The 2/3 Viceroys read a collection of poetry from the book If I Ran the School by Bruce Lansky. The students enjoyed the silly poems about homework and other student woes, and they asked to share their ideas of what they would do if they ruled the school. So, they pulled out their journals and wrote their own "silly ideas" before sharing them in class aloud with each other.  

If I ran the School

By Sante

Homework is great. Its returned very late. You won't have to do it even if you already ate. Your math is at class. And youre taking a bath. Who want to rewind back to the past? Now its time to turn. You say that its in the garbage bin! During LA you pay no attention. So then your teacher sends you to detention. 

This week, Anne Rocha officially joined the Burgundy community as our new Kindergarten Art teacher. She will teach on Tuesday and Friday mornings.    

Anne brings a diverse set of skills to this position. For two years she has taught private workshops to adults and children through her home studio. Since 1985, she has worked as a graphic designer in a variety of platforms, from a meteorological equipment manufacturer in Brazil to The Gazette and The Journal Newspapers in Rockville and Alexandria, respectively, as well as local printing and publishing businesses. She is also a freelance photographer. She studied art education at Bennett University in Brazil and holds a degree in advertising design from Montgomery College.

Through Anne's sample lesson, we immediately noted that she is passionate, loving and patient with her students, yet she is also energetic and creative. Her art students shared heartfelt and moving recommendations for Anne, describing her lessons as "empowering." They report that they are free to be who they are and to express themselves through their artwork.  We will help Anne introduce herself to the Burgundy community with a future Q&A in Constant Comment (see below).

Do you love to bake? We'd love to add your goodies to the Bake Sale at the Fall Fair. Looking for a family activity for over the weekend? Don't forget that kids love to bake (and they love to decorate too!). Many baked goods freeze well, so it's not too soon to get started. We will collect baked goods in the Admission Office and during morning carpool on October 12; or, you can drop them off at the Bake Sale by 10:00 a.m. on the morning of the Fair. Remember:   

• The Fall Fair is a NUT-FREE event. We cannot sell any baked goods containing nuts.
• Wrap your goodies for individual sale with clear plastic wrap and decorate with ribbons, stickers and more to add "kid appeal."
• Label and identify your sweets. People like to know what they are buying!

Medical Help on Day of Fair 

Every year we ask parents who are physicians to take a turn as a doctor on call during the Fall Fair. This is a huge help to ensure that we have someone on campus ready to assist in the event of a medical emergency.

This year, we'd like to start First Aid on Call, so that we can also have parents ready to assist in case of a skinned knee or bump on the arm. We just need the hour you'd like to be on call and your cell phone number. Please email Allison Niedbala (allisonn@burgundyfarm.org) with your chosen hour between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.  

Note: We hope you have received in your mailbox a postcard about the Fall Fair. Our mailing house made a mistake with the addresses, and while they have assured us that everyone will receive a postcard at the correct address, we also understand that each postcard will have an additional name included in the address block. We apologize for any confusion.  

Please contact Allison Niedbala (allisonn@burgundyfarm.org or 703.842.0488) with any questions.

Thank you to everyone who participated in Buy a Book Monday night! If you were unable to choose a book that night and would still like to participate, we have books to choose from available until the end of next week (Friday, October 5). Please come to the Library with your child to see the selection; or, you may send a check (made out to BFCDS) for $18.00 with your child, and he or she can choose a book with us.

Thanks again for supporting the Library!

- Ann Van Deusen and Barbara Krainik, Librarians 

We want to thank all of the volunteers that came out Sunday for the first Garden Work Day!  There was great enthusiasm, hard work and fun! The Garden has never looked better!   

We'd like to offer special thanks to the maintenance team for sprucing up the paths in the garden -- all those wood chips keep the weeds at bay, so we can grow the good stuff. 

Sincerely,
Jane Hanson and Jill Reuter
Community Garden Co-Chairs

We extend many thanks to the parents who completed our 2011-2012 End of Year Survey. Roughly 10 percent of our families responded, which is a lower response rate than usual. So, while we cannot make assumptions regarding how the other 90 percent of our families would have responded, it's important for us to reflect on the valuable feedback provided by those families who completed the survey. Please click here for a PDF that highlights some of the common threads among the responses gathered from that 10 percent of families.