| Mar 22 |
Elementary band concert |
| Mar 23 |
Spring art fair opening reception |
Mar 24
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Principal's coffee |
Apr. 1
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Spring Break starts! |
| Apr. 15 |
Fairmeadow Spirit Day |
| Apr. 18 |
Smarter Balanced Assessment testing starts |
| May 10 |
Whole school learning celebration & Science Fair |
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(click through to the website)
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- Fairmeadow's Annual Spring Art Fair starts on Wednesday, March 23rd with an opening reception in the MP room from 6 - 7:30 pm. All welcomed to attend this fun, non competitive art show.
- Please join Mr. Althouse for coffee this Friday at 8:45 in room 24. The discussion topic is the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASPP) and the common core standards.
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Fairmeadow's PTA Executive Board is seeking new members! Contact Karrie Chen (swkarrie@yahoo.com) to get involved.
- You can still participate in focus groups to help shape our school community. See below for the information and please consider participating in these PIE-sponsored focus groups.
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| From the Principal's Desk |
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Dear Fairmeadow Community,
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all families who participated in the Fairmeadow Parent Teacher Association's online auction this February and March. Thanks to your enthusiastic participation, the PTA exceeded goals for this important event, contributions that will work to improve the learning experience and community feel for every child at our school. I look forward to sharing stories of learning and community with you in the coming weeks. I also look forward to hearing stories of scrumptious home cooked meals inspired by our new Fairmeadow-licious cookbook!
This spring, teachers will administer the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), a testing system also referred to as the Smarter Balanced Assessment. This testing system assesses all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students in English Language Arts and Mathematics through a computer-based platform. Our testing schedule will run from April 18th through May 6th with grade levels testing on different days in the morning. Fairmeadow's detailed testing schedule can be found in the 'features' section on our website.
3rd, 4th, and 5th grade families, please mark your calendars for our testing window, April 18th through May 6th, and please make sure that your children are present at school each day. Testing sessions will all be held each morning and are untimed.
If you'd like to learn more about the upcoming CAASPP testing system, including an opportunity to preview and experience the assessments, please join me at our next Principal's Coffee, Thursday, March 24th at 8:45 a.m. in Room 24 at Fairmeadow. We will also explore the California Common Core Standards implemented across the state and our school, and how these standards led to this system of assessment. I'll bring the coffee, please consider bringing a reusable mug!
This year, our school district has formed a Gender Spectrum Committee to promote awareness and acceptance for all students, and has updated district policies and procedures around gender identity and access. This Tuesday, our faculty will discuss common terms and concepts for understanding and reflecting on the gender spectrum. As part of the district's initiative, all K-5 students at Fairmeadow will have the opportunity to see a TheaterWorks play called Oskar and the Countless Costume Changes this Friday, March 25th. The play allows students to consider gender stereotypes and expression with a strong message of acceptance for all individuals. Teachers will be given pre and post show discussion questions to explore with students to help make the experience as meaningful as possible. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about the play.
Please mark you calendars for our Whole School Learning Celebration the evening of May 10th from 6:00-8:00 pm. The purpose of this end of year community gathering is to celebrate student growth and to showcase ongoing student learning as we prepare to conclude the school year together. The evening will include our annual Science Fair in the MP Room starting at 6:00 pm, a whole school assembly on the blacktop at 6:45 pm, and classroom tours provided by your student to showcase their work and their learning from 7:00-8:00 pm. The following morning, students will tour the next grade level's classrooms during our Move it Up Gallery Walk. This will provide the children with an opportunity to see the next grade level's classrooms in anticipation for the transition to next year. Mark your calendars for the evening of May 10th at 6:00 pm for the Science Fair, and 6:45 pm for the Learning Celebration. It promises to be another great community event at our school!
Our Spring Break from school begins on Friday, April 1st, but in the meantime we have a lot of work to do with your children to round out the month of March, and to set the stage for what promises to be a spring full of learning and fun and Fairmeadow. With the Noon Sports Rounders Championship and the Chess Finals scheduled for Monday this week, we are sure to have a busy and exciting start to the week!
Grant Althouse
Principal
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| Fairmeadow Spirit Day -- Show your Fairmeadow Spirit! |
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Wednesday, April 13th
Wear your Spirit Wear (or red) and and show your school spirit! Need new Spirit Wear?
Check out your child's
Friday
folder for information on how to order online!
Parents, would you like to show your spirit, too? Great news! We have adult sizes available.
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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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| Fairmeadow's PTA Executive Board is seeking new members |
| Fairmeadow PTA Nominating Committee is recruiting volunteers to serve on the Fairmeadow PTA Executive Board for next school year 2016-17. The PTA Executive Board is responsible for planning community events and fundraisers to support our children and the school. Anyone interested in joining the board please contact Karrie Chen, swkarrie@yahoo.com. |
Fairmeadow parents - let your voice be heard!
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Fairmeadow Elementary School, in partnership with PiE (Partners in Education), will be conducting focus groups to understand parents' current level of engagement with the school community and what the school can do to better involve and serve the whole community. PiE has hired an independent researcher to talk to the parents on this topic. At the focus groups, there will be no Fairmeadow staff nor PiE volunteers. We would like the groups to be open, honest dialogue and will include some fun exercises.
Would you be willing to spend about 60 minutes to talk to the researcher? Snacks and refreshments will be served. Also, as a small token of appreciation for your time, you will be given a Peet's gift card for participating. In an effort to get representation and candid feedback from all members of the school community, there will be 3 focus groups run:
Session 1:
Thursday, March 24 7:30 PM - all parents at Fairmeadow
Session 2:
Saturday, March 26, 10 AM - parents representing the South Asian community
Session 3:
Saturday, March 26 11:30 AM - parents representing the Chinese community
All focus groups will take place at Fairmeadow school. If you are interested in participating, please email
focusgroups@papie.org wit
h your name and the session you would like to attend. We can only strengthen our community with your help and input so please take the time to participate!
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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:
Tuesday, 19th April, 2016
, from
9.30am - 11.30am
At: Bumble cafe (child friendly!)
145 1st St, Los Altos, CA 94022
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| Fairmeadow's Spring Art Fair |
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Calling all artists! It's time to get your art ready for our Annual Spring Art Fair sponsored by the
Fairmeadow PTA. Mark your calendar for the opening night reception,
Wednesday, March 23rd 6:00-7:30 p.m.
in the MP room. All are welcome and refreshments will be served.
This is not a competition! To be part of the art show, students just need to submit
original artwork on Friday, March 18th between
8-9 a.m.
by the MP room (2 piece limit per child).
Guidelines: The art can be work created in the classroom, at home, or in an outside art class. All
Fairmeadow students are encouraged to participate. Artwork can be of any media* (clay, paint, collage, pencil, etc.). Artwork can be of any size. All artwork must have a label (including: name, grade and room number - art will be returned to the room listed on the label by March 30th). Mounting or matting flat artwork is optional. *Fragile or breakable items will only be exhibited at the opening show on the 24th.
In case you can't attend the opening show, artwork will remain on exhibit in the MP room until March 29th. Thank you for encouraging your child to share his or her creative work! We look forward to seeing you at as we collect the art before school on Friday, March 18th!
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Palo Alto Unified School District
(PAUSD) invites its stakeholders to provide input as part of the school district's Citizens Advisory Committee for Renaming Schools (RSC). The school district authorized the establishment of this committee in early 2016 to research and review the names of all 17 PAUSD schools and submit recommendations for renaming one or more of the schools for the Board's consideration. The school district invites current Palo Alto residents, current Palo Alto Unified employees, current Palo Alto Unified students, graduates of PAUSD, and former employees who worked for PAUSD for a minimum of five years to consider applying for the committee. Applications can be downloaded from the school district's website. The deadline to submit an application is 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 28th, 2016.
Completed applications should be sent to:
Dr. Glenn "Max" McGee, Superintendent
Palo Alto Unified School District
25 Churchill Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
The committee will consist of four parents of current stud
ents, four mem
bers of the community at large, up to four alumni, two admini
strators, four fa
culty and staff, and up to four students. The committee members will meet every two or three weeks during the school year and the meetings will last between two or three hours. Additional work between meetings is likely and may require two to four hours per week. The committee will be formed by April 11, 2016 and their recommendations will be submitted to the Board by December 31, 2016.
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When: Tuesday, March 22 from 6:30 - 10:30
Come and find out what's happening at the Board level. Regular Board Meetings are held at 25 Churchill Avenue, Palo Alto, in the Board Room. Open Session is preceded by Closed Session.
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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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Palo Alto Council of PTAs Sports Page
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| Parent Education Workshop at Palo Verde |
Do you often experience intense emotions as a parent and wish you could cope better? Do you often feel angry and frustrated at your child's behavior? You are invited to hear Regulative Parenting clinicians discuss emotion regulation in the parent-child relationship. They will discuss evidenced based strategies to help parents be mindful during stressful situations, in order to calm themselves and handle the situation with a clearer mind. Topics include: parental emotion regulation, adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and ways to better understand the mind of your children.
This workshop was developed out of research at Stanford University department of psychology for parents of children with special needs. After eight successful multi- week workshops, this introductory workshop is now offered to the general public.
The workshop will be held in the Palo Verde MP Room on Tues, March 29th 7-9pm. Advance tickets available $10/person, scholarships available. This workshop is limited to 30 participants so buy your tickets early:
https://pvpta.schoolauction.net/parented
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Palo Alto Summer Camp Fair
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Thurs, March 24, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm, Addison School Multi-Purpose Room
Discover terrific summer camps (for grades K-12) all around Palo Alto, meet camp vendors in person, and get help planning a summer your entire family will love. Free to attend. Free pizza for the first 100 to arrive, plus activities for kids, snacks, giveaways, and camp discounts. More info:
http://camps.activityhero.com/pacampfair
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Art Poster Contest on Emergency Preparedness for Grades 1-8
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Submission Deadline: April 11, 2016
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Classroom Volunteers Needed - An Hour a Week Could Change a Student's Life
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Have you enjoyed volunteering in your child's classroom? Then consider visiting a classroom in east Menlo Park or East Palo Alto. Our All Students Matter volunteers work once a week for about an hour on reading and math skills with kids in grades K-4. Sign up now to start in September. Training will be provided. To learn more or sign up, visit
www.allstudentsmatter.org
or contact Keri Tully at keritully@gmail.com.
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Informational Coffee for All Students Matter
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Tue, Apr 19, 10 AM
If you've wondered what All Students Matter is all about, then please join other local parents who are already volunteering with us in the classroom of K-4th grade students to learn more. We invite you for coffee and refreshments while you hear about how you can make a true difference in the life of students in east Menlo Park and East Palo Alto by volunteering for an hour a week. Please email jkc_kennedy@yahoo.com to RSVP and learn of the location. www.allstudentsmatter.org
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Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo Event - Learn About to Build a New JMZ
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Tue, Mar 23, 5:30 - 7:30 PM, 1451 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto
Launch tennis balls into the air while launching your ideas for building a new Junior Museum & Zoo!
- Play, discover and spark curiosity as you preview and test the expanded Kid-Power Machine.
- Build a ball ramp while you generate exhibit ideas for a two-story ball machine in the new JMZ.
- Take behind-the-scenes tours of the museum and zoo and learn about the plans to build a new JMZ. This is a Club JMZ member-only event. Join or renew online at www.friendsjmz.org. For more information: (650) 326-6338 or Julie@friendsjmz.org.
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Gunn High School Theater Department Presents William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," set in 1996 Los Angeles
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Spangenberg Theatre, 780 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto
- Opening Night Gala (Lecture and Reception): Mar 17 at 6:00 pm, all tix $20;
- Other performances: Mar 18,19, 24,25,26 @7:30 pm, $10.00 Students/$12.00 General;
- Matinees: Wed. March 23 @ 4pm and Sat. March 26 at 2 pm, all tix $5.
TICKETS available at gunntheatre.org, at the Gunn Student Activities Center, or at the door (until they sell out!).
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Children's Classes at Palo Art Center
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| Unleash the creativity in your child by signing up for a children's classes. The Art Center offers classes in ceramics, painting and sculpture on Monday - Saturdays. Classes are held at the Art Center (1313 Newell Road) and the Mitchell Park Community Center (3700 Middlefield Road). Online Registration is open now! All of Art Classes are listed at website. Questions? Please contact Rebecca Passarello (rebecca.passarello@cityofpaloalto.org or 650-617-3509). |
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El Camino Youth Symphony Orchestra Spring Auditions
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Mar/Apr Palo Alto
Palo Alto-based El Camino Youth Symphony invites musicians ages 6-18 to audition for the 2016-17 Season. Led by an internationally renowned faculty, ECYS offers six orchestras/ensembles for students at all levels of musical ability. Auditions are held in March and April. Apply online at www.ECYS.org.
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Paly Robotics Summer Camp 2016 (for middle school students, incoming 6th - incoming 9th)
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July 18-22, July 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). There are 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 palyrobotics.com/summercamp.
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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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