Family Drama Night: Sunday, January 27

Do you want your 15 minutes on stage? No sets, no costumes, no props. Just parents and children up on the stage doing creative improv acts, icebreakers and timed performances together. Join the Burgundy Parent Association and Burgundy's Drama Department, led by Deborah Ives, for Family Drama Night on Sunday, January 27, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Loft. Pizza will be served at 5:00, and the theater games and activities will begin at 5:30. All families are welcome, but the evening program is primarily geared for 2nd through 5th Grade students. Click here to register, so we can plan accordingly. If you have any questions, please email Christine Wirkkala-Burkholder (wirkburk@yahoo.com). 

January 28 Book Talk: Haroun and the Sea of Stories 

Please join us for our next book talk on Haroun and the Sea of Stories on Monday, January 28 at 8:40 a.m. in the Library. Enjoy snacks and stimulating discussion about this young adult novel by Salman Rushdie with teachers Tom Kim and Stephanie Borges, as well as other parents.
If you are interested in attending, please register with Stephanie (stephanieb@burgundyfarm.org or 703.842.0465). 

We have recently added two helpful pages to Haiku: a Health Information page and a Front Office and Business Information page. On the Health Information page page you will find information about current heath topics, answers to children's health questions, downloadable forms for parents, and Burgundy Farm Country Day School health protocols.  This page is not meant to replace medical diagnosis, and it is strictly designed for informational purposes.  

On the Front Office and Business Information page you will find useful information regarding St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School (SSSAS) bus service, attendance, teacher field trip forms, and more. There is also a calendar with SSSAS school closing days, which is important for families who take advantage of their bus services. You may also find announcements related to transportation, such as transportation sign-up deadlines, and you are able to post transportation comments and questions at the bottom of the page.

We will provide complimentary childcare for children 4 and older, so you don't even have to worry about finding a babysitter! Simply drop your children off at the Extended Day building prior to the meeting (or let them stay there, if they are already enrolled in after school care). Younger children will enjoy games and activities, and older children will have the option to play basketball in the Gym. Pizza will also be served. So that we can provide the right amount of childcare providers -- and pizza -- we will require childcare registration by Tuesday, February 5.

Regardless of whether you will take advantage of the complimentary childcare, please register here if you plan on attending the meeting. We'd like to know how many parents to expect, so that we may plan accordingly.  

You may be asking yourself quite a few questions about Burgundy's Annual Auction (March 9), which this year celebrates the theme "A Walk in the Woods: The Burgundy Dream." This year's theme is designed to remind us of all the unique things that we love about Burgundy and to inspire community members to share that dream with others. As many of you know, the auction is our school's primary fundraiser, and all proceeds benefit financial aid, which helps one in five Burgundy students. The evening will include a delicious catered dinner, drinks and dancing, mingling with friends, and of course, fabulous auction items!

Auction Co-Chairs Amy Heist and Amanda Traub have distributed this letter via Child Mail this week that will answer most of your questions, and you will continue to hear more about the auction in upcoming issues of Constant Comment. You can also find more information about the auction, as well as supporting documents, on this page of the Burgundy website, and you can contact Amy (amy.heist@us.army.mil) and Amanda (alwasik@aol.com) at any time with questions.

We hope to have support from every Burgundy family, and some ways you can get involved immediately include soliciting or donating items. Do you have a favorite restaurant? Does your child attend a class or take a lesson that he or she loves? Did you just go to an amazing children's birthday party? Do you want to share your business's products or services with the Burgundy community? Ask these kinds of organizations if they will make a donation.

We also appreciate item donations from Burgundy families. What's the hot new tech toy? Do you own a vacation property that other parents would enjoy visiting? Gather a group of friends to purchase an item or experience and donate it to the auction. Thanks in advance for all your support.  

- Amy Heist and Amanda Traub, 2013 Auction Co-Chairs

The Burgundy Center for Wildlife Studies (BCWS) Summer Camp offers an opportunity to nurture in children and teens a respect and sensitivity to the natural world through greater knowledge of nature and self. Campers develop this through direct interactions with nature and the staff, through learning scientific information, and through gaining experiences as part of a community. The camp comprises three senior programs (ages 11-15), one junior program (ages 8 -10) and one adult weekend (ages 21+).

Burgundy's Alexandria Summer Day Camp offers daily swimming, diverse activities and special events on Burgundy's 25 acres that include forest, field, pond, barn, amphitheater and state-of-the-art facilities.

Camp programs include sports, science, performing arts, visual arts and photography for campers aged three years and eight months through 12. Rising eighth- through tenth-graders also may participate in Burgundy's counselor-in-training program that provides experience for those interested in applying in subsequent years for a junior counselor position.

Camp hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Morning Extended Day begins at 7:00 a.m., and afternoon Extended Day is available from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Bus transportation is also available. To register now,  click here. For more information, you can  click here or attend one of our Open Houses (February 9, March 2, May 4 and June 1 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.).

Thanks to everyone who has already made their pledges or donations toward Burgundy's Annual Giving Fund. You've raised $171,789 to date, 68% of our $250,000 goal. Annual Giving is our most critical fundraising effort of the year, and it supports program and instruction, financial aid and professional development.
 
Please contact Director of Advancement Jen Pusatere (jenp@burgundyfarm.org or 703.842.0466) to ask for more information or to make a donation.  

Petty, Amelia - 1st Sheep

Petty, Jacob - 2/3 Buckeyes

Email address for Joshua Petty: joshuaepetty#hotmail.com 

Wohnig-Chaman, Julius - JK (new student)

Karla Chaman and Ernest Wohnig

9825 Burke Pond Lane, Burke, VA 22015

703.825.7299

kchaman#imf.org