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Burgundy Farm Country Day School
| November 28, 2012
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Greetings!
We hope you enjoyed a peaceful Thanksgiving holiday with plenty of time spent among family and friends. This year, I am thankful for another year of exciting activity at Burgundy. Since September, our Alexandria campus has been alive with activity as 278 enthusiastic learners enjoy all that Burgundy has to offer. We also welcomed 51 new students and seven new teachers to our community. Not only is our community growing, but our curriculum is also evolving. One of the most prominent examples is the integrated humanities program our sixth- through eighth-graders are engaging in. Under the leadership of Middle School Head Jason Gordon, teachers worked this summer to combine Language Arts and Social Studies coursework to add more depth to both areas of study. For instance, students reinforce what they learn about social studies as they analyze literature written during and about historical places and times. Within this approach, we have also designed a class schedule that includes an expansion period not only to focus on humanities-related skills like research and writing, but also to promote more interactions among all of the students. As they share and hear various perspectives, our students are challenging ideas and, again, reinforcing their learning through dynamic group discussions. As a result of this progressive approach, we are able to offer our students a more robust curriculum through which our teachers can better collaborate to maximize their own skills and interests, and through which our students are more excited about learning. Equally exciting is the fact that Lower School Head Kari Cafeo was instrumental in coordinating a Capital Area Progressive Schools (CAPS) Conference with more than 200 attendees here on our campus. CAPS is a group of DC-area progressive schools, and although members of the group have gathered for small discussions throughout the years, October 26 marked their first conference of this magnitude since the mid-90s. In our dedication to a global community, we are excited to bring Burgundy into an increasingly larger fold of conversation about what is best for all children, and even more, allow our campus and community members to inspire these valuable conversations. Without Kari's passion for progressive education and professional development, like-minded educators in our metro area would not have been able to take advantage of this great learning opportunity. Sincerely,
Jen Pusatere
Director of Advancement
jenp@burgundyfarm.org
703.842.0470
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 Class of 2009 News
Charlotte Clinger, Alec Eichner, Laura Friese and Hannah Rudin, four students from Burgundy's Class of 2009, are among 16,000 semifinalists in the 58th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program. About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2011 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screening of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. We spoke with Alexander (Alec), a senior at T.C. Williams High School, to hear more from his perspective:
Q. What does it mean to you to be a semifinalist?
A. Being a semifinalist means very little to me. If I'm a finalist, it will mean much more because it would take into account my grades, which better reflect how strong a student I am than a heavily structured test, and of course, it looks at teacher recommendations and my writing.
Q. Aside from your academic success, what other high school achievements and activities are you most excited about?
A. I know it's academic, but I'm really excited about the differential equations class I'm taking. I think it's so cool that I'm able to take that class, which is a third or fourth semester college calculus class. That means that during my second semester in college, I can take a graduate-level math course. I'm also enrolled in an AP course for European history, an opportunity that I asked and asked the school to create. There is no upper limit to what you can achieve at TC, and that gives a great sense of empowerment. Aside from that, I also directed the main stage school play, The Island of Dr. Moreau. At TC, the student director is able to do the majority of the show. For instance, I did all of the critical acting direction and the blocking. I really felt like it was my show. And last year I directed a one-act play The Boor, which is a small show with a lot of complexities. My two best friends were the actors, so it was a lot of fun.
Q. How did Burgundy prepare you for high school?
A. Burgundy prepared me for the average workload I would have to do. I was so underwhelmed by the workload during my freshman year after that many warnings at Burgundy. I also strongly believe in essentially "forcing" students to participate in all of the arts. I don't think I would have followed theater if I hadn't been required to do it at Burgundy. Now it's one of my favorite things to do, and I feel like I'm a completely different person because of it.
Q. Where do you plan on attending college, and do you have any ideas of what you'd like to study?
A. I'm applying to five schools. My first choice right now is the University of Chicago -- mainly because of the culture of students and the research and overseas opportunities -- but I'm also applying to the University of Michigan, Brown, Yale and Dartmouth. I'd like to major in history and archaeology or anthropology -- maybe getting a master's or a PhD. I also see myself getting involved in drama and choir and more math and physics.
Q. What advice would you offer to current Burgundy students?
A. Talk to your teachers at the end of the day. Don't leave campus until, like, 3:30, until you've talked to three or four of your teachers -- or even one! Talk about anything: life, academics, their day...You'll care more about your academics and develop a slightly higher sense of purpose. By talking to my teachers, I had more respect for them and better relationships, so I was more open to what they had to teach me. The most important part of Burgundy is the teachers, and their ethics and philosophy, which are more important than the academics. They teach you how to live life. It doesn't come directly from their words, but it comes from their character, and that's the most important thing I took from Burgundy.
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Class of 2012 Updates
There are many exciting accomplishments among our newest alumni to report, including:
- Declan Heist played Will Parker in Mt. Vernon Children's Community Theater's production of Oklahoma!
- Skye Ray was elected president of her freshman class at St. Timothy's School.
- Parker Thomas, of Boy Scout Troop 1509, achieved the esteemed rank of Eagle Scout.
Congratulations, Declan, Skye and Parker! |
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Annual Giving: Alumni Gifts Grow by 109 Percent!
Many thanks to all alumni who participated in our alumni giving challenge last year. With help from an anonymous supporter, we were able to contribute $100 for each alumnus who gave at least $20 to our Annual Giving Fund between May 11 and June 30, 2012. As a result, we had the most number of alumni donors ever: 88! Can we push beyond the 100-mark this year? We're counting on you! Without your support, we could not continue to offer the unique programs and experiences to our students. To contribute to the 2012-2013 Annual Giving Fund now, click here or call 703.842.0470. Every dollar supports our students and faculty. |
 Special Friend of the Year: Barbara Simmons
At our 2012 Grandparents and Special Friends Day, we were thrilled to honor Barbara Simmons for 26 years of service to Burgundy. Barbara Simmons in numerous and diverse ways has given leadership and contributed to the well-being of our beloved school.
As a Burgundy parent (Andrew '94 and Margot '98), Barbara served multiple terms on the Board of Trustees, serving as President of the Board for two years. She also co-chaired Burgundy's first capital campaign, which supported funding for our 2/3 and 4/5 buildings. Later, Barbara served as Director of Communications and later as Director of Advancement. Even today, Barbara uses her design skills to develop many of the school's publications. And those are only some of the highlights of Barbara's service to Burgundy!
Barbara has been a leader in so many capacities. In each, she has brought a parent's appreciation for what the school stands for and engenders in each child; a creative, artistic, aesthetic eye for design and detail; and a sense of humor, fun, and the joy-in-learning that is the essence of Burgundy. Burgundy has benefited enormously from its association with Barbara, just as Burgundy occupies a very special place in Barbara's heart. Barbara continues today, in less visible but equally important ways, to make a special contribution each and every year.
All who know Barbara and have experienced her leadership and dedication will take joy in her being named Burgundy's Special Friend of the Year for 2012! |
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Keeping in Touch
No matter what paths our graduates follow, we are proud of their accomplishments. Please keep us up-to-date on your journey and let us know how we can support you. You can email our Alumni Coordinator Michele McCabe (michelem@burgundyfarm.org), post on our Facebook wall, or send a letter to:
Michele McCabe
Burgundy Farm Country Day School
3700 Burgundy Road
Alexandria, VA 22303
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