Apr. 25
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Sun Smart Week |
| Apr. 29 |
Principal's coffee |
May 2- 6
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Staff appreciation wk |
| May 4 |
ELAC meeting |
| May 6 |
International
Night |
| May 10 |
Whole school learning celebration & Science Fair |
May 26
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Discovery Day |
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(click through to the website)
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The end of the year must be coming, because things are getting busy! Take note of the key items for the next few weeks below, and read the full newsletter for everything that's coming up.
- It's Sun Smart Week! Bring your hat and protect your skin at school. Collect your UV-light sensitive bracelet outside the office on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
- 5th grade parents: your child's yearbook pages need to be submitted by April 27 (the deadline has been extended but this is the absolute limit). All of the instructions are provided below -- enjoy putting together this great keepsake!
- Fairmeadow staff appreciation week is May 2 - 6; mark your calendars and let's show them how much we love them!
- This week is Secretary's week -- consider bringing flowers or a card in for our fabulous front office staff, Alicia and Mary-Ann.
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Noon Activities is looking for yarn and lego donations.
That's it for this week, but as we said last week, please check out the Fairmeadow
calendar for upcoming events. Thanks!
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| From the Principal's Desk |
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Dear Fairmeadow Community,
The last week of April and the first weeks of May will include a multitude of creative learning opportunities in classrooms and beyond. Many exciting and engaging student activities and community events for all Firebirds await us this spring!
Monday, April 25th marks the start of the first Sun Smart Week at Fairmeadow. The goal of this week is to raise our community's awareness around the harmful effects of the sun's rays on our skin, and to encourage children to protect their skin when outside. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and yet it is also the most preventable. Too much direct sun exposure on the skin can have lasting negative effects, and simply wearing a hat, applying sunscreen, and seeking shade can significantly reduce the risks associated with sun exposure. Did you know that around 40-60% of an individual's sun exposure occurs before age 20? Please encourage your child to bring a hat to school this week, and to wear a hat during outside play and outside learning time. Some of the fun, sun-smart activities this week will include a skit at our Wednesday assembly, daily UV ratings posted around our school, and making of UV sensitive bead bracelets at lunchtime. Thank you for reinforcing the sun-safety message at home and for encouraging your child to bring and wear a hat this spring and summer.
In honor of national poetry month, many students and staff will be participating in Fairmeadow's Poem in Your Pocket Day this Wednesday, April 27th. In 2008, The Academy of American Poets brought this idea nationwide, encouraging children across the USA to carry a poem in their pockets to celebrate the power of poetry. Through the month of April in the library, Sara Gilman worked with students to read, create, and appreciate poetry. The charge this Wednesday is simple: carry a poem in your pocket throughout the day and read that poem with whoever is interested to hear it. The result will be a literacy-rich day together as children and adults read, experience, and recognize the joy found in poetry. Sara Gilman has paper pockets in the library for students who may not have a pocket in their clothes that day. Please consider participating with us, carry a poem in your pocket on Wednesday, and share it with anyone who will listen!
Discovery Day
at Fairmeadow is an opportunity for parents, teachers, and community members to share their interests and expertise with our students, to pique student interest and excitement in a variety of topics and activities. Do you have a skill or interest that you would like to share with our students? Participating is simple. Consider some of your own interests and areas of expertise and design an hour-long activity to share with a group of students, which allows them to explore that interest or topic. Previous Discovery Day activities at Fairmeadow have included baking cupcakes, engineering bridges, learning karate, playing guitar, learning calligraphy, building sand castles, designing sun dials, playing ultimate Frisbee, coding, fashion design, origami, and much more! For a comprehensive list of example activities, and to sign up to host a Discovery Day activity for students on the morning of May 26th, please visit the following website: http://tinyurl.com/fmdiscoveryday
.
Please mark your calendars for two unique community events at our school, International Night and our Whole School Learning Celebration. On the evening of Friday, May 6th from 5:30-7:30 pm, Fairmeadow students and families are invited to campus to enjoy cuisine and performances from countries and cultures represented by our students at our annual International Night. Come to celebrate the diversity of our school community, and to learn unique, interesting, and tasty facts about the countries and cultures from students at our school. On Tuesday, May 10th please join us for Fairmeadow's Whole School Learning Celebration, a celebration and showcase of the student learning and growth achieved during this school year in your child's classrooms. The event begins with a community assembly at 6:45 pm on the blacktop, followed by a tour of your child's classroom provided by your child. Come early to enjoy the Fairmeadow Science Fair at 6 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the many inspired questions of inquiry asked and answered by our Fairmeadow scientists. Please plan on joining us for this important community gathering on May 10th!
During this Friday's Principal's Coffee in the MP Room at 8:45 am, we will take a close look at the many exciting student activities and community events that conclude the year. Please join me this Friday, April 29th for a warm cup of coffee, and an informative discussion about all that we have to look forward to at Fairmeadow in the month of May. Whether you are new to this community and want to learn more about what lies ahead this spring, or whether you are a veteran Firebird who would like to share, please join me for this conversation on Friday at 8:45 am.
Alicia and Mary Ann contribute to Fairmeadow in innumerable ways. Help us appreciate Alicia and Mary Ann by celebrating Secretaries Week with us! Staff will be acknowledging their hard work in a number of ways this week; please consider bringing by a flower or a kind note for our two hard working front office leaders! The week of May 2nd is Staff Appreciation Week at Fairmeadow, where we turn our attention to appreciating our teachers, aides, and other staff at school. Please contact your room parents for more information. Our teachers and staff work so incredibly hard for our children, please join me in appreciating them for their unwavering dedication.
Enjoy this special season of celebration, renewal, and growth. I look forward to seeing you at Fairmeadow soon.
Grant Althouse
Principal |
IMPORTANT - 5th grade Yearbook Deadline extended to Wednesday, April 27th
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To all 5th grade parents,
Buy your 5th grade yearbook before Wednesday, April 27th.
You can buy a book without personal pages. HOWEVER! Two personal pages are included, and you can fill them out online if you want to make use of them.
The yearbook will be soft cover (option for hardcover), 48 pages including 2 personal customized pages. The price will be $16.32 (excluding tax; scholarships are available, talk with your teacher). The personal pages will only be printed in your own yearbook. If you like you can add pages from friends to your book.
Information:
How to purchase your yearbook from Treering: click
here.
How to make personal pages: click
here.
For more information, call the Treering Customer Support at
877-755-8733
If you have any other questions, please let us know,
Maria, Esmaralda, Valerie and Francisco
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April 25-29 is Sun Smart Week at Fairmeadow School. The aim is to encourage kids to protect their skin when outside either by wearing a hat, their own sunscreen, or seeking shade. If you'd like your child to participate in Sun Smart Week, please make sure they have a sun hat in their bag. We'll be giving out prizes for sun smart hat wearers!
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| Mark Your Calendars! Get Ready for Fairmeadow Staff Appreciation Week May 2 - 6 |
Next week
we honor our wonderful Fairmeadow teachers and staff during Staff Appreciation Week.
To make the week extra special, student contributions are requested for the following days:
May 4th, Wednesday
- Students can bring a flower or a piece of fruit for their teacher, aide and an additional staff member.
May 6th, Friday
- Students deliver a picture and/or written note for their teacher, aide and an additional staff member.
Watch out for more details in your Friday Folder!
Any questions? Contact Nadia Priestley (nadia@stodge.org)
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When:
Wednesday, May 4
Time: 8:30-9:30 am
Where: Fairmeadow, Room 27
You are invited to attend this year's final E.L.A.C. meeting at Fairmeadow! E.L.A.C. is the acronym for English Learner Advisory Committee. The purpose of this E.L.A.C meeting is to provide parents of English Learners opportunities to:
- Learn more about the support that is offered to their students
- Advise the principal and school staff on the most positive and effective actions to improve learning of English Learners
- Topics to be discussed:
- Give feedback on our program this year
- Provide suggestions on how we can improve our program
- New families will get an overview of our English Learner Program
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Fairmeadow's International Night
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Friday, May 6, 5:30-7:30 pm
Ask anyone who has been before, and they'll tell you that the annual Fairmeadow International Night is probably the most enjoyable community event on the Fairmeadow calendar. On this night we get together to share our cultural backgrounds and traditions through music,food and fun activities. We have 10 countries represented so far, and counting!
Have you signed up yet? Help us ensure a great night by registering your involvement:
- Bring a dish either from your country of origin or to make up the potluck
- Set up or clean up
- Host a table for your country of origin
- Come in native attire & join the fashion parade
- Perform a song, dance or other cultural tradition
This event is made possible thanks to the PTA and the efforts of so many volunteers. Don't miss it; we look forward to seeing you there!
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| Science Fair is coming MAY 10! |
Come join the annual Fairmeadow Science Fair. Open to all ages, the fair is a non-competitive way to share our scientific discoveries. The fair will be held on the evening of
May 10
in the M.P. room. If your student is interested in participating, please fill in the permission slip and give it to Mrs. Hornbostel in room 15 or put it in her mailbox in the office. Permission slips (available for printing
here
) are due
April 22
.
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Support Noon Activities with Lego and Yarn Donations!
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Have your kids outgrown their Lego collection? Perhaps a knitting project has occupied closet space for too long?
It's time to restock Fairmeadow's Lego and Yarn supplies in preparation for the year to come, so if you're ready for a Lego and/or yarn clear out, why not donate it to your school?
Give your Lego a new lease of life!
Rehome your abandoned yarn stash!
Please bring your donations to the office.
Thank you!
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| Fairmeadow Discovery Day: Sign up to help! |
Thursday, May 26th is Discovery Day!
This is a parent led, PTA sponsored, biannual Fairmeadow tradition that brings together our talents, hobbies and passions to share with kids. In order to make Discovery Day happen, we need at least 45 "stations" so that we can provide spots for all of Fairmeadow's 525 kids. Parents, teachers, and volunteers lead or volunteer to help with the events. Activities run from 9-10 AM and 10:30-11:30 AM.
What activities we have to offer the kids is up to you!!
Please sign up by Friday, May 6 either online at
http://tinyurl.com/fmdiscoveryday
or fill out the slip from your Friday Folder. The slip can be returned to the PTA drawer in the office.
See the examples of activities tab on sign up sheet or make up something new! If necessary, the PTA is able to reimburse up to $50 for the cost of materials.
Parents of 4th and 5th graders: given that this is a biannual traditional, this year's Discovery Day is your
l
ast chance
to sign up! Please consider giving some time to make this day special for our students.
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Register for Summer Camps Using ActivityHero and Raise Money for Fairmeadow
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You can now earn money for our school by registering for camps and kids' activities through ActivityHero! Be sure to use Fairmeadow's unique link (
https://camps.activityhero.com/fairmeadow/) so the money is donated to us.
Don't forget that we will also have camps and activities for you to bid on through our online auction in February. Stay tuned for more details!
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| Incoming Kinder Playdates |
If you have an incoming kinder and would like to meet other kinder families this summer for play dates, please email Emily Coviello at emilycoviello@gmail.com to get on the email list. It's a great chance to meet new families and ease the transition into kindergarten for your little one!
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Friendship Circle: Parent Support Group for Fairmeadow Kids with Special Needs
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Next gathering:
Thursday, May 12th
from
9.30am - 11.30am
At: Bumble cafe (child friendly!)
145 1st St, Los Altos, CA 94022
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2016 Stanford Baseball Fireworks Night for Fairmeadow Elementary
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Stanford Cardinal vs. Oregon Ducks
Friday, May 27 @ 7 PM
Tickets start at
$8 for youth & $10 for adults!
Unofficial Fairmeadow seats are in the upper part of Sections 7 and 8.
Deadline to purchase is Friday, May 20th,
but don't delay! This game will sell out!
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PAUSD Student Artists Invite Community Members to Experience
Rescue Animal Adoption through Fine Arts Education
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Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) fine arts students and teachers invite the PAUSD community to experience "Adoptables," an innovative art exhibit designed to use the power of art to bring a unique kind of visibility to the issue of rescue animal adoption. Teachers and students from Duveneck Elementary and Gunn High teamed up with a Palo Alto photographer to bring her concept to life. The exhibit is currently on display through
April 29
at the district office, which is located at 25 Churchill Ave. in Palo Alto. Community members are welcome to visit and view the display during the building's normal business hours,
Monday
-Friday,
8 am
- 4:30 pm.
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PAUSD Invites Parents and Community Members to Participate on the Math Exploration/Pilot Committee
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During 2015-16 academic year, Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) elementary mathematics leads and teachers have been involved in a Math Exploration of math materials. The Math Materials being explored are on display at the District office, located at 25 Churchill Ave. in Palo Alto, for community members to view and complete a comment form. The Elementary Math Exploration/Pilot Committee will select 2-3 curricula to pilot during the upcoming 2016-17 academic year. PAUSD is requesting community members and K-6 teachers to participate on the Math Exploration/Pilot Committee. Parents and community members who are interested in becoming a member, should complete the Community Member Application.
For more information, parents and community members are invited to visit the "Committees and Task Forces" section on the school district's website.
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The Palo Alto Council of PTAs is looking for a few good candidates to help fill some vacancies on our roster for the 2016-17 school year. The Council works with the district staff, the Board of Education, community partners and the PTAs at all 17 schools to support the students and families of our district. It offers a great opportunity for individuals to get a broader view our district and build bridges between schools/PTAs in service of the broader community. The current 2016-17 roster is posted at http://ptac.paloaltopta.org/2016-17-ptac-board-nominees/
If you are interested in any of the open positions, send an email to ptacouncil@paloaltopta.org and specify the position that you are interested in.
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| PTA Hispanic Network presents Adriana Flores Ragade about Univision's Clave al Éxito/ La Red de Padres Hispanos del PTA presenta a Adriana Flores Ragade a una presentación sobre Clave al Éxito de Univision. |
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Fri/Viernes, Aprl 29, 6 - 7:30 PM, Walter Hays Elementary, 1525 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto 94301
This is an invitation to join the Hispanic Parent Network and strengthen the networks at each school. The conversation will be in Spanish and translated into English. Este es un llamado para que se unan a la Red de Padres Hispanos del PTA y fortalecer las redes en cada escuela. La charla será en español y traducida al inglés Please contact us at/Por favor comuniquese ptahispanos@paloaltopta.org or/o 650-427-0314
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| Art Center Drive Dedication, Spring Family Day |
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Sun, May 1, 2 PM, Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Rd., Palo Alto 94303
Help celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Art Center beginning May 1 at the kickoff for this milestone with the dedication of an "Art Center Drive" commemorative sign and the celebration of free Spring Family Day, both beginning at 2 p.m. Palo Alto Mayor Pat Burt will be on hand for the unveiling of the new sign, and the Spring Family Day will feature spring-themed artmaking activities for the entire family. Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Art Center's website [http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/csd/artcenter/default.asp].
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Eprep Class for 7-12 yrs old
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Sat, May 14, 10 - 11 AM, Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto 94303
Is your family prepared for an emergency or natural disaster? Have you discussed with your children how you all will contact one another and where your designated spot is to regroup? The City of Palo Alto Department of Emergency Services now provides you with an opportunity to discuss these important topics with your children in a fun way. Kids will learn, through a multitude of hands-on activities, some of the most essential information on how to become prepared for different sorts of emergency situations (specifically earthquakes). Kids will receive their "Preparedness Passports" and a starter emergency kit
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| Children's Used Book Sale to Benefit Palo Alto Libraries |
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Sat May 14 & Sun May 15 10 AM - 4 PM, Cubberley Community Center (FOPAL Children's Sale Room)
More than 13,000 kids' books, games, puzzles, CDs, and DVDs will be on sale at incredibly low prices at Friends of the Palo Alto Library's monthly book sale- everything from board books and picture books to school age fiction and nonfiction titles to early teen fiction. All items are lightly used or new and are sorted by age level and subject matter. Many books in foreign languages. Over 50,000 adult books available in FOPAL's Main and Bargain Rooms. www.fopal.org
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| Let's Talk - (parent education event is sponsored by the SELPA 1 CAC) |
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Mon, May 9, 7 - 9 PM, Orchard Community Room, 13 S. San Antonio Rd, Los Altos
A chance to ask questions and share ideas, resources, and support with other parents of students with IEPs, 504s, learning differences, mental health challenges, etc. All are welcome, participants must respect confidentiality. SELPA 1 CAC is an all-volunteer group of parents of children with special needs. All events are free and open to anyone who feels they might benefit. No registration is necessary.
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| City of Palo Alto Accepting Entry Applications for Annual May Fete Parade |
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Deadline is Wed Apr 27 2016
Palo Alto Weekly Float Contest: Individuals, schools and youth groups, show off your creativity by entering a float in the Palo Alto Weekly Float Contest. Hand pulled (no motorized) floats will be judged at 8:30am on the morning of the parade; judging criteria includes creative tie-ins to the parade theme (Healthy Lifestyle: Happy, healthy habits) and amount of youth participation involved. To enter a float, complete the entry form here and return it by April 27, 2016.
Entry Deadline: April 27, 2016. In concern for safety and to help keep this a "green" event, no motorized vehicles or throwing of giveaways during the parade are allowed.
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| Menlowe Ballet Collage - World Premieres by Val Caniparoli, Gregory Dawson and Michael Lowe |
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Fri. Apr 29 8PM, Sat. Apr 30 2PM & 8p, Sun. May 1 2PM at Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center, 555 Middlefield Rd., Atherton, CA 94027
With our new season, Collage, we have brought together three remarkable choreographers to create three distinct new works. Val Caniparoli, a choreographer with San Francisco Ballet, has set his neo-classical ballet to the Baroque music of Johann Paul Westhoff. Gregory Dawson's contemporary choreography celebrates the athleticism and power of our dancers. Michael Lowe brings poignancy and humor to his cultural ballet Cui Jin Ji (Beautiful Little Things), which also includes three Gunn, PALY and Jordan students performing along with the professional company dancers.
Tickets:
www.menloweballet.org
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| Courage and Compassion: A conversation with Andrea Gundmundsson |
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Thursday, May 17, 7 pm, Rinconada Library
Free event at Rinconada library on
May 17 at 7pm
, a conversation with Andrea Gudmundsson,
about empathy and connection. Andrea will share her journey and insights of living with a terminal illness."
For more info and registration:
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Paly Robotics Summer Camp 2016 (for middle school students, incoming 6th - incoming 9th)
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Jul 18-22, Jul 25-29, Aug 1-5, The Paly Robotics Lab (Room 903 at Palo Alto High School)
Do you want your child to experience what it is like to design and build robots? Or how about learning how to program and create 3D animations? What about creating a business plan and promoting it with a website? This year, Paly Robotics will be hosting our annual summer camp for incoming middle school students (incoming 6th - 9th). We are offering three sessions to choose from - Robot Design and Hardware; Programming and 3D Animation; and Entrepreneurship and Website Design. For more information about our camp and the different sessions, visit our website at palyrobotics.com/summercamp.
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Fundraiser for African Library Project
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Please help Leah Benque, a junior at PALY, with her fundraising project! She is working with the African Library Project to collect books for children and middle schoolers for a library in Malawi, and she needs to collect 1000 books and 500 dollars for the shipping. She will then ship the books to the ALP organization who will ship the books to Malawi.
For more information and to donate books or money, please contact Leah Benque at leah.benque@gmail.com or 650-475-6405.
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Sat Apr 23, 6 - 9PM, Unitarian Church, 505 E. Charleston Rd., Palo Alto CA 94306
In need of a date night? And interested in helping a teen's charity project at the same time? Gunn Sophomore Ember Lin-Sperry is in the process of starting a nonprofit called Project Birthday Box, which provides birthday celebration kits to hospitalized children. The first fundraiser will be a Babysitting night with plenty of adult supervision, and all proceeds go to the Birthday Box project. Click the eventbrite link below to see the details of this event, and to buy tickets for your kids. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/babysitting-fundraiser-to-benefit-project-birthday-box-tickets-23635476346
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| Art Poster Contest on Emergency Preparedness for Grades 1-8 |
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Submission Deadline:
April 22, 2016
(extended)
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| FREE WEBINAR! Raising a Highly Sensitive Child (for parents of children 2 - 8 years) |
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Wed, Apr 27 12 - 1 PM
Does your child seem shy and cautious or anxious in groups? Does he or she sometimes have intense reactions to his or
her environment? Perhaps your child is highly sensitive. This trait is not a disorder, and mental health professionals do not always receive training in how to work with people with a finely tuned nervous system. Join us to learn about this trait and better understand your child's needs and strengths. Learn effective ways to guide your highly sensitive child, and work through transitions and change with minimal anxiety or tantrums. Free.
Link with more info and registration:
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| eNews Publication Guidelines and Archive |
| For old versions of eNews, go to the eNews archive . Fairmeadow eNews Publication Guidelines:
- Fairmeadow eNews is a publication of the Fairmeadow PTA. It is sent out each Monday morning, with special editions sent out as required.
- If you want to publish an announcement relevant to Fairmeadow, send an email to fairmeadow.enews@gmail.com. Include the following information: title, date, time and location of the event, a brief description and who to contact. Information submitted by Sunday 2 pm will appear in the Monday Edition.
- Announcements relevant to other schools in the PAUSD district can be send to enews@paloaltopta.org
- Our PTA has a noncommercial policy, which states that we do not associate with any commercial activities of other organizations including, but not limited to, the promotion of their goods and services. Only information from non profit organizations will be considered for placement, if submitted to eNews.
- Announcements will generally be published in two consecutive issues. To have further announcements made after that, please submit your announcement again.
If you have any questions or suggestions, e-mail Susan Leech, Fairmeadow's eNews editor.
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