PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
January 2013
Dear Partners in Learning:
Happy 2013! It is always exciting to start a new year, begin a new chapter, or travel a new road. We welcome our Fisler Community to those promising opportunities.
As this new year begins, safety is the foremost topic on many people’s minds. We want to make sure that we provide a safe and caring environment for each child. Fifteen minutes prior to the beginning of school, teachers are visible and supervising students. Teachers are also on duty after school and present at our drop-off and pick-up zone. Monthly, we practice a combination of fire, earthquake, and lockdown drills. Students practice the proper procedures for each of the drills. We know that when we take the drills seriously, students will feel safer knowing our clear expectations. We are also more likely to respond appropriately under stress when we practice frequently.
For your child’s safety, we are also exploring the possibility of installing gates that will only be locked during school hours. We are a very open school with many exit and entrance points. Gates will deter extra foot traffic into the school during school hours. The goal is to provide gates that are functional and as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
Third, remember that supervision is important for student safety. Students are allowed on campus 15 minutes before their start time. No supervision is available earlier. Similarly, students need to be picked up no later than 15 minutes after the end of their school day. This is Fullerton School District policy. We want to make sure that every child is home safe every day. After school, the playground is for the use of our KidZone students only. Unfortunately, students without proper adult supervision stay after school to play on the equipment. Staff members are not able to consistently determine who should or should not be on campus. We ask that parents use nearby parks for well- deserved play after school and leave the playground equipment for our KidZone students.
Fourth, we are fortunate to have two crossing guards at Robert C. Fisler School to stop traffic and protect our students as they cross the street. The City of Fullerton and Fullerton School District joined together to provide us with these much needed crossing guards at Shapiro and Starbuck and on Hetebrink at the park. We need drivers to slow down and obey the directions of the crossing guard. It is the law, and it protects our students.
Robert C. Fisler School has been recognized by Apple as an Apple Distinguished School for the sixth time in a row. In fact, our school has been recognized every year since the inception of the Apple Distinguished School program. Moreover, we are the only school in the United States to receive this honor six years in a row. We are especially proud of this recognition because it is awarded to schools that continue to innovate its use of technology to support student learning.
Last year, Robert C. Fisler School was chosen as a California Distinguished School. The California Department of Education chose 35 schools from the list of 2012 California Distinguished Schools to apply for a national award sponsored by the Department of Education in Washington, DC. This recognition is known as the National Blue Ribbon Schools program. Fisler School is one of 35 schools invited to apply for the National Blue Ribbon School recognition program this year. It is a great honor to be asked to apply for National Blue Ribbon School.
Attendance is another area where we continue to excel. Robert C. Fisler students continue to hold the highest attendance average in the Fullerton School District. The support of parents is pivotal in helping us maintain this high attendance rate. It is also an indication that students want to be at school. The more students are at school, the better learners they become.
Monthly, I have been hosting Coffee on the Lake. The coffee and music will be ready by 7:30AM. Come a little early and have some coffee. Stop by and say hi. I would love the opportunity to get to know all of our families. Listen for a phone message for the next Coffee on the Lake.
I have been using Captain’s Log less and less. So, to keep yourself updated with Fisler News, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram under the name fisler_school. Many pictures are posted at those sites.
Regards,
Trang Lai, Principal
August 2012
Dear Partners in Learning:
Welcome back for another exciting year of learning! Last year, we were named a California Distinguished School, a five-time Apple Distinguished School, and a California Businesses for Excellence in Education Honor Roll recipient. We are looking forward to more honors and recognition for our outstanding students and exemplary staff.
Our staff looks forward to partnering with all Fisler families to provide each student with his/her optimal education. Therefore, please feel free to ask questions or share concerns about your child’s educational program. We are confident that, with teamwork, your child will continue to meet high expectations, rigorous goals, and demonstrate strong growth on the CST and District benchmark exams. You can help your child at home by spending at least ten minutes each day talking and asking critical thinking questions. Also, please encourage your child to read at least 20 to 30 minutes every day. The more hours students spend reading, the greater the increase in their vocabulary; I can’t wait to see our AR/Book Adventure growth this year! As we prepare for the start of school, it is important for your child to get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast every morning.
Please take a few minutes to read through the beginning of the year information packet. The information provided is valuable and will help you during the new school year. You will find important details about the expectations of all students at Fisler School.
If you haven’t visited Captain’s Log, please go to http://bit.ly/captainslog. This is a Principal’s Blog/Podcast series about education and educational resources for Fisler families and friends. You can also follow us on Twitter or like our page in Facebook.
We want to celebrate our students, and we also want to provide a healthy environment for our students. Please do not send cakes, cookies, cupcakes or other food items to celebrate your child’s birthday. We have students who are allergic to certain ingredients . We ask that birthdays be celebrated at home. If you wish to do something special, consider donating a book to the class library or small gifts that are not food.
Thank you for your interest in your child’s education. I am both thrilled and humbled to continue to lead and serve Fisler’s amazing students, staff, families, and community.
Sincerely,
Trang Lai
Principal
May 2012
Dear Partners in Learning:
As we near the end of the year, I want to recognize some of our achievements for 2011-2012: We are an official California Distinguished School 2012. We were selected as a 2011 Apple Distinguished School. Robert C. Fisler School is the only school in the nation to receive this honor five years in a row. For the third year in a row, we have been selected by the California Businesses for Education Excellence for their Honor Roll.
Robert C. Fisler students continue to have the highest attendance rates in the District at over 98% every month. Students want to be at school! The support of parents is pivotal in helping us maintain the high attendance rate. The more students are at school, the better learners they are. Students gain concepts quickly and deeply when taught by our stellar teachers. Interestingly, it is our middle school students who have the highest attendance rate at Fisler School.
On the issue of safety, it is important for drivers to slow down and obey the directions of the crossing guard. It is the law, and it protects our students.
Summer is almost here. We are often asked what students can do during the summer to keep up on their academics. Students can go to the Fullerton Public Library and join a summer reading club. Students can continue to work on IXL and BrainPop over the summer.
Are you traveling this summer? If you are, consider dropping me a post card from wherever you are. I would love to post it in my window! Address it Principal Lai, 1350 Starbuck Street, Fullerton, CA 92833.
If you haven’t visited Captain’s Log, please go to http://bit.ly/captainslog. This is a Principal’s Blog/Podcast series about education and educational resources for Fisler families and friends. You can also follow us on Twitter or our page on Facebook.
Congratulations to our promoting eighth graders. I know you will do well in whatever high school you attend. Have a wonderful summer break, and I’ll see you in August!
Regards,
Trang Lai, Principal
December 2011
Dear Partners in Learning:
The first trimester flew by quickly. Robert C. Fisler School continues to receive recognition for outstanding student performance and award-winning programs. Many of you may have heard that with Fisler’s 971 API, we are the fourth highest scoring school in Orange County. In recognition of this high score, Fisler School was nominated for the California Distinguished School Program 2012. The application was submitted, and we are now waiting to hear from the award committee. Similarly, Robert C. Fisler School has been nominated for the Apple Distinguished School Program for the fifth year in a row for its model 1:1 Laptop for Learning Program and implementation of 21st Century Learning. Again, that application has been submitted, and we are now waiting to hear from Apple.
Last year, Fisler students maintained the highest attendance average in Fullerton School District with over 98% attendance every month. We continue to hold the highest attendance average in Fullerton School District, but we have increased attendance to over 99% in the last few months. The support of parents is pivotal in helping us maintain the high attendance rate. It is also an indication that students want to be at school. The more students are at school, the better learners they are. Students gain concepts quickly and deeply when taught by our stellar teachers.
On the issue of safety, we are fortunate to have two crossing guards at Robert C. Fisler School to stop traffic and protect our students as the cross the street. The City of Fullerton and Fullerton School District joined together to provide us with much needed crossing guards at Shapiro and Starbuck and on Hetebrink at the park. We need drivers to slow down and obey the directions of the crossing guard. It is the law, and it protects our students.
Supervision is important for student safety. Remember that students are allowed on campus 15 minutes before their start time. No supervision is available earlier. In the same way, students need to be picked up no later than 15 minutes after the end of their school day. This is the policy of the Fullerton School District. Supervision is not available 15 minutes after dismissal. Students should go home at the end of the day and not be playing on the blacktop or anywhere on campus after dismissal.
Two more Muffins in the Morning are scheduled for parents: January 17 and April 27 at 7:45AM in the Hubble Theater (MPR). It will be an opportunity for me to get to know parents and the community in an informal setting. Muffins and coffee will be provided by our Fisler PTSA.
If you haven’t visited Captain’s Log, please go to http://bit.ly/captainslog. This is a Principal’s Blog/Podcast series about education and educational resources for Fisler families and friends. You can also follow us on Twitter or our page on Facebook.
