Burr School Store Open Wednesday Mornings



Don't forget to visit the School Store! It is located in the cafetorium on Wednesday mornings, from 7:45 am - 8:15 am. Most items cost between 25 cents to $2.00.  

 The fifth graders will be practicing lots of critical skills, such as inventory control, debits and credits, and the art of interacting with customers. Parents are invited to come shopping, too!

 Some of the profits will be donated to a good cause and some will be used to benefit all students at Burr. Come check it out this Wednesday.




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CREATIVE ARTS & SCIENCES PRESENTS


Chiao-Bin Huang Chinese Ribbon Dance: Wednesday, Jan. 31 (Second grade)


Dressed in a traditional Chinese costume, Chiao-Bin Huang shows us the beautiful Chinese Ribbon Dance. We will learn the rich history of the dance and its significance in Chinese culture. We will learn to express ourselves by creating our own ribbon dance as well! Parents are welcome to attend this “in school field trip,” but please, no younger siblings.


DATE: Wednesday January 31, 2018

 TIME: 10:00 – 11:00 am

 WHO: 2nd Grade

 WHERE: Cafetorium


Creative Arts and Sciences programs are fully funded by the Burr School PTO. 
Parents are welcome to attend, but no younger siblings please.

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Burr Book Swap Needs Your Help


The Burr Book Swap needs volunteers to help collect books, sort through books, setup, and staff the swap! Sign up for as few or as many time slots as you like, as there are lots of opportunities. We appreciate your help!  

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d45aeae2ca5ff2-book

 Have you started looking through your books yet? Book collection begins on Monday, 2/5 and runs until Friday, 2/9. Put all books in a bag with your child’s name and their teacher’s name and have them leave their donated books outside the classroom where volunteers will collect them. Please no adult books, preschool books, or workbooks.  




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 THE BURR PTO PRESENTS 


Creative Arts and Sciences Welcomes: If You Lived at the Jackson Homestead  (3rd Grade)


How would your life be different if you were born in the 1800s? Students will handle and examine 150-year old objects, photographs, textiles, tools, and other primary sources to piece together the story of daily life in 19th-century Newton.

DATE: January 30, 2018

TIME: 8:45-9:45 (Oh)

TIME: 10-11 (MacNeill)

TIME: 11:15-12:15 (Canning)

Presentations will take place in the Cafetorium.

Join us! Parents are encouraged to attend, but no younger siblings, please. Thank you for your cooperation. This program was fully funded by your generous donations to the Burr PTO and the Burr Wolf Fund. To donate, go to Burr PTO.org and click on "Donate." Thank you!

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 THE BURR PTO PRESENTS 


Bertucci's Fundraiser!

Save the date! 
Burr will be holding a fundraiser at Bertucci's in Newton (275 Centre Street) on Wednesday, February 7.  Families can go anytime from 11 AM to 11 PM for dine-in, takeout, or even get delivery and Burr PTO gets 15 percent!  It's an early dismissal that day, so come to Bertucci's and grab lunch OR dinner to support the PTO!.


Creative Arts and Sciences Welcomes
Artist Michael LaFosse: Origamadō (5th Grade)


ori - from the root of the Japanese verb "to fold," oru
gami - from the Japanese word for paper, kami 
dō - the word for "way" or "path" 
Internationally renowned origami master Michael LaFosse teaches 5th grade students how to make three-dimensional geometric designs while discovering the math connections with this amazing art form. Michael has taught origami for over 30 years and is recognized as one of the top origami masters today with pieces in major museums throughout the world.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018 

 9:00 – 10:00, Ms. Cooley 
10:10 - 11:10, Ms. Harris 
11:20 -12:20, Ms. Robinson 

 Presentations will take place in the Classrooms. Join us! Parents are encouraged to attend, but no younger siblings, please. Thank you for your cooperation. 

 This program was fully funded by your generous donations to the Burr PTO and the Burr Wolf Fund. To donate, go to Burr PTO.org and click on "Donate." Thank you!


Burr Book Swap


The Burr Book Swap is coming back! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 13! 
The Book Swap is a wonderful opportunity for students to exchange books they have read for ones they don’t yet have and pass on some beloved favorites that they've outgrown. Please do not send preschool, adult, or activity/workbooks. 

 Start going through your shelves! We'll be accepting book donations the week prior to the book swap, but stay tuned for details. 

 We will also need volunteers to sort the books and staff the swap. SignUpGenius coming soon, but if you're interested in getting more involved email krissym@gmail.com

Creative Arts and Sciences Welcomes
The Jackson Homestead: If You Lived at the Jackson Homestead (3rd Grade)


How would your life be different if you were born in the 1800s? Students will handle and examine 150-year old objects, photographs, textiles, tools, and other primary sources to piece together the story of daily life in 19th-century Newton. 

DATE: January 30, 2018 

 8:45-9:45, Ms. Oh 
10:00-11:00, Ms. MacNeill 
11:15-12:15, Ms. Canning 

 Presentations will take place in the Cafetorium. 

 Join us! Parents are encouraged to attend, but no younger siblings, please. Thank you for your cooperation. 

 This program was fully funded by your generous donations to the Burr PTO and the Burr Wolf Fund. To donate, go to BurrPTO.org and click on "Donate." Thank you!


Burr School 2018 Lunar New Year Celebration


The event will be co-organized by Burr families who celebrate this traditional holiday, i.e., Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and some South American nationalities. The event will have POTLUCK PARTY, CULTURE SHOW/DISPLAY and MULTIPLE SPORTS IN GYM. The potluck party by participating families will share authentic home-made foods, and right afterwards children will go up on stage and show culture related talents in singing, dancing, and instrument playing, individually or in groups. Casual sports will be played in the gym in the meantime. 

 Last year, traditional decoration was placed by the entrance, on the stage, and on the walls. The best one went to a pair of Chinese calligraphy hanging by Burr main entrance on the day of event. 

 Saturday, February 17th, 2018, 11:30-2:00PM  

 CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF DOG! Sign up at bit.ly/burr2018 and be CANINE! 

 Please direct all your inquiries to: 
Alex Wen guolinwen@gmail.com
Christine Kwan kwanchristine88@gmail.com
Zhiqun Zhang zizizhang2012@gmail.com 

 THIS YEAR WE'LL DO THIS AGAIN ON 2-17-2018, Sat. 11:30-2:00pm
POTLUCK PARTY 11:30PM
CULTURE SHOW/DISPLAY 12:30PM
MULTIPLE SPORTS IN GYM 1:00PM 

 CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF DOG! Sign up here and be CANINE!

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 BURR AUCTION 


Burr Auction Planning Meeting—January 16, 2018



It's time to start planning the Burr Online Auction, which takes place between March 19-25th, and we need your help! No experience necessary. Whether it's brainstorming ideas, soliciting donations or doing some data entry, there are volunteer opportunities to fit your needs and interests. Join us!

 Our kickoff meeting will be on Tuesday, January 16 at 7:30 PM. Interested in getting involved?  Email Burcu at burcudeniz06@yahoo.com.




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 PARENT PRINCIPAL COFFEE 


Parent Principal Coffee with Superintendent—January 23, 2018



 Please join Ms. Johal and the Burr PTO for a Parent Principal Coffee with Newton's Superintendent, Dr. David Fleishman, and members of the School Committee on Tuesday, January 23 at 8:30 to 9:15 am in Burr's library. This is a great opportunity to hear from the superintendent in a small group setting. Bring your questions!
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 BERTUCCI's FUNDRAIDER! 


Bertucci's Fundraiser!—February 7, 2018



 Burr will be holding a fundraiser at Bertucci's in Newton (275 Centre Street) on Wednesday, February 7.  Families can go anytime from 11 AM to 11 PM for dine-in, takeout, or even get delivery and Burr PTO gets 15 percent!  It's an early dismissal that day, so come to Bertucci's and grab lunch OR dinner to support the PTO!
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 BURR BOOK SWAP 


Burr Book Swap—February 13, 2018



 The Burr Book Swap is back this year!

 Save the date!  Mark your calendars for Tuesday, February 13!  

The Book Swap is a wonderful opportunity for students to exchange books they have read for ones they don’t yet have and pass on some beloved favorites that they've outgrown.  Please do not send preschool, adult, or activity/workbooks.  

 Start going through your shelves!  We'll be accepting book donations the week prior to the book swap, but stay tuned for details.

 We will also need volunteers to sort the books and staff the swap.  SignUpGenius coming soon, but if you're interested in getting more involved email krissym@gmail.com.
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 DIVERSITY CHAT 


Diversity Chat Thank You 


 The First Ever Burr PTO Diversity Chat on Race WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS!!!

 Thank you to everyone in the Burr community for showing up and supporting the first PTO Diversity Chat on Race that we held on Tuesday night. It was a wildly successful event! Can you believe we had over 90 attendees?! Additionally, we had numerous parents take advantage of the free babysitting that we offered. Thank you to Lilly and Isabelle Salgado for their Alumni Sitting Service! Thank you to the terrific team of Burr FORJ with a special thanks to Brenna Fisk, Katie Biello, Meg Salgado, Meredith Berg, and Joanna Burleson for assisting with planning and facilitating the event. Thank you to Janhavi Wadhwani for providing your amazingly thoughtful and delicious homemade Rice Kheer and treats. Thank you to Erica Streit-Kaplan of FORJ Newton for describing their mission and partnership with Newton Public Schools. Thank you to our Principal Mindy Johal for attending to show strong support on behalf of the Burr teachers and staff for this work. 

 Last, but certainly not least, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to former Burr Dad and Harvard University Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Roland Davis, PhD and Rabbi Allison Berry of Temple Shalom for leading us, brilliantly, through a conversation on race and racism and how it impacts students and communities. They offered concrete and practical advice for parents to talk to children about race. Notes and resources from the Chat will be shared on Burr Parents Facebook and on the Newton FORJ website.

 This first Diversity Chat focused on racial diversity, but there are other Chats being planned. It’s our hope that intellectual curiosity and willingness to talk, frankly and honestly, about difficult subjects (race, ability, non-traditional family structures, religion, identity) will tighten our bonds as a community and will ultimately make us stronger. 

 Have an idea for our next Chat or know of a great presenter? Contact Tamika Olszewski, tamikaolszewski@yahoo.com, to learn how you can help plan our next Chat!

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 THANK YOU TO UOD VOLUNTEERS 


Thank You UOD Volunteers



 Thank you to the following volunteers who have successfully helped run the last first 5th Grade Unit of the Understanding Our Differences program. This program runs solely with the help of parent volunteers! It is very easy to run the program and all materials are provided. Please consider volunteering, if you can only do it even once! Some units require activities to be run in smaller groups and hence there is a need for more volunteers.

 Felicia Falchuk, Deanna Salemme, Barbara Brousal Glaser, Janhavi Wadhwani, Valerie Miller. A Special thanks to UOD Program Director Jenni Acosta, citywide volunteers Diana Fisher Gomberg, Mari Young and Speaker for Autism Unit, Elizabeth Avery. In addition to these volunteers, a humble note of gratitude goes to all 3 Fifth Grade Teachers, Sonja Robinson, Robin Cooley and Annalee Harris. We couldn’t have done it without them!

 If you haven’t volunteered, don’t fret! You still have plenty of opportunities. You can Be An Understanding Our Differences Presenter to the Burr School 3rd and 4th grades for the upcoming programs:

 3rd grade (Wednesdays 9:00 am-11:00 am):
February 14, 2018-- Blindness/Low Vision
March 14, 2018--Deafness/Hard of Hearing

 4th grade (Wednesdays 9:00 am-11:00 am):
May 2, 2018 -- Chronic Medical Conditions

 The goal of this citywide program is to increase information, understanding, and acceptance of people with disabilities and individual differences in our community.

 Volunteers do not need to have children in a specific grade, teaching experience, or a medical background. We will provide the training and materials. You provide the fun!
If you can volunteer for any of these events please contact Deanna Salemme at salemme@comcast.net.
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 BURR FORJ PRESENTS: 


Talk on Unconscious Bias and Stereotype Threat and Their Effects on Academics—Tuesday, January 9th at 7pm



 The Burr PTO's Families Organizing For Racial Justice (FORJ) is hosting an evening of insightful and necessary conversation with Roland Davis, PhD, Harvard University Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, and former Burr Dad to discuss how we - as parents, and as a community - can create an environment that accepts and celebrates our rich and varied racial diversity. More info here:  

https://www.facebook.com/events/406853896416332/

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Get Involved with the Burr Auction!


Planning Meeting on Tues., Jan 16th



 It's time to start planning the Burr Online Auction, which takes place between March 19-25th, and we need your help! No experience necessary. Whether it's brainstorming ideas, soliciting donations or doing some data entry, there are volunteer opportunities to fit your needs and interests. Join us!

 Our kickoff meeting will be on Tuesday, January 16 at 7:30 PM. Interested in getting involved?  Email Burcu at burcudeniz06@yahoo.com.
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