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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE—Sally Mills, Principal
Congratulations to Fairmount Students, Parents, and Staff!
We are proud of our Robotics Team consisting of Logan Lessen, Iver Larson, Owen Heineman, and Harrison Lyman! Our boys won the Jeffco District Robotic Skills Championship, which qualified them to compete at the Colorado State Robotics Championship.
We are also proud of our Fairmount Bookbirds who finished in the top four at the Jeffco District Battle of the Books! Our Bookbirds are Elsa Vessely, Tanner Vessely, Evelyn Donaldson, Lila Qualteri, Taylor Kelley, and Lilly Schneck.
We are thrilled that one of our parents, Adria Lucerna, is being honored as an Unsung Hero by the Jefferson County Good News Coalition! Adria is being recognized for her work with our 5th graders in learning and applying engineering skills, creating sidewalk proposals, and presenting their proposals to government officials at a public meeting last spring. As a result of Adria’s efforts, Fairmount was awarded a grant for a sidewalk from McIntyre to the school, which is scheduled to be installed this summer.
Every year Jeffco recognizes staff members from each school who have demonstrated the qualities of Exemplary Performance, Integrity, Teamwork, and Valuing People. Congratulations to the following staff members for being recognized by their colleagues as Fairmount’s 2019 Value Award recipients: Eileen Wahlmeier, Suzie Fink, Chris Kruse, and Christy Portie.
Family–School Partnership Survey
Thank you to everyone who participated in Fairmount’s Family–School Partnership Survey. Your opinions matter to us! Building relationships with students and families and partnering with parents are key values for us. So we were extremely proud that 100% of respondents believe that Fairmount is a safe place for your children to learn and that the principals, teachers, and staff work to develop relationships with you and your children.
I wanted to give you additional information on two areas that weren’t rated as high.
- 66% of respondents felt that we keep you informed of the legal rights of your child. You can access rights and responsibilities applicable to all students in Jeffco’s Student and Family Handbook, which is also called the Code of Conduct. You can find a link to this booklet on Fairmount’s website under Family Resources–Code of Conduct. In addition to the rights applicable to all students, there are other legal rights for students who have Individual Education Plans (IEP) or 504 Plans. Those rights were given to parents when we created and reviewed those plans. If you need another copy, please call the school office.
- 65% of respondents felt that you know Fairmount’s process for resolving complaints or problems. The first resolution step is to contact your child’s teacher if the issue relates to the classroom. If you do not feel like the situation is resolved at that point, contact Mrs. Kruse or me in the office and we will be happy to meet with you and your child’s teacher to facilitate a resolution. If the issue does not relate to the classroom, you can contact Mrs. Kruse or me in the office via phone call, email, calling for an appointment, or dropping by to see if either of us is available.
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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CAMPBELL-DEANE SCHOLARSHIP
Former Fairmount students are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship when they are high school seniors. This scholarship is available to any high school senior who was enrolled at Fairmount Elementary School for a period of three years or more, has a satisfactory grade standing, citizenship record, and community service experiences. To apply, print the Scholarship Requirements and return your application to Fairmount by April 12, 2019.
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OPEN PTA POSITIONS
We need your help!
We have several open PTA Coordinator positions that need to be filled. Grab a friend and do it together! Please help us to keep our Fairmount Community strong!!!
- Hospitality Coordinator
- Fundraising Liaison
- Fairmount Firebird 5K Chase Co-Coordinator
- Learning Landscapes Coordinator
- Community BBQ Co-Coordinator
- Reflections Coordinator
Please email enrichment@fairmountpta.orgif you have any questions.
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FEATURED OPEN PTA POSITIONFUNDRAISING LIAISON- This position serves as the liaison between the PTA board and the three fundraisers each year (Silent Auction, Fairmount Firebird 5K Chase, and the Grocery Card Program).
- This person helps ensure that the committee chairs of these events have the resources they need to be successful. The fundraising liaison also explores ways to help these groups improve and stay current as well as to help decide how to use funds raised by the PTA. This person does not need to serve on these fundraising committees but is always welcome to.
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FAIRMOUNT FIREBIRD 5K CHASENEWS
A huge shout out to our 2019 Race Logo design winner:Corbin Kellerme yer (5–Heaviland). Great work and we look forward to wearing your artwork on our 2019 Fairmount Firebird 5K Chase T-shirts! We’d also like to recognize Jake’s Toy Box for donating gift cards for each of our grade-level and grand prize art contest winners.
Online registration is available on the PTA website, so come on and join the fun! We look forward to seeing teachers, staff, students, and their families at Fairmount Park on Sunday, May 5th.
Please consider volunteering on race day either before, during, or after the race. The link to sign up is below. With 6th grade no longer at Fairmount, we’ve lost a bunch of our seasoned volunteers. Please help us keep this race going to raise funds for our school!
Click HEREfor the Fairmount 5K Chase Volunteer Sign-up Link!
With great appreciation, we’d also like to recognize this year’s race sponsors: Vyas Orthodontics, Cornerstone Orthopedics, Sugar Bugs, Kong, Major Heating & Cooling, Kelley Trucking Inc., Denver Kickers, Eagle Environmental Consulting, Peak Performance Running, F45 Fitness, Mesa Realty, Green Leaf Massage & Sports Recovery, Davis Family, Edukit, Brand Evolutions West, Feaster Realty, Aaron Turner Agency-American Family Insurance, and Bookkeeping Colorado Inc.
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PTA HAPPENINGS
PROGRAMS & EVENTS TO WATCH FOR:
Welcome back, everyone! We hope everyone had a relaxing and fun spring break. We would like to invite you to attend our next PTA meeting on Tuesday, April 2nd at 6:30 p.m. Elections for your PTA board will be held, so come and make your voice heard! Child care will be provided, so please join us.
The Fairmount Firebird 5K Chase is fast approaching. You can now register for the annual 5K family fun run, scheduled for Sunday, May 5th, on our website. Online registration will be open until April 26th. This event will be a great time for the whole family, so don’t miss out. Register today! Registration forms will also be coming home in Friday folders, or you can pick one up in the main office.
Fairmount has been fortunate to have so many volunteers helping to make our school what it is today. We are very appreciative to all those who give of their time, energy, and effort to create the quality events and programs we are proud to have at Fairmount. There are a few open positions we would like to fill before the end of the year. Please contact Laura Warren at enrichment@FairmountPTA.org if you are interested in or would like to receive more information on any of the following open positions: Hospitality Coordinator, Fundraising Liaison, Fairmount Firebird 5K Chase Co-Coordinator, Community BBQ Co-Coordinator, Reflections Coordinator, and Learning Landscapes Coordinator.
A BIG THANK-YOU TO:
Mrs. Smerchek for keeping our kids fit in Running Club.
Our digital teacher librarian, Andi Johnson, for working so hard to keep our students’ technology up to date.
Amy Kline for all her time and hard work updating our families on the new King Soopers program and making our transition as smooth as possible.
Visit www.fairmountpta.org today!
—The Fairmount PTA Board
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SUMMER BRIDGE ACTIVITIES WORKBOOKSThe PTA is offering an educational program for the summer that can help maintain your child’s skill levels while having fun. The Summer Bridge Activities Workbooks have been developed by classroom teachers to bridge the educational gap during the summer. The first part of the book (two-thirds) provides a heavy review of the grade your child is leaving, and the last part of the book (one-third) is a preview of the next grade to prepare your child for the upcoming year. You may order any grade from Pre-K transitioning to Kindergarten all the way through 7th grade transitioning to 8th grade.
The cost of the workbook is $15.00. Deadline to order is Friday, April 19th. Please go to fairmountpta.org to place your order.
We appreciate your support and are confident that your children will benefit from this wonderful educational opportunity. In addition, our supplier for these books, Jake’s Toy Box, will be donating $5.00 to our school for every book you order!
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THANK YOU
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*NEW* KING SOOPERS GROCERY CARD SYSTEM  ATTENTION, FAIRMOUNT FAMILIES!
Please read this important message if:
- You have given us your Sooper Card information.
- You would like to learn more about how the King Soopers program is easier than before.
- You have never heard of the King Soopers Rewards program.
The King Soopers program just got easier! No more gift cards! Simply enroll in the King Soopers Community Rewards program and choose to support Fairmount Elementary. Once enrolled, every time you make a purchase at King Soopers and use your Sooper Card or Alternate ID, Fairmount earns a donation! The more the Fairmount Community participates, the more we stand to earn for the school. IMPORTANT: If you have already given us your Sooper Card information, you still need to complete the easy Community Rewards enrollment process online or through the app. Doing so will allow us to give a portion of the King Soopers donation back to you!
Here’s how to get started: Online - Go to www.KingSoopers.com
- Create an account or log-in to your existing account
- Click on “My Accountâ€
- Choose “Community Rewardsâ€
- Search for Fairmount Elementary School
- Organization name: Fairmount Elementary School
- Organization number: GF969
- Enroll
On the app - On the bottom of the screen, click on “Moreâ€
- Click on “My Accountâ€
- Click on “Community Rewardsâ€
- Search for Fairmount Elementary School
- Organization name: Fairmount Elementary School
- Organization number: GF969
- Enroll
King Soopers’ changes to the Rewards program mean that it is easier than ever to use, but it also means there are a few changes. Please read the FAQs to see how these changes affect you.
Contact Amy Kline at GroceryCards@FairmountPTA.org with any questions about the program.
King Soopers Community Rewards FAQs
Why did it change?
King Soopers responded to feedback from its customers. This new program makes gift card reloads a thing of the past, and it extends the rewards program to include ClickList, Delivery, and Scan, Bag, Go.
Does Fairmount still get 5% of my spending, and do I still get 2.5% back?
King Soopers no longer awards organizations 5% of what their members spend. They now dedicate a set $2.5 million per quarter ($10 million each year) to give back to participating organizations. That means that we earn a portion of that $2.5 million pot each quarter and our portion depends on our amount of spending compared to other organizations.
The Fairmount PTA is dedicated to giving back to the Fairmount community that participates in this program. We will return to families 50% of what they earn for Fairmount through the rewards program. However, you can always choose to give Fairmount 100% of your earnings—you only need to enroll! No other steps necessary!
How do I get my reward?
At the end of each quarter, King Soopers will update your www.kingsoopers.com account with the total dollar amount of the donation you earned for Fairmount. We will periodically ask Fairmount families to send us screenshots of their quarterly donation totals. We will then credit your account on www.FairmountPTA.org with 50% of your total donation, just as we do under the current program. You can then use your credit to purchase PTA-sponsored items such as spirit wear, Fall BBQ tickets, yearbooks, Fairmount Firebird 5K Chase registrations, and more. More information about the refund process to come!
I still have money on my gift card. Can I still use it?
Yes. You can redeem your credits beyond the April 1st program start date. However, to earn donations for Fairmount, you will need to register your Sooper Card number with Fairmount Elementary School at www.kingsoopers.com or on the King Soopers app and use it at checkout.
Can out-of-state family members enroll?
No. This only works within the State of Colorado. But please enroll as many local family members as you can! They all help Fairmount and you earn more!
Do I still get fuel points?
Yes. Your King Soopers card will still earn fuel points like before. However, money spent on fuel will not be calculated into the rewards program. Fairmount will not earn donations on fuel, alcohol, or cigarette purchases.
Did Safeway change?
Safeway still uses reloadable cards. You can continue to reload, use, and earn rewards with your Safeway cards.
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GROCERY CARD PROGRAM
MARCH Gift Card Raffle Winner!
Thank you to everyone who purchased or reloaded their grocery cards in January.
A $25 gift card to Target goes to LIZ SHNERINGER!
Congratulations, Liz!
So far this year, Fairmount has raised $28,972 with your reloads. That’s 73% toward our goal for the year. Keep reloading those cards! Each reload benefits our school and our children!
Please remember to register your Sooper Card/alternate ID at www.kingsoopers.com to benefit Fairmount! 
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NEWS FROM THE LMC
(Library Media Center)—Andi Johnson, Digital Teacher Librarian
BFRs at State Robotics Competition!
Congratulations to the BFRs—Big Friendly Robots—robotics team who qualified for the VEX State Robotics competition. Owen Heineman, Iver Larsen, Logan Lessen, and Harrison Lynam represented Fairmount at the competition in Erie, CO, on March 11. They advanced to the finals and made Fairmount proud! Congratulations, students!
Battle of the Books
Congratulations to the 48 5th graders who competed in Fairmount’s first ever Battle of the Books on Tuesday, March 11. Each team of three read 10 books and answered comprehension questions about them. It was an exciting and close competition. We’re proud to announce that these two teams represented Fairmount at the district competition on March 11: Reading Rhinos—Taylor Kelley, Evelyn Donaldson, and Lila Qualteri—and the Book Warriors—Lily Schneck, Elsa Vessely, and Tanner Vessely.
For this competition, students read 10 books and answered questions about them. There were 25 schools from all around Jeffco at the competition, and these students placed in the TOP FOUR! We are so proud of them. Way to go, students!
Colorado Children's Book Award Winners
All students at Fairmount voted for their favorite Colorado Children’s Book Award (CCBA) book. I have compiled and turned in the votes to the state committee, and the results are in! It has been fun to read all of these great books!
Picture Books
Winner: The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
Runner-up: Creepy Pair of Underwear
Chapter Books
Winner: Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea
Runner Up:Restart
Dino-Mite Book Fair: Chomp, Stomp, and Read!
Our Spring Book Fair is coming! The dates are May 13–17 which includes both Field Days. We hope this Spring Book Fair will put great books into the hands of our students for summer reading and help to offset the “summer slide†when learning often takes a dip. Be sure to mark your calendars! Come on by when you’re here to cheer on your student(s) at Field Day!
Library Collaboration:
- Our kindergartners researched facts about the sun to go along with their Sun and Sky science unit. Then they used the My Story iPad app to create an e-book about the sun adding facts, pictures, and voice narration.
- Our 2nd graders are researching extreme weather and animals for their Just the Facts nonfiction writing unit. Their projects—they’re the first students in the school to use Book Creator to create digital books—include facts, pictures with captions, and a Works Cited section.
- All 3rd graders have coded spheros to complete a maze. They’re transferring the coding skills they used in Hour of Code to the Spheros EDU app on iPads.
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PARENT UNIVERSITY
Parent University gives parents the opportunity to learn from expert speakers as we work together in a partnership for our students. Sponsored by our PTA, Parent U is a free event for all Fairmount families. The event is Tuesday, April 9 from 5:15 to 8:10 p.m. We will have a pizza dinner for all families and then informative and valuable speaker sessions for parents. Parents will choose two from the following session options:
Molly McKinley — navigate bicycle infrastructure; laws for motorists and bicyclists; how to avoid common crashes between motorists and bicyclists
Angie Blomquist, Fairmount'sSTEM teacher — overview of STEM program; student-led demonstrations of STEM activities
Dana Levesque — screen-time awareness; parental controls; family media contracts
George Mumma — Morrison Chief of Police
Sarah Bontrager (Licensed Marriage and Family Psychotherapist Associate) — sleep, communication, scheduling
Karie Phillips, Fairmount’s Social Worker — social/emotional wellness
Teacher-led activities will be provided for school-age children and child care for preschoolers. Please RSVP HERE by Friday, April 5 so we can plan for pizza, craft supplies for the kids, etc.
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BOX-TOPS SPRING RESULTS
—Amy Thomas, Box-Tops CoordinatorWell, Fairmount families, you did it again! You came through again in our Box-Tops Race! We collected $380.20, making our total for the year $758.10!!! This is amazing! This money will go toward buying color ink cartridges for our color printer, something we all appreciate. Thank you so much for your efforts! Many thanks to Bob and Joi Huebels for their invaluable help! Remember to keep collecting and trimming those Box-Tops over the summer. Next year we will keep track of grade level totals all year, so every Box-Top will count toward the February Race. We are shooting to collect $1,000 next year!
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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 APRIL, 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 | Jackson Hunter | Slade Shifflet | Quinn Kirkendall | Wyatt Turgeon | Libby Wells | Lindyn Kuk | Julia Davis | Cora Boeckman | Blake Burnham | Greyson Donaldson | Delaney Cochran | Stella Hall | Avery Brooke | Jace Pytlik | Ella Barron | Nate Abeyta | Kyleigh Gibson | Peyton Nguyen | Sophie Sprenger | Sawyer Bolton | Logan DePaepe | Marty Eckert | Collin Portie | Nieve Hooyer | Camden Konegni | Jack Allen | Lela Cozzi | Xavier Allen | Amelia Melcher | | Isabella Perez | Landon Vialpando-Pallotto | Audrey Rohweder | Ava Berryhill | | Angeline Ha | Cole Trebilcock | Taylor Watson | Libby Timmens | | Luke Longseth | Taylor Bilger | Lila Qualteri | Lawson Parker | | Jayden Courtney | Sierra McCui | Shaden Parsons | | | Colin Meier | Tyler Penney | Cooper Barden | | | Cole Eisenreich | | | | | Ethan Orchard | | | | | Orin Edwards | | | | |
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STEM UPDATE
—Angie Blomquist, STEM teacher
K — Technology in kindergarten is thriving as authors researched an animal, took a picture of that animal, and were able to share their knowledge using the Chatterpix app. The fun part about this app is that students draw a mouth over the image so when they record their voices, it looks like the animal is doing the talking!
1st — First graders are finishing their redesign project making playgrounds a safer place to play! Following the design process, students have either selected a piece of recess equipment to improve or created a new, safe piece of equipment, and are learning both the art of prototyping and using models to make their idea a reality. Their self-standing playground prototypes had to withstand a fan simulating a typical Colorado day in the foothills. Communication, collaboration, and compromising could be found in every group!
2nd — Second graders are saving doghouses during the flood barrier challenge. In the first lab, students tested the absorbency of four different materials and, after seeing the class data, selected the main material they wanted to use in their flood barrier. In the second lab, students tested the effectiveness of their flood barrier with the doghouse. In the third lab, students had a chance to change the absorbent material or the barrier design and try again. These scientists were reflective throughout the process, and trust me, your pups are in good hands with these owners!
3rd — Third graders are working with fractions. Following the color criteria, mathematicians created a Bloxel character for a video game. They then had the option to simplify all six fractions, animate their character, and/or use a different amount of cubes and figure out the new fractions.
4th — Fourth graders are delving into the world of 3D printing. After exploring the Tinkercad gallery, they decided on the Colorado artifact they want represented with their Colorado Makey Makey quiz. Using Tinkercad, they designed the artifact and made sure it fit the criteria for the 3D printer.
5th — Fifth graders are practicing the art of innovation! Quickly and multiple times within the class period, students were creating, improving, transforming, and disrupting ordinary objects depending on the given criteria. Innovators were constrained only by their own imaginations, and as the hour wore on, the creations became more and more creative!
STEM DAY Coding 2.0
Kindergartners coded robot mice through mazes with a partner. They used unifix cubes as a standard measuring tool and coding cards to help. The mice weren’t the only ones squealing with delight! First graders used algorithms to design marble mazes and debugged errors through trial and error. Second graders followed algorithms to design paper airplanes. They learned what worked (and what didn’t). Third graders made binary bracelets. Two-color coding at its finest! Fourth graders played mini golf with the Sphero robots. Fifth graders coded Dash robots and debugged code lines when they encountered an error.
In music, students animated their names using Scratch programming. In PE, students coded their bodies through mazes made with different equipment. In art, students experimented with Domino mazes. Thank you to Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Nickerson, Ms. Nick, Mr. Robinet, Mrs. Veldman, Ms. Smerchek, Mr. Griffin, and Mr. Dewinkle for making this STEM Day possible.
All pictures are available HERE on my website under Pictures.
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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 have collected 9,400 product caps, raising $470 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 Little Caesars:
August/September Talon King, 3rd grade
October Charlotte Kline, 1st grade
November Ben Wheeler, 4th grade
December/January Taylor Kelley, 5th grade
February Scott Pruitt, 1st grade
March TBD, Drawing April 2nd
April TBD, Drawing Mar 1st
Be sure to have your milk caps in by April 30th to be included in the next drawing! 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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Mark Your Calendars:TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
Please note that Teacher Appreciation Week is April 29–May 3.
Show your appreciation for your classroom teachers, specials teachers, and staff anytime during this week. The PTA will be providing some special treats for the teachers and staff during this week to show them how much we APPRECIATE them!
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