners, check out the recommended reads at Children's Books Guide including my personal favorite Dude, That's Rude.

Contributed by Danyelle

Wednesday, September 28

THE FAIRMONT FIVE helpful homework tips




How much time should children spend doing homework? Should elementary school children do any homework at all? What role should parents play in the homework process? 

According to The Battle Over Homework, elementary students should be doing homework and the ideal amount of time ranges from about 20 minutes in first grade to 60-90 minutes in sixth grade. 

Since homework is a vital part of the learning process, we asked our Director of Education, Sandy Cosgrove how to create the ideal homework environment and experience for your child. Here are her top five tips: 
  1. Assess your Child. Notice where and when your child is most thoughtful and creative and create a homework environment that matches those inherent preferences. Know what your child typically struggles with and what comes easily and help him or her balance time spent in those subject areas to avoid discouragement. 
  2. Establish a Routine. Routine is essential. Doing homework at the same time in the same place as much as possible is often helpful, especially to young students. Help your child stay organized by setting up a process for checking assignment sheets/agendas and “checking off” assignments as they are completed.
  3. Use Natural Consequences. This means you do nothing when it comes to discipline for not completing homework. Alternatively, let homework consequences come from your child’s teacher in the classroom setting to help him or her learn responsibility. Communicate with the teacher yourself if you have specific concerns or questions. 
  4. Use the “Positive-Negative-Positive” Method. Whenever a child brings any piece of schoolwork to you, the first thing you say must be something positive – some type of praise. Your child will never want to show you anything if you constantly start with criticism. Instead start positive, then make corrections, and conclude with another positive.
  5. Always Be Encouraging and Supportive. Remember that your attitude is contagious and will influence how your child feels about homework and school. 

Happy homeworking! 

Contributed by Alyssa and Sandy 


(Image from The Comics Curmudgeon)

Tuesday, September 27

SHORT STORY johnny appleseed day

An "Apple-licious" Way to Celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day
Contributed by Alyssa

Monday, September 26

EVENTFUL fall family events in orange county

Kick off October with a weekend full of great family events! Celebrate community, cultural awareness and reading with these three annual festivals


The Tustin Tiller Days began in 1957 as a tribute to the Orange County's agricultural heritage. Now the event is Tustin's most anticipated family fair, complete with thrilling rides, great food, kids crafts, live performances, and more. Click here to check out the schedule of entertainment. 

When  
Friday, September 30th: 4:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Saturday, October 1st: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
*Don't miss the parade Saturday morning at 10am
Sunday, October 2nd: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Where 
17522 Beneta Way
Tustin, CA 92780



The Irvine Global Village Festival is celebrating its 10th year. Voted "Best Festival" by OC Weekly, this annual event offers live entertainment representing over 50 cultures in addition to ethnic food tastings and an international marketplace. Be sure to visit the Kids Village for engaging arts and crafts projects, face painting and a bounce house--stop by Fairmont's booth to make your own playdough globe while you're there! Admission, parking and shuttles are free. 

When  
Saturday, October 1st: 10 AM - 6 PM

Where 
Bill Barber Park, adjacent to the Irvine Civic Center
4 Civic Center Plaza
Irvine, CA 92606



The OC Children's Book Festival is an annual community fair celebrating the importance of reading. This year, the event will feature: over 100 popular authors and illustrators, books to buy, local exhibitors, family entertainment, live animals, professional storytellers, food and crafts. There will also be a Book Drive held at our Fairmont Schools booth organized by our very own student Megan Mettler! You'll receive a coupon for $2 off at participating author booths for every 2 books you donate (limit 1 per person, 4 per family). 

When
Sunday, October 2nd: 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Where 
Orange Coast College 
2701 Fairview (at Arlington) 
Costa Mesa, CA 92628 

Contributed by Alyssa 

Friday, September 23

FRIDAY FOLDER september 23

Highlights From This Week
Grandparents Day Celebrations 
We had a truly grand time hosting our Fairmont grandparents this week at our campus luncheons and breakfasts in honor of Grandparents Day. Lots of great moments were captured on camera and can be seen on our Flickr page

Give Me A F-A-I-R-M-O-N-T! 
Our Tri-Way & DSL Football and Volleyball seasons are in full swing! Come out and help cheer our teams on to victory--see your campus e-newsletter below for game schedules. Also, don't miss Fairmont Prep's Homecoming Game on Saturday, October 8th. Citron will get in the spirit with Spirit Week Oct 3-8 and will be singing the National Anthem at the game. 

Fairmont Prep Info Night 
Save the date for Fairmont Preparatory Academy's annual Info Night on Tuesday, October 4th. Fairmont Junior High families are invited to a 5:30pm canapé reception with Headmaster Bobby Mendoza to kick off the event. Info Night will begin at 6:00pm. Click here to RSVP.

Donate Books at the OC Children's Book Festival 
Anaheim Hills student Megan Mettler will be hosting a Book Drive at the OC Children's Book Festival on Sunday, October 2 from 9:30am to 4:30pm. The drive will be held at the Fairmont Schools booth (right by the main entrance) and all books will be donated to local schools and non-profits. Be sure to come out and show your support! 

Weekly E-Newsletters 


September Lunch Menus 

Thursday, September 22

EVENTFUL book drive at the oc children's book festival



Thanks to the dedication of Megan Mettler, our very own 8th grade student and budding philanthropist, the OC Children’s Book Festival will once again include an official book drive this year! Barry Ackerman, the co-founder of the Book Festival, heard about Megan's passion for collecting and donating books and her service trip to Joplin, Missouri this summer. Wanting to bring back a book drive element to the 8th Annual Book Festival, he reached out to Megan and Fairmont to coordinate a book drive to benefit Megan's Kids Read! project. 

We are thrilled to announce that the book drive is on and will be held at the Fairmont Schools booth during the event on Sunday, October 2 from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Be sure to bring along all your extra books to donate--both used and new books will be accepted. You'll even receive a coupon for $2 off at participating author booths for every 2 books donated (limit 1 per person, 4 per family). Megan will deliver all of the books she collects to local non-profits and schools, and she will be talking more about her Kids Read! project on stage at the event at 12:25pm. 

We look forward to seeing lots of our Fairmont families out enjoying the event and supporting Megan's efforts. 

Contributed by Alyssa