This camp, directed by Brian Rooney (former Newton North Varsity Girls' Soccer coach) and Ucal McKenzie (Newton North Varsity Boys' Soccer coach), and staffed with current and former high school players and coaches, will be run this summer during the weeks of July 6-10 and 13-17 at Burr School.

The camp is for boys and girls ages 7-14 who are looking to learn from some of the top coaches in the city. The camp runs from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. each day. There are training sessions and games in the morning and afternoons, and each day, we travel by bus to Newton North for swimming and lunch in the cafeteria. More details and registration information may be found at the Newton Summer School site, or you can contact Coach Rooney at brian_rooney@newton.k12.ma.us or 617-559-6238.

Museum of Science: Weather, Wind, Water - Grade 5, March 9, 9 a.m. 
The Museum of Science Traveling Education Program will visit fifth graders on March 9. The program will contain several demonstrations explaining the relationship between air temperature and air pressure, and how wind and fronts are effects of different zones of air pressure. Students will learn how the Earth's position and orientation determines seasonal changes in weather, how sunlight heats different surfaces, how land and water change temperature at different rates, and how air and water currents move heat around the Earth in observable patterns. Student volunteers will take part in hands-on demonstrations. This is a new program to Burr and sure to be an exciting, educational opportunity.  

Valerie Tutson, Storyteller: March 10, All School Concert, Part II   
Ms. Tutson has traveled extensively in Africa to gather her varied tales. In her storytelling and visual presentation, Ms. Tutson is a mesmerizing African American performer. Grades K - 2 will hear "Tales From African Traditions" at 9:00 am. Ms. Tutson's travels will be brought to life in a combination of tales from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Grades 3 - 5 will hear "Git on Board" at 10 am. This story begins in Africa then travels across the sea via the Middle Passage and continues with the stories of slaves who traveled the Underground Railroad.

Irene Smalls, Author - March 13, Grade One
Ms. Smalls is an African American author of 18 books. Her books capture many aspects of the African American experience in America and highlight the African roots of certain traditions. The author uses games, songs, movement, costumes and slides to create an engaging and dramatic presentation of her books. Her presentations are highly participatory. Ms. Smalls motivates students to read her books and to think about writing about topics and events that they are familiar with "at the tip of their noses."

Rob Aptaker
Ho! Hey! Friday February 13th was a very lucky day for the
3rd graders! Rob Aptaker, an historian on Native American ways, danced, sang and drummed all those superstitions away with "Tales and Tools of the Woodlands People." He filled the classroom with Native American beliefs by using stories, songs, dances and artifacts of the Wampanoag Indians.

Mr. Aptaker has done extensive research on Native American ways and has been a featured presenter at the American Archeological Institute in Washington and the Mashantucket Pequot Museum in Connectict.

 The 3rd graders danced and sang their way through a traditional Snake Dance, felt real animal skins, saw how smoke or fire is made and listened to tales of the Water Monster, the Bearman and the Antlady. They learned the Wampanoag belief that all people are connected, and that we should respect ourselves, each other, all animals and Mother Earth.

Lyn Littlefield Hoopes
Poet and author, Lyn Littlefield Hoopes lead a two-part poetry workshop for the 4th graders on February 2 and 9. Ms. Hoopes brought in an assortment of her own nature photographs for students to use as inspiration.  They began by writing short descriptions and focusing on specific moments, followed by brainstorming verbs, details and similes to work into their writing.  Ms. Hoopes discussed editing techniques such as line breaks and substituting "the" with more descriptive words, and using "he" or "she" in place of "it" to lend a sense to the object they were writing about.  

During day two of the program Ms. Robinson's class continued working off Ms. Hoopes' photographs of frozen puddle images.  Students were challenged to write about what the puddle artist had made by encouraging them to ask themselves "What do I see?" and  "If this? Then what? " Ms. Evan's and Ms. Cohen's classes tied their poetry to their study of the Southeastern United States. Ms. Hoopes brought a collection of seashells from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, for each child to choose as the subject of their poem. Students closed their eyes as Ms. Hoopes played her ocean drum and imagined the moment on the beach when they might have found their shell.  They followed the process they had learned the week before; carving a poem out of the story they created.
The children's poems, even in their rough draft stages were excellent -visit the 4th grade classrooms and see the final versions on the bulletin boards!

Creative Arts and Sciences programs are fully-funded by the Burr PTO and are made possible by your generous donations. Unless otherwise noted, parents are welcome to attend.