The past couple of weeks held many exciting experiences where our Fairmeadow students were the stars! The Whole School Learning Celebration highlighted tremendous student growth and interest across subject areas, and I enjoyed watching our children excitedly share classroom activities and work, with confidence and pride. Our students' curious and thought-provoking science fair projects engaged and challenged attendees at our annual Science Fair. Last Thursday, 4th graders simulated life in an old gold mining camp during Gold Rush Day, deepening their historical empathy and understanding the life of a gold miner during the times of early California. This week promises to be another exciting week of learning and community as students conclude the work of the school year with their teachers and classmates. What an amazing time to be a proud Fairmeadow Firebird!

 

At our final Principal's Coffee last week, an engaged group of parents and community members joined in for a lively discussion about transitions, summer literacy, and our new mathematics curriculum. While discussing transitions, we emphasized the importance of modeling a growth mindset and embracing change while preparing our children to conclude the year and anticipate school-life in the next grade level. Opportunity for reading and writing over the summer is a critical piece of summer planning! Encourage purposeful writing and joyful reading to practice and maintain skills. Did you know that our PAUSD School Board recently adopted a new K-5 mathematics curriculum, Bridges in Mathematics? Teachers and staff will be working over the summer to prepare to launch our new math curriculum. Look forward to parent education opportunities at Fairmeadow in the fall to learn more about this comprehensive approach to the instruction of mathematics!

 

The final days of the school year include many fun, physical activities outdoors, and with temperatures and sun intensity increasing by the day it's important to practice our Fairmeadow sun-safe behaviors. Please remind your children to bring a hat to school to protect skin from sun during play times outside, and to seek shade during extended time in the sun. Field Day on May 31st promises to be an incredibly enjoyable day of outside activity and games; let's be sun-safe while we enjoy this annual day of games!

 

Our Fairmeadow School Site Council is a parent and teacher leadership group that meets to establish instructional goals for our school as well as assess the social and emotional climate on campus. Members of our School Site Council are asked to attend regular monthly meetings and to collaborate around initiatives, resources, and fund allocation to support all children at Fairmeadow. If you are interested in one of the open parent positions, please contact me and provide the following information: your name, grade level for your child(ren), and a brief statement explaining why you want to be a member of the Fairmeadow School Site Council. Please send me this information by the last day of school, June 1st.

 

In classrooms, students and teachers are concluding this busy year of learning and growth. All teachers are completing the process of capturing your student's progress from this year on the spring progress report. This includes informally and formally assessing your child's progress in many social and emotional competencies, as well as the many academic areas outlined in the Common Core State Standards and highlighted on the PAUSD progress reports. You should expect to receive your child's progress report around the final day of school. Teachers will be sharing progress reports and much more relevant information with your child's receiving teacher prior to the start of the next school year.

 

While we don't have school next Monday in observance of Memorial Day, we are looking forward to a busy final week of school next week! School concludes on Thursday, June 1st with the 5th grade promotion ceremony at 9 am on the field, and school ending for all grades at 1:40 pm. I look forward to seeing you at Fairmeadow at some point over the next two weeks for an upcoming activity, celebration, or commemoration!

Grant Althouse

Principal