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Burgundy Farm Country Day School
| May 6, 2011
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Reunion Picnic:
Register Today!
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Make sure you have registered to attend the 2011 Reunion Picnic on May 22! |
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 Greetings!
It's hard to believe we're already in May and the class of 2011 will be graduating in just a few short weeks. Can you remember when you were preparing to leave Burgundy and adjust to the challenges of high school and beyond?
If you're anything like me, you may sometimes catch yourself wishing to go back in time to revisit the joy of elementary and middle school, connecting with old friends and teachers.
Luckily, you have a chance to do just that at our Annual Reunion Picnic, from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 22. This is a once-a-year opportunity to reconnect with your favorite school, your childhood friends, and your most memorable teachers. As it so happens, it's also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate Gladys Cheek's 80th birthday!
Gladys has been a prominent figure in Burgundy's history since 1952, when she was hired as a swimming instructor. Since then, she has remained involved in the school in various roles, from a physical education teacher, to pool manager, to bus driver, to cook, to administrative assistant...There's no job she hasn't done! She is ingrained into Burgundy culture, and she would be honored to see you at this year's reunion picnic, which coincides with her birthday.
So, register now to attend! Stroll across the bridge and down memory lane as you visit the barn, take a dip in the pool, and enjoy a picnic lunch. If you can't attend, please send an email to Michele McCabe (michelem@burgundyfarm.org) with any messages or memories you'd like to share with Gladys. We will compile all of the quotes into a book that we'll give her as a birthday present, and we'll share some quotes in our magazine Voices. If you have any photos of Gladys you can scan and send, that's even better!
Please let us know by May 14 whether you and your family will be able to join us, so we can plan for sufficient food and drink. As well, weather permitting, the pool will be open, so please let us know if you are planning to swim (we need to make sure we've got enough lifeguards on duty). You can RSVP here or call Michele at 703.842.0470.
I hope we'll see you there!
Sincerely,
Jen Pusatere
Director of Advancement
jenp@burgundyfarm.org
703.842.0470
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Burgundy in the News
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FOX's Holly Morris poses with Jeff Sindler, Holly Sloan, Guest Speaker Robert G. Stanton, and parent volunteers Torun Walker and Laura Davis at the 2011 MLK Day of Service
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If you still live near campus, we hope you've been hearing about Burgundy through all the recent media attention we've been receiving -- local journalists are beginning to understand how unique our curriculum is and how newsworthy our accomplishments are.
For instance, our second annual Martin Luther King Day of Service in January allowed our students to partner with those at a nearby public school, as well as local non-profits Volunteer Alexandria (currently run by Donna Walker James, '78) and The Giving Circle of Alexandria, to coordinate and complete 22 projects that benefited regional, national and international charities and causes. The local FOX station aired four live segments about the event from our campus during their morning show, and NBC included coverage of the event in two of their evening news hours (click here to see the segments on our Website). What's more, the Mount Vernon Gazette and the Rose Hill Patch included articles and photos from the event in their outlets.
In February, WAMU aired interviews with alumni Tony Lewis '59?, former teacher Gladys Cheek, and current Director of Diversity Lashawn Sells to share Burgundy's story about being the first school in Virginia to integrate in 1950. You can click here to read and listen to the interviews.
We're fortunate that this recent flurry of coverage is just the beginning of the attention we've been receiving from the media. Check out our new "In the News" section of our Website to see all the articles, including:
- Washingtonian: Highlighted Burgundy as one of "six schools [to] offer something different"
- Mount Vernon Gazette: Featured Burgundy's Festival of Lights in their front page coverage
- The Washington Post: Included pictures of our annual Fall Fair
- Mount Vernon Gazette: Featured photos of our students celebrating the International Day of Peace
We are hopeful that these stories not only raise awareness about the great things happening on our campus, but also inspire others in the community to commit to service, diversity and sustainability, just as our staff and students do. And we hope they remind you of the friends and memories you made, and the lessons and values you learned on Burgundy's beautiful campus. |
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Alumni in the News
We have no doubt that you're doing great things, and people are taking notice. If you've been featured in the news, we want to hear about it! Even better if you can send us a clip of the coverage that we can share on our Website. And even if your local newspaper isn't covering your story, don't forget to keep us posted on all your accomplishments. We'll gladly spread the news to your Burgundy friends and supporters through our Facebook page and Voices.
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 Spotlight: Carrie Ustun
Q. How long have you been teaching at Burgundy, and what subjects have you taught?
A. I landed my first full-time teaching job with Gayle Rush in 1987 -- I had just graduated from college and Burgundy sounded too good to be true! During my mid-summer interview with Gayle, a hungry mother sow who had escaped from the barnyard barged into the classroom looking for lunchboxes (or anything on the floor)...I landed the teaching position instantly since I "didn't flinch, remaining calm despite the surprise interruption". I returned back to Burgundy as a parent in 2005-06 with our two daughters, Anna and Emily (then 1st and 4th graders). I did some subbing that first year and then filled the available JK position to team up with Kamilah Mitchell in Fall of 2006.
Q. Why did you choose to teach at Burgundy, and what has been your favorite part of working here?
A. When I found out about Burgundy (through a published guide to independent schools -- wayyyyyy before the Internet!), it sounded pristine and magical. How could this even be a school?! I had grown up in the woods with many hours of play and creative exploration under my belt, and that experience seemed to really guide my search. So, when I arrived to interview here, it seemed so real and in the moment...I wanted to be a part of it! Burgundy has definitely helped to shape who I have become as a person and a parent and a teacher.
Q. Are there any memories at Burgundy that are particularly striking?
A. Pig barging into the classroom during my initial interview...big one! Earth Day celebrations, student plays and productions, 8th grade graduation ceremonies, Cove trips with my own children AND with my teaching colleagues, watching a monarch emerge from chrysalis, being there for the birth of a baby goat, harvesting lettuce for the first time from our community garden...all those teachable moments that teach ME, too!
Q. How do you "see" Burgundy?
A. A place that is rich with discovery, history, and future. A community of lifelong learners. A weaving of family, friends, and seekers.
Q. What thoughts can you share with Burgundy alumni?
A. Follow your dreams! Come back to what you love. Find your passion. Look down and look up. Stop often and just listen. Remember the "Burgundy Bird?" Burgundy, Burgundy, Burgundy School! (Carolina Wren)
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Burgundy: Then and Now
Although 2011 was the first year Burgundy coordinated a service event as large as the Martin Luther King Day of Service, our school has always been dedicated to helping the community. For instance, take a look at the three excerpts below, all taken from the same issue of Constant Comment in March 1971, that highlight how the school served the community. Click here to see the original newsletter:
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE TRAINED TO BE A VOLUNTEER
worker on the numerous problems of the incarcerated? A training program is about to begin -- starting Monday evening, April 5, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. If you are interested in this field, call Ann Horvitz, Visitor's Service Center, 544-3121.
...OR SNOW...
This Saturday at Burgundy. Fascinating work for the whole family cleaning up the campus, panelling the office, making a terrace for the art room, a protective screen for the rubbish bins, cutting off the tip of an offending telephone pole, designing a playhouse, starting a cross country track. Twenty-five conscientious and cooperative parents have already signed up! See you Saturday at 10:00 am.
DRUG-ABUSE CLINIC
March 15th marked the opening of Lee District's first Drug-Abuse Clinic. Located at 5801 N. Kings Highway across from the Acme market, the clinic has been established to meet the ever-growing drug-associated problems confronting Lee District and surrounding areas. This clinic is an extension of the one located in Fairfax and will be operated by two specialists in this field of work.
The clinic is presently opened on a limited basis on Mon., Wed. and Fri. from 7 p.m. -9 p.m. A Hot Line (765-7276) will also be in operation during those hours.
There is a need for volunteers to do clerical work during the hours the clinic is open. Anyone wishing to help, call Mrs. Charlotte Sakellaris at 971-4171 in the evenings.
Many items in good, usable condition are needed to furnish the clinic. If you would be willing to donate any of the following, please call Jack Keating at 971-7421 or Mrs. Adelle Schaefer at 765-3992: silverware, chairs, beds, dressers, carpentry tools, garden-type tools, dishwasher, washing machine, bed linens, towels, sofa, bedside tables, rugs, games, books, etc.
Financial contributions can be made to the Fairfax County Drug-Abuse Committee, c/o Mrs. Joan Wright, 7803 Bayfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22310.
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