CYBER SAFETY MEETING 


Cyber Safety Meeting—Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Cyber Safety
The Internet and World Wide Web is an integral and routine part of instruction in our classrooms throughout the school day and most students also use these resources at home. Additionally, we know that some of our upper elementary aged students are using social media (even though the guidelines for these platforms state that users must be 13 years or older). In order to teach them about the appropriate and ethical uses of these resources, library teachers and instructional technology specialists partner with classroom teachers to instruct students about Cyber Safety. The lessons are constantly revised to accommodate the quickly changing world of technology.

 Each year we have an incident or two where children misuse technology by either accessing another student’s account or by posting or sharing content that is hurtful to a peer. We use these unfortunate incidents as a window for teaching as we firmly believe that all mistakes are opportunities for learning. In most cases, the inappropriate use of technology occurs outside of school hours, so it is important for parents and teachers to partner in helping educate the children to keep them safe and to prevent incidents that may be harmful to their social emotional health. With this important goal in mind, I invite you to join me and Burr librarian, Ms. Patino and technology specialist, Ms. Vancans, for an informational session on CyberSafety and preventing Cyber Bullying. This session will be held in the Burr Cafetorium on November 29th at 7:00 PM.

 The session is most important for the parents of 4th and 5th graders, but all are welcome. I look forward to seeing many of you there. 



at

 BURR SCHOOL SHOPPING DAY 


Burr School Shopping Day at Just Next Door—Thursday, December 7th, 2017


Just Next Door

Please join us for the Burr School Shopping Day on Thursday, December 7 at Just Next Store in Auburndale.

 * 20% of your purchase will be donated to Burr; this is a great way to do your holiday shopping and support Burr.

* Offer is good all day 9AM-7PM; just tell the cashier, "I'm shopping for Burr School."

 Spread the word to family and friends!  Every purchase, whether a card or two or wrapping paper, will help.

 Just Next Door is located at 327 Auburn Street has a great selection of cards, jewelry, home and children's gifts and incredibly helpful service.   Please contact Krista Busnach (kbusnach@yahoo.com) with any questions.

 Thank you and hope to see you there.




at

 SLEEP UNDER PARTY 


Sleep Under Party—Friday, December 8, 2017




Save the date for the Sleep Under on Friday, December 8!

 Join the Burr Teachers for a Sleep Under Party
No Parents Allowed!!!

What? The Burr Teachers are volunteering their time to give parents a night out and to raise $$$ for the Burr PTO!  Students can wear their pajamas, bring a blanket or sleeping bag and join the Burr Teachers for pizza dinner and a movie party featuring Despicable Me 3!

When? Friday, December 8th 6:00-8:00pm

Who? Burr students only. No younger siblings and NO Parents!!!

RSVP by Monday, December 4th SignUp Genuis and Flyer to follow. 

 You must RSVP for this event. Tickets will not be available at the door.

Admission
$20 for first child
$10 for each additional child
$5 optional dinner (includes cheese pizza, side item, and water)

Questions? Contact Christine Dutt at duttch2@gmail.com.



at

Save the date for the SleepUnder—Friday, Dec. 8!


Join the Burr Teachers for a Sleep Under Party

 NO PARENTS ALLOWED!!

What? The Burr Teachers are volunteering their time to give parents a night out and to raise $$$ for the Burr PTO! Students can wear their pajamas, bring a blanket or sleeping bag and join the Burr Teachers for pizza dinner and a movie party featuring Despicable Me 3!

When? Friday, December 8th 6:00-8:00pm

Who? Burr students only. No younger siblings and NO Parents!!!

RSVP by Monday, December 4th at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0d4dafaa23a0fb6-sleepunder

 You Must RSVP for this event, and either pre-pay online or send a check to school in your student’s folder (please list the names of all Burr students in your family who will be attending). Tickets will not be available at the door.

Admission
$20 for first child
$10 for each additional child
$5 optional dinner (includes cheese pizza, side item, and water)

Questions? Contact Christine Dutt at duttch2@gmail.com


at


Cyber Safety Meeting—Nov. 29 at 7pm



There will be a cyber safety meeting in the Burr Cafetorium on November 29 from 7 pm until 8:30 pm.

Burr’s librarian and technology specialist will present the cyber safety curriculum and Ms. Johal will facilitate a discussion.

This meeting is geared toward parents of 4th and 5th grade students, but all parents are welcome to attend.


at

 BURR BOOK FAIR THIS SATURDAY! 




WHEN: 
Saturday, November 18, 4-7pm
4pm - Turkey photos with Ms. Michna and Mr. Gaita
5pm - Carol Gordon Ekster’s storytime (for younger grades)
6pm – Rob Vlock reading and Q&A (for older grades)

 WHERE: 
Barnes & Noble Framingham
Shoppers World (1 Worcester Rd., Framingham)

 THE EVENT:
The Burr Book Fair will feature two local children's book authors, Carol Gordon Ekster ("Ruth the Sleuth and the Messy Room") and Rob Vlock ("Sven Carter and the Trashmouth Effect"), who will read from their new books and visit with our students. The event will also feature several Thanksgiving craft tables for the kids, raffle prizes and more! Purchase a book from our teachers’ wish lists for their classrooms! Get some book  recommendations from the school librarian, as well as from our own Burr students! Don't forget to get there early to get your photo with two ADORABLE turkeys!!

 A percentage of your purchases from the entire store will be donated to the Burr PTO.  This includes books for kids and adults, music, Nooks, videos, toys and games, calendars, stationary and much more. It’s a great way to support Burr while getting a jump start on your holiday shopping!

 ONLINE BOOK FAIR:
Can’t make it to the event? The Burr Book Fair will also take place online at the Barnes & Noble website for the week following the event. Friends and family nationwide can participate! We’ll be distributing a unique code they can use to make sure their purchases benefit Burr School.

 VOLUNTEER:
Want to help us with our craft stations? Sign up here: http://bit.ly/burrbookfairsignup

 SEE YOU AT THE BOOK FAIR!



at

 THE BURR PTO PRESENTS 



Wolf Fund Update--48% of Our Goal!



The Wolf Fund has raised $12,500 as of November 8! That's almost 48% of the goal of $26,000 for 2017. And now the news you are waiting for: the fabulous winter fun package goes to Ryan Poras. The winter fun package consists of Bolle Mojo Snow Goggles, Climate Smart long sleeve crew neck & pant, Luck Bums Snow Helmet, SmartWool socks and Thinsulate & Waterproof Ski Gloves.
There is still time to make your contribution. You can contribute by sending a check into school in your child’s folder or donate online using this link: https://www.burrpto.org Thank you to everyone who has contributed and who will contribute. Every contribution matters!
at

 THE BURR PTO PRESENTS



Parent Principal Coffee
November 17, 2017
Please join Ms Johal, Ms Feroleto (Burr's Math Coach) and the PTO for a Parent Principal Coffee on Friday, November 17 at 8:30 am in Burr Cafetorium. Ms Feroleto will make a presentation on Newton's math curriculum and answer parents' questions about the curriculum. Ms Johal and members of the PTO will also be available to answer your questions. And Burr's Kindness Quilt will be revealed! We hope to see you there! Coffee Served by Hospitality Committee


Understanding Our Differences 3rd Grade Physical Disabilities Unit
November 29, 2017
The next Understanding Our Differences unit on Physical Disabilities will be held in the Third grade classes on Wednesday November 29 from 9-10:30am. A guest speaker will present from 10:30-11am. We are looking for 9 volunteers to run activities in small groups of 6-8 students. You do not need to have a student in the grade or have any special training. We will provide you with the materials and a script. The activities are fun and very informative! Can you help? Please contact Deanna Salemme at salemme@comcast.net or 617-877-7575.

Thank you!


Cyber Safety Meeting
November 29, 2017
There will be a cyber safety meeting in the Burr Cafetorium on November 29 from 7 pm until 8:30 pm. Burr’s Librarian and technology specialist will present the cyber safety curriculum and Ms Johal will facilitate a discussion. This meeting is geared toward parents of 4th and 5th grade students but all parents are welcome to attend.




 Burr School Sports

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Registration for Burr School Sports is now open! Don't miss out on your chance to register. See details below:

2017-18 Winter Basketball Clinics (12 Tuesdays)
***************************************************
WINTER TRAINING WITH "BE AHEAD OF THE GAME" COACHES!
***************************************************
This youth basketball clinic will be a great opportunity to learn through fun-based drills, small-sided games, and scrimmages; or just to meet schoolmates/ friends in a “no pressure” setting. All games and drills will be age appropriate and are set to improve skills. Skills based, with small elements of game play, this is a great opportunity and training environment for basketball players looking to condition their skills in fall!
***************************************************
Professional coaches run this training clinic. Sign up at bit.ly/burrschoolfor this Tuesday training session beginning December 1st @ Burr School!

Location: Burr School Gym
Dates: Dec 5th, Dec 12th, Dec 19th; Jan 2nd, Jan 9th, Jan 16th, Jan 23rd, Jan 30th; Feb 6th, Feb 13th, Feb 27th; Mar 6th;
Makeup dates: Mar 13th and Mar 20th.
Times:
Group 1: Tuesday 6pm-7pm for K-G2 boys and girls
Group 2: Tuesday 7pm-8pm for G2-5 boys and girls;

SECOND GRADERS WOULD GO EITHER WAY PER HIS/HER SKILLS/PHYSIQUE. You pay $240 for 12 regular sessions on 12 designated Tuesdays. All proceeds go to burr school soccer-goal fund. Pay $240/each player for this clinic.

Please direct all questions to Burr PTO contact Alex Wen (sports@burrpto.org).

Please always have sneakers, bottled water and comfortable clothing ready for participating in this training session.

***************************************************
G2-5 basketball clinics (7-8pm)
Division Price: $240.00 - ends on 11/27/2017 at 6:00 PM.
Register Now
(http://bit.ly/burrwintersports)

K-G2 basketball clinics (6-7pm)
Division Price: $240.00 - ends on 11/27/2017 at 6:00 PM.
Register Now

2017-18 Winter Soccer Clinics (12 Fridays)
***************************************************
WINTER SOCCER TRAINING WITH COACH JARED LEWIS!
***************************************************
This youth soccer clinic will be a great opportunity to learn through fun-based drills, small-sided games, and scrimmages; or just to meet schoolmates/ friends in a “no pressure” setting. All games and drills will be age appropriate and are set to improve skills. Skills based, with small elements of game play, this is a great opportunity and training environment for soccer players looking to condition their skills in fall!
***************************************************
Soccer club coaches run this training clinic. Sign up at bit.ly/burrschool for this Friday training session beginning December 1st @ Burr School!

Location: Burr School Gym
Dec 1st, Dec 8th, Dec 15th, Dec 22nd; Jan 5th, Jan 12th, Jan 19th, Jan 26th, Feb 2nd; Feb 9th, Feb 16th, ; Mar 2nd;
Makeup dates: Mar 16th and Mar 23rd.
Times:
Group 1: Friday 6pm-7pm for Kindergarten boys and girls;
Group 2: Friday 7pm-8pm for Grade 1$2 boys and girls;
Group 3: Friday 8pm-9pm for Grade 3-5 boys and girls;

You pay $200 for 12 regular sessions on 12 designated Tuesdays. All proceeds go to burr school soccer-goal fund. Pay $200/each player for this clinic.

Please direct all questions to Burr PTO contact Alex Wen (sports@burrpto.org)

Please always have sneakers, bottled water and comfortable clothing ready for participating in this training session.

***************************************************
Kindergarten soccer clinics (6-7pm)
Division Price: $200.00 - ends on 11/27/2017 at 6:00 PM.
Register Now
Grade 1&2 soccer clinics (7-8pm)
Division Price: $200.00 - ends on 11/27/2017 at 6:00 PM.
Register Now
Grade 3-5 soccer clinics (8-9pm)
Division Price: $200.00 - ends on 11/27/2017 at 6:00 PM.
Register Now

If you have any questions or need more info,
please email us at guolinwen@gmail.com
or call us at 555-555-5555.

Looking forward to a great season!

Burr School Sports





at

 THE BURR PTO PRESENTS 


BURR BOOK FAIR IN TWO WEEKS!

Get your picture taken with a couple of turkeys
(think Ms. Michna and Mr. Gaita!) from 4-5pm!



WHEN: Saturday, November 18, 4-7pm 
4pm - Turkey photos with Ms. Michna and Mr. Gaita
5pm - Carol Gordon Ekster’s storytime (for younger grades)
6pm – Rob Vlock reading and Q&A (for older grades) 

 WHERE: Barnes & Noble Framingham Shoppers World
(1 Worcester Rd., Framingham)

 THE EVENT: The Burr Book Fair will feature two local children's book authors, Carol Gordon Ekster ("Ruth the Sleuth and the Messy Room") and Rob Vlock ("Sven Carter and the Trashmouth Effect"), who will read from their new books and visit with our students. The event will also feature several Thanksgiving craft tables for the kids, raffle prizes and more! Purchase a book from our teachers’ wish lists for their classrooms! Get some book recommendations from the school librarian, as well as from our own Burr students! Don't forget to get there early to get your photo with two ADORABLE turkeys!! 

 A percentage of your purchases from the entire store will be donated to the Burr PTO. This includes books for kids and adults, music, Nooks, videos, toys and games, calendars, stationary and much more. It’s a great way to support Burr while getting a jump start on your holiday shopping! 

 ONLINE BOOK FAIR: Can’t make it to the event? The Burr Book Fair will also take place online at the Barnes & Noble website for the week following the event. Friends and family nationwide can participate! We’ll be distributing a unique code they can use to make sure their purchases benefit Burr School. 

 VOLUNTEER: Want to help us with our craft stations? Sign up here: http://bit.ly/burrbookfairsignup 

 STUDENT PICKS: Does your child have a favorite book they’d like to recommend to their fellow Burr students? Send an email with the book title, the author, and a sentence or two in your child's own words about why they like it to Cristal Balis at cbalis@me.com, and we’ll showcase it in our “student picks” section at the book fair. 

 SEE YOU AT THE BOOK FAIR!



Parent Principal Coffee 

Friday, November 17



Please join Ms. Johal, Ms. Feroleto (Burr's Math Coach) and the PTO for a Parent Principal Coffee on Friday, November 17 at 8:30am in Burr Cafetorium. Ms. Feroleto will make a presentation on Newton's math curriculum and answer parents' questions about the curriculum. Ms. Johal and members of the PTO will also be available to answer your questions. We hope to see you there!



4th Grade UOD - Learning Disabilities Unit

November 8, 2017


Dear Parents, 

The 4th Grade Understanding Our Differences Learning Disabilities unit will take place in your child's classroom on November 8, 2017, and we invite you to join us from 9-11 am. Understanding Our Differences is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the Newton Public Schools for over 35 years to teach elementary school children an understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities in our schools and in our community. 

Using a computer analogy, we will discuss the ways the brain takes in, processes, stores and shares information. Students recognize that learning can be impacted when someone has a learning disability that affects one or more of these areas. 

Through hands-on activities, students will explore that we all have strengths and challenges and need to develop strategies for difficult tasks. It will be emphasized that everyone develops strategies to learn, but it is particularly important for someone with a learning disability. 

For many students, the high point of each unit is the speakers who share their personal experiences and answer the students' thoughtful questions about living with a disability. 

The Understanding Our Differences program is presented by parent volunteers. Many parents find the experience of helping to implement the program to be very rewarding. Please contact Sharon Reilly at slreillyfamily@gmail.com if you would like to join the volunteer team or if you have any questions or concerns. 

Sincerely, 

Jenni Acosta, Program Director


Families Organizing with Racial Justice (FORJ) 

Meeting on November 9th!


Families Organizing with Racial Justice (FORJ) Meeting on Nov 9th! 

Dear Elementary School Families, 

The school-wide group FORJ (Families Organizing with Racial Justice) will hold its second meeting of a new district initiative for Newton families interested in advancing discussions around race, culture and identity in our schools. The meeting will be held Thursday, November 9th 7:30-9pm at Angier Elementary School. 

Everyone is welcome, even if you were not able to come to the first meeting in October. This meeting will offer parents and guardians an opportunity to meet with others from their children’s schools who want to work on strengthening our communities and increasing conversations about race and racism in our society. 

Please RSVP here: https://goo.gl/forms/mBywU1jHcSyCW8PE2 

If you have questions, please email Amy Behrens, the parent coach and diversity educator who is coordinating these efforts, at amy@amybehrens.com. 

We look forward to seeing you! 

Save the Date for The Burr STEM Fair!!

Friday, January 26th, 2018, 6:30-8pm Burr School Cafetorium

What is STEM? Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math! 

REGISTRATION forms and all the details will be sent out before winter break. 

EXCITING FOR KIDS: The fun is in the tinkering! Perform an experiment or construct a gadget. Kids can work with their friends, siblings, or on their own. 

EASY ON PARENTS: Each project should fit on a 2’ x 3’ table space and should have a kid-quality poster to explain it. The main thing here: kid-quality! 

FUN FOR EVERYONE: Any student can display a project (grades K-5). Participation is optional. There is no fee to participate. Everyone is welcome to come see the projects at the Science Fair. 

KID QUALITY PROJECTS ONLY! Parent support is great (and probably necessary for younger students), but let the kids take the lead. Projects do not have to work perfectly. The idea is more important than the final product and this is NOT a competition. 

PARENT DEMONSTRATIONS: Parents, are you in a STEM career field or do you have a fun demonstration you would like to do during the science fair? Sign up to host a demonstration on the stage! 

REVERSE ENGINEERING TABLE WILL BE BACK – SAVE YOUR ELECTRONICS! Last year’s reverse engineering table was a success. Save your old electronics and bring them to the STEM fair so the kids can take them apart and see what’s inside! 

QUESTIONS? E-mail Laura Sexton at laurasexton1@hotmail.com
Thank You from the Burr PTO! 

 

November is National Diabetes Month


On January 19, 2003, Jordan Weiss, a fourth grade student at Mason-Rice School in Newton, Massachusetts passed away in his sleep from complications of undiagnosed diabetes. 

To honor Jordan's memory, the JBW Fund was established by his family, friends and community to foster awareness and education of the warning signs of diabetes. 
Sometimes the signs are obvious and sometimes the signs are subtle, limited and attributed to another illness. The latter was the case for Jordan. 

Become familiar with the warning signs of diabetes Knowledge is an important weapon against this disease and its complications. 

WARNING SIGNS OF DIABETES
Type 1 Diabetes:
These symptoms can occur suddenly and must receive immediate medical attention. 
  • Excessive thirst 
  • Frequent urination, sometimes exhibited by bedwetting (in large quantities) 
  • Blurry vision 
  • Sugar in the urine 
  • Sweet, fruity odor on breath 
  • Increased hunger 
  • Weight loss 
  • Fatigue 
  • Drowsiness, lethargy 
  • Irritability and mood changes 
  • Heavy, labored breathing 
  • Confusion, Stupor, Unconsciousness 

Type 2 Diabetes: 
These symptoms occur gradually and must receive immediate medical attention. 
  • Blurred vision 
  • Tingling or numbness in the legs, feet or fingers 
  • Darker patches of skin usually in neck folds 
  • Drowsiness 
  • Slow healing sores or frequent infections 
  • Any of the symptoms listed under Type 1 diabetes 

Many of these symptoms can be related to illnesses that are not associated with diabetes. This should be discussed with a health care provider. 

For more information, talk to your school nurse or visit: www.cdc.gov/diabetes or www.jdrf.org


Last Call for Kindness Quilt

It is not too late to submit artwork for the Kindness Quilt! The deadline for submissions for the Kindness Quit has been extended until Wednesday, November 8. Your child can participate by drawing a picture or writing what it means to him/her to be kind. Please use a letter sized sheet of white paper (8.5 x 11 inches) and return the artwork to Burr in your child's folder. Your child should write his/her full name somewhere on his/her work (the back is ok). All students who submit artwork will receive a small token of appreciation for their participation. 

The PTO will select artwork at random to display on the Kindness Quilt Bulletin Board (the Bulletin Board behind the Main Office). The Kindness Quilt will be revealed at the Parent Principal Coffee on November 17. If enough artwork is submitted, the Kindness Quilt Bulletin Board will be a rotating exhibit throughout the school year. 

Why a Kindness Quilt? Burr has a school-wide focus on kindness this year. To kick this off, Principal Johal read the book What Does It Mean to Be Kind? to each class and started a discussion about how each of us can work to create a caring environment at Burr, where everyone feels welcomed and valued. 

Participation in the Kindness Quilt is optional but we hope that every child will chose to participate!
at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)