Hello Fisher Families,
Thank you for your continued support and patience in these ever-changing times. On Monday, October 5th, the Board of Trustees gave direction focused on the return to school. Fisher will remain in the remote learning environment until January 19, 2021. Leading up to that time, conversations and considerations will still be on-going to evaluate our return, the safety of our students and staff, and many other facets of this complicated landscape.
Given this extension of our remote learning, we will transition to a more robust daily schedule beginning on Monday, October 26th, the first day of Quarter Two.
Our schedule enhancements can be found below:
CORE:
Current: 90 min/Core subject/week
Will Increase to: 160 min/Core subject/week
Percentage increase: 77% per Core subject
Content Connections/Study Hall:
Current: Content Connections (study hall) = 4x/week x 30 min/ea=120 min.
Will Increase to: Study Hall (supervised by core team teachers, not the guest teachers) 4x/week x 70 min/ea. =280 mins
Percentage increase: 133% increase
Electives:
Current: 90min/elective/week
Will Increase to: 140min/elective/week
Percentage increase: 56% increase
PLUS: Elective Lab, 145 min/Wed.
Our schedule will transition to a more traditional block schedule. The details of the new schedule will be shared with our parent community soon.
As a result of this planned change, please note the schedule change for the week of October 19th below:
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Information about our October 26th schedule will continue to be forthcoming in our Fisher Flyers. Please also look for Coffee Chat information elsewhere in this Flyer.
Thank you and stay well.
Mary Lonhart
Principal
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SCHEDULE CHANGE THIS WEEK |
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Schedule change for the remainder of this week based on our October 5th Non Student Day for professional development
- Wednesday, October 7 - B Day
- Thursday, October 8 - A Day
- Friday, October 9 - B Day
Please always check the Fisher Website for any changes to our A-B-C scheduled days.
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Please join me….
For a Coffee Chat
Please join Principal Mary Lonhart, via Zoom*, for a short presentation focused on the new Fisher student schedule. Please attend only one Chat.
Monday, October 12, 11am
Tuesday, October 13, 6pm
Thursday, October 15, 3pm
Friday, October 16, 9am
Please use the following Zoom link:
*attendance is limited to 300 per Zoom meeting
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Follow the RJF Instagram Page to stay updated on student life, activities, clubs, and more!
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We are now offering Study Halls
for our Fisher Students!
This new support is designed to provide students with a designated place to go on their asynchronous instructional days to get their work done. These study hall classes, supervised by a guest teacher, are designed to help students identify work that should be completed, as well as provide help answering questions about homework.
Study halls are open at the following times on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday:
6th Grade: 10:30 - 12:10
7th Grade: 8:30 - 10:10 & 1:00 - 1:45
8th Grade Yellow: 8:30 - 10:10 & 10:30 - 11:25
8th Grade Blue: 11:30 - 12:10 & 1:00 - 2:30
8th Grade Green: 8:30 - 10:10 & 10:30 - 11:25
Zoom links can be found in your child's core teacher’s Google Classrooms. For more information please contact Paul Brennan at pbrennan@lgusd.org.
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Fisher Clubs Are Back!
Get involved
Stay connected
Bring a friend
Meet new friends!
Art Club
Students will connect with others and work on individual art projects.
Moderator: Ms. Henry
Meeting time: Thursdays @ 3:00 PM
Book Clubs
Want to read and talk about some awesome books, and meet new friends who want to do the same? Join one of the Fisher Book Clubs!
7th and 8th graders
Moderator: Ms. Moiseff
Meeting time: Every other Wednesday @ 12:15 PM
6th graders
Moderator: Ms. Bateman
Meeting time: Every other Wednesday @ 12:15
Book Writing Club
Join us for a virtual club to write together and work on bringing your imagination to life through prose!
Moderator: Ms. Hogan
Meeting time: Fridays 12:15 - 1:15PM
Cartooning Club
Kids will submit cartoons to be discussed by the group for positive reinforcement.
Moderators: Mrs. Barton and Mr. Waste
Meeting time: Fridays @ 3:00 PM
Give a Gram Club *New club*
Are you interested in sharing your empathic nature with other kids in need? Join the Give a Gram club! This club will connect our students with other kids in the Bay area who are undergoing long-term hospitalization. It's a chance to brighten someone else's day while virtually reaching out with messages and notes of kindness.
Moderator: Mr. Waste
Meeting time: Thursday @ 3:00 PM
Flight Club *New club*
If you're interested in airplanes, join Flight Club and get a flying start! We will discuss all things aviation, as well as build and share remote control airplanes.
Moderator: Mr. Brennan
Meeting time: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month @ 12:30 PM
The Place Club
Share your favorite place with others!
Moderators: Mr. Brennan, Mrs. Lonhart, Ms. Vickers
Meeting time: Thursdays @ lunch
Robotics Club
If interested, please join through Fisher Life.
Moderator: Mrs. Barton
Meeting time: Wednesdays @ 11:15
Social Impact Entrepreneur Club
Details coming soon!
Moderator: Mr. Fanderl
Meeting time: Mondays and Fridays @ 3:00PM
Web Design *New club*
Starts today!
Moderator: Mrs. Appleton
Meeting time: Wednesdays @ 3:00 PM
All club meeting information can be found on your student's
Fisher Life page in Google Classroom.
Please keep an eye out as new clubs will be starting soon!
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HALLOWEEN EVENT FOR ALL STUDENTS! |
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Spooky & Spectacular Swag Bag Shindig!
Please join us on Friday, October 23rd, from 9 am-3 pm for fun and festivities! This is your chance to pick up your Fisher Swag Bag courtesy of our fabulous Home & School Club! Come see our new principal, Mrs. Lonhart, dressed in her favorite Halloween costume!
Students: Wear your favorite costume too! Please plan on driving through the Fisher parking lot for a much needed change of pace. You won’t want to miss out!
We will not be hosting picture days this fall, but we are hopeful we will be able to provide picture days this winter. Look for more information in the months to come.
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6th Grade English Students
Join us for a Special Event!
On Wednesday, October 14, sixth grade writers will be welcoming Ying Chang Compestine, author of young adult novels Revolution is Not a Dinner Party, Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier, A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, as well as many other works. Students will hear Ying speak about how to incorporate life events into powerful personal narratives and will answer student questions. We can't wait to chat with her!
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Bringing education and resources in support of Project Cornerstone initiatives
to Los Gatos Families
Keep Your Bucket Full Series (Part 3 of 3) from Parenting Continuum
Welcome back! In part 1, you learned about mental-emotional well-being as a bucket and why it may feel lower than usual. In part 2, you explored strategies to “drain less” and “fill more” such as focusing on your circle of influence, reframing your self-talk, boosting the happiness chemicals in your brain, and gratitude exercises. Now it is time to GROW your bucket!
What do I need to do, so that within one year
I can say this current situation is the
best thing that could have ever happened to me/us?
At first glance, this might feel like an impossible or even ridiculous question. A famous author once said, “life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it”. How might you reimagine the next 3, 6, or even 12 months?
Here are the hidden learnings and gifts that my clients discovered as they explored this question.
· “Turn off the devices and use the time to really get to know my kids”
· “Rally my employees to innovate a new business opportunity”
· “Model self-care for my employees and family”
· “Take an hour each week for my development – webinars, reading, and a coach”
Shift out of survival mode into thriving mode with these 4 growth strategies.
1) Time Travel – Consider a time in past that felt devastating at the time. What are your gifts and lessons now 10, 20, 30+ years later? For me, I think about not getting into Georgetown University for International Relations at 18 and how crushing that felt. But if I had not experienced that disappointment, I would have never found the career I love and better yet my soulmate and husband, Jeff. The same is true for this moment in time as challenging as it may feel. Imagine your future self, 20 years from now, what advice would you give your present self?
2) Bring a Growth Mindset – Growth mindset is the belief that talent can be developed. It is when you believe challenges help you grow, feedback is constructive, and learning is everywhere. Here is a 6 minute overview of growth mindset. (Or you might enjoy the ClassDojo version like my 7 year old daughter.) A simple strategy to put growth mindset into action is to become a YET person. “We haven’t figured out the best schedule as a family… YET.” Simply adding this word shifts your brain from disappointment to discovery. What have you not quite mastered YET?
3) Find (and Scale) Bright Spots – Watch this 4 min video on bright spots. Look for something that is working well at home, in school, or at work. Study it. What makes that successful? How might you scale that? Example: Maybe your kids have better quality or focus on homework after a bike ride. Perhaps taking a break to play a game together during lunch improves the mood throughout the rest of the day. Maybe packing your lunches the night before saves you heartache and drama mid-day. How might you scale what is working?
4) Grow Your Mental Fitness – In times of great change, our minds can go negative and sabotage our likelihood of success. You need to be in a calm and positive state to innovate, adapt, and navigate. In part 1, you took a Positive Intelligence (PQ) assessment. To build your PQ, you need to calm your mind, quiet the inner critics, and take action as the best version of yourself. Learn more about Mental Fitness (6 min) and a simple technique called a PQ rep.
Make this the best year yet.
Drain less, fill more, and grow your bucket.
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About the Author: Erin McAuley is a leadership expert and change coach trained in neuroscience and positive intelligence (PQ). She coaches working parents, leaders, and teams to thrive in the now and achieve their “what’s next”. She and her husband Jeff live in Monte Sereno with their 2nd and 3rd grader who are attending virtual school at home. “Our kids are constantly teaching us lessons in self-discovery and change agility.” www.bechange.coach
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Fisher Yearbooks on Sale NOW!
Don't miss your chance to purchase the historic 2020-2021 yearbook! This is the first yearbook that will be created with help from the ENTIRE student body. Not only that, but this book will also document a time in our history that will not be forgotten for generations to come.
8th-Grade parents - you may also purchase a yearbook recognition ad for your student to commemorate their success and achievements as a Trojan.
Click HERE to get your HISTORIC Yearbook
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Curbside pick-up from Fisher is open!
Curbside pick-up from the Fisher Library is available on Wednesday afternoons from 2-3 pm and Friday mornings from 8-9 am. Browse the Alexandria catalog for all the books the Fisher Library has to offer, then put your choices on hold for curbside pickup each week! This video will show you how to find and request books for curbside pickup.
You can also borrow e-books from the Fisher Library (and the Santa Clara County library system) using Sora. Check the library website for more information.
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FREE breakfast and lunch services
through December 31, 2020!
Drive thru service located at R.J. Fisher Middle School
Hours for pick-up Monday through Friday
Breakfast at 8am
Lunch at 12pm
All meals are free to those 18 and under
regardless of income.
Special shout out to Ken't Top Notch Produce who is providing organic fruits and vegetables on Mondays with meal pick up while supplies last.
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REMOTE LEARNING ATTENDANCE |
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Please contact Fisher Attendance for any of the following reasons during remote learning:
- Your student cannot log into class — email the teacher and Fisher Attendance immediately.
- Your student was delayed logging into class.
- Your student is absent, at an appointment, or leaving class early.
Be sure to provide the student’s full name and reason that s/he is absent or leaving class early. This will help us accurately track attendance.
Please note: After 72 hours, any absence that has not been confirmed by a parent will be considered an unexcused absence.
Attendance Line: 408-335-2385
Thank you,
Molly and Nancy, Fisher Attendance Office
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When you have questions and concerns about your specific student... we have awesome people to help! Please contact the appropriate person for your student:
Watch our LGUSD District Meetings live to learn more about what goes on in our district. The schedule, agendas, and teleconference links for both regular and special board meetings are located via LGUSD.
Chromebook Reminder
All Fisher students should be using an LGUSD-provisioned Chromebook. Students using devices other than the district-provisioned Chromebooks seem to be experiencing technical difficulties that we are unable to support. Here is the link for requesting a loaner Chromebook: 6-8 Chromebook Loaner Request Form
Want to help your student navigate Google Classroom?
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Never miss an important date!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
- 10/23 Halloween Swag Bag Drive Thru Event, 9AM - 3PM
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A - B - C DAYS
SCHEDULE
INFORMATION
All daily school schedule information (A, B, or C days) can be found on the RJ Fisher Middle School website and on their full calendar.
Please reference these sites for the most up-to-date and accurate schedule information.
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RJ Fisher Middle School
19195 Fisher Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95032
Mary Lonhart, Principal
Phone: 408-335-2300 | Attendance Line: 408-335-2385
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Fisher Home and School Club
Contact and make submissions to the Fisher Flyer editor at communications@fisherhsc.org
The Fisher Flyer is approved by Principal Mary Lonhart and the H&SC Board
to provide pertinent information weekly to the Fisher community.
The Fisher Flyer is written exclusively to provide the Fisher Community with school information. Articles, information, calendars, etc., may not be duplicated or re-printed in any manner without the permission of the Fisher Home and School Club or the RJ Fisher Middle School administration.
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