| Mark your Calendar |
Nov 1Early Release
12:30 p.m.
GUYS Read
6 p.m.
Nov 6
Election Day Bake Sale
Nov 12
Veterans Day
No School
Nov 14 Burr RHD Committee
Nov 21
Early Release
12 p.m.
Nov 22-23
Thanksgiving Break
No School
Nov 27, 28, 30
Bookfair
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PTO Co-Presidents' Letter
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Hello Burr Families,
YIKES, can next week be November? We have certainly had an action packed fall! Everyone should have received their Annual Gift for Burr ONE AND ONLY Fundraising drive envelope. Congrats to the raffle winners who were able to get their contributions in quickly. We have already received many donations, but our goal is to have every family participate, regardless of the sum. Remember, every dollar goes back to our kids in hands-on programming, current technology, playground maintenance and community-building fun! Special shout out to.... - Halloween Family Fun Night was another Boo-tiful gathering of friends and Spook-tacular fun, thanks to the Boo-Crew and the many volunteers! This is a wonderful community building event made possible by your contributions to Gift for Burr
- The latest parent principal coffee provided a wealth of information and insight as Burr's very own literacy specialist and math coach, Kalpana Guttman and Jennifer Ortega, spoke to how their respective subject matters are being integrated into the new Core Curriculum at Burr. Thanks to Shaws Market for donating coffee and treats and thanks to our Hospitality crew for coordinating and getting it ready.
- The garden looks ready for spring, thanks to BOOYA and the many helping hands that tucked the garden beds in for the winter.
Upcoming events and important reminders.... - This week is an early release on Thursday Nov.1 (will give everyone a chance to work off their Halloween candy jitters).
- Tuesday November 6 is election day, don't forget to vote and while you are there, pick up some coffee, snack or after dinner dessert, proceeds go to the PTO!
Our next PTO meeting will be on Tuesday, November 27. Get the latest update on all things Burr related. Have questions or looking for more information - bring those along too. The book fair will also be up and running, so come pick out some new books for your own library! Feeling left out? Don't worry! There are still lots of opportunities for you to help out! If you have previously expressed an interest in volunteering but have not been contacted yet please let us know (again). Volunteering at Burr provides a powerful example to show all our students how important school is and we want everyone to to have an opportunity to contribute. For opportunities just around the corner: - The Election Day Bake Sale November 6 - voter turn out is expected to be high for this year's Presidential Election. Help will be needed to staff the sale and contribute items for sale. Contact Erika Drezner for more information
- The Book Fair (November 27, 28, and 30), check with Nancy Caulfield to see if there is a task and time that match up with you.
- The next Understanding Our Differences workshop will be held November 29. The presenting topic will be Chronic Medical Conditions. Contact Carey Ranta or Stephanie Mamis for more information and how you can help.
LOOKING AHEAD - Don't forget, new PTO board positions are opening every year, this spring we are looking for a new Co-president, Treasurer, Secretary, and Fundraising Coordinator. If you want to help shape the future at Burr and want more information contact us at pto-board@burrpto.org. YOU would be perfect for the job! See you around The Burr! Jason and Ted Your PTO Co-Presidents
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Guys Read - November 1
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 On Thursday, November 1 the GUYS READ book group will meet to discuss their first book. Boys from all grades can come to the meeting with a grown-up. We welcome fathers, brothers, uncles, and grandfathers. At the meeting the guys will discuss a book, eat some snacks, and maybe even win some fun treasures. The first book will be the newest Captain Underpants book called "Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers". This funny book brings readers back in time to the carefree days of kindergarten, when the worst thing George and Harold had to face was NOT evil mad scientists or alien cafeteria ladies but a kid named Kipper Krupp. If you are interested in attending please meet in Mr. Gaita's room at 6 p.m. ready to discuss the whole book. We hope to see you there guys. Back to Top
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Have You Made Your Gift for Burr
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Do you know what your 2012-13 Burr School Directory (coming soon!), last week's fantastic school-wide performance by "Opera to Go", and every Burr kid's favorite event, Halloween Family Fun Night, have in common?
They are all funded by the Burr PTO through your Gift for Burr! Help us clear the the fundraising hurdle early this year and put your Gift for Burr check in your child's backpack today. Or even easier, just click here to visit our website and make a secure online donation.
Many thanks to those who have donated already, and happy Halloween!
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BOOYA Candy Drive
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On Thursday, November 1 and Friday, November 2, BOOYA will be collecting candy to donate to the Pine Street Inn. All candy will be delivered Friday after school. The candy will be distributed among the residents of the Pine Street Inn in Boston.
BOOYA AMBASSADORS created posters and wrote morning announcements to help make this event successful. They will also sort and pack up the candy. Students are encouraged to donate one bag of candy to help make a difference. Drop off the candy in the lobby with the decorated chest. GO BOOYA!!
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5th Grade Raffle Winners
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 Benjamin Davis - 1st grade - won two prizes: Newton North Duffel bag filled with mystery prizes & a $30 gift card to Paddy O's restaurant Nina Bobby - 3rd grade - $25 Toys R Us Gift Card Matthew Richards - 5th grade - 2 AMC Movie Tickets with movie candy treats Thank you to all the families who donated to this raffle and congratulations to the winners!
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5th Grade Fundraiser at The Skellig
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 Mark your calendar and get that babysitter in place! Saturday, November 17th - 7-9 p.m., then beyond if you'd like. Calling ALL parents, friends, relatives, come out for a Rockin' good time at the Skellig, in Waltham. We have Burr parent Steve Regan and alumni Jeff Foster & Pete Caruso playing in their "Unfinished Product" band, then the fun continues with Pete Caruso and his band "Lost Articles" keeping us entertained. This is a 5th grade fundraiser, so we want to get any many Burr parents and friends we can to attend. You don't have to a be Burr parent to attend, so bring your friends too. Tickets are $10.00/pp ahead of time, and $15 at the door, so buy your tickets early. If you would like to order tickets in advance, send check or cash in an envelope marked Skellig through your child's backpack. Please include your name either in or on the envelope so we'll have your name at the door and you can just walk right in. Any questions, email Jean Giglio at jgiglio2067@gmail.com Back to Top
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Respect for Human Differences at Burr
Meeting Wednesday, November 14 at 5:15 pm
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Burr's Respect for Human Differences (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 (socio-economic class, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, language, learning styles, special needs, physical appearance, sexual orientation, etc.) within and beyond our school community.
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 2-3 times a year and would love an infusion of new energy and ideas as we work on ongoing activities from years past (such as the Burr Family Quilt project, Inclusive Schools Week, the RHD Parent/Teacher bookgroup, and our beloved Burr World Cultures celebrations), as well as explore new initiatives for the future.
Burr RHD Committee
First meeting of the year
Wednesday, November 14
5:15 - 6:15 pm in the Burr Library
Please contact any of our committee chairs if you would like if you would like more information about how to join in on this important work at Burr:
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Election Day Bake Sale - Tuesday November 6
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 Thanks to everyone who has volunteered, we have at least one person for every shift. We could use some more help for the post-work rush--shifts from 5 pm until the polls close at 8pm should have more than one volunteer. If you have some time in the evening please sign up by clicking here. Any good sale needs PRODUCT and we need lots of it. It is time to fire up those ovens! Or not. Goods can be home made or store bought. Please wrap and label everything! Especially note if a product has nuts or any other allergens or is nut-free, dairy-free or gluten-free. If you would like to drop off your donated goodies the night before the election, we have two convenient drop spots, Jessica Avery in West Newton and Tracy Carter in Auburndale. Email them to arrange drop off. Jessica is javery@yahoo.com and Tracy is tgunrud@hotmail.comGoodies can be dropped off at the bake sale at any time while the polls are open! Don't worry about being "too late" more supplies are needed throughout the day! Other items we need are a few boxes of joe for the morning rush and signs! Rain is expected in the next week, so a great indoor art project for after school could be making signs for the bake sale! Any questions email Erika Drezner at egdrezne@yahoo.com up until November 2. After that time all bake sale questions should go to Kelly Brown kellyebrown@verizon.net or Allison Sharma allison_sharma@yahoo.com. Back to Top
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Welcome Back from the Creative Arts and Sciences Committee
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Although the summer break is now a distant memory for most of us, we wanted to officially welcome everyone back to Burr and tell everyone a bit about who we are and what we do. For those of you who don't know us, we are a subcommittee of the PTO. With the support of our PTO, Ms. Johal and our wonderful teachers, we help to bring a wide variety of art and science based enrichment programs to our classrooms. These programs are diverse, ranging in subject matter and content. Indeed, among the programs coming to Burr this year, will be authors, poets, and scientists. But, despite the diverse nature of our programs, we believe that they all serve to inspire and motivate our kids while helping to bring our curriculum to life in really valuable ways. So far this year, we have had two really wonderful programs. On Wednesday, October 17, the beloved African American author Irene Smalls visited the first grade. Using games, songs, movement, costumes and slides, Ms. Smalls captivated the audience creating an engaging and dramatic presentation of her books. And, on Friday, October 19, Opera to Go! entertained and educated our entire school with their fabulous program Introduction to the Opera. So, watch your child's folder and the Burr Bulletin for upcoming programming throughout the year. Unless otherwise noted on the flyer, parents are always welcome to attend. Come check us out! And, finally, if this all sounds really fantastic to you (which it is!) and you want to help out this year, please contact one us. The time commitment can be very minimal. There are no meetings to attend throughout the year. And, best of all, you get to experience firsthand not only our wonderful programming but also the joy that the programs bring to our students. Warm regards, your Creative Arts and Science Co-Chairs, Felicia Falchuk, felicia.falchuk@gmail.com Beth Tierney, bethtierney@comcast.netPam McVey, s.richard@verizon.net Megan Ulland, megan.ulland@gmail.com Back to Top
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| Prominent Newtonians Share Their Passions at Free Community Event |
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The Newton Schools Foundation will hold its second annual Newton Inspires-An Evening of Ideas and Community November 14, 7-9:30 p.m. at Newton South High School. NPR's On Point host Tom Ashbrook, novelist and writer Anita Diamant, Boston Globe movie critic Ty Burr, and Defending Jacob author William Landay will join 14 other accomplished and prominent Newtonians to share their passions and answer questions about a variety of topics ranging from arts and entertainment, through sports and science, to business and politics.
This free even is the NSF's way of giving back to the community that generously supports us so we can support Newton's students by bringing innovative programs and services to the Newton Public Schools. The event is free but space is limited and filling up fast, so register today at www.NewtonSchoolsFoundation.org or call 617-559-6120.
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"It's Not Just Jenna" - A True Story
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Date: Thursday, November 8, 2012 Time: 7:00-9:00 pm Place: 100 Walnut Street, Room 210, Newtonville, MA As a parent or caregiver to a child, you've probably thought often about all the ways you want to keep your child safe from harm. When it comes to child sexual abuse, though, if you've ever felt uncertain about where to start or what opportunities you have to think about prevention, you're not alone. Join Gail Sommer, of NCSC's Child Assault Prevention program and Meg Bossong of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center for a short film and a discussion about understanding child sexual abuse. Topics will include how to recognize warning signs that a child might have been abused or that someone might be at risk to harm a child, and everyday actions that can help to make kids safer. (Please note that while this program is appropriate for parents or caregivers of children of all ages, the discussion is geared to adults.) For more information contact gsommer@ncscweb.org. This workshop is free and no pre-registration necessary. Co-sponsored by The Newton Partnership, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) and Child Assault Prevention program (CAP) at Newton Community Service Center.
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Public Hearing on Housing Proposal - New Date
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The next regular meeting of Newton's Community Preservation Committee, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14 in City Hall Room 202, will include a rescheduled public hearing for affordable housing proposed on Eddy Street (Newtonville) and adoption of final new Funding Guidelines. See www.newtonma.gov/cpa for the full agenda (under 'Committees & Meetings'), full text of the housing proposal (under 'Proposals & Projects'), and draft Guidelines (under 'News'). Contact Alice Ingerson at 617.796.1144 or aingerson@newtonma.gov.
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Winter Snow Shoveling Sign-Up
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 Can you help your neighbors shovel snow this winter? Please consider volunteering your time or adding you name to our paid Snow Shoveler's List. The applications for volunteer & pay-to shovel opportunities can be found at http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/dpw/highway/winter.asp
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Free Basketball Clinic at Boys & Girls Club
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 There will be a free basketball clinic at the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton on Saturday, November 10th 2012. Newton North High School Coach Paul Connolly and Coach Joe Killilea from Newton South High School will conduct this year's clinic, along with assistance from current Newton North and Newton South players.
There will be three 2-hour sessions. Boys and girls ages 6-8 will run from 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. Boys and girls ages 9-11 will run from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30p.m. And boys and girls ages 12-15 will run from
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Participants should wear sneakers and appropriate playing gear for participation in drills and scrimmages. For more information email Jennifer McAuliffe at jmcauliffe@newtonbgc.com.
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