The Flores Flyer
December 14, 2018 Volume 1, Issue 4
Dear parents,
Last week our Davis Magnet School family lost a wonderful and dedicated member of our community. Former Davis parent, Keith Frainie, tragically passed away from a brain aneurysm while playing soccer in his adult league. Keith and his wife, Mary, joined Davis when their son, Miles, started kindergarten ten years ago, with their daughter, Siena, following two years later.
I had the pleasure of first working with the Frainie family, nine years ago, when Miles was in my 1st grade class. As a classroom parent, Keith was great to work with. He was positive, helpful, and involved. He was a proud dad and husband, always supportive of his kids and wife. Three years later when I was hired as the new principal at Davis, the Frainie family members were some of my most enthusiastic and reliable cheerleaders as I made the transition from the classroom to the principal’s office.
Later that spring, I was looking for someone who could develop a strong Pilot Cup soccer program at our school. I was hoping to find a parent who understood my vision for the program, which included a balance between building competitive championship teams to creating teams of classmates that had never played soccer before.
Keith stepped up and took on Davis Pilot Cup liaison with full force. His passion for the sport and for helping kids made him the perfect person for the position. Not only did he understand the game, but he worked well with people, built capacity among our parents, and coached kids (and adults) through difficult situations. Davis Magnet School won multiple tournament championships under his leadership, but also created lifelong memories for hundreds of student-athletes, regardless of the final score. Additionally, during his time at Davis, Keith supported our PTA, donated money to our school, and served on our foundation board. Most importantly he gave the Davis Magnet School community his time and passion for serving others. Last year when Siena was promoted to 7th grade, and the Frainie family moved on, Keith left our school as a better place than when his family started at Davis.
Keith was a great leader who led by example. The recent outpour of support for the Frainie family is a true reflection of the positive impact Keith had on so many people, as well as, the strong culture that has developed at Davis Magnet School. He left a legacy. It will carry on through his amazing wife, two children, and, hopefully, through our current Davis parent community. I encourage you to follow Keith’s example as a supportive and involved Davis parent. How can you help our students and staff? How can you make our school better than how you found it, just like Keith?
The Frainie family, along with the many community members impacted by this great loss, remain in my thoughts and prayers. I will be forever grateful for Keith’s support and dedication to Davis Magnet School. I am confident that his legacy will continue on through our dedicated parent community, hard-working students, and committed staff.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Flores
2015 Pilot Cup 5/6 Gold Champs with Coach Frainie and Coach Ervey
2016 Pilot Cup 5/6 Gold Champs with Coach Frainie and Coach Ervey
2018 Pilot Cup 5/6 Silver Champs with Coach Frainie and Coach Cash
Ways to avoid 16 days of video games and tv
The winter break can be a fun vacation and provide some quality family time, but it also can present some challenges for parents to keep children entertained and learning. It’s important for all of us to have down time. Yet, providing some structure and continued focus on education can ensure students stay on track academically and also helps maintain students’ behaviors. To avoid 16 days of playing video games or watching TV, I have included some ideas to keep children entertained and learning during the break.
As a school, we are focusing our efforts on improving our listening comprehension. You, too, can help our students improve their listening skills with kid friendly podcasts. These would be great to add in during the break or while traveling. You may search through several different lists found here on commonsensemedia.org. They are organized by age.
Audio books are another great idea. Check out this suggested list, also organized by age, which is available on readbrightly.com
I think we are fortunate to live in a beautiful place with many indoor and outdoor facilities for family entertainment. I will tell you that one of my ‘go-to’ resources as a parent when I am looking for ideas to do with my own kids is https://www.planadayout.com/. This site has a long list of many different events. You can filter it down to assist what you are looking for and how much you want to spend.
Finally, I am always a huge fan of our surrounding public libraries. Thankfully, there are multiple locations in the Newport-Mesa area. Check out the calendars and hopefully you’re able to make it to at least one of the many story times that are offered. Newport Beach Public Libraries Information and Costa Mesa Public Libraries Information
Below you may find a list of ideas, which are also included within our December PTA Newsletter. If you want to brainstorm specific ideas for your child, please reach out to your child’s teacher or myself.
- Read. Grandparents, aunts, and uncles are excellent listeners and enjoy listening to children read.
- Practice math facts.
- Begin working on your project for the STEM Expo and/or Invention Convention scheduled for January 30.
- Visit commonsensemedia.org and click on any of the tabs labeled “Movies & TV Shows,” “Books,” Apps & Games,” or “Advice for Parents” in the top green bar.
- Practice your fractions while cooking and baking.
- Visit code.org and learn to code.
- Write letters to family members.
- Keep a journal each day spent away from school. Use a device to take a picture and then write about the event or people in the picture.
- Write a story from the perspective of an elf or reindeer.
- Learn more about animals who live in cold climates.
- Research something you are interested in and passionate about.
- Calculate the number of miles your family travels.
- Designate a treasurer to add up the money spent on gas or gifts.
- Build a gingerbread house. Measure the house. Count and sort the candy items used for the house.
- Volunteer as a family to support our local community or charities.
- Complete Random Acts of Kindness for people at school, in your neighborhood, or family. We all have ways to give to others that do not include materialistic items. Be creative and thoughtful.
The Power of Yet - Developing our Growth Mindset
This month’s Growth Mindset focus is on “Perseverance”, or the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. Each of us have experienced failure at one time or another. Persevering during those challenging times provides some of the best lessons and opportunities for improvement. Below you will find great tips from a website, Biglifejournal.com, to help your child persevere when times get tough.
As parents, we wish we could protect our kids from every disappointment, defeat, or scary challenge. Although this isn’t possible, we can teach our children to persevere. 1. You can start by being an example of perseverance for your child, and surrounding her with other adults that you feel are positive role models. 2. Praise effort and improvement so that your child will learn to embrace, rather than avoid, challenges. 3. Let them learn from their mistakes. 4. Teach your child that even the worst emotions are okay to feel, as long as she manages them appropriately instead of acting out or shutting down. 5. Foster independence in your child when it comes to solving problems.
It's never too late to join our Davis Magnet School Parent Book Club through our school's Facebook page. We are working through a great book by Jessica Lahey called, "The Gift of Failure."
Spotlight on 1st Grade!
Each month we will shine a special spotlight on one grade level at Davis Magnet School. This month 1st grade teachers, Mrs. Dormitorio, Mrs. Beall, and Ms. Lemoine share a few things that they have been doing with their students.
The first grade classes have been busy these past few months! We went on our first field trip of the year, to Tanaka Farms on Halloween. Our students learned about plants, took a tour of the farm on a tractor wagon, visited a petting zoo, and even got to pick and take home fresh vegetables and their very own pumpkins to carve for Halloween. It was a day to remember.
We’ve also been busy learning to read! We had our very first “Book-tasting” and “Booksgiving” the day before we went on Thanksgiving Break. During our “Book-tasting”, students got the opportunity to learn about different genres (nonfiction, biographies, mysteries, classic fairy tales) and then visit tables that had books related to the various genres. They had the opportunity to “taste” these books (review the front cover, take a picture walk and read a couple of pages) and see which ones they wanted to find out more about. Then, we invited parents to visit our classrooms, and we showed them what we’ve been busy working on in our classrooms. At the very end, we were able to pick books we wanted to read from the genre tables, and settle in to enjoy reading time with our parents. It was a very enjoyable afternoon!
Upcoming this month, we’re looking forward to singing our hearts out at the K/1st Winter Holiday Concert, then enjoying even more music at the Costa Mesa High School choir/band performance held in the amazing CMHS Theater. Lastly, we have a field trip to Centennial Farm!
1st Graders Visited Tanaka Farms on Hallween!
1st Grade "Book Tasting"
1st Grade Holiday Performance
Nutrition Nuggets - "Holiday Dining" By Pam Williams, NMUSD Nutritionist
Resisting mouthwatering apple pies and other delicious foods is pretty tough during the holidays. However, there are ways to navigate holiday dining.
- Eat a small salad or a piece of fruit before going to a holiday event. This helps reduce the hunger pangs that often emerge when our favorite foods come into view.
- Before you sit down to eat a decadent meal, drink a large glass of water or iced tea with a little or no sugar. This helps you to feel full faster when compared to eating on an empty stomach.
- Fill half of your plate with vegetables and the other half with meat and a carbohydrate food. This helps you reduce the calorie-laden choices and increase your fruit and vegetable intake.
Most importantly, don’t forget to have a healthy good time!
Parenting Tip: How to keep the holidays “Happy”
The holiday season often includes parties, festive music, baking, gifts, family, and friends, but it can also bring additional stress, anxiety, and depression for a variety of reasons for adults. This then impacts our children. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers many wonderful suggestions to help keep the holiday season happy. You may find a complete list here, but you may also find a few basic tips summarized below.
Do your best to keep mealtime and bedtime routines consistent.
Take care of yourself as the adult. Stay healthy and handle the holiday stress appropriately.
Be present. Long ‘to-do’ lists can make this challenging.
Be sensitive and recognize that the holidays can create a sense of sadness and loneliness for some people. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if needed.
Create and stick to a budget. Financial constraints can create a lot of stress during the holidays.
Focus on spending time together with family and friends. Visit the park, bookstores, or other fun places shown in the above resources.
Always remember that I am here as a resource and support person for your family.
Davis Magnet School
Instagram @davis_magnet_school
Facebook @facebook.com/DavisMagnetSchoolDucks
Twitter @DavisMagnet
Email: cflores@nmusd.us
Website: http://davismagnet.nmusd.us/
Location: 1050 Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
Phone: (714)424-7930
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisMagnetSchoolDucks/
Twitter: @DavisMagnet
Early Dismissal for ALL Students
Our lunch schedule will be:
11:30 to 12:10 p.m.: K-3 Lunch
12:15 to 12:55 p.m.: 4-6 Lunch
Friday, Dec 21, 2018, 01:00 PM
Davis Magnet School, Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
Winter Break - No School
Saturday, Dec 22, 2018, 12:00 AM
Davis Magnet School, Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
School Tour for New and Interested Parents
Friday, Jan 11, 2019, 09:00 AM
Davis Magnet School Office
"Annie" - Davis Musical Production
January 18 - 7:00 p.m.
January 19 - 7:00 p.m.
January 20 - 2:00 p.m.