| Mark your Calendars! |
Mar 3: PTO Meeting, 7pm
with clinical dietician, Suzanne Rostler
Mar 4: RHD Meeting, Library, 4:00-5:30pm
Mar 8: Ice Skating, Daly Rink, 12:00-12:50pm
Mar 9: Parent-Principal Coffee
Mar 24: Book Swap
Mar 26: Chateau Night
Mar 31: All students dismissed 3pm
Apr 1: All students dismissed 12:30pm
|
Volunteer
Opportunties |
|
Are you a proponent of walking to school? Interested in safety, the environment, and health? We are looking for someone (or a couple people, if you'd like to take this on with a friend) to represent Burr on the city-wide 'Safe Routes' committee.
Coordinate International Walk to School Day in the fall, Massachusetts Walk to School Day in the spring, and monthly 'Green Streets' walks.
Contact Tricia Bombara if you'd like to learn more about this opportunity. |
|
|
|
P T O L E T T E R |
|
 Hi everyone -- We hope everyone enjoyed their February break! Here we are in March and it feels like Spring is just around the corner, so it's time to get out of hibernation! (Well, okay, hang on to those sweaters and shovels for a little bit longer...)
One certain sign of spring is the emergence of next year's incoming kindergarten families. Ms. Bencal and the kindergarten teachers held the parent orientation in February and soon we'll see the kids come in for their spring visits as well. We have begun email communication with many of the incoming parents, and some have even joined the (unofficial non-PTO) "Burr Parents" Facebook group. Many thanks to current kindergarten parent Rose Dieffenbach for putting together a terrific resource sheet for incoming families on afterschool childcare options.
As the Burr School PTO gears up for the new season, we anticipate wonderful activities this month. Tomorrow night's PTO meeting (Tuesday, March 3rd, 7pm) features a presentation by Suzanne Rostler, clinical dietitian at Great Moves! in Newton. Childcare is available; get in touch with Susan Cassidy so we can plan appropriate coverage. To help keep everyone moving, we've got free Ice Skating next Saturday the 8th from 12:00-12:50, Daly Rink (thanks to Jean Giglio for organizing this!). Cindy Bencal has a Parent-Principal Coffee on Monday the 9th, always a good time to check in and get her perspective on how the year is going. The kids get an early release day on Thursday the March 12th -- don't forget! The beloved Book Swap is coming up on Tuesday the 24th (thank you Pat McCaffrey) so please remember to send in those gently used books beginning this Wednesday. And, soon you'll hear more about two mini fundraisers:
1) Chateau Night -- March 26th -- a portion of the tab at that famed Waltham Restaurant will go to Burr.
2) Electronic Career Survey -- an online survey that will net the PTO $25 per completed entry.
With all that going on, did you also know that March is Unplug-ged & Connected Month? There's a raft of "unplugged" activi-ties planned for this month, the full calendar is available here.
On a more serious note, the Superintendent will present the FY10 budget on March 2nd at Day Middle School (7pm in the Auditorium). The School Committee will be meeting throughout the month of March to discuss details of the budget. A public hearing will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at Day Middle School Auditorium. To see the full schedule of budget deliberations click here. These meetings are open to everyone, and we encourage you to attend at least one meeting. It is important to make our voices heard!
We are also looking for volunteers for next year's PTO board. A Nominating Committee will soon be organized to propose a slate of officers for next year. Please stay tuned for information on this and all the other PTO happenings this Spring. (And, yes, Spring really is coming!)
As always, feel free to get in touch by phone or email.
-- Susan Cassidy and Dana Hanson |
| MCAS Testing Dates |
|
March-April MCAS testing dates:
Grade 5 tests on March 30, April 1 and April 6
Grade 4 tests on March 31, April 3, April 7, and April 13
Grade 3 tests on April 3, April 7, and April 13
Tuesday, March 31 will be a 3:00 PM school day for all Newton Elementary students.
Wednesday, April 1 will be a 12:30 day for all students.
May MCAS testing dates:
Grade 5 tests on May 12, 13, 15 and 19 Grades 3 and 4 test on May 18 and 2 |
Burr Book Swap
Tuesday, March 24 |
|
 Start sending in your gently used K-5 books this week! Time to start rounding up your donations for the annual Book Swap. Bag up the books and bring them to school between Wednesday, March 4 and Monday, March 23. Make sure the student's name and teacher's name are clearly marked on the bag, and leave the books outside the classroom door. Parents: Please send only books suitable for K-5. We cannot accept preschool or adult books. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
March 9-March 23 :Help sort books in the bomb shelter March 23 : Help set up book swap in cafetorium after school March 24 : Help staff or clean-up the book swap To volunteer, please contact Pat McCaffrey at 617-964-1165 or pgmccaffrey@earthlink.net |
5th Annual Burr PTO Ice Skating Event
Sunday, March 8, 12:00pm - 12:50pm |
|
 Where: Newton/Brighton Daly Ice Skating Rink (MDC rink on Nonantum Road) Who: Everyone...bring the entire family
(tell all your BURR alumni friends to come)
Cost: FREE (paid for by the PTO)
Skate Rentals: $5.00 per person. Please arrive at 11:45am. The skate rental stand closes at 12:00pm. |
STOP sending in SHAWS receipts...
but keep SHOPPING! |
|
All those receipts you've sent in have translated into $4,000(!) for the Burr PTO just since September.
Now Shaw's has made some big changes to the program, so we need to take action to ensure that we continue to reap the maximum benefit. We processed and submitted the final batch of paper receipts (totaling $59,168.33 - another $556 for Burr!) before the old program ended last week. The new program, which is effective immediately, is called Community Rewards. It's an electronic system linked to the Shaw's Rewards Card - no more saving receipts, circling totals, and sending receipts to school. That's the good news. The "less good" news - only shopping done on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with your registered Shaw's Rewards Card will qualify for the program.
Our first step is to get as many Burr families, friends, and neighbors as we can to register their Shaw's Rewards Card ASAP on the Shaw's Community Rewards website. The process is simple, taking no more than 10 minutes of your time. You'll receive a flyer with more details about the new program soon, but for now please follow the steps below to register! (If you have any questions, please contact Stacey Moriarty (gsmoriarty@comcast.net ) or Tricia Bombara tricia.bombara@verizon.net).
How to register your Shaw's Rewards Card
1. Get out your Shaw's Rewards Card. (If you don't have one you can order one on the website, but it's easier to just pick one up at the Service Desk of your local Shaw's/Star Market.)
3. Click Shoppers Login or Register with your Rewards Card first to register your Shaw's Rewards Card. You'll need to enter your card number and the phone number you used when signing up for the card. (Don't remember the phone number you used? Having trouble getting in? No worries - call 1-877-932-7948 and a very nice customer service representative will help you get your card activated into the program.)
4. Once you're registered, select Find Organizations on the signpost, enter Burr School, and click Find.
5. Burr School PTO will be displayed, with our address and identification number (49001019137.) Click the checkbox, then click Add Selected Organizations. (You can set additional options for your account, including an Anonymous option so your name will not appear on any reports. Click the My Account link for more information and to set these options.)
Now, just shop at any Shaw's/Star Market on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays and you'll be contributing to Burr. It's that easy!
Thank you for your continued support of the Burr School PTO!
|
| Newton Serves...Burr
Sunday, April 26 |
|
|
Please consider joining us for a Day of Community Service
We will have a variety of indoor and outdoor projects from a fresh coat of paint on walls and bookshelves, gardening, weeding, pruning, and playground clean up. Adults and children are encouraged to come and help make our school beautiful. Heed our President's call for community service!
The City provides water and t- shirts and a yummy ice-cream sundae party in the afternoon. Time and details on planned projects will be out soon.
Please contact the project leaders for Burr with questions:
Kelly E Brown kellyebrown@verizon.net or Bill Hoch WHoch@massport.com |
| March is Brain Injury Awareness Month |
|
|
When a bump on the head is more than just a bump...
A concussion is a brain injury. It can result from any force to the head that causes injury to brain cells, such as a contact sport injury, a fall, or whiplash from a car accident. Concussions can occur in any organized or unorganized sport or recreational activity. As many as 3.8 million sports and recreation related concussions occur in the U.S. each year. The injured person does not need to lose consciousness to have a concussion. Symptoms can show up right away or days or weeks after the injury.
Symptoms of a concussion may include:
- Nausea
- Dizziness or balance problems
- Double or fuzzy vision
- Headache
- Sensitivity to light or noise
- Feeling sluggish or tired
- Confusion
- Trouble concentrating or remembering
Parents and caregivers may notice additional concussion symptoms:
- Appears dazed or stunned
- Forgets an instruction
- Moves clumsily
- Shows behavior or personality changes
- Is unsure of game, score or opponent
- Can't recall events before or after hit or fall
If you think your child has a concussion, seek medical attention right away. A concussion often does not appear in MRI or CAT scans. A health care provider will be able to decide how serious the concussion is and when it is safe for your child to return to sports and recreational activities. Children who return to sports and activities too soon risk a greater chance of having a second concussion. Second or later concussions can cause permanent brain damage.
To prevent a concussion, ensure your child follows the rules, whether they're the rules of the game or the rules of the road. Make sure children wear the right protective equipment for their activity such as helmet, padding, eye and mouth guards or shin guards. Parents should learn the signs and symptoms of a concussion, and shouldn't hesitate to keep their child out of a sports game or activity after a concussion. Remind children that it's better to miss a game or two than the whole season.
(Information from www.cdc.gov/injury and www.biama.org) |
|
The Auburndale Community Library Project |
|
 If you miss the Auburndale Branch Library, we have some good news for you and invite you to help us spread the word! A group of former users of the Auburndale Branch Library have been working with our neighborhood associations, aldermen, and local businesses to pursue a license agreement with the City of Newton to reopen our doors as a community resource. Although nothing has been finalized, we are currently in negotiations with the city and anticipate being able to reach a mutual agreement on an occupancy plan of about three days per week.
Thanks to the generous pledges of local businesses such as the Village Bank, Lasell College, the Newton Marriott and Gravestar (the group that operates the Shaws shopping plaza), we are hoping to be open for business as an independent lending library and community meeting space later this spring. Local residents will voluntarily staff our library--we already have many folks signed on and are sure more will join us as word spreads about our exciting project.
|
| Backpacks needed |
|
 Do you have an extra backpack in good shape that you no longer need? Burr needs 25 "gently used" backpacks for classroom teachers to use as travel packs for potential crisis evacuations. A collection box will be in the front hall starting tomorrow and donations will be accepted all week. If you have questions, please contact Diana Fisher Gomberg: dfgomberg@gmail.com. Thank you. |
| Preserving Education in Tough Times
Tuesday, March 10, 7:30-9:00pm |
|
Stand for Children Presents a distinguished panel of budget and policy experts who will discuss the implications of the current local and state budget negotiations for Newton's schools and answer audience questions. This educational forum will also share with participants specific ways they can have an impact on the coming year's school funding. Tuesday, March 10, 7:30-9 p.m. at the Newton Senior Center, 345 Walnut St. Newtonville. RSVP to Allison Balter at abalter@stand.org or 617-803-1559. Space is limited, so reserve now! Babysitting is available with advance notice. |
|
Parent Support Group |
|
Free support groups for parents of children who struggle with emotional and behavioral issues sponsored by Safe Schools/Healthy Students. Space is still available. Contact Debra Sosin: dsosin@ncscweb.org or call 617 969 5906 x297 | |
|
|
|
