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FAIRMOUNT FOCUS EXECUTIVE BOARD For additional
FAIRMOUNT ELEMENTARY CARD FUNDRAISER
CLICK HEREfor detailed information about how the reloadable grocery card fundraiser works and how to get your cards today! For the 2017–18 year (July–Sept) so far, we have reloaded $178,597, with Fairmount PTA receiving $8,930. Great job and keep it up! Each reload benefits our school and our children! GROCERY CARD RAFFLE WINNER Congratulations to She will receive a $25 gift card to Starbucks for simply buying/reloading her card. Next month . . .
The clinic is seeking donations of old sweats and leggings for kids to borrow when needed. Thank you, FAIRMOUNT | |||||
Community | Attitude |
Respect | Excellence |
Mountain Vista Holiday Project
The tradition continues . . .
Fairmount students began this tradition in 1969, and they are still going strong in 2017!
For over 45 years now, the students at Fairmount Elementary School have been sharing the joy and wonder of the holidays with the residents of Mountain Vista Senior Living Community in Wheat Ridge.
In a couple of weeks, you will find a participation form in your child’s Friday Folder. Forms will be due back to the school by Friday, December 1st. All students who have signed up to “adopt†a resident will be drawing a resident name on Thursday, December 7th. Please deliver all wrapped gifts to the Fairmount office on December 14th, 15th, or 18th. The sixth grade classes, along with Mr. DeWinkle, will present a wonderful music program and deliver gifts to the residents on Wednesday, December 20th. If you have any questions about this great community program, please contact Janna Wertz at (303) 725-9712 or jannawertz@hotmail.com.
YEARBOOKS
ON SALE NOW!
Yearbook packages and individual items are ONLY available for purchase online HERE through Friday, March 30, 2018.
Check the Fairmount PTA website to see if you have already purchased your yearbook(s) by Clicking Home, Previous Orders at the top right of screen, Order Number.
Click here to see a list of packages and individual items!
Dates to
Remember
NOV. 2: 6th Grade Show
NOV. 7: PTA Meeting in the LMC @ 3:45 p.m.
NOV. 8: Concert—Advanced Group
NOV. 9: Concert—Beginning Band/Orchestra
NOV. 13–17: Outdoor Lab
NOV. 14: 4th Grade Symphony Trip
NOV. 16: Bell Middle School Bobcat Night
NOV. 16: Accountability Meeting
NOV. 17: PTA Student/Parent Breakfast
NOV. 17: Report Cards go home
NOV. 20–24: No School—Thanksgiving Break
NOV. 23: Happy Thanksgiving!
DEC. 1: Kindergarten field trip to Arvada Center
HAPPY
THANKSGIVING!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
—Sally Mills
Report Cards
At Fairmount, we believe in partnering with you to provide the best education for all of our students. So it was wonderful to see our parents at Conference Nights in October! The official end of the first trimester is November 10th, and report cards will be sent home on November 17th for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. We will send home sixth grade report cards on November 10th because of the Outdoor Lab Schedule. If you have any questions when you receive the report, please contact your child’s teacher or me.
Lunch on the Roof
What fun we had having lunch on the roof last month! Mrs. Maestas and I had the pleasure of eating lunch with our Silent Auction winners on a beautiful October afternoon. Thank you again for all of your support to our classrooms!
Thanksgiving
All of us at Fairmount wish our students and families a joyful Thanksgiving! Students will not have school the week of November 20th. We’ll see everyone back at school on Monday, November 27th.
As always, if you have a question, comment, or suggestion, please call the office, stop by, or email me at smills@jeffco.k12.co.us.
NEWS FROM THE LMC
(Library Media Center)
—Andi Johnson
Author Justin Matott @ Fairmount!
Author Justin 
Matott visited all students at Fairmount on Thursday, September 28. He is a local author of picture, chapter, and poetry books. He gave an engaging presentation that also included his anti-bullying message. Many, many thanks to our generous PTA for funding this incredible and impacting visit!
Wild West Book Fair — A Huge Success!!
Many thanks to all of you for supporting our Wild West Book Fair! It was fabulous to see all of the students having so much fun picking out new books to read. What a great way to support the literacy goals for our students and raise money for our school. This important fundraiser allows us to purchase new books for our library as well as technology resources like Discovery Education Streaming and PebbleGo. Many thanks!
Also, thank you to these wonderful ladies who volunteered their time to help with our Book Fair:
Diane Brewer, Carly Fenton, Shanna Grimes, Anita Hasenkampf, Jennifer Heineman, Megan Kim, Amy Kline, Kristi Mladenovic, Angie Parsons, Cathie Rhodes, Deb Schillie, Tanya Thexton, Monique Twite, Jodi Williams
Congratulations to the following students for winning the Guessing Jar Contest at the Book Fair! The 1
st place winners won Cow Tales and each of these students won a gift certificate to the book fair:
Grades K–2:
1st Place (tied) – Ethan Rowheder (1-Goad)
1st Place (tied) – Charlie Kline (1-Goad)
Grades 3–6:
1st Place – Danae Major (3-Bakanec)
2nd Place (tied) – Annabel Le (5-Veldman)
2nd Place (tied) – Sarah Griffin (6-Heaviland)
Library Collaboration
The sixth graders learned about Information Literacy, including website validity and how to avoid plagiarism by citing their sources.
Third graders prepared for their Day in Denver field trip and learned how to use Google My Maps to track their paths and pinpoint the places of interest that they have seen.
Spelling Bee . . . Save the Date!
The Fairmount Spelling Bee for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders will be held on Friday, January 26, 2018. The written qualifying pretest will be held on Wednesday, January 17. Lists with practice words will be sent home with those students who qualify after January 17.
Did You Know . . .
- In August 2015, our school did not have any Chromebooks, and we now have 589?! That includes 1 cart of 30 Chromebooks for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, 20 Chromebooks for 2nd grade and 6 Chromebooks in every 2nd grade classroom, 4 shared carts with 30
Chromebooks in each cart, and 2 classroom Chromebooks for every classroom in grades 3–6. This is the result of student-centered collaboration between our fabulous PTA and our school. - Twenty-two students in 5th and 6th grade have completed the necessary requirements to BYOD—Bring Your Own Device—to school?! With teacher guidance, these students use their own devices for their learning. This gives them a sense of independence and ownership in their learning while also freeing up our shared devices for other students.
PTA HAPPENINGS
We know that we don’t have to tell you that good education isn’t just about teachers and school—your involvement as a parent really matters. There have been hundreds of research studies on parents and school, and they all show the same thing: when parents get involved in their children’s education, good things happen—grades go up, test scores rise, and behavior improves. Plus, children with involved parents are more likely to pass their classes, graduate, and further their education after high school. And when lots of parents get involved, it helps teachers and the school. We, as your PTA board, are so grateful to serve a community that shows how much parent involvement matters. Currently we have some open coordinator positions we need your help with:
- Co-secretary—To shadow the current secretary throughout the year and learn the duties of the position. Co-secretary will then become Secretary next year.
- Yearbook Co-coordinator—We would love to find someone to shadow the current coordinator and then to become the Yearbook Coordinator next year.
- Learning Landscape Coordinator—This person(s) will continue the educational procurement of the Learning Landscape vision.
- Scholarships Co-coordinator—We would love to find someone to shadow the current coordinator and then to become the Scholarships Coordinator next year.
- Fairmount Firebird 5K Chase Sponsorship Coordinator—The committee is looking for a creative person to be the Sponsorship Coordinator for the Fairmount 5K Chase.
- Fairmount Firebird 5K Chase Registration Co-coordinator—We would love to find someone to shadow the current coordinator and then to become the Registration Coordinator for the Fairmount 5K Chase next year.
Programs & Events
to Watch For
The Student/Parent Breakfast will be here before you know it. Come spend some quality time with your children by having breakfast at school with us on Friday, November 17th from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. We will have pancakes hot off the grill, coffee from 5340 Coffee, and breakfast burritos from Luis Café in Golden. Click HERE for more info.
Our next PTA meeting is Tuesday, November 7th in the library at 3:45 p.m. Free child care is provided at every meeting. Please join us; all are welcome and we would love to see you there!
Volunteer Mixer—Your Fairmount PTA is hosting a mixer! The event will be held at El Senor Sol (6380 McIntyre Pkwy, Arvada, CO 80007) on November 9th from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. We will be providing appetizers. The purpose of this event is to have an opportunity for anyone who volunteers or who wishes to volunteer at our school, to come and get to know each other and ask questions about any current open positions. Any and all are welcome; we would love to see you there!
Happy Thanksgiving!
—The Fairmount PTA Board
A BIG THANK-YOU
TO . . .
Molly Given—for finding the guest speaker at last month’s PTA meeting. Also for continually providing our Fairmount community with so much great information about legislative, judicial, and electoral issues related to education in our county and state. To see the presentation given by our guest speaker from the Colorado Education Network, click HERE.
All the Parent Room Representatives and other parents—for assisting with the Halloween parties in each of the classrooms. Each of you put in a spooktacular effort with the games and treats. Between the parties and the parade, our children had a hauntingly good time.
Angie Parsons and Bess Bunyak—for coordinating the Reflections art program and hosting the Celebration of Art ceremony. Our Fairmount students are a talented bunch!
Kendra Mauger and the Hospitality Committee—for all the food that was prepared and served to the teachers during conference week. GREAT JOB!
Book Cart Program volunteers—this program is for the younger students and encourages reading a variety of books and pushes their reading to a higher level. Thank you for your weekly commitment to this great program!
Kristi Mladenovic and Heather Hewitt—for organizing and handling the Fairmount Spirit Wear orders and distribution. The new apparel looks great!
Read Naturally Program volunteers—your dedication is incredible. The school would not have this program without your support!
Visit www.fairmountpta.org today!
—The Fairmount PTA Board
2017 STUDENT/PARENT BREAKFAST
Come and have breakfast at school with your children on Friday, November 17th, 7:00–8:30 a.m. We will enjoy the traditional pancakes hot off the griddle, breakfast burritos, fruit, milk, juice, and coffee! This event is for Fairmount students only and 1 parent/guardian.
After a yummy breakfast, students will be an opportunity to have their picture taken with you and a choice of supervised play on the playground (weather permitting), movie time in the gym, or yoga until the school day begins!
There will be a suggested donation of $3.00 taken at the door. The RSVP sheet came home in Friday folders on October 27. Please be sure to return it to the school by November 13.
Contact Stacy Atkins, satkins59@gmail.com, with questions.
THANK YOU to 1ST BANK of Arvada at Westwoods for their continued support of Fairmount!
ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE REPORT
The Accountability Committee met on September 21, 2017. Sally Mills presented the CMAS/PARCC results. Fairmount scores overall exceeded those of the county and state averages. This year our focus is reading. We will focus on increasing the number of students in grades 3–6 scoring average and above on the reading assessment and for grades K–2, increasing on the DIBELS assessment from 82 to 88 percent.
This year we have contracted with a teacher professional development team, PEBC (Public Education Business Coalition). They will instruct our staff in best classroom practices and advanced teaching strategies.
In June 2017, the Jeffco Board of Education adopted a new federally required Local Wellness Policy. This policy impacts health and wellness in Jeffco Schools, with specific improvements to nutrition standards related to marketing and foods offered (not sold) to students. In summary, the new standards will include the following: Holiday Celebrations—Offer at least half “healthier†food options (using the district definition of healthier or one customized by your school); Birthdays—Starting in SY 2018–19, birthday recognitions/celebrations should not include shared food (e.g., food brought in by families for students to share); Rewards—Do not offer food as a reward for behavior or academic performance, unless approved as a need by school leadership. See Wellness Policy Guidelines for details and implementation guidance.
Safe Schools Grant—The sidewalk from McIntyre to the school has been approved. The planning process is underway. We will update once the plan is completed.
The 6th grade transition is underway. Drake and Bell will be offering parent information nights and student visits. Please contact Sally Mills or click HERE for more information.
Specifically to Fairmount for this year we will have a special yearbook to include the 5th grade pages. Also there will be a separate continuation for our 5th graders. Mrs. Smercheck will open some spots for Field Day volunteers to some 5th graders. The 5th graders will visit Mountain Vista for a May event. Outdoor Lab will remain a 6th grade event for all students. This will be the last year for the Sock Hop. And the Washington DC trip is TBD as it is a bonus field trip.
Please join us for our next Accountability Meeting on November 16 at 5:30 p.m. in the LMC.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Ballots are here! As a registered voter in Jefferson County you have received your official ballot in your mailbox. Please participate in this month's very important election. Our school board is comprised of five dedicated volunteers (yes, that means unpaid!). Click HERE for more info about the election.
This summer our current school board hired Superintendent Dr. Jason Glass! He has been all over Jefferson County meeting our community, students, teachers, and staff. We are a diverse district covering an area of 778 miles with over 85,000 students. Jeffco Generations is the beginning of a conversation about where we go next when it comes to our schools. Please read HERE and add your unique voice to the conversation!
Dr. Glass has a diverse education resume and communicates openly with our community. Check out his blog, AdvanceJeffco, HERE.
If you have questions or thoughts on specific education topics, please Molly Given at mcfroe@yahoo.com.
Saving Milk Caps = $ MOO-LA for Fairmount!
Thank you to those families who have contributed to the success of our partnership with Longmont Dairy for the “Milk Caps for Moo-la†program!
With your support, so far this school year we’ve collected 2,800 product caps, raising $140 for our school! Not only does Fairmount benefit by receiving 5 cents for every cap we collect, but we save many caps from going to a landfill by returning these to the dairy so they can be recycled.
How can you help if you aren’t already participating? Just start saving Longmont Dairy product caps if you already have products delivered to your home (or sign up with Longmont Dairy if you wish to be part of their delivery program: http://www.longmontdairy.com/sign-up.php). Collect caps from family, friends, and neighbors too! Clean caps should be placed in plastic bags with the student’s name, grade, and number of caps enclosed written on the outside of the bag. Place bags of caps in the “Milk Caps for Moo-la†collection box right inside the main entrance of our school.
Our Fairmount PTA sponsors the monthly prize drawing from students who have collected and contributed caps. To compete in the monthly drawing, students must place caps in the collection container by the last school day of each month. The monthly winner is then revealed the next week during the morning announcements.
This school year’s “Moo-la†monthly winner has received a $5 gift certificate to Dairy Queen:
August/September: Max Bianco, 3rd grade
October: To be announced on Nov. 3!
Be sure to have your caps in by November 30 for the next drawing! Feel free to contact the Fairmount “Moo-La†parent volunteer Kim Wheeler (afwheels@earthlink.net) with any questions you may have.
Fairmount Elementary PTA
15975 W. 50th Ave
Golden, CO 80403