Fairmeadow Elementary School eNews

Where Learning is a Team Sport!
January 30, 2017
Fairmeadow News
Principal's Message
Greetings Fairmeadow Community,
 
A committed group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Firebird actors wowed audiences over the weekend with the Fairmeadow production of Aladdin, a partnership between our school and the Palo Alto Children's Theatre. The play was a huge success, and the children exuded confidence, joy, and pride throughout their performances, the culmination of two months of hard work and dedication. Thank you to the student performers, the Palo Alto Children's Theatre, our many parent volunteers, and our PTA for making this performance possible. The Aladdin cast has a lot to be proud of, and we are proud of them!
 
Please mark your calendars for next Thursday, February 9th when we will host our annual Family Math Night at Fairmeadow. Join our community for an interesting evening of math games, puzzles, and challenges that are sure to engage and stretch mathematicians of all levels. This hands-on, self-paced exploration into the fun and curiosity of mathematics will offer activities and challenges for all ages, abilities, and interests. Get ready to engage with logic, strategy, patterns, spatial skills, number sense, geometry, pre-algebra and more! The Family Math Night runs from 5-8 pm next Thursday, February 9th in the Fairmeadow MP Room. To encourage participation across K-5 classrooms teachers will make next Thursday, February 9th a no homework night for students. Please plan to join us for all or some of this engaging event!
 
Each day at Fairmeadow teachers strive to engage, inspire, and challenge every learner in their classrooms. Regular student attendance is a critical component to realizing the full benefit of your child's education. This year the Palo Alto Unified School District has initiated a communication protocol that all schools follow to inform parents about irregularities in student attendance. Please expect to receive a letter from the school if your child accumulates three or more unexcused absences of 30 minutes or more, or if your child accumulates more than 5 late arrivals to school. The language in the letter is standardized across schools and highlights components of the California Education Code relevant to student attendance. Thank you for communicating with the school prior to planned absences for your family, whether those absences are medical appointments or family vacation, this communication helps with teacher planning. I will personally communicate with families when attendance patterns necessitate intervention beyond our notification letters; the letter serves as an initial communication to alert you about unexcused absences. You can also check in Infinite Campus for an up to date account your child's attendance. Please let me know if you have any questions.
 
Do you know of any incoming Kindergarten students who plan to attend Fairmeadow for the next school year? Please spread the word about our incoming Kindergarten Visitation Day on Friday, February 24th from 9:15 to 10:30 am in the Fairmeadow MP Room. We will start at 9:15 am with a short presentation followed by classroom tours and a question and answer session. I look forward to seeing next year's Kindergarten families there!
 
Last Thursday, January 26th marked the 100th day of the school year, and many students in the younger grades strengthened their number sense through exploring the many ways to represent the number 100 ... a time honored tradition in elementary school. With 101 school days behind us, the remaining 79 school days promise to be full of growth, learning, and progress for all of our children.
 
Grant Althouse
Principal
Family Math Night is Coming & We Need Your Help!
Thu, Feb 9, MP Room
Family Math Night takes place every year in the MP room. It is super popular, and completely free to attend. There's something for everyone: Games and puzzles related to logic, strategy, patterns, spatial skills, number sense, geometry, topology, pe-algebra, and more. 

Following last year's success, Family Math Night has grown. With an extra hour, we can accommodate more games and more families, but we also need volunteers to help this busy night run smoothly and enjoyably for all. 

Volunteering is fun and sociable, so come and share your love of math with our school community! If you're curious, click here for our flyer or contact Nadia Priestley for more details.  Email:  Nadia@stodge.org  or phone 650-665-3066.
Annual Fairmeadow Online Auction
The Annual Fairmeadow Online Auction is coming (February 19th to March 5th) -- but we need more stuff!  Do you have any gift cards you're not using? A service or item you can donate? Good Connections???

We'll have lots of awesome items for you to bid on or buy -- summer camps, food, home cooked meals, entertainment, and experiences -- but we need more stuff to raise enough money for our school! If you have anything to contribute, please go to our website to enter the donation details. If you have any questions or if you'd like to help our auction committee gather business donations, please email  fmauctiondonations@gmail.com.

PTAC News
Inclusive Resource Fair of Summer Camps, After-School Activities & Educational Resources
Thu, Feb 9, 6:30-8:30 pm, JLS Middle School Auditorium, 480 E Meadow Dr
Join us to meet 30+ providers of summer camps, after-school activities, and in-school programs who will present information about their programs and be available to talk 1:1 with parents. All providers can accommodate some students' special needs, either in an inclusive environment or a special program, and can discuss specific accommodations. Some offer on-site enrollment. Information on financial assistance available, and many providers offer fee waivers based on need.
 
Organized by the Palo Alto Community Advisory Committee for Special Education, and co-sponsored by Parent Advocates for Student Success (PASS), and the Palo Alto Council of PTAs. Childcare and snacks for kids will be provided, please RSVP for childcare to  here . For more information, including the complete list of vendors as it is finalized, go to  cacpaloalto.org.
Feria de Recursos de Campamentos de Verano, Actividades Después de Clases y Recursos Educativos
Jueves, 9 de febrero, 6:30 - 8:30pm, En el auditorio de la Escuela Media JLS, 480 E Meadow Dr
Acompáñennos a conocer a más de 30 proveedores de campos de verano, de actividades para realizar después de clases y de programas dentro de la escuela quienes estarán brindando información sobre sus programas y que también estarán disponibles para hablar 1:1 con los padres. Todos son proveedores que pueden admitir a niños con algunas necesidades especiales ya sea dentro de un ambiente incluyente o dentro de un programa especial y podrán conversar sobre ajustes especiales que su hijo/a pueda necesitar. Podrán existir opciones de inscribirse en el lugar. Habra información sobre asistencia financiera y muchos proveedores ofrecen becas que se adaptan a sus necesidades.
 
Se contará con servicio de guardería y refrigerios para niños, por favor RSVP para el cuidado de los niños a  paloaltocac@gmail.com . Para mayor información, incluyendo la lista de proveedores cuando está esté completa, ingrese a:  cacpaloalto.org . Organizado por el Palo Alto Comité Asesor Comunitario para la Educación Especial y co-patrocinado por Parent Advocates for Student Success (PASS) y el Consejo de Palo Alto de PTAs.
2017 Annual Sweetheart Awards - Call for Nominations
Is there a bus driver, friend, teacher, administrator, neighbor, aide, crossing guard, coach, fellow student, therapist, physician, volunteer, or relative that has done something (however large or small) for your special needs child with an IEP or 504? Honor that person by nominating him or her for a Sweetheart Award. Submit nominations using our online form by February 10th. The Awards Ceremony will be on Wednesday, February 22nd from 6-8pm at Nixon Elementary School. For more information or questions email or go to cacpaloalto.org. Co-sponsored by Palo Alto Community Advisory Committee for Special Education and the Palo Alto Council of PTAs.
Palo Alto Chinese New Year Fair
Sun, Feb 12, 2-5 pm, Mitchell Park Community Center
The Palo Alto Chinese Community cordially invites you to join our 2017 Chinese New Year Fair, which will feature performances of Chinese folk music, instruments, and dances by local talents as well as students from Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). Many facets of Chinese culture will be exhibited such as Chinese brush painting, Mahjong, dumpling-making, fung shui, board games, and crafts. The event is free to all Palo Alto residents, and food will be sold for fund-raising to support Palo Alto schools. This event is co-sponsored by City of Palo Alto and the PTA Council, and the goal is to promote friendship among residents of different cultures and contribute to the vibrancy and health of our diverse community. Hope to see you all there! Questions please contact Hannah Lu or Sheena Chin.

Community  News
Being Different Together Discussion 
Thu, Feb 2, 7-9 pm, Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium, 1313 Newell Rd
Please join us as we bring together a cross section of people who live, work, or worship in Palo Alto to have a series of four active and thought provoking conversations on building and nurturing a community that models respect for differences. For more information, see our flyer in English or Spanish.
Paly Speech and Debate Summer Camp 
Session 1: June 13-17; Session 2: July 31-Aug 4
The Paly Speech and Debate camp centers around providing students with an introduction to speech and debate. The goal of our camp is to prepare students for competition in these activities once they go to high school. On top of that, speech and debate are both life skills as they teach students to express themselves and be more articulate. Second year campers have the opportunity to be placed in a more advanced classroom setting, while first year campers will be given more of an introduction to speech and debate. Register here.
Survey of Graduates of Gunn High School 
A Gunn High School student is conducting a research project (via survey) which focuses on the life trajectories of Palo Alto graduates between the years 2004 and 2014. To see or complete the survey click here Please note the survey will end February 1.
The 2017 Gunn Choir Staff Musical: And Then There Were Nuns
Feb 7, 8 & 9, 8 pm, Palo Alto High School Performing Arts Center, 50 Embarcadero Rd
Students, families, and the whole community are invited to join the 160-voice Gunn Choir and your favorite Gunn staff members for the fabulous 2017 Choir Staff Musical! Join in the fun as Dorothy and Toto set off for the Big Apple to audition for a Broadway musical. Despite stumbling into a mob hit and getting spirited away to a nunnery as part of the NYPD Witness Protection Program, nothing can keep our heroine from her ambition to make it in show biz. Tickets ($20 for adults, $10 for students) are on sale on the website, at the Gunn Student Activities Center, and at the door. Proceeds benefit the Choir's scholarship fund for a singing tour to Ireland in June. The JLS choir will be featured on the 8th, and the Terman choir on the 9th.
Clear the Clutter & Get Organized
Thu, Feb 2, 7-9 pm, Parent's Place Palo Alto
Are you tired of the piles and chaos caused by too much clutter in your home? When you have good organization systems, your home and family life is simpler, calmer, and less stressful. Get expert tips from professional organizer Lori Krolik of More Time For You. In addition to learning the six steps to tackle any organizing project, you'll get tips and tools for creating organization systems for your entryway, your kids' rooms and toys, meals and cooking, as well as great information to manage the details of life (bills, calendars, tasks, and more). Details and registration can be found here.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's Characters @ Play Spring Break Camp
Mon-Fri, April 3-7, 9 am - 3 pm, Nixon Elementary School
(Extended Care available 8-9 am & 3-6 pm, with only morning care on Friday)
During this week long camp, students will:
  • Learn acting, movement, and stage craft skills in a fun, playful, and engaging way
  • Make new friends and work together in a team
  • Learn from professional Teaching Artists who are experienced artists and educators
  • Create a new character to bring to life with their new theatrical skills
  • Show off all that they have learned during a final presentation for family and friends
Tuition: $350. Extended Care: $100. Need-based scholarships are available.  To take advantage of the Characters @ Play sibling discount when registering online, please use the following discount codes:  Two children in family:  2SBSIBS  ($40 off);  Three children in family:  3SBSIBS  ($80 off).

For more information on Characters @ Play Spring Break Camp, call 650.463.7146, email learn@theatreworks.org or visit TheatreWorks' website.
Violin Masterclass with Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, David Kim
Fri, Feb 3, 7 pm, Tateuchi Hall at the Community School of Music and Arts, 230 San Antonio Cir, Mountain View
Free event! Distinguished musician and educator David Kim, of the Philadelphia Orchestra, will conduct a violin masterclass on Feb. 3. Mr. Kim started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight, and later received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Juilliard School. As a highly sought-after pedagogue, Mr. Kim has presented masterclasses at schools and institutions such as Juilliard, the New World Symphony in Miami, Yale, the Korean National University of Arts, and universities and colleges across the United States. The masterclass will feature five ECYS Senior Symphony violinists. Enjoy the free performance and observe a master teacher at work as he helps the students polish their pieces. For more information, call ECYS at 650-213-7111 or visit ecys.org.

Archives and Publication Guidelines
Fairmeadow eNews is a publication of the Fairmeadow PTA. Previous editions of eNews can be found at the  eNews archive  page.  Please see the PTA website for the eNews Publication Guidelines If you have any questions or would like to make a submission, please contact  Christy Moision , Fairmeadow's eNews editor.
In This Issue
Important Dates
Feb 9 Principal's Coffee
Family Math Night
Feb 16-20 No School
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