| Mark your Calendar |
Oct. 23
Family Photo Day - The Cove
Oct. 23
Halloween Family Fun Night Oct. 28
Early Release Thursday, 12:30 Nov. 4GUYS READ Father/Son Book Group
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 Volunteer
Opportunities |
Halloween
Family Fun Night
We are still on the look out for volunteers to runs some games, crafts, or manage the lines at the event. So go ahead sign up. You'll be happy you did. We'll be happy you did. And all of our kids will be happy you did!!! Email Stephanie Mamis for more info. Election Day
Bake Sale
Looking for: Bakers, Buyers or Cooks, Visual Artists or Sign Makers, Coffee Providers and Sellers. (See Burr News at right for more details).
Questions or to volunteer for a time slot, please email Erika Drezner.
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Have You Made Your Gift for Burr?
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 Don't put it off another day - send in your Gift for Burr in your child's backpack today! Or even easier, just click here to make a secure online donation.
Stay tuned for a campaign progress report later this week. Also be on the lookout for a special email that can be forwarded to grandparents, aunts/uncles, and friends. Instead of buying giftwrap this year, ask them to consider helping out with a Gift for Burr!
Many thanks to those who have donated already. If you have any questions about the Gift for Burr campaign, please e-mail GiftforBurr@gmail.com. |
Burr Flu Clinic - November 18
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The Burr School Flu Clinic will be on Thursday, November 18.
Two (2) required forms are due on Tuesday, November 16.
For forms and additional information, please visit www.newtonma.gov/flu or the school's health office. For any questions, please call the Health Department at 617-796-1420 or the School Nurse at 617-559-9364.
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Send in Your Boxtops!
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 We are gearing up for our big fall submission to the Box Tops for Education program. Please send in your collections in an envelope marked "Box Tops" in your child's folder by Monday, October 25th so we can get them ready in time for our deadline of October 31st. New to Burr and want to know what this program is all about? Please visit Box Tops for Education for a complete list of products with a Box Tops coupon, many of which (like Cheerios, Ziploc, Kleenex, to name a few) you already buy. Just clip the coupons from the packaging and send them in. Burr School gets 10 cents for each one. It may sound small, but they really add up! Thank you and happy clipping! Questions? Please contact Sherri Sonia at jimjack123@hotmail.com. |
Space, the Final Frontier...
| | As you are probably aware, Burr has a pressing need for additional classroom space to accommodate the growing number of students. Day Middle School, the middle school that Burr students will attend starting in 6th grade, has an even more pressing need for space, facing a projected increase of 100 students next year that will require 6 new classrooms. These issues will be discussed at an upcoming special meeting of the school committee.
Details of the situation can be found at http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/
There will be a Special Meeting of the School Committee on Wednesday, October 20th, 8 p.m. in the Education Center, 100 Walnut St., Newtonville, Frazier Room (#210), to discuss Short term Space Options for Day Middle School, and Burr, Horace Mann, Zervas, Mason-Rice and Countryside Elementary Schools.
Representatives from the Burr PTO will speak at this meeting. Your attendance will help to send a strong message that the Burr community is concerned with this issue and expects the school committee to act on it. Please join other concerned Burr parents at this meeting to show our interest in arriving at a workable solution to our space problems while preserving resources that Burr already has.
Thank You,
Steve DeJesus & Tracy Carter
Burr PTO Co-Presidents |
| Head To The Cove For Family Photo Day! | |  Get your holiday cards taken care of in one afternoon! Take advantage of the fall foliage and get that beautiful family portrait you've been putting off for years. And get it at a reduced cost all while benefitting Burr!
Coffee Pond Photography will be holding their final Family Photo Day Saturday, October 23rd at the Auburndale Cove. Their regular sitting fee has been reduced to $50 (a more than 30% savings), and a portion of each payment goes right to our school. Interested families must sign up by Wednesday, October 20th at 3pm in order to participate. Just call 800-632-2323 to make an appointment!
Questions? Please contact Johanne Campbell at johanne.campbell@gmail.com |
Practicing Evacuations & Lockdowns
| |  It is always important to be prepared in the event of an emergency. The Burr School Crisis Team recently met to review the procedures and protocols we have in place should an evacuation or lockdown of the school become necessary. Much as we do our monthly fire drills, we are also planning to do an evacuation drill and lockdown drill. We have coordinated this both with the Newton Police & Fire Departments and our evacuation site, Franklin School. Staff will lead the children to Franklin School through a prescribed walking route. We want you to be aware of the timing for this and the way we will prepare the children.
- The Evacuation Drill will take place on Friday, October 22nd between 9:00 and 10:00 AM. If the weather is bad, we will work with our evacuation site to find a suitable time within the next few weeks.
- The Lockdown Drill will take place sometime during the morning of Tuesday, November 9th.
Teachers will be talking to children about our planned evacuation and lockdown/shelter-in-place drills, providing them with the concrete information of what we will be doing, how we will be doing it, and why. The goal is to deliver it in a calm, matter-of-fact, and reassuring way. We will remind them that there are many adults at school to keep them safe. Generally speaking, less detail is more. Both of these drills will be likened to the fire drills, which students know and have experience with. Your child's classroom teacher may share additional information with you. If you have any questions and concerns, please don't hesitate to be in touch.
Sincerely,
Mindy Johal |
Public Forum on Student Placement Policy
| | On Monday, October 25th, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 210 at the Education Center, there will be a public hearing on the Student Placement Policy draft. Join Deputy Superintendent Sandy Guryan and members of the staff and School Committee to discuss proposed changes to the current student placement policy. The committee that created the policy is interested in hearing feedback and ideas from the community.
Click here to see the proposed student placement policy
Background:
The Student Placement Policy Task Force was formed in May 2010 to review the existing policies and procedures that govern student assignments to schools outside of their assigned placements as well as the placement of non-resident Newton students to determine if those policies and practices are adequate in light of current school populations and space constraints across the district. With recent years' growth in student enrollment in Newton, the need for more clarity in the consideration of parent requests for students to attend out-of-assigned district placements was apparent. The Task Force has studied the enrollments, class and team sizes, and space challenges as well as the language and intent of existing policies. In considering this information, the Task Force weighed input from the community offered during the Public Forum held in June 2010, as well as from numerous communications and discussions with community members, school principals, and administrators. The resulting revised policy is now being presented for School Committee and community review. |
Safety First
| | Mayor Warren invites you to participate in a Community Meeting on Safety on Wednesday, October 27th at 7 p.m. at Newton North High School. We will explore ways to make Newton a safer City for travelers of all ages. Bring your neighbors, family, friends and colleagues.
There will be break-out groups moderated by subcommittee chairs of the Newton Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC).
You will also have an opportunity to sign up to participate in the subcommittee meetings. Any Newton resident or employee may
participate in any of these subcommittees. Co- sponsored by Newton Villages, League of Women Voter's, Bike Newton, Bike and Pedestrian Task Force. Contact David Koses at 617.796.1133 or dkoses@newtonma.gov |
| Kids Karate - Free Trial Class | | Friday, November 5, 5-6 p.m. or Saturday, November 6, 11 a.m.-12 noon. Girls and boys, entry ages 1st thru 5th grades. $79 for once-a-week or $99 for twice-a-week, per 7-Week Session. Five 7-Week Sessions per school year. At Trinity High School, Newton.
For more information, please leave message at (617) 527-8052, or see www.kids-karate.org |
Anxiety & Children Lecture
| | Anxiety & Your Child, Part 2 - Catherine Steiner-Adair, ED.D.
Are you worried about your child being anxious? What's the difference between the occasional headache and stomachache and the early signs of anxiety? Internationally Recognized Clinical Psychologist, Catherine Steiner-Adair, ED.D is back and will present the free parenting workshop, Anxiety & Your Child, Part 2, Wednesday, October 27, from 7-8:30 P.M., Countryside School Auditorium,191 Dedham St. No registration is required.
Dr. Steiner-Adair who spoke to a large audience in the spring is back and will take her discussion to the next level. She will discuss what anxiety looks like in children. She will define the difference between an anxious moment & an anxiety disorder. Parents will learn how anxiety impacts families and the different ways to help your child through anxious moments and more serious anxiety issues. She will hold an extended Q & A.
Dr. Steiner-Adair is affiliated with McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, she has a private practice in Newton. This presentation is sponsored by The Newton Partnership. |
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Newton Storm Water Info Invent
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 As climate change increases the likelihood of extreme weather, what can Newton do to prevent loss of property? Can future floods be mitigated? Learn about Newton's past decisions about wetlands, flooding, and water management and how they have influenced the situation today and in the future. A panel of specialists will answer questions about new EPA regulations, the need for regional cooperation, and low-impact development practices on Tuesday, October 26 at 7 p.m. At the Newton Free Library (330 Homer Street, Newton). Free. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters. If you need special assistance for this program, please call 617-796-1450.
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