Darcy Krulisky, Campus Director - Edgewood Campus

By the time you receive this issue of the Edgewood Enquirer, you should also have received your child's report card and possibly the CTP4 scores, summer reading list, and/or honor roll certificate depending on your child's grade level.  As always, I was impressed with Edgewood's CTP4 scores in comparison to national norms and norms of like schools.  You should all be very proud of your children's efforts and accomplishments.

When we all return in September for the 2009-2010 school year, there will be some changes on the Edgewood campus.  There will be a number of Promethean boards and added technology installed in classrooms beginning in the fall.  Some beautification efforts will be completed during the summer and apparent when school begins.  A full-time ASSIST teacher will have been hired.  A junior high counselor will be shared with the other two Fairmont junior high campuses.  Reading groups will be the norm at all grade levels.  The junior high school will include ability grouping in Language Arts next year, as we have done in Math and Science.  Our goal is to continue to provide the best educational environment for your children.

Our summer camp and summer school are in full swing.  I enjoy your children's company during the summer months and also enjoy seeing non-Fairmont students return each summer to take advantage of our educational and recreational programs.

Mr. Smiens begins his tenure as the campus director starting at the beginning of July, and I will return to the position of assistant campus director at the same time.  We complement each other well, and I expect another great year at Edgewood.  As the assistant director I look forward to being on campus more often, having more contact with students and staff, and being a support to Mr. Smiens.

Expect a mailer of general information from Fairmont in July and a "campus-specific" mailer from Edgewood early in August.  Both are important and have needed information concerning the upcoming school year.

Enjoy the summer months and time with your children!

When you receive the last issue of the Edgewood Enquirer, we should have only two weeks left of this school year.  These last two weeks bring junior high final exams, eighth grade promotion events, yearbooks, end-of-year classroom parties, and preparations for summer school and summer camp.

I want to thank the Edgewood Campus Parent Association board and members for their support and generosity throughout this school year.  If you attended the eighth grade play "Annie," you were able to enjoy the outstanding sound system purchased through your generosity in supporting the Parent Association fundraisers.  I have enjoyed working with the board members and always knew they had Edgewood students' interest at heart.  Thank you all so much for what you have accomplished this year on behalf of Edgewood.

Edgewood has yet again had a stellar year in academic accomplishments as witnessed through our standardized test scores, honor roll recipients, debate awards, science fair winners, and Academic Pentathlon medals. 

The sports program, extra-curricular activities, and social events have added to the "whole child" education received at Fairmont.  Our students have a wide variety of activities in which to participate, as can be noted on the calendar on the Fairmont website.

As you may remember, we started the school year with a new rainproof lunch cover, including lights and fans, which has been a great help on rainy days, on hot days, and for evening events.  Promethean boards and document cameras were added to seven classrooms on our campus, and a mobile cart of Neo computers to serve an entire classroom was purchased with more scheduled to be installed in individual classrooms in the coming school year.  The interactive education provided with these tools is priceless.

I hope to see you and your children during our summer programs or, at the very least, in the fall for the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.  As always, thank you for your support in our efforts to provide your children with the skills necessary to succeed in life.

I just returned from a week in Arizona with 46 seventh graders and three other Fairmont chaperones.  The students were wonderful, the scenery was inspiring, and I may have learned as much as the students did.  We hiked below the rim of the Grand Canyon, biked in Sedona, rafted down the Colorado River, observed Saturn at the Lowell Observatory, and much, much more.  The sixth graders spent the week at Astrocamp, and our eighth graders visited Washington, D.C. and New York City.

 This next week won't be any less interesting with the 5th grade State Fair, our junior high students competing in the State Science Fair, and the Prep Carnival for everyone.  During the following week we will be administering the Mastery tests for the last time this year.

 Believe it or not, there are only four weeks left of school.  Eighth grade promotion will be here before we know it.  Edgewood summer camp begins immediately following school, and summer school begins the week after that.

 Teachers, who are lucky enough to have Promethean boards in their classrooms, will be inviting you to observe a lesson using the Promethean technology.  Please accept this invitation and share this experience with your child.  you will be amazed at the significance of this technology in helping to teach your child.

I certainly hope you all had a wonderful spring break, because you will need to be well-rested for all the upcoming events in May.  Academically, both CTP4 testing (for grades 1-8) and Mastery testing (for grades 1-6) will take place during the month of May.  Fourth graders begin the month with a spelling bee, 5^th graders present their annual State Fair, kindergartners visit the Hermit Crab Lab, and first graders are visitors to the Secret Garden. 

There are still more events to put on your calendars.  Our Student Services department is providing two Parent Nights Out.  Our staff will provide a "camp" experience for your students and feed them pizza while you enjoy a Friday evening or two on your own.  Our DSL and JH athletes and cheerleaders will be honored at the annual Edgewood Sports Banquet.  Our fourth grade street hockey team is competing at the Ducks Street Hockey Shootout at the Honda Center.

Sixth grade pentathletes will be competing against other Orange County schools at the annual competition.  Drama students from the eighth grade will be performing in the musical play "Annie" for three nights in May.

Kindergarten through fifth grade will be performing at our spring Concert in the Park.  Do not miss this event!  We will have chairs ready, but feel free to bring your own or bring a picnic blanket and enjoy the musical talents of our elementary students.

Seven Promethean boards and document cameras have been installed in classrooms.  If you have not seen them in use, ask a teacher for a demonstration.  They are completely interactive and engaging.  Training is ongoing for teachers, and we hope to have many more installed at the beginning of the next school year.

With only six weeks of school remaining for the 08-09 school year, encourage your students to keep up the good work and finish strong!

March came in like a "lion," with Spirit Week, Moving Up Day, report cards and honor roll, Writing Proficiencies, the Science Fair, a debate tournament, 7^th/8^th Pentathlon competition, basketball games, and the annual Fun Run.  Edgewood students had plenty to do to keep themselves busy!

Along with showers, April brings Spring Pictures, a Parenting Seminar from Sandy McDaniel, progress reports, an all-Fairmont debate tournament, a 4^th grade trip to Sacramento, 6^th grade Pentathlon competition, soccer games, and the opportunity to give to others through Pennies for Patients.

Promethean boards and document cameras are coming to six more classrooms on the Edgewood campus.  Our fifth graders have been using their Promethean board almost nonstop since it was installed in February.  Teachers are receiving more training on this new technology early in April, and they are eager to put that training to use in their classrooms! 

Kindergarten and junior kindergarten classes will have overhead projectors and large screens installed in their rooms to serve as a larger view for the computer applications used during the day including United Streaming and Brain Pop. 

Brochures for summer programs have been sent home with your students.  Find out about what programs and classes are offered at Edgewood this summer!

The third trimester has begun, and teachers are continuing to prepare their students for the next grade level and for their standardized tests later this school year.  Edgewood students and parents had the opportunity during Moving Up Day to visit their prospective classrooms for next year and get an idea of what will be expected of them when they are promoted.

Once again, I thank all of you for sharing your children with us and for all your efforts to support our school and staff.