Burr News 

Dear Families,   

It is hard to believe that we only have three more weeks of school before the December break. So much is going on at school as parents and staff work side-by-side to implement core academic and enrichment programs for our students. It is wonderful to be part of such a vibrant and dedicated community. I cannot possibly write about everything but allow me to share a few highlights.

National Inclusive Schools Week (December 3-7):  Our Respect for Human Differences Committee (RHD) has planned some great classroom activities for Inclusive Schools Week. This year's theme is "Social Inclusion: More than a Seat in the Classroom." This puts the focus on addressing ways that we can build authentic friendships between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers. 

Some things planned for the week are:

• Each classroom teacher will be reading books with themes of inclusion and discussing the messages within them with students. This year we have expanded our collection of books with funds provided by the RHD Committee.
• After reading the book It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr, each child will design a quilt square depicting his/her understanding of this message.
• Each classroom teacher will assign an activity for students to complete at home with their families. This will be a great way for families to see what we are doing at school and to support this important work at home.
• Parent volunteers will be leading lunch time 'mixers' which are activities designed to mix up the seating arrangements to encourage students to eat lunch with different children in their grade level. The fifth graders will be introducing this to the school during our All School Meeting today.
• This year we are also having a Parent Principal Coffee with a focus on inclusion. Please be sure to join us as we discuss "How to Have Tough Conversations:Physical and Learning  Differences." A panel of parents and school staff will be available to lead what I am sure will be an informative discussion that fits in perfectly with this years theme of social inclusion.

This work is done daily in the classrooms at Burr School, and Inclusive School Week is a time for us to celebrate what is already done, to try out some new strategies, and most importantly, to reflect and focus on continued improvements. I do believe the most valuable lessons we can give our children are those that teach them to live along side others with empathy and compassion.

Community Service:  Our third grade classes are successfully conducting a holiday food drive for the Newton Food Pantry. Third graders are collecting the donations from each of our classes, organizing and categorizing the food, reporting on progress, and packing up the food for delivery. Please continue sending in donations to support the third graders' efforts. As you know, there are many families in need who turn to food pantries for daily necessities. We are very grateful to our grade 3 organizers and to everyone who is making contributions.

The BOOYA Litter Patrol continues to have excellent participation. Thanks to their efforts every Monday morning, the school grounds look fabulous. BOOYA members are currently organizing a bake sale at the Auburndale Community Library for Saturday, December 8th at 10:30 AM. All proceeds will be donated to Alex's Lemonade Stand, an organization that raises money to fight childhood cancer. Dedicated teachers and parents lead these activities and work hard year-round to enrich the whole school experience for our children and teach them the value of contributing to the community. Without their commitment most of these extra curricular opportunities would not be possible.

PTO Presentations and Events: Many thanks to Nancy Caulfield, Sarah Sian, Dana Hanson, Jen Sulewski, and Laura Towvim and their TEAM of volunteers. You all pulled of a fabulous three-day book fair. Children were excited about looking through the selection and choosing books to buy at the fair and/or choosing some that they want to read, buy, or borrow from the library in the future. A great effort was made by book fair organizers and teachers to ensure that each child felt included in this event. Many of you purchased books for teachers. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

The guest speaker at Tuesday's PTO meeting was Kalpana Guttman, Burr School's literacy specialist. Kalpana did a wonderful job of explaining the shifts teachers are making in reading and writing instruction to align with the new Common Core State Standards. As our resident expert in literacy, Kalpana provides professional development for the teachers and works with me to ensure that the resources needed to implement a solid curriculum are available to teachers. She has also worked with parents by showing them ways to support their child at home. Her presentation had many helpful tips, so I have invited her to post it on the Burr School website. I am hopeful that it will be available to you shortly.

Gift Giving Policy: As we approach the holiday season, please remember the School Committee Policy:  "No teacher in the performance of regular duties shall receive presents from the pupils under his or her direction."  In addition, the Massachusetts Ethics  Reform laws stating that, "Municipal employees may not accept gifts and gratuities valued at $50 or more" (per year).  This includes a group gift for a teacher to which individuals contribute smaller amounts but the value of the gift exceeds $50. Classroom supplies/contributions do not pertain to this policy. 

Each year I remind families of our policy and most comply. However, when some families send in gifts, it places the teacher in an awkward situation. While teachers appreciate your kindness, they do not want to violate school policy or upset the feelings of the child who has brought the gift. It can also be upsetting to the children and families who follow the rules. These people feel disturbed to see some children giving gifts when they were told they should not (even though they wanted to). It is wonderful that families wish to acknowledge the hard work of our dedicated staff. The staff would be delighted to receive notes, pictures, or poems to thank them for their service. You may also honor a teacher through a donation to the PTO or by fulfilling a 'Wish List' request for classroom supplies. Thank you for adhering to these guidelines.

As we approach the December vacation, the staff and I wish all Burr families a very special holiday season. We wish you a restful, rejuvenating vacation and a happy, healthy New Year.

Sincerely,  

Mindy

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Our 5th graders from the Burr Organization of Youth Action (BOOYA) at Burr Elementary school will host a bake sale at the Auburndale Community Library this Saturday morning to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand, a charity that helps kids and families dealing with cancer.   

Drop by for sweet treats, support the kids,  and support an important cause... 

We'll also have a free drop-in craft (for kids AND adults!) led by local crafty queen/Burr parent Megan Ulland and her sidekick Dana Hanson.  Using inexpensive tiles, pretty printed paper, and a little Mod Podge, we'll create some beautiful coaster/decorative tiles as a drop-in craft.  

The Auburndale Library is located at 375 Auburn Street (right across the street from Breadsong Bakery) .

If any families would like to drop off donations for the bake sale, they can either be dropped at the library between 10 and 10:30 on Saturday morning OR brought to Mr. Gaita's room during the day on Friday, December 7th.   

Please individually package the treats for sale and label any items that might contain nuts. 

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This week is national Inclusive Schools Week and Burr is proud to be a participant for the third year in a row--in fact, we've been highlighted on the national website as a "success story"!  As we know, the Burr community actively supports inclusion year round during the school day and through our community-building events--Inclusive Schools Week (ISW) is a wonderful opportunity for an annual celebration of this important community value.

This Week highlights and celebrates the progress that schools have made in implementing inclusive practices to ensure a quality education for an increasingly diverse student population. School districts across the country are working to educate their staff, students, and parents about what it means to be inclusive. Inclusion is not about being politically correct. It is about making sure that our country's educational system works for all students including students with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, students of different socio-economic status, and students with disabilities. Research has consistently demonstrated that inclusive teaching practices are not about teaching to the lowest common denominator but rather ensuring that the classroom offers opportunities for ALL children to succeed.  Inclusive teaching means presenting information in ways that are relevant and meaningful to each and every student. Discussion, hands-on learning experiences, and inquiry-based projects are all examples of inclusive teaching practices that have, again and again, been shown to improve academic achievement for all students.

This year's national theme is "Social Inclusion: More than a seat in the class", so here at Burr Inclusive Schools Week will be celebrated by the following actions:

 1) Schoolwide activities

2) Classroom activities

• Burr parent Maren Oslund will read aloud Tood Parr's It's Okay To Be Different book then each child will draw a picture inspired by the book on a small quilt square.  We hope to scan these squares to make a "digital quilt" for all of Burr to admire. 
• Optional activities/stories led by teachers - an inventory of resources has been provided to teachers by Danielle Lambrechts.
• Danielle Lambrechts and Laura Mayer have worked to purchase and display inclusion-themed literature in the Burr Library for teachers and children to use this week and beyond. 

3) Home/school connection 

• Students will be given relevant homework assignments for students to complete with parents.
• As discussed above in Ms. Johal's letter to parents, on Thursday morning right after drop-off, there will be a Parent Principal Coffee entitled "How to Have Tough Conversations: Physical and Learning Disabilities".  This is a unique opportunity for parents to have a conversation with our principal, our school specialists, and one another about inclusion in our classrooms at Burr.   

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P

lan to check off loads of items from your holiday list at Just Next Door on 327 Auburn St. tomorrow, Tuesday, December 4th. Just tell the cashier "I'm shopping today for Burr School" and 20% of your total purchase value will go to Burr! This offer is good all day, 9am to 7pm, so let's take advantage of a great deal and spread the word to family and friends! They need only remember to mention Burr and we're on our way. Contact Jessica Avery with any questions.   

Thank you and hope to see you there!

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