| Mark your Calendar |
Oct 16:
Parent - Principal Coffee
Oct. 21:
PTO Meeting, 7 p.m.
Oct. 22:
Early Release Day; 12:30 p.m. dismissal
Oct. 24:
BOOYA kick-off event, 10-11:30am
Oct. 24:
Halloween Family
Fun Night
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Volunteer
Opportunities |
Halloween Family Fun Night is looking for a few good souls...
We are still on the look out for volunteers to run some games and crafts or manage the lines for the Halloween Family Fun Night. So go ahead sign up. You'll be happy you did. We'll be happy you did. And your kids will really be happy you did!!! Please contact Stephanie Mamis. |
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| PTO Co-Presidents' Letter |
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Dear Burr Families,
The month of October has brought us some crisp air, beautiful foliage, and Halloween excitement...and also our Gift for Burr fundraising campaign! Between October 1 and December 1, all Burr families are working together to meet our goal of raising $35,000 for our school. We are thrilled to report that many of you have already made very generous donations -- thank you!!!
Here are a few facts about your participation in Gift for Burr:
* We are asking ALL Burr families to participate in this year's Gift for Burr campaign by making a contribution to our PTO. An unprecedented percentage of Burr families participated in the first Gift for Burr campaign in 2007 -- it was the most inclusive and universally supported fundraising effort in PTO history. Let's set a new standard this year!
* The 2009-2010 PTO Budget commits to providing over $50,000 to Burr School to benefit EVERY Burr student and family. Every student uses the computers and technology equipment, the playground, the classroom supplies, Creative Arts and Sciences programming, and field trip subsidies that PTO funds provide. Every family is invited to enjoy our Halloween Family Fun Night, the World Cultures Festival, the May Fair, and other popular community events made possible by the PTO.
* Reaching our goal of $35,000 and meeting our commitments to Burr will require every family to make a contribution or commitment by December 1. The requested donation amount of $125 is unchanged from the 2007 campaign in recognition of the difficult economic climate, making your participation even more important. We realize that $125 represents a very different level of sacrifice for each family at our school. If you are able and inspired to increase your gift, you are encouraged to do so. Please know that every contribution, regardless of size, is critical to our success.
* You may make your donation using the pledge cards sent home in folders, or you may make a secure online donation right now using a credit card by clicking here Gift for Burr. Your support is crucial to our PTO. Consider your Gift to Burr a gift from you to your child.
Thank you--and see you at school,
Steve & Dana
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Thank You to everyone who participated in International Walk to School Day last week! |
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 The huge number of kids and families walking to Burr from every direction was a wonderful sight -- and what a great reminder that we can walk to school in just about any weather!
The Newton Safe Routes Task Force would like to thank all the kids and parents who participated in this effort. They would also like to thank the Mayor and all the state representatives, aldermen, school committee members and candidates who showed their support for traffic safety, our schools, and the environment by joining in walks at schools across Newton. The Burr community extends a special thank you to mayoral candidate Setti Warren, who walked the entire route with one of our "Walking School Buses" and then greeted kids and families as they arrived at Burr.
Most kids love walking to and from school, especially in a group with friends and neighbors. There's time to wake up, socialize and expend a little energy before school, so kids arrive ready to learn. After school, they can talk about their day and expend a little more energy! If you're not a regular walker now, consider getting started by making it a weekly or monthly event for your family. All the elementary schools will be participating in Newton's monthly city-wide Walk/Ride Days on the last (school-day) Friday of each month. Go Green on these days by walking, riding a bike, or taking the school bus (and wearing something green!) The next one will be Friday, October 30th, so mark you calendars now! |
BOOYA -- Burr Organization of Youth Action
Kickoff Event Saturday, October 24 |
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Do you want to do some kid-friendly local community service with your whole family? We are starting a NEW group at Burr: BOOYA (Burr Organization of Youth Action). We will do various projects during the year (clean-ups, volunteering at the Special Olympics, helping senior citizens, etc.) and we invite your family to become involved!
Our first event will be a Burr School garden and playground clean-up. We will also make posters for our annual Halloween candy drive. We invite students and their families from every grade to join us! If you have any questions, please email Mr. Gaita. BOOYA Burr Clean-Up!
Saturday October 24
10-11:30 am
Please bring rakes, yard waste bags, and some snacks to share!
GO BOOYA!!! |
Come See Ms. Jaquith at the New Art Center!
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 Our beloved art teacher, Ms. Jaquith ("Ms. J") will be at the New Art Center in Newton this Sunday celebrating the publication of her new book with co-author Katherine Douglas: Engaging Learners Through Artmaking: Choice-Based Art Education. Ms. Jaquith's book explains the rationale for choice-based art education and features photos and quotes by current and past Burr students. While you are at the New Art Center, you may visit the interactive and child-friendly exhibit "decidedly ambivalent", eight artists who consider landscape through the lens of architecture.
Diane Jaquith and Katherine Douglas
Engaging Learners Through Artmaking: Choice-Based Art Education
Sunday, October 18 from 2-5 pm
at the New Art Center, 61 Washington Park, Newtonville
Please stop by if you can! Everyone is welcome! |
| Halloween Family Fun Night Thanks |
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Thanks in advance for those of you who volunteered MONEY and TIME for the Halloween party on the 24th! We are really off to a good start. With your additional donations we can now continue the Polaroid tradition of capturing the night on film. And this year we are including digital photos -- to test the waters. An early Thank You to Ken and Andrea Leary who donated over 125 pumpkins and 75 gourds to the Halloween party. Let's show the Leary's our thanks and stop by Ken's Flower Café on the corner of Comm. Ave and Lexington Street (next to the Mobil station). While you're there pick up a pumpkin of your own or some beautiful fall flowers. Great for all the holidays and parties you will be hosting or attending.  Ken's Flower Cafes are open in Newton at 2111 Commonwealth Ave. 617-925-5069 or in Natick at 158 East Central St. 508-655-1909. Call ahead for larger orders or catered events.
Plus, see the sidebar for more information on how you can volunteer for the Halloween Family Fun Night! |
| Volunteers for the Election Day Bake Sale |
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 It's that time of year again! The sun is setting early, the leaves are changing, there are campaign signs up in people's yards and election day is coming. It is time for the annual Burr PTO Election Day Bake Sale. Volunteers are needed for the following:
1) Bakers/Buyers: People who can provide goods that can be sold, and it doesn't matter whether they come from a store or out of your oven. Individually wrapped is always best. Please label items with nuts!
2) Visual Artists: To make signs to advertise the fair . SIGNS MADE BY KIDS ARE FANTASTIC.
3) Coffee: Someone who can donate a box or two of joe or get a company to donate.
4) Sellers: The bake sale is open the whole time the polls are open. I normally open up the sale and we go from there. Slots are usually one hour, but can be longer or shorter. Your children are welcome to help you out. (Good practice for everyday math skills!).
Questions or to volunteer for a time slot, please email Erika Drezner at egdrezne@yahoo.com. |
| Burr PTO Thanks |
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Many thanks to these terrific PTO volunteers who helped us with so many projects over the past few weeks!
- Pam McVey and all of our classroom room parents for volunteering to help out our individual classroom teachers this school year. Room parents do so much to bring families together to support our teachers -- we appreciate your year-long efforts!
- Jan Shoyer and all of our classroom library volunteers for bringing support to Ms. Mayer during her Burr library classes. Thanks for keeping the Dewey decimals intact and for wielding the check-out beeper with such style.
- Nancy Caulfield and Johanne Campbell for coordinating Burr Classroom Picture Day. Also to Sharon Segura and Toni McDonald for helping the photographers during the photo sessions. Hope all the kids had a "good hair day".
- Lisa Dallaire and the photocopying squad for striking up our team of officework helpers. Photocopying may not be our most glamorous PTO job, but it really does help out our teachers.
Cecelia Kwartler for the soon-to-be-published Burr School Directory. How else would we be able to schedule playdates and meet the other parents without our beloved directory?
- Carey Ranta for organizing International Walk to School Day. And to all of our walking kids and parents who participated in the rain!
- Tricia Bombara and her team of friendly safety helpers for helping run Blue Zone Safety Week: Steve DeJesus, Andrea Flint, Mary Lewis, Allison Sharma, Diana Fisher-Gomberg, Kelly Brown, Dana Hanson and Lizbeth Heyer.
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Gift For Burr 2009 is Underway!
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| Meet Interim Newton School Superintendent, James Marini |
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All members of the community are invited to an evening session to meet and hear from Interim Superintendent, Dr. James Marini. Dr. Marini will speak about the state of the schools and his experience in Newton thus far, followed by a session allowing for questions and answers.
Wednesday, October 21
7:30 - 9:00 PM
Day Middle School Auditorium
Parking is available in the lot behind the Ed Center (100 Walnut St.) or on Albemarle Rd., near the Gath Pool. Both are a short walk away from Day Middle School. |
Newton School Committee Newsletter
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The Newton Public Schools (NPS) School Committee has issued its most recent online newsletter. Click here to access the October 12 edition. The School Committee welcomes and encourages all
citizens of Newton to sign up for this publication. Burr parents may individually sign up for direct in-box delivery of the newsletter by signing up on the bottom left-hand side of the NPS School Committee Home Page. Following School Committee news is a great way to become more informed about your child's education in the Newton Public Schools. |
Coffee with the Ward 4 School Committee Candidates
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The two candidates for Ward 4 School Committee, School Committee member Jonathan Yeo and challenger Dan Proskauer, have been invited by the Burr PTO to an informal coffee on Friday October 23 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am in the cafeteria. Come by, have a snack, ask questions, or just listen and learn. Citywide elections for a variety of offices will be held on Tuesday November 3. This is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with the two candidates from the Ward 4 School Committee race. |
| Be a part of Inclusive Schools Week |
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Are you interested in celebrating diversity at Burr and keeping a school for everyone? Then come and be part of planning for Inclusive Schools Week.
Wednesday, October 21st - Kickoff meeting for Inclusive Schools Week, from 7:30pm to 9:00pm at 100 Walnut Street , Newtonville. Please join us at 7:15pm for light refreshments. Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event that is celebrated during the first week of December. This year the dates are December 7 - 11, 2009, and the theme is "Inclusive Technology." The 2008 theme was "Mathematics," and in 2007, it was "Inclusive Schools for Everyone." Please join us on October 21st to plan our 2009 program. Our goal this year is to have every school in Newton represented. For more information about the 2009 celebration, visit http://www.inclusiveschools.org/node/1767 |
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Understanding Our Differences 30th Anniversary Celebration |
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You are invited to the 30th Anniversary Celebration of Understanding Our Differences on November 10, 2009, 7- 9 PM at the Brae Burn Country Club in Newton. The guest speaker is Governor Deval Patrick. Leadership Awards will be presented to Carol Kanin, past President of the Board of Directors who has led with passion and wisdom to promote UOD's mission and Ming Tsai, chef owner of Blue Ginger Restaurant for his work with State Senator Cynthia Creem in promoting food allergy awareness. The Understanding Our Differences curriculum team members will be honored for their expertise and extraordinary dedication in updating the curriculum and developing the new Autism Spectrum Disorder unit. For more information or tickets, visit our website: www.UnderstandingOurDifferences.org or call 617-559-6075. |
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Enrich Your Child's Confidence... |
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...in reading/language arts, mathematics, or study skills/ organization. I am an experienced teacher (as well as a Burr parent) available after school or on weekends. Master of Arts in Teaching, Massachusetts grades 1-6 certification, with 10+ years of school-based and private tutoring experience. Excellent references. Please email or call Lizette Eastman at 617-965-0804. |
| First Annual Homestead Hayfest
Saturday, Oct. 17, noon - 5pm |
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Join us for a free outdoor festival for the whole family in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Jackson Homestead. Travel back in time to the 19th century: make your own butter, watch craftsmen build historic furniture, press your own cider, dance country dances to live fiddle music, and more! Don't miss the birthday cake! (Rain date October 18)
For more information: call 617.796.1450 or visit www.historicnewton.org |
| Voices From the Mountain
Oct. 24, 7:30pm |
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Revels Repertory Company and the Tufts University Office of Alumni Relations presents Voices from the Mountain, the story of Tufts alumna and Medford resident, Olive Dame Campbell and featuring Appalachian ballads, dances and stories. Saturday, October 24, 7:30pm at the Cohen Auditorium, Aidekman Arts Center, Tufts University, 40 Talbot Ave., Medford. | |
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