THE BURR PTO PRESENTS
Burr FORJ Play Date
Principal's Newsletter—May 26, 2021
Dear Burr Families;
The students, teachers, and Burr PTO are busy completing projects, planning activities for the end-of-year, and even beginning to imagine what the fall will look like. We’re all hoping we can have a ‘regular’ school opening in September. Each week it feels like we’re getting closer to it. For planning purposes, here is the school calendar for the 2021-22 school year.
For now, I want to share some quick updates with you all:
Retirement
The Burr executive administrative assistant, Maura Albano, will be retiring at the end of this school year. Maura has been at Burr School for 21 years and I can’t imagine a Burr front office without her! Maura’s smiling face and great energy in our front office will be missed. We will begin the search for a new administrative assistant soon. I hope to fill it before the end of the school year.
Classroom Assignments for 2021-22
The classroom teachers at each grade level will be:
Kindergarten: Ms. Frail, Ms. Mc Mahon, Ms. Russo
Grade One: Ms. Espinal, Ms. Fitch, Ms. Golden
Grade Two: Ms. Cooley, Ms. Field, Ms. Roberts
Grade Three: Ms. Canning, Ms. MacNeill, Ms. Oh
Grade Four: Ms. Bapat, Ms. Li, Ms. Tice
Grade Five: Ms. Robinson, Ms. Harris
Due to a reduction in classrooms in fifth grade, Ms. Cooley has volunteered to join the second grade team. She is looking forward to teaching the younger students after many years in grades 4 & 5.
Student Council News
The Burr Student Council members ran a very successful Bubble Drive collecting toiletries for the Centre Food Pantry in Newton. The fifth graders visited classrooms (both in-person and virtually) to introduce the project and encourage participation. The donations bins have been overflowing and we have collected over 200 bags filled with soap, shampoo, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and dental floss. The bags were delivered to the food pantry this week. Thank you all for your generosity.
Information about the Move-a-thon and pledge sheets was sent home with students earlier this week. For your convenience, I have linked them in this email as well. The funds raised will go to UNICEF to provide COVID 19 relief for hard-hit areas in the world. Families are invited to come to Burr to cheer students along as they move around the field. The times for each class are listed on the Move-a-thon information sheet.
Visitor to Burr School
On Monday, Congressman Jake Auchincloss visited Burr School. He stopped by several classrooms and met with staff members. He spend an extended amount of time with our 5th graders who shared the challenge the pandemic has posed to their schooling and social well-being.
Assessment Time
MCAS is done! Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are to be congratulated on taking the tests and putting forth their best efforts.
Our classroom teacher and literacy team are currently, busy administering reading assessments to all of our students to find out how they have progressed this year. The information we gather about the students will allow us to more accurately report progress in the June report cards and make plans for supporting students in the fall.
Warm Weather Attire for School
Each year when the weather warms up we have to remind the students about appropriate school dress requirements. I have asked all the teachers to remind the students about our dress code and ask that you also reinforce this at home. Children should not come to school wearing spaghetti strap tops, bare midriffs, low-cut or low-riding pants, or very short skirts. We also ask that they not wear flip-flops. Even some sandals can be dangerous on the playground. If your child is not dressed appropriately, please know that we will contact you to bring in a change of clothing.
Have a lovely weekend.
Best,
Mindy
THE BURR PTO PRESENTS
Upcoming Important Dates
- Wednesday May 26: Kindergarten Visiting Day
- Week of May 31: Virtual World Cultures Festival – Stay tuned for more details!
- Sunday, June 6th: Burr FORJ Play Date (see listing above)
- Wednesday June 9: Move-a-Thon for COVID Relief – Planned by our Student Council
- Friday June 11: Safety Superhero Appreciation Day - Crossing Guard & Bus Driver Appreciation Day, all crossing guards and drivers will be receiving Safety Superhero buttons, snacks & flowers! More information to follow
- Friday June 11: End of Year Storytime/Movie Night
- Week of June 14: Color Week!
- Thursday June 17: 5th Grade Moving On Ceremony
- Friday June 18: No school – Juneteenth Observance – more info to come on celebration in Newton over the weekend
- Monday June 21: 5th Grade End of Year Celebration
- Tuesday June 22: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!
If Creative Arts and Sciences event, please add the following at the end of the content:
Creative Arts and Sciences programs are fully funded by the Burr School PTO.
Parents are welcome to attend, but no younger siblings please.Creative Arts and Sciences programs are fully funded by the Burr School PTO.
Quick Survey Regarding Food Truck Fundraisers
THE BURR PTO PRESENTS
BURR PTO COMMUNITY
MEETING & ELECTIONS
Wednesday, May 19th @7:30
We have an ACTION PACKED meeting this Wednesday with a slate of amazing candidates and a preview of all the exciting activities between now and year end!
Please register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/
ELECTION UPDATE:
At the PTO Community meeting on Wednesday, May 19 we'll be electing new board members. We have a great group of candidates! Below is some information about our candidates.
Treasurer: Casey Kudesia
Casey Kudesia has a 1st grader at Burr, and she is counting the days until her second child joins the Burr family in the Fall of 2022. Currently, she enjoys being an engaged room parent, a cheerful soccer parent, and the treasurer of a Newton-wide Girl Scout troop. Casey works as a contractor for the Schwartz Center at MGB, where she uses her background in instructional design, leadership development, and learning management systems to advance compassion in healthcare around the world. Nothing makes her happier than a well-formulated spreadsheet. You've probably seen her out for a run or walking her perfect dog, Bog.
Secretary: Sonia Yung
Sonia Yung has 2 children at Burr. Her oldest son Aaron is in 4th grade and Brendan is in 1st grade. Sonia enjoys volunteer work whether it is at her work serving the Boston community or at Burr. Over the last 4 years at Burr she has been a room parent and volunteers at events at such a the book fair and picture day. She is looking forward to being part of the PTO so she can continue to support the Burr community in many other ways. Sonia works at Blue Cross Blue Shield in Finance where she also does lots of volunteer work and runs a book club. On her free time Sonia enjoys being with her family, going for bike rides with her children, running and reading.
Community Events Chair: Alyssa Haggerty
Alyssa is in her second year on the board as Communications Coordinator and loves being involved in all things Burr, such as Creative Arts and Sciences and Election Day Bakesales. She is mom to current 2nd Grader, Finn and incoming Kindergartener, Zoe. Alyssa has an art and construction background and currently is employed at Slocum Hall Design Group in Watertown where she is a Senior Associate Interior designer. She and her husband, Joe, have lived in Auburndale for 11 years and especially love the morning walk to school and feeling part of such an amazing community.
Communications Chair: Dave Lievens
Dave Lievens is the father of William (1st grade) and Thomas (pre-K at ACNS). He's a book editor at Harvard Business Review and launched the HBR Working Parents Series last year. You'll see Dave running in the neighborhood at any hour of the day, and he hopes to get one last summer out of the double running stroller. He looks forward to making Burr PTO communications relevant, streamlined, and engaging, as well as being given the keys to the sign out front of Burr.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair: Angie Kim
(new position being voted on Wed.)
Angie Kim currently has a 2nd grader at Burr. She and her family moved to Auburndale the summer of 2020. Although new to the school and also to the city, she has actively taken on roles to be an active member with our Burr community. She is currently co-room parents for her son’s class. She is also on the board for ELPAC & part of the Hospitality Team. She wants to make sure that our children’s memory of school is fun, engaging, exciting, but most of all a community. A family.
THE BURR PTO PRESENTS
SEPAC - OPEN BOARD MEETING
Tuesday, May 18th @7:30PM
Please join the SEPAC Board for our monthly open board meeting on Tuesday, May 18th from 7:30-9pm.
Meeting link: meet.google.com/udv-hfuo-ffw
AND
Nominations are still open for the 2021 Newton SEPAC Special Educator Virtual Awards!
Please go to https://forms.gle/M9uHkvhHx1NvvnJ2A to submit your nominations by May 17, 2021.
Here's how the 2021 "Virtual" Awards will work:
- Families will submit nominations using the Google Form
- Each nominee will receive the text of the nomination in an email
- The email to each nominee will also include messages of thanks from Mayor Fuller, the School Committee, Superintendent Fleishman, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Beth Fitzmaurice, and the SEPAC Board
- Each nominee will receive a printed award that will be dropped off at their school or location in early June
- We will send each Principal a list of the nominees from their schools
For those new to Newton SEPAC, the annual Special Educator Awards are a way to honor NPS and OOD staff who have gone the extra mile to support our special education students. Nominees span a wide range of staff, including teachers, aides, BTs, therapists, bus drivers, crossing guards, administrators, other support staff, etc. All nominees receive an award. The Awards are usually held in person but will be virtual in 2021 for the second year running. (Fingers crossed for an in-person gathering in 2022!)
Please let me know if there are any questions!
THE BURR PTO PRESENTS
We are super excited to bring food trucks back to Burr again THIS FRIDAY from 4-7pm!! \ Rancho Cantina's menu is live: https://bit.ly/3w7Fdhs and Chill Wagon should follow shortly!
On-site ordering will not be available to ensure proper social distancing.
We sold dinner out last time so please be sure to order early!
THE BURR PTO PRESENTS
5th Grade End of Year Celebration
The event will be on June 21 from 6-8 with a rain date of June 22 from 6-8. All MDPH safety guidelines will be followed.
Attention 5th Grade Parents! - We need help from all to pull this together and make it a wonderful memory for the kids.
Monetary donations for decorations are welcome. You can venmo, justine-fialkosky. Any excess money collected will go towards a school donation in recognition of the Burr Class of 2021-to help fund new picnic tables, which are needed.
THE BURR PTO PRESENTS
Keep our community strong
The PTO is looking for board members for next year. Having strong volunteer support and community involvement is so important for shaping our kids' Burr experience. At the PTO Community Meeting on May 19th we will be electing new board members including Co-President, Treasurer, Fundraising Chair, Community Events Chair, Secretary, Communications Chair and Diversity Equity & Inclusion Chair.
We have some great candidates, but are still seeking candidates for Fundraising Chair (a critical role that's been vacant this year) and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Chair (a newly proposed board role).
Please reach out to info@burrpto.org if you are interested in a conversation about what any of the board positions involve and what you can bring to the roles.
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