| Mark your Calendar |
Nov. 9
School Lockdown Drill
Nov. 11
Veteran's Day - No School
Nov. 12
Respect For Human Differences Meeting 3:30 - 4:45pm, Burr Library School Photo Retake Day - details at right Nov. 18 Guys Read Book Club 6:30, Mr. Gaita's Room Learning Disabilities (UOD) Program - 4th Grade
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 Volunteer
Opportunities |
Looking for parents to cover shifts on Nov. 29 for set-up and Nov. 30, Dec. 1 & Dec. 3 from 8-11:30am. Please email Dana Hanson.
Newsletter Editors
We're still looking for more. Join the Burr PTO Newsletter staff and know the news before it happens. It's kind of like being Nostradamus, only with e-mail. For more information, contact Ellen Chu or Jeffrey Yerkes
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| Gift for Burr - Just Three Weeks Left! | |
Thank you for all the wonderful feedback on the Gift for Burr slideshow. Haven't seen it yet? Click here for a fabulous video showing all the many ways Burr kids are putting your donations to great use!
We need your help to reach our goal and achieve 100% participation from the Burr community by December 1st. Every gift counts, so please send in your Gift for Burr today, or donate now online.
Questions? Lost your reply card? Please email Nancy Caulfield at GiftforBurr@gmail.com and we can help!
A BIG thanks to all of the many families that have donated so far! |
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The Burr Book Fair Is Coming!
Mark those calendars... | | |
A beloved Burr School tradition--we'll be setting up a top-notch bookstore in our very own cafeteria for the BURR BOOK FAIR later this month. This is a festive event at the Burr--a winning combination of literacy promotion, community building, and couldn't-be-easier holiday shopping right under our own roof!
 Mark those calendars now!
Tuesday, November 30th:
8-11:30am - open for students
5-7pm - open for parents before PTO meeting
Wednesday, December 1st:
8-11:30am - open for students
Friday, December 3rd:
8-11:30am - open for students
We are looking for parents to volunteer for one or more of these shifts. We are also looking for parent helpers to set up the fair on Monday, November 29th from 3:15 to 5:30 pm. If you think you can help, please contact Dana Hanson at danakhanson@gmail.com. |
| Burr Respect For Human Differences (RHD) Committee Needs YOU! Friday, Nov. 12, 3:30-4:45 pm, Burr Library | | |
Burr's RHD Committee is comprised of parents and staff who coordinate and support activities and projects at Burr to help us meet the goal of respecting human differences within and beyond our school community. This year we are looking for parents who are interested in expanding anti-bullying initiatives in addition to our ongoing roster of RHD activities. Of course, we will continue with our ongoing activities from years past, such as the Burr Family Quilt project, Inclusive Schools Week, Boston/Newton Burr FriendTrips, the RHD Parent/Teacher bookgroup, and our beloved Burr World Cultures celebrations.
Honestly, we know that the name of our committee is a little dry, but we can assure you that our mission is vital to the culture of the Burr community! We meet about 4 times a year and would love an infusion of new energy and ideas as we work on our mission.
Burr RHD Committee - First meeting
Friday, November 12
3:30-4:45 in the Burr Library
Again, folks with an interest in anti-bullying initiatives at Burr are particularly encouraged to attend.
Please contact either Ann Langenfeld or Dana Hanson if you would like more information about how to join in on this important work at the Burr. Thanks! |
| BOOYA! A Successful Candy Drive | |  Jeff Zabel delivered 250 lbs. of candy to the PIne Street Inn. This candy will help brighten the day for many people in New England who are homeless. Thanks to the BOOYA AMBASSADORS for helping sort and pack the candy. They made a wonderful difference. GO BOOYA!! |
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Understanding Our Differences
Volunteers Needed
| | The Understanding Our Differences Program is looking for parent volunteers. The goal of this program is to increase information, understanding, and acceptance of people with disabilities and individual differences in our community.
These programs are brought to Burr by parent volunteers and take place on Thursday afternoons from 12:45 - 3:00. Parents can leave at 2:15 or stay to see the guest speaker. Volunteers do not need to have children in a specific grade, teaching experience, or a medical background.
The program dates at Burr School are as follows:
Learning Disabilities November 18, 2010 (4th Grade)
Blindness & Low Vision December 2, 2010 (3rd Grade)
Intellectual Disabilities January 20, 2011 (4th Grade)
Deafness & Hard of Hearing January 27, 2011 (3rd Grade)
Chronic Medical Conditions March 24, 2011 (4th Grade)
Autism Spectrum Disorder TBD (4th Grade)
Can you help out? Contact Us:
Carey Ranta: branta1@comcast.net
Stephanie Mamis: stephanie.mamis@verizon.net |
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Guys Read Book Group - Rescheduled
| | | The Guys Read book group has been rescheduled for Thursday, November 18th. This will give you guys time to create an evil vegetable for the Brotherhood of the Evil Produce. We hope to see many guys at the meeting. Happy reading!! |
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School Picture Retake Day - This Friday
| | Was your child absent for Picture Day? Would you like your child's portrait retaken? Coffee Pond Photography will be returning to school this Friday, November 12th to retake school pictures. Please send photo packets you would like to return in your child's folder that day so they can be returned to the photographer.
Questions? Please contact Johanne Campbell at johanne.campbell@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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Anti-Bullying Update
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About a year ago, NPS created a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Committee to look at the NPS policy. The committee consists of 29 members who are parents, administrators, teachers, students, and mental health workers. This large group divided into two parts. The first focused on prevention, which can take the form of curriculum, school climate and culture, as well as other programs. The second group worked on intervention, which included creating a policy that describes how to report an instance of bullying, as well as the investigation and interventions that follow.
There will be a presentation of the proposed anti-bullying policy to the School Committee on November 22nd by Deputy Superintendent Paul Stein. The Committee has decided to create a website that makes is easier for parents, students and staff to get the information and resources they need, as well as an opportunity to report bullying. The website is a work in progress, and it is hoped that it will go "live" by the end of December.
By law, Newton must provide age appropriate instruction on bullying prevention in each and every grade. The new program must be evidence-based. At the elementary school level, a new curriculum is being piloted called Steps to Respect; the middle schools are piloting a new curriculum called Second Step; and the high schools are currently still considering new curricula.
More information will be available at the November 22nd School Committee meeting.
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Mayor's Town Hall Meeting - Nov. 9
Location Change | | Please note: the location of Mayor Warren's Town Hall meeting on November 9th will now be the Zervas School at 30 Beethoven Avenue, not the Waban Library.
All other details on the Mayor's series of Town Hall meetings can be found in the the November 1st issue of the Burr PTO Newsletter. |
Newton Community Preservation Program
| | PUBLIC HEARING on NEW PROPOSALS
Newton Senior Center, 345 Walnut Street, Newtonville
Wednesday, 17 November 2010, 6:30 pm
-- City Archives: Engineering Plans & Maps
-- 112-116 Dedham Street
-- Early Architecture Survey, 1830-1840
An additional public hearing for other new proposals
will be held on 15 December 2010.
For a summary of all proposals, click on "Pending Proposals" at
www.newtonma.gov/cpa/reports.htm
Full text of all proposals is online from this webpage:
www.newtonma.gov/cpa/projects.htm
Meetings are held in handicap-accessible locations.
If you have a special need, please contact Newton ADA
coordinator Kathleen Cahill at least 2 days before
the meeting at 617.796.1125, via email at
kcahill@newtonma.gov or via TDD/TTY
at 617.796.1089. |
Newton Community Farm
Past, Present and Future | |  NEWTON SALUTES! OPENING
The 2.25-acre plot that is now known as Newton Community Farm has been farmed using traditional organic methods for 300 years.
Join us Wednesday, November 10, 5:30-7 pm for a celebration of the exhibit, Newton Community Farm - Past, Present and Future. This exhibit explores the plot's history as a New England family farm in the 18th and 19th centuries and then under the ownership of the Angino Family in the 20th, and describes its current use as a community resource, modeling sustainable agricultural and environmental practices and serving as an educational center. Free and open to the public. |
Clothing Drive
| | Cradles to Crayons clothing drive in Newton: Saturday, Nov. 13th from 9am - 12pm.; drop off at the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street.
Please donate new and gently used clothing, footwear, books, and baby items. Children's winter clothes, i.e. hats, gloves, coats, scarves, snowpants, and boots especially needed.
For more information, please visit http://boston.cradlestocrayons.org/drives |
Newton Parks & Recreation - Winter Activities
| | Family Movie Day and Night at the West Newton Cinema
Join Newton Parks and Recreation during the December school vacation week for family movie day and night at the West Newton Cinema. Watch a movie and get popcorn and soda all for one low price. Tickets will be sold at the West Newton Cinema on the day of the event. Go to the Newton Parks and Recreation website at www.ci.newton.ma.us/parks and click on Programs for more information.
December School Vacation Program. It's like summer camp in the winter for children in grades K - 6. Located at the Lower Falls Community Center, children can participate in sports, arts and crafts, cooking, inside games, outside games, gym activities, and more. Daily special events are also offered. December 27 - December 31, 2010 from 8:15 AM - 3:30 PM (extended day available to 5:30 PM). Go to the Newton Parks and Recreation website at www.ci.newton.ma.us/parks and click on School Vacation for more information or call Channon Ames at 617-796-1529. Register online at www.activityreg.com |
| Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education Meeting - Tues., Nov. 16, 7:30-9:00pm | | |
Your Rights Under Special Education Law with Dan Ahearn, Esq.
Learn how to advocate more effectively for your child's educational needs. Whether you are new to special education or an experienced advocate for your child, this is a presentation not to be missed.
Dan Ahearn practices disability, special education, education, and children's law, on faculty at Suffolk University Law School, director of the Landmark Outreach Program, and past director of the Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education Appeals. The meeting will be held at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St., Room 210, Newtonville. Light refreshments and networking begin at 7:15 pm.
Newton Parent Advisory Council (NewtonPAC) for Special Education meetings are open to all people interested in learning more about special education in Newton. For more information, visit www.newtonpac.org.
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GELF Benefit Concert Series
| |  The GELF fund supports global education for North and South students enabling students who don't have the economic means to travel abroad to do so. Today with our strong focus on global this is a very important fund which allows all kids the opportunity to travel to countries, including China, France, India, Czech Republic and several South American countries.
Sunday, November 21, 2010, 7 PM
Steve Soares Trio, Jazz Entertainment
featuring guest performance by Katani Sumner
All performances at Newton North auditorium. All tickets $20.
Click here to purchase tickets on-line. Ticket proceeds go to the Global Education Leadership Fund. |
Skating and Hockey Lessons
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 The Learn to Skate program will operate 2 sessions for the 2010/11 season. The first will start 11/13 and the second will start 1/22. All sessions will be at the Fessenden rink. The primary curriculum is designed and implemented by a professional staff (Pro Ambitions, Newton Youth Hockey's vendor for skating and skill development). However, parent assistance is greatly appreciated during all sessions.
Click here for more information on the Learn to Skate Program.
The Learn to Play Hockey program will start 11/13/2010 and run through 3/16/2011. It will leverage one day for drills and skill development. The second day per week will be dedicated to cross ice (small area) games.
The core program for the Learn to Play program is developed and implemented by Newton Youth Hockey. However, successful delivery of the program requires parent participation. To learn more about how you can help or stay informed, please email our director.
Click here for more information on the Learn to Play Hockey Program.
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Auburndale Community Library
Volunteering Opportunities
| | There are so few opportunities to volunteer with your children--the Auburndale Community Library (ACL) is one of those few. Located at 375 Auburn Street (right across from Breadsong Bakery), and 100% staffed by neighborhood volunteers, it's a great place for kids (and parents!) to build bonds with friends and neighbors. If you haven't visited the ACL recently, in addition to our top-notch collection of books, we have very popular programming for children:
Toddler Storytime: Tuesdays 10:15 am
Lego Club: Tuesdays 2:00-2:45 pm
Magic Club: Thursdays 5-6 pm; Saturdays 11 am-noon
Knitting for Beginners: Saturdays 10 am
When one of our volunteers recently asked her 6 year old what was he most proud of himself for, he answered without hesitation "volunteering at the library". Here's why this works so well:
1. Your child gets an official volunteer name tag.
2. There are always two adults on staff at all times.
3. The library is only two rooms, so it's easy to keep an eye on your child.
4. Kid-friendly duties include cleaning the children's room, shelving books, reading to smaller children.
5. Your child stumbles upon books - we never leave a shift without four or five books each!
6. It's an inter-generational experience since volunteers range in age from 5 to 85.
7. It's extremely low stress and very quiet.
8. Shifts are short -- either 1 or 2 hours.
9. No regular commitment required -- sign up once a week, once a month, or whatever works for your schedule.
10. And the most important reason to volunteer -- is that this wonderful 100% volunteer-staffed resource is kept open for the community to get books, community meetings, clubs for kids and more!
Please contact Cheryl Harris at chharris@comcast.net if you are interested in learning more about how to be a volunteer, with or without your child! Check out our website www.auburndalelibrary.org or look for us on Facebook. |
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