THE BURR PTO PRESENTS 

Last Day of School Party at the
 Auburndale Cove on June 23rd!

Join Burr friends and family after school lets out on June 23rd for a fun-filled afternoon at the Cove! Bring your own lunch or order a pizza to be delivered to the park. (See below) Got a fun outdoor game or activity? Bring it to share! Let's play some kickball, toss some horse shoes, blow some bubbles and just have fun. ALL of us deserve a nice, relaxing afternoon to celebrate the end of another successful school year! Special surprise treats for the kids! Questions? Email Cristal Balis at cbalis@me.com.

  ORDER PIZZA  

Burr Garden Signup

The Burr Garden is planted and growing! If your child liked the garden and your family would like to stay involved, please sign up for one week of the Summer Garden Club. During that week your family gets to harvest and eat any delicious veggies that look ready, water a few times, and do a bit of weeding. Please sign up for a week using this link.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c044dafa72aa02-summer1

 THE BURR PTO PRESENTS 

Our Annual Move-a-Thon

Tuesday, June 13 th  2017

Who: Burr students

What: A student fundraiser that both celebrates fitness and raises money for the Burr Playground

When: Tuesday, June 13 th  2017

Where: At Burr School

Why: Because kids can make a difference too!

*Students should be dressed appropriately including comfortable clothing, sneakers, sunblock, and a hat.  Students should also bring a large water bottle to school for this event. Families are welcome to join the fun! Refer to the times below for each class.

All classes 1-5 will walk/move for 45 minutes and K will walk/move for ½ hr.

 All proceeds from this event will directly benefit Burr School Students and Community Service Initiatives.

FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE

Summer Reminders from the School Nurse

Medication Pick-up: Parents of students who have medication stored in the health room should pick it up by the last day of school, June 23. All medication (pills, epi-pens, inhalers, etc.) not picked up will be discarded. Please plan ahead to pick medication up so it is not wasted! Medication may not be carried home by the student -- it must be picked up by an adult. School nurses will not be available after June 23 to return medication to families.

 Medication Order Reminder: All medication orders expire at the end of the school year. If you are visiting your child’s health care provider during the summer, consider requesting a new medication order for your child. All medication, prescription or over-the-counter, requires an order. The Medication Permission Form and the Medication Policy are both available online at  www.newtonma.gov/schoolhealth 

 West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease Prevention: Mosquito and tick-borne diseases like West Nile Virus and Lyme disease occur in Newton residents. Take steps to avoid getting sick!   Mosquito repellent not only works for mosquitoes, but helps repel ticks as well. Use a repellent with DEET, and follow label instructions for concentrations appropriate for children.
Avoid being outdoors during peak mosquito hours, particularly once West Nile Virus has been detected in the mosquito population.Remove containers around your home (tires, kid pools, pots, tarps) that could allow mosquitoes to breed.  Check your body for ticks after being outdoors and remove them immediately to avoid disease transmission. 

 Shoo the flu! Seasonal influenza vaccine will be offered this fall during the school day to students and employees. The flu shot (no FluMist again this year, based on current recommendations) will be available to all students in Kindergarten through grade 12, by parental consent only. Consent and screening forms will be posted at www.newtonma.gov/flu by early September, in preparation for the fall clinics. Insurance information will be requested, but all students are welcome to receive the vaccine at no charge.

 The flu clinic date for Burr school will be Tuesday October 3rd. Forms (available in Sept.) will be due to the school nurse by Friday September 29th. This schedule is confirmed unless the flu vaccine supply is delayed, in which case the school nurse will notify families of an alternative date once the vaccine arrives. 

 Have a happy and healthy summer!

 CREATIVE ARTS & SCIENCES AND THE BURR PTO PRESENT 

Classical Dances of India by Tara Ahmed

Come join us for the last CAS presentation of the year!

Grades 3, 4 & 5
Classical Dances of India by Tara Ahmed. : June 15th 10:15 - 11am in the Cafetorium

Dressed in traditional classical Indian dance costume, Tara Ahmed will perform dances celebrating different deities and show us the rhythmic footwork and the language of the symbolic hand movements she uses to tell stories through dance. Students will have a chance to learn to use basic rhythms and hand movements to tell their own stories. 
Parents are welcome to attend!

Last Call!  Burr Playground Brick Sale

Are you a new family to Burr School? Do you have a student graduating this year?  This is your chance to leave your mark on the Burr Playground.  

 Buy a brick, engraved with your custom message, and your custom brick will replace one of the blank bricks currently installed on the patio.  All proceeds will go directly to the Burr School PTO to fund future playground projects.

Pricing: 1 for $100, 2 for $175, 3 or more $75 per brick

Please see the attached form for details or email mchatfield@gmail.com.

 All orders must be submitted by Monday, June 19th

Buy-A-Brick In Honor of Your Teacher

The Burr PTO is offering a discounted rate of $60 to honor Burr teachers and staff with a custom engraved brick to be installed on the Burr Playground Patio. This is a unique opportunity to show your appreciation for a special teacher or staff member at Burr.  See attached form for details or email mchatfield@gmail.com

All orders must be submitted by  Monday, June 19th

Remember to Return Library Books!

Please remember to return any library books back to the school library before the end of the year!  Thank you!  

1 Volunteer for School Council still needed!

There is still one open spot for a parent representative to Burr School Council! If you are interested, please send an email to the PTO Communications Coordinator, by Friday June 9.


School Council: The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 mandated the establishment of a School Council at each public school in Massachusetts. This group advises and assists the Principal in such matters as the school budget, the school improvement plan, the identification of educational needs of the student body, and the adoption of educational goals. (More details on Mass.gov) At Burr this group consists of four parent representatives, four teachers, community members, and the Principal. The Council meets roughly once a month. All Council meetings are open to the Burr community.  We will elect two parent representatives to the Burr School Council for a 2-year term spanning the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years.

In order to be eligible, the parents must have a child at Burr for the entire time they will serve on the council.  Please think about this opportunity to be involved in your child’s school. You will serve an important advisory function while getting to know the teachers on the Council and Principal Johal. Consider running yourself, or nominating another parent. (In the past, candidates have usually nominated themselves; don’t hesitate to express your interest!)

If you would like to run for one of the open School Council positions, please write a brief statement (125 words or less) about yourself and why you would like to serve on the School Council. Please submit the statement either by mail to the school office (171 Pine Street, Auburndale, MA 02466), via your child’s backpack (write “School Council” on the envelope), or via an email to the PTO Communications Coordinator, by Friday, June 9.  If more candidates than we require step forward, an election will be conducted during the week of June 5. If only two candidates step forward, those candidates will be granted the parent representative positions and will be announced the same week.

 CREATIVE ARTS & SCIENCES AND THE BURR PTO PRESENT 

Creative Arts and Sciences Welcomes the Discovery Museum’s Sound (4th Grade)

What is sound?  How is it made? How does it travel?  Why do different objects make different sounds? Why do things sound different underwater? Plunging a vibrating tuning fork into a bowl of water creates quite a spray as students learn that sound is vibration. Students actively engage in exploring sound, creating unique sound makers with household materials.

Monday, June 12
8:35-9:20 Ms. Collins
9:35-10:20 Ms. Miller
10:35-11:20 Ms. McLean

Presentations will take place in the Music Room

Creative Arts and Sciences programs are fully funded by the Burr School PTO. 

Parents are welcome to attend, but no younger siblings please.

 FROM SUPERINTENDENT DAVID FLEISHMAN 

Change in Arrival Procedures for Newton Elementary Schools

June 1, 2017

Dear Elementary Families,

As this school year winds to a close, we begin planning and preparation for the next school year. Part of this preparation includes an evaluation of current practice and areas for improvement. As discussed at our School Committee meeting last night, we would like to share with you our new drop-off procedures for elementary schools.

In Newton, some of our elementary schools give families the option to walk their children into the building for morning drop-off. When we opened the new Angier and relocated Zervas students to Carr, we determined it was safer and more efficient for families to drop students outside the school. This has worked very well at these two schools and we will now expand this procedure to all Newton elementary schools.

The rationale for the change is three-fold:

Maintain school security – Conducting drop-off outside the school allows us to more carefully monitor adults going in and out of the building. It is our number one goal to keep our students safe. Establishing this new practice provides increased security for all.

Foster student independence – School is an opportunity for elementary students to learn the skills they need to be successful and independent learners. Entering the school on their own and preparing for their day is an important skill to master at the elementary school level.  

Start instruction on-time – We view every minute of our school day as precious time for learning and instruction. When students arrive at the classroom on their own, the teachers can move them more seamlessly into the rhythm of the day. Both Angier and Zervas have found this to be the case.

These changes will go into effect for the 2017-18 school year.

We know this is a change for our families, many of whom have enjoyed bringing their children into the building, helping them to begin their day, and saying hello to teachers and staff. We hope that you will understand that we believe this shift in procedure is best for both the security of our buildings and the academic and social/emotional growth of our students.

Your school principals will provide specific details for the new drop-off procedures over the summer. Staff will be on hand at all schools to assist students and to ensure they reach their classrooms safely.

Thank you for your understanding and I hope your family has an excellent finish to the school year.

Sincerely,

David Fleishman

The Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council is pleased to announce:

The 8th Annual Newton SEPAC
Special Educator Awards

Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Newton North High School Cafeteria
457 Walnut Street
6:30 pm: Buffet Dinner, Dessert, Beverages, and Mingling
7:00 pm: Awards Ceremony

The Special Educator Awards are presented to Newton faculty and staff members who have done exceptional work with students receiving special education services. Parents/guardians and students may submit nominations and may nominate any staff member who they believe has done exceptional work; in the past we’ve had regular and special education teachers, aides, BTs, secretaries, principals, and custodians receive awards. Please note that the awards do not identify you or your child by name, to preserve the child’s confidentiality. Only the honoree is given the name of the family who nominated him or her.

Please submit your nomination by June 5. The form is at https://goo.gl/forms/VfNdhcx9Vy8O0IpW2

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
DON’T feel like you must nominate your child’s whole team to avoid hurt feelings. PLEASE only nominate those who have done exceptional work.  PLEASE nominate your educator ASAP to enable your honoree to plan to attend the ceremony and bring family/friends. It will also allow us time to know how many people are attending, and how much food to get.