Fairmeadow Elementary School eNews

Where Learning is a Team Sport!
December 4, 2017
Fairmeadow News
Scholastic Book Fair
Monday, December 4 - Friday, December 8
Come by the Scholastic Book Fair this week from Monday to Friday! It's a great opportunity to find deals on books for gift giving or just to stock up on reading for the holidays. We will have a gift wrapping table to help wrap some of those holiday presents for a nominal fee. All proceeds benefit the Fairmeadow PTA.  Volunteers needed! Please sign up here Hours:

Morning hours: 8:00-9:00 am
Afternoon hours: 2:30-3:30 pm
Wednesday afternoon: 1:00-3:00 pm

Questions? Please contact Nirmala Patni.
Fairmeadow Families Holiday Fund
As the holidays are upon us, please consider making a donation to the Fairmeadow  Families Holiday Fund. We would would like to come together to provide assistance to families in our school community who need a little help during the holiday season. The office will be accepting donations in the form of cash or checks (please make them out to Claire Kirner). You can also contribute via PayPal ([email protected]). Our Fairmeadow office staff will then purchase gift cards to distribute. If you'd like to participate, please do so by Wednesday, December 13th.
Feel free to contact Claire Kirner or Alicia in the front office with any questions.
Hello 3rd Grade Families!
The staff luncheon this month is on  Thursday, December 14th, and is being hosted by 3rd grade families. These monthly luncheons give us a chance to show our appreciation for all that the Fairmeadow staff does for our children. It allows the entire faculty and staff to come together over a meal and they really enjoy and look forward to it. This month's theme is Brunch. 

Please consider signing up to contribute food to the luncheon. In addition, we need a few people to come to the luncheon to help with set-up and clean-up. These jobs do not take long. Click here to sign-up to contribute a dish or help out!  If you have trouble accessing the Google doc, please email  Sachi Messerian  with the dish you want to bring.

Is your child not in 3rd grade?  Click here for a list of staff luncheons scheduled for this school year.
Raffle Winners
Again a big thank you to those families who've returned the PTA One Check Donation Form! All forms returned by the end of November were entered into our third  raffle and here are the winners:
  • Patricia and Wilhelm Rohrmeier - Studio Kicks Palo Alto Gift Cards
  • Mahesh Kallahalla & Suman Rangaswamy - San Francisco 49ers Football 
As promised, due to the success of our campaign we'll run another  raffle and announce the winners in February. If you forgot to bring back your  One Check Form, it's never too late please return it to school. All donations go directly to our school and help with a wide range of supplies, activities, events, and enriching programs. Every donation counts, and all returned forms get entered in our next  raffle.

PAUSD News
Superintendent's Weekly Message
We will re-post Karen Hendricks' Weekly Message here  each week, in case you missed it on her previous Infinite Campus email to you.
PAUSD's Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Second Advisor Group Meeting
Thu, Dec 14, 5-7 pm, District Office, Board Room (SDC), 25 Churchill Ave  
The meeting will review District data and stakeholders will be able to give input and feedback. Visit PAUSD LCAP Website
 or Parent's Guide to LCAP Dashboard  for more information.  Spanish translation will be available.
CAC Holiday Tea & Welcome Reception (Free)
Fri, Dec 15, 8:30-10 am, Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Rd
Parenting a child with special needs has unique challenges, so taking good care of yourself is important. Join us for a healthy and tasty breakfast buffet, wellness treats and a presentation by Assistant Superintendent Lana Conaway. She will speak about equity, access, wellness and safety for all students, especially those receiving Special Education services. Ms. Conaway is one of PAUSD's new leaders and oversees Special Education, Counseling, Health, and Wellness in her role as Assistant Superintendent of Strategic Initiatives and Operations. Childcare will not be provided, but children are welcome. Spanish language translation will be available. Hosted by the Palo Alto Community Advisory Committee for Special Education and the Palo Alto Council of PTAs. For questions contact  [email protected] RSVP's requested (but not required).

PTAC News
2018 Palo Alto Chinese New Year Fair (Mar 4, 2018)
Poster Competition: The organizers of the above event are calling  all  PAUSD students for a Poster Competition to design a brochure cover for the 2018 PA CNY Fair. Posters must be between 8.5" x 11" and 12" x 18" on unlined paper and any media (crayons, markers, paint, etc.) are accepted. Include "2018 Palo Alto Chinese New Year Fair" and the theme "Year of Dog" on the poster, and write your name, grade, school, and an email contact on the back. Please submit entries to the front desk of Mitchell Park Library  by January 12, 2018 . Email  [email protected]  for more information. Entries may be displayed at the Fair, which is organized by Palo Alto Chinese Parent Club, a non-profit organization that serves the Palo Alto community, and co-sponsored by PTA Council.

Community News
Annual BayLUG Holiday LEGO Show
Fridays-Sundays, Dec 8 - Jan 14, 11 am - 3:30 pm, Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer Avenue. Closed on December 24th for Christmas Eve
The Museum of American Heritage is hosting the annual holiday LEGO show. Featuring festive holiday scenes in a miniature city. This colorful event is for LEGO lovers of all ages. $3 per person cash only at the door. No strollers, food, or drink permitted in inside the exhibit.
Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra's Holiday Extravaganza with Anderson & Roe
Sat, Dec 16, 3 pm, Smithwick Theater, 12345 El Monte Rd, Los Altos Hills
Pianists Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe join forces with PACO for high-octane performances of Bach and their original Fantasy on Bizet's Carmen. Program includes Corelli's Christmas Concerto and Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, featuring all five PACO orchestras and the Pacific Ballet Academy. Tickets can be purchased online ($20 for back orchestra seats and $30 for front orchestra seats). Group rates available for 10+ tickets. For more information: [email protected] or (650) 856-3848.

Silicon Valley Boychoir Auditions
Fri, Dec 8 by appointment, 600 Homer Ave
Auditions for the January semester will be held at the choir's rehearsal location near downtown Palo Alto. Open to 2nd-5th grade boys. High school and middle school boys with choral experience may audition for upper levels. Email or visit the website for more information.

Society of Bookworms
Wed, Dec 20, 4-5 pm, Children's Library, 1276 Harriet St
Join us in a discussion of the Louis Sachar's thrilling adventure,  Fuzzy Mud .  A limited number of copies are available for pick-up at Children's Library. Registration required. Grades 4-6 only.
Family Movie Afternoon
Sat, Dec 9, 4-6 pm, Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Rd
Join us for a family movie afternoon the 2 nd  Saturday of each month. December movie: Toy Story. Please click here to register.
Ragazzi Boys Chorus Free SingFest Minicamp
Sat, Jan 20, 9:30 am - 1 pm, 178 Clinton St, Redwood City
Let your 7-10 year old boy test-drive this 'best choir of the Peninsula' for himself at a free half-day minicamp where he'll learn some songs and have a blast. Low-key, no-obligation auditions are integrated into the morning; no previous singing experience needed. Boys offered Ragazzi membership start rehearsing in January, 2018. Beginning groups start slow, then grow, meeting once a week for choral singing and theory instruction. Ragazzi's opportunities include singing the National Anthem at a San Francisco Giants game, Opera roles, collaborations with Stanford's choruses and the San Francisco Symphony-and even world-wide touring. SingFest is free, and spots will go fast. Register here Can't make it to SingFest but want to audition? Click here.
Ragazzi Boys Chorus' Music and Movement Classes Open
Mondays, 3:15 & 4:15 sessions, Jan 29 - May 21, 178 Clinton St, Redwood City
Ragazzi Boys Chorus' engaging class for active young boys is now open. It's a great option for boys not quite old enough for Ragazzi's main program. This class is tailored for boys ages 5-7 with little or no previous musical experience. A child-developmental approach fosters boys' creativity and curiosity. Students explore rhythm games, channel their energy through music learning, and learn concepts they can apply in any musical setting. $330 for 15 weeks; sibling discounts. Registration and more info here or contact [email protected], 650-342-8785.

ABCD Research Study
Ongoing Recruitment
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study will enroll  10,000+ healthy children and follow them from ages 9 to 10 into early  adulthood to understand how children's experiences affect brain  development and other aspects of their lives. Researchers are conducting the
ABCD study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, across the  country. You may be eligible to participate at SRI International in Menlo  Park. Financial compensation for participation, families can earn up to  $350.  Contact information: 
Call:    Dr. Aimee Goldstone (650) 859-3320
Text:  (650) 687-7742
Visit the study website

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
Dec 4-8 Book Fair
Dec 4-8 Inclusive Schools Week
Dec 8 Principal's Coffee
Quick Links