Welcome back to Fairmeadow after our spring break from school! April and May will be incredibly exciting months for parents, teachers, and children alike, as our students increase confidence by practicing and applying all the skills they have developed this year. With eight weeks remaining in the 2016/17 school year, this spring promises to be a remarkable time of learning, growth, and joy for our children.

 At Fairmeadow, we emphasize academic, social, and emotional learning, and we also strive to highlight healthy living habits. This week we participate in Sun Smart Week by reinforcing basic habits of sun-safe living with our children. Did you know that on average 40-60% of sun exposure a person will experience occurs before the age of 20, and that over-exposure to the sun and frequent sun burns can cause skin cancer? According to the American Academy of Dermatology, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and it is also the most preventable. This week we encourage children to practice sun safe behaviors like avoiding over-exposure to the sun, covering up with sun screen and a hat when outside in the sun, seeking shade regularly during periods of extended outdoor play, and being aware of the sun's varying intensity each day. Special activities this week will include sun-smart games during PE class, lunchtime activities with sun-smart themes, an assembly presentation, and daily UV rating display by the office. 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.

Fairmeadow 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will start to take our state standardized assessments this month , with 4th and 5th graders starting this week. Our testing schedule is posted on the Fairmeadow website and linked here . Please be sure to ask your child's teacher if you have any questions, and ensure that your child gets plenty of rest in the evenings prior to testing days. If you would like more information about the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System or your student's participation, including information on score reports and how to take practice tests, please visit the Parent/Student tab of the California Department of Education's (CDE) CAASPP web page  and PAUSD's Assessment web page .

Starting this Friday morning, we leave the MP Room behind and head back out on the blacktop for our bi-monthly whole school assemblies. These important school gatherings provide a wonderful opportunity for our entire school to come together for helpful announcements, engaging presentations, and for community building activities. This Friday is our first outdoor assembly of the spring, and it is also a Fairmeadow School Spirit Day! Whether your child chooses to wear a favorite item of Fairmeadow spirit wear, or any other item of clothing featuring our school color, red, participating on Friday will be a fun way to show each other how much we care about our school.

Please mark your calendars for two special community events at our school this spring, International Night and our Whole School Learning Celebration. On the evening of Friday, April 21st 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 learn unique, interesting, and tasty facts about the countries and cultures represented at our school. A few weeks later on Tuesday, May 9th 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 starting 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 9th!

The Mathematics Pilot Curriculum Open House for Parents will be this Thursday, April 13th from 3-5 pm at the PAUSD school district office. Please visit the Open House website for more information and to register to attend.

Let's enjoy this special season of celebration, renewal, and growth. I look forward to seeing you at Fairmeadow soon.

Grant Althouse