Principal’s Corner Dear Fisher Community:

For the past many years, Fisher Middle School has hosted a six-week parent workshop titled; Take It Personally – Valuable Insights for People Who Care About Kids. Project Cornerstone of Santa Clara County sponsors the workshop, and Andrea Anderson, a current Fisher parent, will be our resident trainer this year.

Fisher Middle School has the distinction of having hosted hundreds of K-8 parents and/or caregivers, and those who have attended in the past have had rave reviews regarding the impact of having attended the six-week series. I can personally attest to the value of the workshop.

Should you choose to join us, you will learn tips and tools to keep up with the fast changing growth of our children, tweens and teens. Each week, we explore new ways to build stronger kids, stronger families, and stronger neighborhoods.

Chances are you already do things right now that build assets, but this series will help point you in the direction of doing so much more intentionally. Parents are critical partners in our continued efforts to ensure that we provide a safe and developmentally responsive learning environment. Please strongly consider joining one of the upcoming workshops. You will not be disappointed.

Speaking of important workshops, I also wanted to update you on the outcome of my recent Principal’s Advisory Work Session on the topic of our Fisher dress guidelines. I had the opportunity to facilitate a collaborative conversation with both staff and parents in attendance regarding the elements of our dress code that parents appreciate, and those they feel may be in need of revision. I plan to reach out to additional stakeholder groups, and will then synthesize our findings with recommendations for future improvements. Thank you to all of the parents who took time from their busy schedules to share both wisdom and feedback. We appreciate the strong partnership between home and school.

Sincerely, Lisa Fraser, Principal

Issue No. 4 September 13, 2017

Calendar September

9/13 Music Boosters General Meeting 7:00 pm, Fisher Library 9/15 Music Open Ensemble Bowling Party 3:00 - 5:00 pm, Bowlero 9/18 Late Start Monday, 9:10 am - 3:03 pm, no zero period 9/18 LGUSD Special Board Meeting 6:30 - 8:30 pm, District Office 9/25 Late Start Monday, 9:10 am - 3:03 pm, no zero period 9/25 Photo Retakes 9/27 Student Advisory Council Meeting 7:00 - 8:00 pm, Fisher Library 9/28 Mom’s Night Out 7:00 - 9:00 pm, The History Club 9/29 Fall Music Concerts 3:30 - 4:00 pm, 5:30 - 6:30 pm, 7:00 - 8:00 pm, Fisher Multipurpose Room

Attendance Line

408-335-2385 rjfattendance@lgusd.org

Call if your student is absent from school, leaving early or arriving late.

Fisher Flyer Submissions

Please email your school related article, event or volunteer requests to newsletter@fisherhsc.com by Mondays at noon.

Please be aware that for all school events before, during, or after school, students with severe food allergies (including nuts, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, etc.) will be in attendance. Please consider providing alternative snacking options.

Class Title: Take It Personally Dates: 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27 and 11/3 Time:  8:30 to 10:00 am Place/Host: Fisher Middle School Library (Parents/adults from all schools welcome Sign Up Today: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0945aba72d6-take

Page �2

Stay Informed & Be Involved

Attention Parents The Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department has asked that the school remind parents to follow the rules of the road around Fisher. They are especially concerned with parents picking up and dropping off students where the curb is painted red as well as stopping in the crosswalks.  Our police officers will be issuing citations for this and any other violations.

Fuel the Fund Has your child ever asked you to contact family members RIGHT NOW to ask if they’d like to purchase magazines? “Maybe Grandma Barb would like Bon Appetit?”

STRESS NO MORE – the Magazine Drive is officially a thing of the past.

But Fisher still needs your help in funding essential programs. So instead of buying magazines, Principal Lisa Fraser is saying, “Save a tree, give the money to HSC!” We are asking all Fisher families to donate to the Home & School Club’s “Fuel the Fund” drive.

Fuel the Fund money pays for mission-critical supplies, academic programs and student enrichment that benefit all students. State funds are not sufficient to cover all of Fisher’s needs - it is only through generous contributions that we are able to close the financial gap. Here are just some of the things covered by your donations:          

• Assignment books • Science lab materials • Teacher and staff supplies • Grade level History/English events • Jazz band • Marching band • Schoolwide technology needs • Library books, magazines and research database • Cornerstone activities and clubs • Technology

There are 1,064 families at Fisher, yet to date, only 150 have donated to Fuel the Fund. The suggested donation is $350 per student, but the goal is 100% participation and so a donation of any size is greatly appreciated. We need all families to participate so these programs can continue. 

Thank you in advance for your support!

Kathy Granger President, RJ Fisher Home & School Club

Click here to join the Fisher Home & School Club and Fuel the Fund.

Special Message from Los Gatos High School

Los Gatos High School welcomes families to Friday night football games.  We love the community spirit!  We respectfully ask for all students coming from middle and elementary schools to be accompanied by a parent/guardian. We also ask that students not bring balls to play with. We have a section in the stands where younger students can sit and enjoy the game together.  

Also, as is custom throughout the league, we have a “no re-entry” football game policy, unless a student is accompanied by a parent or guardian to the game upon return.  

We expect students who ride a bike or skateboard to the game to lock their bikes or skateboards before entering.  Skateboard racks are located on the side of the LGHS science building, across from the entrance to Helm Field.  Please bring your own lock in order to secure your skateboard to the rack.  Thank you very much.

Volunteer Corner

Help with Cornerstone Book Clubs

Interested in helping with student book clubs? The Cornerstone Book Clubs meet twice a month during lunch. The clubs are run by parents and hosted by Fisher teachers. The books and training are provided. We could especially use some 6th grade parents to work with that club this year. Please contact Fisher Librarian Christie White at cwhite@lgusd.org to sign up or for more information.  

Page �3

Stay Informed & Be Involved

The RJ Fisher Home & School Club presents

Mom’s Night Out                

Thursday, September 28 7:00-9:00 pm

The History Club of Los Gatos $25

Light hors d'oeuvres, desserts and refreshments will be served. Go to http://fisherhsc.com/moms-night-out.html to register today.

Tickets are available online ONLY! No tickets will be sold at the door.

Recap - Color Day - Go GOLD! Last Friday was the first color day of the year. Congratulations to GOLD students for having the most students dressed in their school color! Don’t forget to get scanned to get points for yourself and your color team.

Upcoming Events Now through 9/15 – Donate for Hurricane Harvey Relief 9/15 Club Fair 9/20 Bike to School Day 9/21 Walk to School Day 9/22 Carpool to School Day 9/25 Photo Retake

Donations for Hurricane Harvey Relief Now through September 15, the leadership team is gathering gift cards and cash to help Henderson Middle School in Sour Lake, Texas. Every family in the district and the school itself have been impacted by the hurricane. The entire county has been declared a disaster area. The leadership team hopes to provide a little help for the families and teachers at the school as they struggle to get back on their feet. From 9/15 to 9/22, donations can be made at the front office. Thank you!

Club Fair On September 15 in the Quad at lunch, come learn about all the different clubs available at Fisher. Information will be provided and students can sign up for clubs that interest them.

Walk and Bike to School Week Use people power to get to school on September 20 and 21 and be rewarded! Games, prizes and points will be given for participation. Friday, September 22 we reward students who carpool to school.

Photo Retake If you missed having your photos taken or would like to retake your photo, the photographer will be on campus on 9/25.

Fisher Coding Club The Fisher Coding Club for the 2017-18 school year will be launching on Monday, September 18. Running in its fourth year, the Coding Club provides self-paced online instructions and interactive Q&A resources for Fisher students who are interested and motivated to learn and improve coding skills. 

This year, we will be using online instructions provided by CodeHS (https://codehs.com) for kids who want to either learn to program in Javascript or want to get started on learning Java in preparation for the Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science curriculum in high school. For students who are already proficient in Javascript and enjoy game programming, we will be using https://phaser.io.

The Coding Club, led by Fisher parent volunteers who are computer professionals, aims to help students to become better logical thinkers while providing opportunities to develop passion and skills that for software engineering -- potentially leading to higher education and career in high technology. While we are happy to take on first-timers and novices, the Club is intended for students who are interested and serious about coding.

If your student is interested in joining the club, please fill out this form: https://goo.gl/forms/50r0fWWyoELpJav22

Thank you, Monika Gorkani and Edward Tau, Fisher Coding Club

Page �4

Stay Informed & Be Involved

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0945aba72d6-take

Page �5

Stay Informed & Be Involved

Student Volunteer Opportunities St. Mary’s County Fair

St. Mary’s Country Fair is looking for 6th, 7th and 8th graders who would like to earn community service hours! The Fair is October 6-8. If you are interested in working at the fair you can go directly to the schedule spreadsheet and sign-up, make changes, etc.  Please notice that some booths are for adults only.

Contact stmarysfairvolunteers@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you so much and we’ll see you at the Fair!

Fisher Percussion Ensemble

The Fisher Percussion Ensemble is open to all Fisher students. You’ll learn to play all types of percussion instruments, including drums, xylophone, marimba, and much more. We meet in the Fisher band room (M-1) on Mondays and Wednesdays after school.

There are two sessions per year: Fall (October-December) and Spring (March-May). You can join for either session, or do both.

Do I need to already know how to play drums and percussion?Definitely not! We will teach you. Many of our members are new to percussion. Studying percussion can be a great supplement to playing other musical instruments or singing; it will improve rhythm, coordination, and studies show that music improves kids’ math skills.

Is there an audition?No, there are no auditions. Everyone who wants to be in the percussion ensemble can join, as long as you are able to attend the performance and most of the rehearsals. We have parts available for all skill levels.

Fall SessionTuition: $300, due October 4th

First Rehearsal (free): Monday October 2nd, 3:15-5:00Open to all, so come check it out! Fisher Band Room (M-1)

Weekly rehearsals: Mondays 3:15 to 5:00 and Wednesdays 3:00 to 5:00- October 2nd, 4th, 11th, 16th, 18th, 23rd, 25th, and 30th- November 1st, 6th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 27th, and 29th- December 4th, 6th, 11th, and 13th

Performance: Fisher Winter Music Concert, December 14th or 15th

Page �6

Stay Informed & Be Involved

VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE Thursday, September 14 at 9:00 am

17000 Roberts Rd, Los Gatos, CA 95032

VisitourofficeandlearnhowyoucangetinvolvedinprovidinghighqualityartcurriculumtostudentsinKindergartenthrough8thgradeintheLosGatosUnionSchoolDistrict

Click here for more information

AnnualStudentArtShow PrintPresentaAonsinClass CreaAveWorkshops

http://artdocents.com/join-us/our-training/