The following students were selected as Writers of the Month for November:

First Grade: Aaron Eskandari, Eric Kang, Alexcia Lopez, Sarah Martellino.
 

Second Grade: Leo Boghosian, Reid Matthews.

 

Third Grade: Arin Ajand, Gavin Capati, Lucy Frame, Kristen Kim, Suzan Mirzakhanyan.

Fourth Grade: Garrett Li, Sienna Noordermeer, Taili Sherwood-Kong.

Fifth Grade: Emma Glaza, Sierra Greninger, Lauren Ryder.

 

Congratulations to our new Volunteer of the Month for November: Jennifer Sandberg!

 

Congratulations to the Citizens of the Month for November! The theme for the month was Citizenship.

 

 

Wow! We get a whole week off for Thanksgiving this year! I’m very thankful for that. And on the subject of being thankful … I am also very grateful for our school.

 

We are so fortunate to be able to offer amazing programs that give our children and teachers the best possible school experience. Fremont’s reputation for excellence comes from many places ... yes, our teachers are fantastic and our staff is wonderful. But the real key? Our parents. Over the past seven years I have had the privilege of working alongside some of the most enthusiastic, caring, hard-working parents out there. The parents of the Class of 2014 have been especially involved and responsible for much of what the entire school benefits from today.

 

Unfortunately, we are loosing a big group of super-involved parents next year as they move on to Rosemont. What does this mean? We need more of you to step up next year doing things outside of the classroom! Don’t wait to get involved. I can tell you firsthand that those seven years fly by. Elementary School is really the only time you are able to be intimately involved in your child’s school experience - and that experience is much more than just inside the classroom. The activities and programs coordinated by PTA and PAC give our kids lasting memories and enrichment. Don’t let the opportunity slip away to be a part of that.

So, here are the ...

 

TOP TEN REASONS TO VOLUNTEER AT FREMONT:

10. Your child(ren) will think you are awesome.
What child’s eyes don’t light up when they see Mommy or Daddy helping out at their school? Well maybe a sixth-grader’s eyes are too busy rolling, but deep down you know they’re still proud of you. By volunteering at school you are showing your child(ren) that school is important … something that will help motivate them to do well.

9. You can add new skills to your resume.
If you’re ever looking for a new job it will look great to have some volunteer activities on your resume, showing you picked up new skills and displayed leadership and organizational responsibility.

8. You want Fremont to continue to be one of the best schools in our area.
Of course, Fremont has great academics, teachers and staff. But what makes it truly exceptional? All the extras we have that are only made possible by our parents. By volunteering, you make sure all of those programs continue to be available for students now and in the future.

7. You get to know your child(ren)’s friends and activities.
I love walking down the hall and having my kids’ classmates say, “Hello Mrs. Wilbur.” I love knowing almost all of the sixth-grade students by first name and I also know many of their parents (still working on the second-graders). And when my kids mention something that’s happening at school I know what they’re talking about! 

6. Your children will do better in school.
More than 85 research studies conducted over the past 30 years show that kids do better when their parents are involved at school. Grades are higher. Test scores improve. Attendance increases. It’s also linked to higher rates of graduation and pursuit of higher education.

5. You will get to know the teachers and staff and they will get to know you.
The more events you volunteer for, the more you’ll get to know the teachers and staff. You’ll also gain a greater knowledge and appreciation for what they do. 

4. Your life will be enriched by other Fremont parents – and you’ll have fun!
One of the things that struck me right away during our first year at Fremont was how many kind and generous parents there were. I feel so blessed to have been surrounded by these people, and have what I expect will be lifelong friendships with many of them. We met and became close because of our volunteer work at Fremont. And we had a great time doing it!

3. You want our teachers to be great!
By helping in the classroom and with prep work you are letting them focus on the important stuff ... teaching. By volunteering to help with fundraisers, you are ensuring we have state-of-the-art tools for them as well as programs to help them augment the classroom experience. All of our volunteer opportunities somehow benefit our teachers, whether directly or indirectly.

2. You will be more informed about what is happening at school.
Involved parents have better access to information about what is happening at the school, which allows you to be a better advocate for your child.


And the number 1 reason to volunteer at Fremont:

You are making the world a better place by helping children. Nothing is a better use of your time.


So … now that you are all excited to get your Volunteer shoes on, visit the Volunteer Page on our website to find the jobs that best fit your interests and schedule. Our 2014-2015 Nominating Committee will be sending a notice out soon about which positions are available. Pick one and be a part of our Fremont Parent Volunteer Team!

 

Contact our Nominating Committee Chair Nancy Soltero at nssoltero@gmail.com and let her know how you’d like to help next year.

 

 

 

About 135 boys and their dads had a blast at the annual Father/Son Bowling event.

 

 

 

The new venue, All Star Lanes in Eagle Rock, provided a lot more lanes for bowling and also offered electronic scorekeeping and featured an arcade, Martin says. 

 

Caterer Cathy Turanski served a variety of hearty pastas for dinner, including pasta with red sauce and sausage, pasta alfredo, macaroni and cheese, as well as caesar salad, cranberry salad and Star Cafe rolls.

 

Photographer Andy Kitchen took Father/Son portraits, including those below, which are available for viewing at: www.andrewkitchen.com. Go to Proofing Galleries, Fremont Elementary, Father/Son bowling. You may download as many copies as you wish.

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

We have a new Volunteer of the Month for October: Christina Martin!

 

Martin is one of our most dedicated volunteers who consistently works to make Fremont not only fabulous and friendly, but also FUN!
  

"She's like the Energizer Bunny, always doing something for Sixth-Grade Committee, PAC and PTA," says Amy Harley, who co-chairs the Sixth-Grade Committee with Martin. "She always has a can-do, get-it-done attitude."

 

 

Martin also has been busy helping out with PAC. She serves as a board member, coordinates the teacher grants and assists with organizational planning. She's also been working on the Annual Campaign, the school's major fundraiser.

 

 

 

In addition to her volunteer work, Martin is a super-star substitute teacher at Fremont!

 

Martin is the proud mom of sixth-grader Nicholas and fourth-grader Carly.

 

 

Thank you, Christina, for all of the many, many things that you do for Fremont! 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindergarten: Eli Jones, Jayden Lee, Leana Zargarian.

Sixth Grade: Owen Clark, Shyla Summers, Dylan Wilbur.

 

 

Congratulations to all of you for being Write on Target!

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to the Citizens of the Month for October! The theme for the month was Cooperation.

  

Here is the list of honorees:

 

First Grade: Candace Kim, Diana Mirzakhanyan, Zen Moore, Hazel Vegas.

Second Grade: Andy Escalante, Andrew Leventhal, Shant Zargarian.

Third Grade: Gabriela Aguinaldo, Taleen Krikorian, Robert Sarkisyan, Damian Valdez.

Fourth Grade: Yvalisse Ganzon, Matthew Hernandez, Mason Nuttall.

Fifth Grade: Lulu Aguirre, Heidi Apkarian, Alex Zargarian.

Sixth Grade: Chase Hayes, Diane Kim, Aline Zargarian.

Ms. Anglin’s Class: Zachary DeVera-Drew.

Mrs. Williams' Class: Pablo DeVera-Drew.

Mrs. E. Rivera’s Class: Lucien Ives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art took center stage as Fremont students in kindergarten through sixth grade were honored last week for their creativity in the PTA's annual Reflections art contest. 

"Our Reflections Showcase and Awards Ceremony was a huge success," says Reflections Chair Leona Darmanian.

 

"This year's theme was 'Believe, Dream, Inspire.' Students made this theme their own, and interpreted their ideas into beautiful artwork," she says. "Students were proud to see their entries displayed, and parents were thrilled to see their children receiving Awards of Excellence certificates, medals and prizes. It was my pleasure to chair this important annual event!"

 

Here are the winners:

 

 

 

*First Place: Eli Jones
*Second Place: Olivia Reesha
*Third Place: Elias Shammaa

*First Place: Nicholas Cabalo
*Second Place: Gianna Caudillo
*Third Place: Nour Shammaa

Honorable Mention
*Elisha Lee
*Kaitlyn Regan
*McKenna Booth


Visual Arts (Sixth Grade)
*First Place: Kayleigh Scott
*Second Place: Keegan Schmit
*Third Place: Keegan Schmit

Photography (Kindergarten to Second Grade)
*First Place: Lana Darmanian

*First Place: Priscilla Ward
*Second Place: Peter Darmanian


Photography (Sixth Grade)
*First Place: Keegan Schmit

*First Place: Rene Zahiney

 

 

   

Dance (Third Grade through Fifth Grade)
*First Place: Summer Ruyle

 

 

The first place winners in each grade division, for each category, move on to the district level competition! Winners can then advance, and compete at the national level.

 

"Congratulations to all our Fabulous Fremont Artists!" says Darmanian. "And good luck to the winners who will advance to the district level competition!" 

 

Fremont thanks all of our generous Reflections donors: Carlton Sexton, Printefex La Canada, RDC, Berolina Bakery, and Vons Montrose.

 

 

Here are some more photos from the Reflections ceremony:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last month, Fremont held its first-ever "Art Rodeo," in which art supplies were provided and students were encouraged to stay after school and prepare their Reflections entries. Here are photos from that event:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The PTA's first educational assembly on Friday featured Brass Pacifica, a talented, award-winning brass quintet composed of two trumpets, a French horn, a tuba and a trombone.

During the assembly, students were given background information on the family of brass instruments. The group showcased each brass instrument with music that ranged from a lively Mozart rondo to a contemporary piece like the theme from "Star Wars."

 

The students, teachers and parents showed their enjoyment of the music as they snapped their fingers to "Little Brown Jug" and clapped along to the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" theme.

 

The second PTA educational assembly will be on January 17, and will also feature artists from The Music Center on Tour.

 

The Scholastic Book Fair this fall brought in more than $14,200 in sales, raising funds for school while promoting a love of reading and delivering a delightful shopping experience, too.

 

The theme of this year's Book Fair, organized by the PTA, was "Reading Oasis: A Cool Place to Discover Hot Books."

 

 

"The students truly enjoyed the decor, props and sound effects," says Book Fair Co-Chair Nancy Soltero. "As they entered the auditorium their expressions would say it all. We got to hear so many "wows" especially from the upper grades. Teachers also were very appreciative." Working with Soltero on Book Fair were Jennifer Marin, Tamar Kousherian and Angela Karimyan.

 

Adds Soltero: "The Book Fair committee would like to thank our parent volunteer stars who made this truly a magical Book Fair, including: Judith Nikels Reesha for believing in the vision and helping with all the decor work; Tayna Einhaus for setting up and helping during Book Fair hours; and Heather Lombard Gore for stepping up and working daily for many hours."

 

Here are some photos from Book Fair, courtesy of Soltero:

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to the Citizens of the Month for September! The theme for the month was Responsibility.

  

Here is the list of honorees:

 

First Grade: Reece Corlett, Miro Nauha,  Josiah Noh, Aidan Santiago.

Second Grade: Luke Francis, Jack Gallagher.

Third Grade: Emilia Avetisyan, Jovie Ayranjian, Anna Erdmier, Sumin Kwon, Kaitlyn Regan.

Fourth Grade: Stephen Ellson, Lauren Karakas, Summer Ruyle.

Fifth Grade: Nicole Ginoian, Griffin Moralls, Aricin Tellefsen.

Sixth Grade: Zachary Pontius, Matthew Regan, Nicole Zargarian.

Ms. Anglin’s Class: Natalie Yoo.

Mrs. Williams' Class: Maxwell Greenfield.

Mrs. E. Rivera’s Class: Andrew Arellano.

 

 

 

Kindergarten: Samantha Bruck, Amelie Corriveau, Erica Kim.

Congratulations to all of you for being Write on Target!

Congratulations to the following winners of the Book Fair Poster Contest (grades 1-6) and Bookmark Contest (kindergarten):

 

 

First Grade: Silus Orozco.

 

Second Grade: Rene Zahiney.

 

Third Grade: York Einhaus.

 

Fourth Grade: Nicholas Cabalo, Gianna Caudillo.

 

Fifth Grade: Andrew McDermott.

 

Sixth Grade: Anise Hayrapetian, Jared Noh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each morning a Fremont sixth-grader has the honor of reading some "words of wisdom" over the loud speaker for all of the school to hear.

 

 

These announcements, part of the Project Wisdomprogram, involve a short lesson followed by a signature sign-off: "Make it a great day ... or not. The choice is yours."

 

That's good advice for kids and adults both!

 

Here are a few of the past announcements:

 

 

Have you every noticed that it's easier to do the right thing when someone is watching you, like when your teacher is watching you take an exam? Think about it. When your teacher is watching, you're probably going to do the right thing and not look at your neighbor's paper, right?

 

It's harder to do the right thing when no one is looking, don't you think? You can say to yourself, "Oh, well, no one will ever know," but guess what? You will know, and then you will feel bad about yourself because you did the wrong thing and you know you did the wrong thing.

 

Somebody wise once said: Character is doing the right thing when no one is looking.

 

Next time you are tempted to make a poor choice because no one is looking, remember this: Someone really is looking. You are looking, and what you think about you is important.

 

 

Make it a great day ... or not. The choice is yours. 

 

 

There's an old story about two stone-cutters. When asked what they were doing, the first stone-cutter replied, "I'm cutting this stone into blocks." When asked the same question, the second stone-cutter replied, "I'm building a great church."

 

The way we see the world can change in an instant with a simple change in our thinking. For example: If your attitude toward school is negative, guess what. Your time spent at school will be negative. If you see school as a chance to learn and grow and meet great people, guess what? You will be happy with going to school.

 

The English say it this way: All happiness is in the mind.

 

It's simple, but true. Today, notice how you think about school and the world around you.

 

Make it a great day ... or not. The choice is yours. 

 

 

Did you know that Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have special rules they live by? One of those rules is being well-mannered. The Scout Law says: Good manners make it easier for people to get along.

 

In other words, Scouts believe that when people are polite to each other, they get along better. Why? Because when we are being well-mannered, we are being respectful. We don't hurt other people's feelings. We say "please" and "thank you," we share with others, we let others go first, and we take turns.

 

What do you think? Do you think if everyone had good manners, people would get along better? Today, follow the Scout Law and use your very best manners. It's a good rule for living.

 

Make it a great day ... or not. The choice is yours.

 

 

Welcome to the 2013-14 School Year!

 

It has been so great to meet our new Fremont families and reunite with the returning members of the fabulous, friendly Fremont Community over the last few weeks. I have a second-grader and a sixth-grader this year, so I’m starting to get very nostalgic about our journey over the past six years and why I feel so fortunate to be a part of Fremont. I love walking down Rosemary Avenue in the morning with our neighbors on the way to school. I love hearing my kids talk excitedly about something awesome that happened at school. I love the relationships that our parents have with each other and with the staff. I have loved to watch my children and my friends’ children blossom socially and academically in a caring, loving environment. Our PTA theme this year is “Our common core is caring” – something that I am proud to witness every day.

 

On Aug. 15 we kicked off our PTA Membership Drive with the goal of 100% participation (at least one membership) from each family. Membership is only $8.00 per year and you do not have to attend our monthly meetings to join! Another goal of mine is that Fremont have more PTA memberships this year than any other school in the district – let’s show everyone the kind of support our parents give our school. Click here to download the Membership Form and join PTA today!

 

 

The new Academic Performance Index (API) numbers are in, and Fremont scored an 894, which is well ahead of California's statewide performance target of at least 800. Scores can range from 200 to 1,000.

 

But Fremont's number declined from last year's adjusted score of 914.

"Unfortunately we did drop, however the majority of the state did as well," says Principal Ms. Christin Molano-Walley. "The CST (California Standards Tests) was changed to reflect the upcoming Common Core State Standards (CCSS). However our instruction did not change last year because the CCSS were not being implemented yet. So ... the test did not match our instruction which was frustrating. I am disappointed that we dropped. However I know that last year we had actually more interventions and even higher quality instruction than in years past so I am confident that our students had a successful year. The CST is only one measure of the students' knowledge and subject competency."

 

The CSTs will be given again next spring, says Ms. Molano-Walley, and the following year students will take the Common Core assessments.

 

The overall API score for GUSD was 861, down one point from 2012. Click here for a Glendale News-Press article with more on the scores.

 

Click here to see how Fremont has scored over the last several years. 

The theme for August was Self-Discipline.

Here is the list of honorees:

 

First Grade: Kaitlyn Falkenhagen, Olivia Marta, Luca Terenzi.

Second Grade: Lola Antonelli, Michelle Chung, Bridget O'Keefe, Brody Ruyle.

Third Grade: Isabella Leetch, Vienna Panossian, Nicolo Terenzi, Sophie Voskanyan.

Fourth Grade: Jack Bunting, Sydney Postelwait, Zachary Roh.

Fifth Grade: Grace Bennett, Sarah Postelwait, Yelena Yapudzhyan.

Sixth Grade: Catherine Carothers, Emily Moore, Jared Noh.

Ms. Anglin’s Class: Zachary De Vera-Drew.

Mrs. Williams' Class: Maxwell Greenfield.

 

Kindergarten: Kathleen Gang, Claire Koukeyan, Lindsay Yoo.