Burr Bulletin - October 25, 2010

Dear Families,

This year brings many first experiences for me and Family Fun Night was an event not to be missed! The lobby, gym, and cafetorium were decked out for princesses, goblins, fairies, and more; inviting them and their parents to come out and play. It was an evening well worth the hours I know it took to make the transformation. Parents were busy hanging up the flying witches and propping up skeletons on Friday afternoon when I left school, and worked through the next day, to make everything just right. Rumor has it that they closed the place down on Friday night and only left because the custodian had to go home! Well - their effort was well worth it. What a wonderful evening! I am sure I am not the only one who left saying, "I can't wait until next year."

Parents and teachers at Burr participate in school life on many levels. There are several committees and groups that meet on a regular basis to plan events, such as the one last night, and to support curriculum implementation and student well-being. Last week, the School Council had their first meeting of the year. The members include Lynn Slobodin, Dana Hanson, Debora Jackson, Vicky Gifford, Hope Kellman, Kalpana Guttman, Sarah Field, David Gaita, and myself. Some of the things we will be working on this year are:

Building & Grounds - space and maintenance issues
Bully Prevention practices
Respect for Human Differences
Building based Professional Learning Communities

Community members are always welcome to attend School Council meetings. The schedule will be posted at the school entrance and in the lobby.

On Friday we ran a very successful site evacuation drill. The students and staff were effective in getting quickly and safely out of the building and making their way to Franklin School. The drill helped us to identify areas that need improvement so we can shore up our evacuation protocol. Practicing emergency procedures is also important for the children. Knowing what to expect, and being familiar with a routine response to an emergency, is reassuring for them. On November 9, we will have a school lockdown drill. We will send out a reminder closer to the date, so that you are well informed.

Thanks to last year's fifth grade class, each room at Burr School now has an atomic clock. Atomic clocks set themselves by a radio signal from the U.S. Atomic Clock in Boulder, CO. This includes resetting for Daylight Savings Time so Mr. Tobin will not have to go around and change them all himself. Did you know there are about 40 clocks in the building! The fifth grade's generous donation has also provided the school with a document camera and LCD projector. I am very thankful to Tricia Bombara for working with me to put these funds to good use. If you know a fifth grader from last year, be sure to let him/her know that we appreciate their generosity. Raising the funds took many hours of volunteer work.

Our fall parent-teacher conferences will take place between October 25 and November 19. This is a time for you and your son/daughter's teacher to discuss initial progress, set goals for the first half of the year, and to talk about anything that is specific to your child's education. Please look for a notice from your child's teacher about the specific days and times for conferences, and sign up right away. Below are some suggestions for you to think about as you prepare to confer with your child's teacher. They were taken from publications of the National PTA and National Education Association. Please save these and read them over in preparation for your October-November parent-teacher conferences.

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Ideas for Parents

Getting Ready: Talk to your child before the conference. Find out what he/she thinks is going well; find out what he/she thinks are areas for improvement, and why. Ask your child if there is anything he/she would like you to talk about with the teachers. Make sure your child doesn't worry about the meeting and that he/she knows that this is a typical expectation that the school has to facilitate good communication between parents and teachers. Help him/her understand that you and the teacher are meeting together to share information and support learning. Before you come to school, write notes to yourself about:

your child's life at home, any significant changes or information you feel is important for the teacher to know
your observations and question about this year's curriculum
questions about your child's progress
ways that you and the school can work together to help your child

The Conference: Some good questions to ask are these:

What are my child's strengths and weaknesses as a learner?

Is my child working up to his or her ability? How is his/her effort?
Does my child participate successfully in class discussions and activities?
How well does my child get along with others?
How do you evaluate my child's progress? What standards will he/she be evaluated on for the January report card? What assessments do you use?

If the teacher says something you don't quite understand, don't be shy about asking for an explanation. Be sure to ask the teacher for specific suggestions for ways to help your child to improve. This is the most important part of the meeting. It will become your action plan. It's a good idea to end the conference by summing up decisions you have made together. If needed, ask to meet again.

After the Conference: Start immediately on the action plan you and the teacher have worked out together. Discuss the plan with your child; make sure that he or she knows that you and the teacher care. To see if the action plan is working, watch your child's behavior and check your child's class work and homework. (Young children need an adult to oversee their homework. It's important to look in that backpack every night!) Stay in regular touch with the teacher to discuss the progress your child is making. Meeting with your child's teacher should help build strong parent-teacher partnerships - partnerships that are needed if you and your child's teachers are to reach your common goal: helping your child get the best education possible.
Sincerely,

Mindy Johal