Fairfield Elementary

Enrichment Classes

At Fairfield Elementary School, we have a special relationship with gardening. In garden, children are taught how to use plants to create natural deterrents, create shade, and provide nutrients to help other plants grow stronger. Students are taught the importance of sustainability by composting and growing their own food. Fairfield student are given a garden space that they are tasked to nurture and tend throughout their tenure at our school. Each student is responsible for growing, maintaining, and harvesting their crops year-round. Students quickly learn that hard work provides the most bountiful yields. All of the produce and herbs grown in the Fairfield garden are taken home by the students to use in home meals or made into meals for special school functions. Uneaten crops are rotated in the school's compost bins to turn into nutrient-rich soil to be used in the next season. Fairfield kids also grow flowers that provide color and cheer to our school house both inside and out!

All children are natural scientists, open and eager to learn how the world works. At Fairfield, we nurture our student-scientists by providing weekly hands-on, small group, thematic science lessons that encourage students to ask questions and test ideas. Parents with backgrounds in science or a passion for the subject matter lead lessons and experiments (with support from teachers). Whether examining insects from our gardens, looking at ice crystals under microscopes, or making batteries, we enjoy teaching and learning about science alongside our children. Our science program aims to spark a love for science in each student!

In addition to the music that supplements academic learning at Fairfield, students receive a weekly music class led by professional teaching artists: Nick Carvajal (Fall session) and Linda Book (Spring session). Music sessions culminate with a student performance; Winter Music Festival in December, and Open House in May.

The mission of the DJUSD Libraries is to foster a lifelong love and habit of reading, while promoting skills and literacy in the ethical and effective use of information and technology among all students. This is accomplished by the instruction of teacher librarians supported by technicians, who work collaboratively with faculty and staff and oversee the provision of a wide variety of print and electronic resources.

Award Winning Books
The American Library Association presents a number of awards every year. Try some of these lists:
Caldecott Medal:
Goes to the best picture book of the year.
Newberry Medal:
Goes to "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" each year.
Batchelder Award:
Goes to the outstanding book published in a language other than English each year.
Coretta Scott King Award:
Goes to outstanding book by an African American authors or illustrator.
Belpre Award :
Goes to the outstanding children's book written or illustrated by a Latino/ Latina.
Geisel Award:
Goes to the outstanding book for beginning readers
Sibert Award :
Goes to the most distinguished information book
Wilder Award:
Goes to an author or illustrator who has made a long-term, substantial contribution to children's literature

Summer Reading Suggestions 
Grades K-2 
Grades 3-5

Running Club is an after school program that “runs” on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 26 weeks from September through April. Kids run from about 2:40-3:00 collecting a popsicle stick for each lap around our field (1/8 mile). Their cumulative mileage is tracked and updated regularly and they receive awards for benchmarks, a Rockpass (free climbing at Rocknasium) for 10 miles, and at the end of the year, an official, student designed Running Club t-shirt for half a marathon (13.1 miles), and medals for each marathon (26.2 miles). Kids who participate regularly will reach the half marathon mark and most will reach the marathon mark or beyond.