THE FAIRMONT FIVE organizing your child's study area

With the New Year comes a refreshed sense of purpose.  It's time to tackle all of those items on the to-do list that have gathered dust over the past year.  If you've never gotten around to creating a study area that's both attractive and functional, maybe it's time to get intentional about this important area of your living space.  Here are a few suggestions from the uber-organized folks at the Container Store. 

1. Find the right study area and desk. Find a desk, table or other smooth surface with room to spread out all study materials. Select a chair that’s comfortable, but not too cozy. When selecting a workspace, choose a modular system that will grow with your child through high school and even into college. Make sure the room has adequate lighting.
2. Limit the distractions. If possible, try to create a study area in a location without a telephone or television — these may be too tempting for even the most disciplined students. For older kids, implement a cell phone-free study zone to avoid distractions like text messaging. If you set up a study area in a high traffic area of the home, set aside a firm study time where everyone in the family respects the student’s time to study and finds things to do in other areas of the home.
3. Create a schedule and filing system. At the beginning of the school year, create a scheduling system with a large monthly calendar and place it near the workspace. Color code the calendar items, such as homework and project due dates, exams and birthday parties, in order to easily identify school versus personal entries. This makes it easy for students to manage responsibilities and is also simple for mom and dad to check on the status of kids' projects. Create a color-coded filing system that works in conjunction with the schedule.
4. Keep the area clutter-free. A cluttered study area is not only frustrating, but also will cost valuable study time looking for items. Make sure enough room is available to adequately store books and supplies where they are visible and easily accessible, yet out of the way of the main study area. Include room for writing as well as computing when setting up the space.
5. Keep supplies on hand. It’s frustrating to sit down for a study session and then find out you don’t have the necessary materials. Stock up on the essentials, such as pens, pencils, notepaper, printer paper, ink cartridges, index cards, construction paper and scissors, then make sure they’re organized. Keep reference materials close at hand.

photo from containerstore.com

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

SNACK TIME kick off a healthy new year

Get a jump-start on a healthier new year by making good nutrition a regular habit.  Planning ahead and having healthy foods available and in sight are great ways to start building good nutrition habits that last.

Begin with Breakfast

Studies show that children who eat breakfast perform better on cognitive tests and in school. Balanced breakfasts include a source of protein, fat and carbohydrate, to help satisfy hunger and fuel the brain until lunch time. Low-fat meat, eggs, nuts, tofu or dairy products provide good sources of protein. A healthy breakfast doesn't need to be extravagant or take a long time to prepare. Try something simple like a hard boiled egg, whole grain toast and 100% fruit juice. Or a bowl of whole-grain cereal with banana and reduced-fat soy, rice or regular milk.

If you’re not hungry in the morning, a fruit smoothie made with yogurt can make breakfast easier to swallow and tastes great.

Get Creative With Veggies

School-age kids need between 1 1/2 to 3 cups of vegetables and 1 to 2 cups of fruit each day. After-school snacks are opportunities to help get the fruits and vegetables needed every day for good health.  Have ready: sliced fresh fruit for after-school snacks or raw veggies such as carrot or celery sticks, and bite size tomatoes for munching.

Make Smart Snacks

Edamame (young soybeans) are fun to eat and make a great and satisfying snack.  Classic “ladybugs on a log” are ever popular. Just slice celery into two- or three-bite pieces, fill with peanut or almond butter, and line with raisins or dried cranberries, and, presto, you have a high protein, high fiber snack.

Homemade mini pizzas are easily prepared with pasta sauce, grated cheese, olive or pepper slices on whole grain English muffins or pita bread popped in the toaster oven.

Yogurt smoothies are also a great way to satisfy a sweet craving while providing protein calcium and B vitamins.  

Studies show that the earlier healthful habits are formed, the easier they are to maintain. If children grow up with more healthful and flavorful snacks, it will support eating habits through their teens and young adulthood.

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

Image Credit: Bowers Chiropractic Center 

SHORT STORY inaugural fairmont expo

We were thrilled to see the whole Fairmont family out at Chapman University yesterday for our inaugural Fairmont Expo. Here is a sneak peak of our pictures from the event...

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools 

HOW TO is your child ready for kindergarten?

Shelia Rafat, Admissions Director at the Citron Campus, has had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of soon-to-be kindergartners over the course of her career. She recently conducted a Fairmont Chalk Talk on how to tell when your preschooler is ready for the big "K". While there is no perfect formula that determines when children are truly ready for kindergarten, she shared the following checklist.  And don't worry if your little one isn't an ace with her ABCs just yet. According to Ms. Shelia, and others in early childhood, what's more important is that your child demonstrates a willingness and eagerness to learn.

Signs that your child may be ready for kindergarten:

• Cuts with scissors.
• Traces basic shapes.
• Sorts similar objects by color, shape and size.
• Can pay attention for short periods of time to adult-directed tasks.
• Separates from parents without being upset.
• Identifies the beginning sounds of some words.
• Speaks in complete sentences of five to six words.
• Manages bathroom needs.
• Identifies alphabet letters and their sounds.
• Counts to ten.
• Recognizes some common sight words.
• Recognizes groups of one, two, three, four, and five.
• Can share and play with others.
• Can bounce a ball.
• Can look at a picture and then tell a story.

photo from Microsoft Office photo gallery

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

 

ARTS AND CRAFTS chinese new year dragon

Chinese New Year celebrations begin on January 22 (Chinese New Year's Eve) and run through February 6 (Lantern Festival).    Usher in the Year of the Dragon by crafting this pint-sized dragon puppet from FamilyFun magazine.  The dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac and it is regarded as an auspicious symbol which stands for power, good luck, success, and happiness.  While you're at it, order up some dumplings from your favorite Chinese restaurant and dig in--with a lucky circular shape they represent coins and are super lucky (and delicious)!

 

photo from familyfun.com

 

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

IN THE NEWS great teachers have lasting impact

The Teaching Channel on campus last summer filming one of Fairmont's great teachers in action. 

An article published by the New York Times on January 6th cited a recent study by Harvard and Columbia economists that shows highly effective teachers have a long-term impact on their students' success.

According to the study, students with great teachers are less likely to become pregnant as teenagers, more likely to attend college and earn more when they enter the workforce.  The study is the largest look yet at the controversial “value-added ratings,” which measure the impact individual teachers have on student test scores.

“Everybody believes that teacher quality is very, very important,” says Eric A. Hanushek, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford and longtime researcher of education policy. “What this paper and other work has shown is that it’s probably more important than people think. That the variations or differences between really good and really bad teachers have lifelong impacts on children.”

Teachers unions argue that using test scores to determine teacher quality is harmful and misleading. Others say test scores are an objective measure of a teacher's effectiveness in the classroom and call for accountability.  Regardless of your viewpoint, this study is groundbreaking in assigning a monetary value to poor, average and great teaching.

In my mind, and in the minds of many Fairmont parents, a great teacher is priceless!

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

THE FAIRMONT FIVE reasons to attend the fairmont expo

We can't wait to host our inaugural Fairmont Expo this Sunday, January 22! This joint open house event will mark the first time that all five of our Orange County schools are together in one location. We're inviting the entire Fairmont family to attend to kick off the new year and celebrate Fairmont's 2011 academic achievements as we launch our 2011 Report Card. Here are all the event details and our top 5 reasons to attend:

Fairmont Private Schools Expo 

Sunday, January 22, 2012 

10am-2pm, open house format 

Chapman University, Beckman Hall 404 

One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866

Download Parking Permit 

Top 5 Reasons to Attend: 

1. 2011 P-12 Academic Outcomes Presentation by Sandy Cosgrove, Director of Education and Dr. Matthew Brandstetter, Dean of Academics
2. College Outlook Presentation by Jonathan Dunn, Fairmont Prep College Counselor
3. Fairmont Students in Action
• Mock Classrooms 
• Displays of artwork, science projects, and writing samples 
• Musical Performances 
• Live Debates
4. Fun Activities
• Face Painting
• Kids Crafts
• Pictures with Fairmont Mascots 
• Milk & Cookie Bar
5. Useful Raffle Prizes 
• Free Week of Summer Camp
• Free Summer School Enrollment 
• Free Transportation (2012/2013 Year) 
• Free Extended Day (2012/2013 Year) 

Click here to RSVP. We hope to see you there! 

Contributed by Alyssa, Fairmont Private Schools