Burr Bulletin - April 5, 2010

Dear Families,

Looking toward next year: Although it may seem early to be thinking about next year, we have many families new to Burr this year, so I want to give everyone important information, early. First, in order to plan for next year, we need an accurate account of the students who will be in each grade. If your children are currently in grades K-4, please let us know if your children will NOT be returning to Burr School next year. Please call our office or write a brief note letting us know of your plans.

When we return from our upcoming April vacation, we will be in the last segment of our school year; we look forward to this period of sustained learning time for students. We will also be looking ahead to the next school year and the placement of our K-4 students in their classes for September. I would like to share with you the placement process that we follow. Teachers at each grade level meet together with special subject teachers, support staff and me to make specific recommendations for each student's placement. This team already has a wealth of information about each child's learning style, interests and needs, yet we welcome any new information you have regarding your child's exceptional strengths or needs, peers with whom you child performs well or poorly, or family issues that impact learning.

If you have information you would like the team to consider, please write it on the "Parent Information Sheet Regarding Placement" that we will send home on Monday, April 26, right after April vacation. Please return the form to the office by Monday, May 3. This will give you a full week to fill out this form and return it to school; please note that if you return the form after May 3, it will be too late for us to include your information in our process. We begin our placement meetings in early May; when we receive information after the process has begun, it is very disruptive, so please adhere to the May 3 deadline.

The forms you receive are given to the students' current teachers to use during the placement process. Please do not feel that you need to fill out a sheet to insure that your child receives careful consideration. On the other hand, please do not assume that the teachers and I know about all of the peers with whom your child works well or poorly. Please remember that the spring parent-teacher conference is a time to talk about your child's progress and learning this year; it is not a time to talk about next year's placement.   Please use the "Parent Information Sheet" only, to communicate any information you want us to have.

Our goal throughout the placement process is to build balanced classes in which all children can succeed academically, emotionally, and socially. Please remember that requests for a specific teacher, whether named or described, will not be accommodated, as this would make it impossible to create balanced classes. If you request a specific teacher, we will return your form to you, unread.

The process of placing students is a long and complex one. The time and effort we spend weighing all of the factors reflect the importance we place on creating an optimal learning environment for each student. We ask that you respect the staff's professional judgment about the best class for your child next year. We will let you know of your child's placement in mid-late August. At the present time, we are not sure of the grade organization or teaching assignments for next year. When these are determined, I will notify you via the Burr Bulletin. Thank you for your cooperation.

I hope to see many of you at our next PTO meeting on April 7 in Boston at the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club on Warren Street in Roxbury. The topic will be choice-based art education, and our art teacher Diane Jaquith will be our presenter.
                                                                                                            Sincerely,
                                                                                                            Cindy Bencal