Mark your Calendar
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May 4-8:
Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6:
Teacher Appreciation Breakfast
May 6:
MA Walk to School Day
May 6:
Burr Art Show
3-6pm
May 7:
Burr Art Show
8am - 8pm
with Artists Reception
6pm - 8pm
May 9:
May Fair
12:30-3:30
May 12,13,15 and 19
MCAS Grade 5
May 18 and 20
MCAS Grades
3 and 4
June 2:
Color Day
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Volunteer
Opportunities |
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May Fair volunteers needed to help with games, contests and crafts!
The Library Gift Book Sale needs volunteers to help run the Library Gift Book Sale between May 9th and May 15th. Help students and parents select books, complete order forms, collect payments and enter data into a database. Shifts are approximately 30 minutes long; 8:15 - 8:45 AM Monday through Friday morning, 2:45 - 3:15 PM on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons and 12:15 - 12:45 PM on Tuesday afternoon. Some of the database work can be done at your home at a time convientent to you. This is wonderful way to volunteer a small portion of your time at the end of the year. If you are interested, please email Jill Greblick or call 617-916-5057
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| PTO Letter |
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It's not your imagination...it's an action-packed week at Burr!
Friends, brace yourself for a rich and exciting week at Burr! We've got fantastic things going all week, see all the announcements below, as well as reminders here and there over the next few days.
Every once in a blue moon, we have a crunch of activities, it's a terrific sign of a PTO firing on all cylinders, but we appreciate that it can be a little hectic on family schedules. We invite you to participate when and where you can...and to take a breather when you need one! There is probably no one Burr family who will be able to do everything we've got cooking this week. Pick and choose what suits you, knowing that we are a vibrant and thriving school community filled with terrific things going on! We are so lucky to have such dedicated and talented folks bringing us such an array of goodies. Many thanks to all the members of our Burr community who are organizing and volunteering for our events and to all of YOU who will come out and participate.
See you around a lot this week!
Dana Hanson & Susan Cassidy
PTO Co-Presidents
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| May Fair - Saturday May 9, 12:30 - 3:30 |
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Less than one week left until the MAY FAIR! Join your friends and neighbors on Saturday May 9 from 12:30 to 3:30 for a day of fun, food and games!
In addition to the games and activities you've already read about by now, we've added some exciting new events like Massages from Elements Therapeutic Massage. And yes, HEADS OR TAILS will return! For young and old sports fans, the NE REVOLUTION has donated 4 TICKETS for the June 7 soccer game against the NY Red Bulls. For the adults, we have a wonderful car care package including AAA membership, car detailing, a package of car washes, and oil change.
Thanks to our sponsors, we have compiled a fantastic array of prizes for the Cake Decorating Contest winners; this year's decorating theme is Fun and Games: sports, board games, Legos, any game you can think of!
And don't forget, even if you can't attend, you can still try your luck in the RED SOX TICKET RAFFLE!! Vicky Gifford will be preselling chances for $5 each, or 5 for $20, at dropoff next Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:15 am - 8:30 am in front of school. Or contact her at urgi@rcn.com if that is not convenient.
We are still in great need of volunteers to help with games, contests and crafts! Please Help make this event a success! Please contact Jaye Schneider or return your volunteer form in your child's folder if you can help with setup, stationing the activities, or cleanup, or provide a cake for the Cake Walk.
Finally, if you have tents or tables, please contact Kelly Brown
Many thanks to the community businesses that have offered their support for the May Fair including sponsors Auburndale Dental, Butera Landscaping, Chapman Construction/Design, the Dog Scoop, Kojak's Detailing, and the NE Revolution, plus donors AAA of New England, Elements Therapeutic Massage, Ice Cream Club, Keyes Drug, Randy's Car Wash, Sullivan Tire, Taqueria Mexico, and Virtuous Teas.
Thanks in advance!
Vicky Gifford & Alexandra Swan
(617) 548 5636 (617) 244 4663 |
| Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week |
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 Burr will celebrate Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week this week! Be on the lookout for information from your room parents about individual classroom plans and/or encourage your children to take a moment to write a card or thank their teachers in person for the terrific job they do. In keeping with the Newton Public Schools policy, no gifts please. One long-standing Burr tradition involves our room parents setting out vases with water so children can add flowers to make assorted bouquets for our teachers and support staff. Please be on the lookout for those vases in classrooms as they appear over the course of the week.
A Teacher and Staff Appreciation Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, May 6 at 8 a.m. in the Teachers Lounge. Pamper the hard-working staff at the Burr School by bringing in an item or helping with the planned breakfast (an evite has been sent for easy organization, a reminder will hit your inbox again soon). We are still looking for a few families to contribute desserts and fresh fruit, as well as to sign up for our clean-up crew. Items can be dropped off the day before or the morning of the event in the Teachers Lounge (the room down the hall on the left when you first enter school). Please be sure to mark your dishes/utensils.
Please contact Tracy Carter or Amanda Loftus for more information.
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| All-School Art Show |
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DREAM WORLD, our all-school art show will open to the public on Wednesday, May 6 from 3 - 6 p.m. The show will be open all day Thursday, May 7 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please join the artists to celebrate their accomplishments at our Artists Reception from
6 - 8 p.m. on Thursday evening. |
Massachusetts Walk to School Day
This Wednesday May 6th
Be Green and Wear Green! |
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On Wednesday May 6, Burr will join with the other 15 Newton elementary schools to participate in the Massachusetts Walk to School Day.  Make plans to leave the car at home and walk with friends and neighbors! If you can't walk with your kids, try to make arrangements for them to walk with other families in your neighborhood, or to be dropped off at the house of a friend who is walking! Taking the bus also reduces the number of cars on the road and in the Blue Zone, so kids riding the bus should wear green as well! All walkers and bus riders will receive a special memento when they get to school, along with the satisfaction of knowing they are helping the environment and being healthy on their way to school! Any questions? Want to get involved? Email Tricia BombaraAnd don't forget to wear something GREEN! |
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Buy Flowers From Ken's and Support Burr! |
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This Sunday is Mothers Day! When you buy the moms in your life flowers from Ken's Flower Cafe this weekend, Burr Parent Ken Leary will donate 3% of all sales to Burr. Just submit your receipts via back pack mail. Please contact Erika Drezner if you have any questions. Thanks! |
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FoodPlay Parent Presentation |
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FoodPlay Parent Presentation
May 7, 2009
Pierce Elementary School Gymnasium
7:00 - 8:00 PM
Come see a fun way in which your children learn about healthy nutrition...
FoodPlay Productions presents...
FoodPlay Live Health and Nutrition Theater 2009 Tour
Newton, Massachusetts School District
Live FOODPLAY Nutrition Education Assembly Programs:
FOODPLAY (K - 5th Grades) is an Emmy Award-winning live theater show that combines fantastic feats of juggling, captivating characters, music, magic, and audience participation with motivating health messages to help children take charge of growing up healthy and fit. Addressing the major nutrition, fitness, and self-esteem concerns affecting today's schoolchildren, FOODPLAY provides kids with the practical tools they need to improve their eating and exercise habits, all in a spirit of fun and celebration! FOODPLAY programs are a great way to trigger school-wide excitement and get everyone on board to work together to improve the nutrition and health environment in schools and communities.
Burr second and third graders will see the FoodPlay presentation on May 26.
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Guys Read Book Group |
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The next meeting of the Guys Read book group will be on Monday, May 11, from 6-7 p.m. in Mr. Gaita's room. Boys and their dads/uncles/grandfathers are invited to join in this fun group. The next title is: "Adventures of the Greek Heroes" by Mollie McLean and Anne Wiseman. The book is a great introduction to stories about heroes like Hercules, Theseus and Orpheus. Books will be held for us at New England Mobile Book Fair, paperback copies are around $6.
Please RSVP to Mr. Gaita so we have an idea of how many people we should expect. |
Respect for Human Differences
Final Meeting of the Year |
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Tuesday, May 12
7:00 to 8:30 pm in the library
All are Welcome! (Note: The RHD Committee alternates meeting times between afternoons and evenings to accommodate as many schedules as possible.)
The
Burr Respect for Human Differences (RHD) Committee is a group of
parents and teachers who work on our school community's growth toward
respect for human differences, one of the core values of our Newton
Public Schools. Anne Douglass: aldouglass@msn.comDana Hanson: danakhanson@gmail.com
Gina Scaramella: gscaramella@barcc.org |
| Thank You All NEWTON SERVES Helpers !!! |
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Thank you so much to ALL the parents and children that came to school this past Sunday in the heat and to those that were not able to come but donated or dropped off lemonade, water, iced tea, food and ICE!!
I bet you have seen some of the work that was accomplished if not take a walk around the school. Look at the BCAP garden area, it is a garden again, no weeds! The "off the wall area" is clean and free of sand and broken glass! In fact ALL the stairs, paths and entryways where swept. So sorry Nurse Phillips, I bet you will have less visitors this week for skinned knees! The garden classroom is cleaned out and ready for planting day, watch for a notice about your classes planting day soon! The front of the school looks fabulous!! Check out the mulch, pansies and lack of weeds. What you may not have seen are the freshly painted bookshelves, listening tables, white boards and kindergarten benches. Thanks to Bill for leading our team of ace painters. We are so glad you do not have blue and yellow handprints on your car! The K classes have nice freshly painted benches and no more wobbly legs on lego tables!
Check out the TAB this week for some shots of our famous Dads! You can also open this link to the picasa web album to see your community in action. If you have some photos to share please send them to kellyebrown@verizon.net so they can be added to the album.
Thanks again to the following families:
The Andersons, Burba/ Hansons, The Burkes, The Biebels, The Browns, The Carters, The Caputo/Goldstiens, The Federmanns, The Gallivans, The Giglios, The Harris', The Hochs, The Huangs, The Hunts , The Martiens, The Mamis' , The Mastrionis , The McCarthys , The Nielsons, The Scheffs, The Sharmas, The Shibuyas, The Sweets, The VomEndts, The Zabels, The Zhangs, and the United Parrish of Auburndale crew. And please accept our apologies if we missed your name here...we thank you too!
Fondly, Your 2009 Newton Serves Coordinators Jeff Zabel, Bill Hoch and Kelly Brown. |
| Burr to help meet urgent need for toiletries at Newton Food Pantry |
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Burr School 2nd Graders are continuing to sponsor a drive to collect donations of toiletries for the Newton Food Pantry. Our first donation was dropped off during April vacation, and enthusiastically received by the pantry volunteers.
The pantry serves approximately 120 families per month and is currently in dire need of donations. All schools in Newton have been asked to help collect donations and Burr School is responsible for collecting toiletries: shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, dish liquid. Please bring your donations to the boxes in the front hallway and parent volunteers will deliver them to the Newton Food Pantry. Please contact Jeff Zabel or Dana Hanson if you have questions about the drive. Thanks! |
| Health News |
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SEASONAL ALLERGIESThe sun is shining, flowers are blooming and birds are singing. But, noses are running, eyes are puffy and throats are scratchy. Not only is it spring, but it is allergy season as well. The uncomfortable symptoms of sneezing, congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, cough and others are caused by allergens. Common springtime allergens are pollen, mold spores, animal dander (dead skin flakes and saliva), and dust. Allergens In the early spring are largely from wind-borne pollen from trees. In late spring, grasses start to cause trouble. The worst time for allergy symptoms are during hot, dry or windy days when there's a lot of pollen in the air. But before you settle for plastic flowers and artificial turf, try these simple and effective strategies. You can't completely avoid springtime allergies - but you can reduce your signs and symptoms by being prepared. Here are some tips that can help: 1) Visit your child's doctor. Talk to your child's doctor about starting allergy medications before the pollens and molds get underway 2) Keep windows and doors shut at home. Your screens will not keep out those tiny pollens and molds that may find their way to your eyes and nose even while inside the house. Consider running the a/c earlier in the year if it gets stuffy. 3) Keep the car windows up. When in your car, keep your windows up. If you can adjust your vent to re-circulate inter-compartment air, do it! Sorry, this also means keeping the sunroof closed. 4) Time outdoor activities properly. Try to avoid outdoor activities in the early and mid-morning hours. Pollen counts tend to be higher in the morning. 5) Have your child take their recommended antihistamines. If being outside is unavoidable, ask your doctor about have your child take their antihistamine before going to their soccer or baseball game When they return from an outing, have them remove their clothing and take a shower and shampoo the hair immediately after going back in the house. 6) Know your allergens. If your child has some allergy symptoms during winter months they are probably allergic to dust mite, pets or mold spores. Indoor environmental controls may help during the outdoor allergy seasons by reducing their response to these indoor triggers over night. Sometimes indoor triggers are more of a problem when the outdoor allergens pick up (a process called priming). 7) Wash out the nose. Keep some nasal saline around to rinse out their nasal passages two or three times a day when allergy symptoms are more active. Information taken from: The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology American Academy of Pediatrics http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/asthma.cfmThe Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/springtime-allergies/AA00060 |
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Creative Arts and Sciences
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| Recent Programs |
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Valerie Tutson, Storyteller
On Thursday, April 9th, Burr was very fortunate to experience a mesmerizing and moving presentation by the African American storyteller, Valerie Tutson. In her program, "Git on Board" grades 3 through 5 were captivated by stories of courage and freedom beginning in Africa and then traveling across the sea via the Middle Passage and finishing with stories of the brave people who traveled the Underground Railroad and those who dared to help them. In one particularly moving story, she told of a slave who bravely escaped with her youngest child via the Underground Railroad only to return to her place of captivity years later to help free her other children whom she had been forced to leave behind. On a lighter note, Ms. Tutson then delighted students in grades K through 2 with tales including "Brer Rabbit" and an "anansi" story. These "trickster" tales from Africa allowed students to participate by making sound effects and movement to go along with the story. Valerie Tutson's theatrical storytelling was a perfect way to end the school week and begin vacation.
A Day in Ghana
On Tuesday, April 14th, Joe and Vida Galeota took the second graders on a marvelous journey to Ghana. The students learned that the children in Ghana get up at 4 o'clock in the morning to do the chores: carrying water from the river a mile away, cleaning the house, helping with breakfast and babysitting. They then carry their own desk and chair to school, and carry them back afterwards. Joe and Vida also taught the kids about some Ghanaian good manners. Finally, the students learned some really cool dance moves. Ask your second graders to show you some!
Emilie Boon, Author/Illustrator
On Tuesday, April 28th author Emilie Boon shared with the Kindergartners a peek into the world of the author/illustrator. She spoke to the students about the various ways she finds inspiration for her writing and drawings through everyday experiences and by using her imagination. She talked to them about the importance of editing their work. For example, when she illustrates a book, she explained how she draws, erases and redraws until the pictures look exactly like she imagines them. They also enjoyed watching her demonstrate drawing tricks and techniques. In the workshop that followed, the students had the chance to create their own illustrations in a simple accordion book using one of the special "tricks" that she taught them. Students, teachers and parents were involved and intrigued all through this wonderful presentation and workshop.
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These Great Presentations are
Coming Up Soon |
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Watch For Flyers with Specific Times
Friday, May 8, Bugworks presents Insects, Grade 1: The first grade students will get a hands-on experience designed to teach them ways to observe, understand and appreciate insets.
Monday, May 18, Artquest, presents The Art of Mexico,
Grade 2: Students will take a journey through Mexico by comparing works of art from the country's rich history.
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. |
Support Across the Spectrum
Helping Parents Understand Autism |
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Join an information and support group especially for parents of young children (ages 2 to 5 years) diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorders, including Autism, PDD-NOS, and Asperger's Syndrome.
Topics include:
· Understanding the Autism Spectrum
· Reviewing the developmental criteria for diagnosis
· Accessing appropriate school programming and adjunct therapies
· Learning about special education rights and laws
· Dealing with the emotional impact of the diagnosis
· Disclosing the diagnosis - if/when/how to inform family and friends
· Setting behavioral expectations - family gatherings/other social settings
· Creating a support network
Co-led by Carole Slipowitz, Psy.D. and Joan Murray, Ph.D.
Meeting weekly for six 90-min. sessions at WarmLines
225 Nevada St. (Newton Cultural Center) in Newtonville
For group dates, time, cost and other information,
call 617-332-3666 x123 or visit www.warmlines.org
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PMCNewton-Needham Kids
Ride
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Kids can make a difference! Come be part of the PMC Newton-Needham Kids Ride: The annual PMC Newton-Needham Kids
Ride is looking for 500 children, ages 3 - 15, to ride their bikes to
raise money for the Jimmy Fund/Dana Farber Cancer Institute on Sunday, June 21st, 2009. The
ride will take place at the Wells Office Park in Newton and will be
followed by a party with music, raffles and exciting events.
Hurry, space is limited, so all riders should register as soon as possible!
There is a $10 registration fee and a minimum fundraising donation of $50 due the day of the ride. Here is the link to register to ride, volunteer, or sponsor a rider:
http://kids.pmc.org/newtonneedham/ or contact ride coordinators: Laurie Gershkowitz or Jordana Alford for more information.
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