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A big thank-you to the Fairmount PTA and all of our families who volunteered and participated at our Fall Festival BBQ & Silent Auction! It is such a joy to see all of our families here at school visiting with neighbors and watching all of our kids enjoy the attractions. It reminds me once again how blessed we are to have a community that supports our children and our school mission.
School Safety
School Safety is our biggest priority at Fairmount. Every day we follow all of the security safeguards Jeffco has put in place. We also practice one of our drills every month to prepare students and staff, not scare students and staff. These regular drills are important to build muscle memory and confidence so that everyone knows how to respond in a safe manner in the very unlikely event of an incident. On October 5th during the window of 1:00–3:00 p.m., we will be practicing our Lockdown Drill. Before the drill, teachers will explain the drill to students and answer their questions so that students will know what to expect. When the drill begins, classroom teachers will lock interior doors, turn out the lights, and direct students to an out-of-sight area in the classroom. Then Mrs. Kruse and I, along with Jeffco Sheriffs and Jeffco Security Personnel, will go classroom to classroom making sure all students are safe. We will go into classrooms to compliment and reassure our students as well as answer questions they may have. There will be a sign on the front door of the school indicating that the office is not available so that you will not be able to check students in or out. We will send out school messenger reminders before the drill occurs and after the drill to let you know how everything goes and to let you know the drill is concluded. Please talk with your student ahead of time and plan accordingly if you have appointments that require you to check out your student. If you have questions about the drill, please feel free to contact Mrs. Kruse or me in the office.
Halloween at School
We enjoy Halloween at Fairmount! Our Halloween parade and parties will be Wednesday, October 31st in the morning from 9:00 to 10:20. Students can come to school in costume and bring regular clothes to change into when the party is over. Our rules are that students cannot have masks that cover their faces, no gore, fake blood, or weapons, and no makeup or hair dye that will be a distraction for the rest of the school day. (Save those more advanced costume pieces for your trick-or-treating!) Remember our costume rules apply to parents as well! If you are sending in treats for our Halloween parties, please remember absolutely NO TREE NUTS OR PEANUTS! Drinks must be clear liquids or in pouches/boxes. Thank you for making this day special for our students while also helping us to get back to the school day afterwards!
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.
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THANK YOU to
1st BANK of
ARVADA
at WESTWOODS
for their continued
support of
Fairmount!
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| GROCERY CARD PROGRAM
September Gift Card Raffle Winner!
Thank you to everyone who purchased or reloaded their grocery cards in September.
A $25 gift card to Target goes to Chris Hoxie! Congratulations, Chris!
Who wants to win a $25 gift card to Starbucks next month?
All you need to do is purchase a reloadable gift card OR reload the card you already have, and you will automatically be entered to win! It is so easy to help the PTA fund school projects, earn cash back, and even win a gift card! If you don’t have your reloadable gift card yet, visit the PTA website for more information. If you have a card from last year, keep using it! We pick a winner each month, so don’t miss out!
So far this year, Fairmount has raised $9,724 with your reloads. That’s 24% toward our goal of $39,916 for the year. Great job and keep it up! Each reload benefits our school and our children!
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PTA HAPPENINGS
Hello, Fairmount Families! We hope you had fun at the annual Fairmount Festival/BBQ and Silent Auction!
We have a lot of activities for the year ahead and will still need YOUR help to accomplish all that we’d like to do this year. Please see below for the programs, events, and other support that our PTA is able to provide to our students with your help:
Upcoming Events: On November 16th the Student/Parent Breakfast will be put on by your PTA, and any volunteers will be graciously accepted. We hope you will be able to attend. Other events throughout the year include the Talent Show, Fairmount Firebird 5K Chase Run/Walk, Staff Appreciation Week, Lakeside Night, and 5th Grade Continuation.
PTA Membership: We would once again like to ask for your support so that we can continue making resources and learning opportunities available to our students. One way to support the work that we do as a PTA is by simply joining our membership ranks. Membership is only $10/member and includes access to the online school directory! Please sign up for your membership on our PTA website at www.FairmountPTA.org. In addition to being able to join the PTA, you will be able to purchase tickets to various events held throughout the year, volunteer to help with our many activities and fundraising efforts listed above, keep up to date with important PTA happenings such as meetings, monthly PTA newsletters, national/Colorado/JeffCo legislative educational updates, and more!
Yearbooks: Yearbook sales are going on now! Sale of yearbooks goes until March 29, 2019! You will not be able to buy a yearbook after that. Purchase your memories now at www.FairmountPTA.org! See links below for more info!
Happy Halloween!
Visit www.fairmountpta.org today!
The Fairmount PTA Board
PROGRAMS & EVENTS TO WATCH FOR:
Parenting Safe Children: Fairmount PTA would like to host a Parenting Safe Children workshop at our school. Feather Berkower presented at Fairmount a few years ago, and it was a great experience for the families who were able to attend. Her highly regarded workshop, Parenting Safe Children, empowers adults to keep children safe from sexual predators. Here is a link to her website: https://parentingsafechildren.com. If you would like to be a part of planning this event, please contact Laura Warren at enrichment@fairmountpta.org.
PTA Meeting: Brad Rupert, the District 1 representative on the Jeffco Public Schools school board, will be speaking at the October 2nd PTA meeting at 3:45 in the Fairmount library. Please come to hear the specifics of the school funding ballot measures and how our students and community would be impacted if they pass. Child care will be provided for free, courtesy of the PTA.
Book Cart: The PTA-sponsored Book Cart Program has started. Please be on the lookout for books coming home with your kindergartner, first grader, or second grader. This is a daily program run by parent volunteers to help support your child’s reading success. If you have questions, please contact Maria King at maria_l_king@yahoo.com.
October Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences will be held October 9–11. The PTA provides childcare free of charge during conferences. Please reserve your childcare needs on the PTA website. The hospitality committee provides meals for teachers during conferences. If you would like to contribute a food item, please email Angie Spann at angiespann@hotmail.com.
Halloween Parade and Classroom Parties: Classroom parties will be held from 9:00 to 10:20 a.m. on October 31. If the weather is good, we will have a costume parade around the outdoor track beginning around 9:00 a.m. Parents can come and view all of the ghosts, goblins, and other fun costumes from the soccer field. Treats will be allowed for the classroom parties. If you intend to send in treats, remember that NO NUTS of any kind are allowed. If parents do come into the building, please remember to check in at the office and receive a visitor’s badge.
Student/Parent Breakfast: The annual Student/Parent Breakfast will be Friday, November 16 at 7:00–8:30 a.m. Please come enjoy burritos as well as pancakes hot off the griddle, OJ, and coffee! This event is for Fairmount students only and one parent/guardian (suggested $2/person donation at the door). Please contact our Student/Parent Breakfast coordinator, Stacy Atkins, at satkins59@gmail.com with questions.
A BIG THANK-YOU TO:
Heather Reynolds, Jessica Nauslar, Becky Asbury, Stephanie Helmer, Katie Wells, Emily Cranford, Kristina Klug, Joanna Wagner, Suzanne Hoffman, Laura Warren, and all of the BBQ Fall Festival & Silent Auction Committee Volunteers—Thank you for all your dedication and hard work this year to make the BBQ and Silent Auction such a success! It is such a fun time for Fairmount families, and we appreciate everything you did to pull this night together.
Angie Spann for arranging the great lunch that was served to the teachers on their first day back at school on August 8th. It was a great way to welcome them back!
All Fairmount Staff—for all your help, patience, and support with PTA activities. We could not do anything without your help. Thank you!!
Maria King for getting the book cart and volunteers ready to go for this year. We really appreciate this program and all you do to keep it running smoothly for our classrooms and families.
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FALL FESTIVAL
& SILENT AUCTION
Another successful Fall Festival is in the books! Thank you, Fairmount families, for supporting this event. The weather was perfect, and we had over 900 people in attendance. Frank’s BBQ provided a delicious meal, DJ Drake provided fun tunes, and the Fairmount choir led by Mr. DeWinkle gave a fantastic performance!
  
Many of the games were island inspired such as Ring the Pineapple (pineapples donated by Sprouts Market), the Treasure Hunt (sponsored by Ace Hardware), and the Lollipop Palm Tree (prizes donated by Golden Goods and Avenue Gifts). The special attraction this year was the Hamster Ball Race, and it proved to be popular. Although the line was long, many children commented on how much fun it was. We also had some favorite games back this year, such as a giant slide, an inflatable obstacle course, balloon pop, the Laughing Photo Booth (big thanks to Sugar Bugs Pediatric Dentistry for sponsoring this yet again), the Giant Dice Game (prizes sponsored by Jake’s Toy Box, McDonald’s, Fairmount Stables, Laura Konegni, Got Paint?), face painting by Rachel's Creations, and the cake walk! THANK YOU to all parents who brought a yummy baked good for the cake walk! We also appreciated King Soopers, Gold Mine Cupcakes, Great American Cookies, Cinnabon, and Ricura Creations Cakes and Sweets for donating baked goods. Other sponsors for the festival included Arvada Rent-Alls, Malone’s, Golden Himalaya, Target, Golden Sweets, Jumpstreet, and School House Kitchen. All donations were very much appreciated!
 
Thank you so much to all the parent volunteers!! It would be impossible for this event to run without you. Congrats to Mrs. Arleth’s class who had the most parent volunteers.
Last, a HUGE shout-out to the wonderful Fall Festival Committee led by Heather Reynolds: Jess Nauslar, Emily Cranford, Laura Warren, JoAnna Wagner, and Suzanne Hoffman! We are SO grateful for everyone's help and dedication to this awesome event!
  
If anyone has any questions or feedback (good or bad), please don’t hesitate to contact Heather Reynolds at hreynolds315@hotmail.com. And looking ahead, if anyone would be interested in co-chairing this event with Heather next year, please let her know; she can answer any questions you have about the commitment involved.
Thank you also to everyone who donated time, money, and effort toward this year's Silent Auction. Combining our mystery bag money with the website results we came just under our very challenging goal of $20,000. Classroom items raised $7,260, half of which will be going back to your students' classrooms!
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NEWS FROM THE LMC
(Library Media Center)—Andi Johnson, Digital Teacher Librarian
Enchanted Forest Book Fair: Let Your Imagination Grow!
Our fall Book Fair is coming soon! It will begin on Friday, October 5 and wrap up at noon at Thursday, October 11. There is no school on Friday, October 12. This is a great way for students to buy books they are interested in as well as pick up a holiday gift or two!
HOURS
- Friday, Oct. 5 and Monday, Oct. 8: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Oct. 9 and Wednesday, Oct. 10: 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (open late during conferences)
- Thursday, Oct. 11: 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
We will be open during conferences Tuesday and Wednesday nights, so please stop by! All students will visit the book fair and complete a wish list on Friday or Monday. Parents are under no obligation to purchase the books on the wish list or otherwise.
We can use your help! If you are interested in volunteering to help during this week, please sign up here or email me at andjohns@jeffcoschools.us.
Both the fall and spring Book Fairs are HUGE events that are integral to the funding of many important resources for all of our students. Here is an overview of what the all-important Book Fair proceeds help purchase:
- Books—to keep our library collection current and interesting!
- Magazines
- Discovery Education Streaming—educational videos vetted for students
- PebbleGo—online database with nonfiction facts geared for student use
- Spelling Bee
- Library Supplies
1:1 Devices
This year, for the first time, every student has access to a device. Our kindergartners have access to iPads, and our 1st–5th graders have access to Chromebooks. This is an exciting time for teachers to plan engaging learning opportunities that make the most use of all the digital content available on the internet and for students who get to do the learning! Thank you, Fairmount PTA and Fairmount Elementary!
Keeping Kids Safe Online
I want to share a good portion of the article below that I read online. It has five tips for keeping your kids safe online. (It was published in June, 2015 at Time.com.)
"How To Keep Your Kids Safe Online"
By John Patrick Pullen
The Internet, where parents have even less of a view into their children's activity, can be a troublesome hotspot. These five tips can help keep your children safe online.
1. Have a conversation about using the Internet.This might seem like a no-brainer to some, but in today’s busy world, parents should be careful not to leave anything unsaid. Specifically, be sure to cover what kind of information kids shouldn’t share online, like their real names, where they live, or other identifying information.
“We try to get parents to start these conversations and lessons early,†says Ju’Riese Colon, the executive director of external affairs for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. For parents who don’t know where to begin these conversations, the center has a program called NetSmartz that’s designed to help kids ages five to 18 stay safe online, whether that’s on a smartphone, in a chat room, or while gaming.
2. Figure out what your kids’ devices can do. Almost everyone knows smartphones can take photos and videos, and computers can do, well, almost anything, but parents are often surprised what other devices can do.
“If you’re going to put it in your children’s hands, get to know it a little bit, get to know its abilities, whether it's a gaming device, a cellphone, something that streams music, or an e-book reader,†says Colon. For instance, parents who aren’t very tech-savvy may not know that Kindles can surf the web, or that Xbox One gaming consoles support Skype video chatting.
In fact, gaming consoles have progressed a long way from the Nintendos of our youth. “Almost every game allows you to interact with others,†says Colon. This is problematic because it’s providing a new forum for people to reach children. Colon doesn’t necessarily think parents should ban their kids from online multiplayer games, but she does recommend making sure the online conversations in those games — whether they involve voice or text chats — stick to the topic at hand. So, if you’re on a co-operative mission, strategize around how to capture that flag. If the talk extends beyond that into real-world information, children should say “game over."
3. Follow your kids online.Gaining independence is part of growing up, which is why parents have such a difficult time with their kids hanging out unsupervised with friends. But just as you wouldn’t send your children outside without knowing where they are, you shouldn't send them out into the virtual world unmonitored either, says Colon. For instance, parents should create accounts on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social networks their kids want to use, and supervise their activity on those forums.
But before doing that, check to see if your children — at their particular ages — should even be on these sites. For instance, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube require that users be at least 13 years old. WhatsApp requires its users to be 16; Vine allows users who are 17 and older.
4. Know who your kids are connecting with.In addition to joining the same social networks as your child, it’s a smart plan to friend their friends, too. While some might find this to be the kind of thing a helicopter parent would do, it’s really just responsible parenting to know what your kids talk about on- or off-line. Of course boys will be boys and girls will be girls, but it’s important that they learn among peers, not amidst strangers.
That’s why it's important to follow the accounts that follow your child. To begin with, if they are strangers or people posting inappropriate content, you can see what your child sees and tell him or her to block them. Or, if they are your kids' friends, you can have talks about whether what they're posting online is appropriate and about what’s happening in their world in general.
5. Set some limits.Everything is great in moderation — especially the Internet. But that doesn’t just mean parents should limit the time their kids spend on the web. Parents should also communicate where children can and cannot visit.
It’s impossible to keep track of every app or site that’s appealing to teens or kids, says Colon, so she recommends getting some help. One place to start is with your Internet Service Provider — they may have parental tools and filters designed to keep some of the more prurient online content out of your home. Secondly, look to the device your child is using to access the web. Linking app stores to your credit card (and not giving the password or card number to your little one) will ensure they need your permission before they can install new apps. The Parental Controls preference on Macs and Windows computers can also keep children on the straight and narrow, as well.
Parents reading this who feel like there’s a lack of quick tricks and shortcuts to keeping their kids safe online may be overlooking the common thread throughout these five tips: communication. The biggest key to keeping your children safe online isn’t walling off the Internet or crippling their computers (though a little bit of that can help), it’s helping them understand how big the world is, and which places within it are safe to roam.
“They’re inquisitive — that’s what children are, and that’s what makes them so wonderful,†says Colon. “But at the same time, we need to guide them in the direction in which they need to go.â€
(Pullen, John Patrick. “How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online This Summer.†Time. 30 June 2015. time.com/3940304/kids-safe-online-safety/.)
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MINDSET MASTERS
At Fairmount, “We C.A.R.E.†(Community, Attitude, Respect, and Excellence) has been a standing phrase through our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports system (PBIS). Aligned with this focus, we promote and teach five growth mindsets within the classrooms:
Persistence
Empathy
Resilience
Optimism
Flexibility
Every month students are recognized as “Mindset Masters†for their use of the different mindsets. The following students were chosen by their teachers for this month, and their names will be posted, throughout the entire month of OCTOBER, in the hallway leading from the cafeteria to outside.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Kruse at christine.kruse@jeffco.k12.co.us.
PERSISTENCE | EMPATHY | RESILIENCE | OPTIMISM | FLEXIBILITY | RT Williams | Ella Davenport | Van Johnson | Alyssa Cook | Aria Whittier | Jacob Newton | Lyla Milton | Noah Bierbrauer | Harper Reichardt | Zoey Sanders | Hunter Vest | Eva Kelley | Mya Chalupa | Willow Weborg | Jett Bauer | Auston Boughton | Kataleya Pena-Lunnon | Reagan Kent | Colton DeBell | Ryan Alcock | Micah Nelson | Jordan Johnson | Emma Samson | Brielle Emery | Joshua Newton | Addie Freeman | Chloe Ellis | Collin Wertz | Cora Boeckman | Devin Povonka | Jace Pytlik | Quinn Feaster | Adeline Brooker | Liam Clark | Alessandro Lombardi | Lillia Leahy | Ben Smith | Wesleigh Stocker | Liam West | Aydin Youngs | Anela Smith | Connor Heaviland | Ariano Guerra | Drew Dreeszen | Dominic DiManna | Fletcher Britt | Becca Kroll | Madison Riggs | Lochlan Shepherd | Sadie Pfahl | Charlie Komon | Poppy Saunders | Ella Barran | Vivian Pearson | Jui Kukday | Summer Vigil | Willow Merrigan | Sofia Cuartas | Henry Bauer | London Coronado | Owen Nelson | Immy Schmucker | Lillian Cassell | Asher Kaplan | Lilli Lombardi | Grace Schillie | Draigon Olson | Hunter Arnold | Hattie Hermsen | Corbin Jensen | Charles Lindenschmidt | Reese Williams | Zach Hoerr | Joshua Coover | Leo Given | Oscar Klang | Aubry Grieve | Diego Martinez | Quincy Smykil | Nate Bierbrauer | Lily Hauxwell | Kaylee Vest | | Tess Dreeszen | Hannah Teeter | Ben Wheeler | Audrey Rohweder | | Lev Staub | Kellen Conley | Chase Holtman | Kelly Spraggins | | Caden Zahrte | | Elisa Vessely | Santana Sabus | | Addi Phillips | | Hadley Nausler | Connor Kroll | | Ali Mancuso | | Jordan Asbury | Grant Kent | | Caitlyn Nguyen | | Kody Deng | Oliver Hamilton | | Quentin Kronberg | | Kennedi Zweifel | Olivia Gonzales | | Kash Charles | | | | Evelyn Donaldson | | | |
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 | | FROM THE CAFETERIA
—Leanne Alton, Cafeteria Manager
This year Food Service has a new software program that requires all students to enter their student ID numbers for anything purchased in the cafeteria. If you could help your student memorize their number, it would be greatly appreciated. We will be working closely with each student to make this a smooth transition for them.
All grade levels are offered our a la carte program at lunch. These are snacks that can be purchased in addition to lunch. They follow the federal Smart Snack Guidelines. If you do not want your child to participate, you can email me at Leanne.Alton@jeffco.k12.co.us. Also, we don’t want the students buying extra snacks for their friends. Please stop in the kitchen if you have any questions or call me at 303-982-5393. Thanks for your help!
Click HERE to access the October lunch menu!
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Saving Milk Caps =
$ MOO-LA FOR Fairmount!
Thank you to those families who have contribute to the success of our partnership with Longmont Dairy for the “Milk Caps for Moo-la†program!
With your support, during the 2017–2018 school year we collected 14,249 product caps, raising $712 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. “Moo-la†monthly winners each receive a $5 gift card to Little Caesars Pizza.
Be sure to have your milk caps in by October 31st for the next drawing of the school year! Feel free to contact the Fairmount “Moo-la†parent volunteer, Candace Vorthman, at candace@vorthman.com, with any questions you may have.
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 | | REFLECTIONS CELEBRATION OF ART
The PTA-sponsored art contest is calling for entries. Students have until October 3rd to complete their pieces and turn them in.
We will be celebrating all Reflections participants’ art in a ceremony in the Fairmount cafeteria on October 19th at 6:00 p.m. Then many of our talented students will have their pieces displayed in the Reflections Art Show at Red Rocks Community College on December 2nd. For entry form and guidelines please click HERE!
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ART @ FAIRMOUNT—Mr. Griffin, Visual Art Teacher
Hello, Fairmount families!
We will again be participating in the Original Works student art fund-raiser this year. This program is a great opportunity to share your students’ work with friends and family, as Original Works can reproduce student work in traditional formats, like matted art prints, or in more nontraditional formats like coffee mugs, garden flags, T-shirts, etc. All grades are busy completing their work for this program, and information about Fairmount’s online student gallery will be coming home in the coming weeks.
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YEARBOOK SALES &
YEARBOOK BABY PAGES
Deadline to purchase a yearbook baby page for your student is December 8th!
Click HERE for more details!
Deadline to purchase a yearbook for your student is March 29th!
Click HERE for yearbook package info!
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*** CLINIC CORNER ***
The clinic is in need of the following donations:
Ziploc sandwich bags (for ice packs)
Girls leggings (size 6–9)
Thank you!
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