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Burgundy Farm Country Day School
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March 21, 2013
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Quick Calendar
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March 22
No Classes - Faculty In-Service Day
Extended Day Open
March 25 - 29
Spring Break - No Classes
Extended Day Open
April 1
Classes Resume
No Bus Service
Lacrosse Practice
April 3
7th Grade: Open Heart Surgery Observation
Lacrosse Practice
April 5
No Classes
Parent - Teacher Conferences
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Greetings!
Last Friday, we hosted an admission "welcome" gathering for parents of newly accepted applicants, including a number who already had returned their contracts for next year.
The event was held in the Loft, amidst our current students' lovely Arts Festival displays, and it included remarks from me, Kari, Jason, and alumni parent Wendy John. Kari, Jason and Wendy each were engaging and eloquent, and Wendy's testimony as an alumni parent was quite moving. But the audience was most enthralled with a Q&A with a handful of our current eighth-graders.
One guest wrote to us in an email, "The parent gathering was wonderful...the eighth-graders [were] funny and warm and so bright... I don't think you could have presented Burgundy better..."
I have said many times before that the best evidence of the work we do here at Burgundy is in the success of our alumni, and these soon-to-be-graduates made that point.
I, and each administrator and current parent present, I am sure, was bursting with pride as our eighth-graders comfortably, warmly and articulately responded to a variety of questions. These were questions from discerning adults trying to make or confirm one of the most important decisions they will make on behalf of their children, and our eighth-graders were magnificent.
I was touched to hear some of their personal accounts of their years here at Burgundy. I'm paraphrasing here, but our student speakers expressed gratitude for so many skills and tools they are taking away from Burgundy, ranging from problem-solving skills to relationship-building skills. For example, when asked bluntly about cliques that can occur in any school but that can be very challenging in a small school, one of our girls answered, "I think we -- almost all of us -- know and are friends with all the girls in our class." Another said, "We have a new girl this year in 8th Grade, and we love her."
One after another, the students emphasized the strength of their relationships with their teachers, and how they won't be afraid to develop similar relationships with high school and college faculty. They talked about our inclusive community and the fact that they feel well connected and well supported, among their own classmates as well as the entire student body and teaching faculty. One of the most notable remarks was that, "At Burgundy, I got a strong sense of self. I learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be." (I am not making this up.)
I often say to myself, "I wish we had recorded that." Never more than on this day. These personal accounts confirmed that the work we strive to accomplish at Burgundy is meaningful and successful. It was another powerful reminder of why I love what I do and am proud of the work that we as a faculty and learning community do.
Last Friday, I thanked our 8th Grade speakers Baker, Kyle, Madeline, Mae, Maya and Shawn for his or her poignant contribution to the event that morning. I told them I was greatly honored to hear them speak. As we prepare to take a Spring Break, let me thank every student, parent and teacher for allowing me to be part of your Burgundy experience. I hope you all have a wonderful Spring Break, and I look forward to seeing you again in April.
Sincerely,
Jeff Sindler
Head of School |
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Lost Owl Vase: Is it at Your Home?
It seems one of our auction attendees may have mistakenly left the event with an owl vase that belongs to Stephanie Babin. If you could take a few moments to look for the vase in your home, we would be grateful. If you find the vase, please return it to the Advancement Office (West Barn, above Early Childhood classrooms). We appreciate your help!
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 Students Take Top Honor at Shakespeare Festival
On Tuesday, March 19, Deborah Ives' Middle School "Shakespeare Made Easy" students had the pleasure and honor of attending the Folger Shakespeare Library's Secondary School Festival. Eighth-graders Daniela Bernstein, Zack Gardner, Mae Hunt, Patrick Sansone and Frances Smyth, and seventh-graders Katherine Conner, Beata Corcoran, Peter Devlin, Christian Gardner, Catherine Mellette and Lydia Tetrault performed a 25-minute version of Romeo & Juliet. They enjoyed a full day of performance and revels celebrating Shakespeare, both his language and stories, with other metro area schools. The Festival commentators recognized the entire group with the Brian Cabe Spirit Award, a top honor that recognizes a student or group for embodying passion through their participation and performance. Of Burgundy the commentators said, "...they demonstrated the best spirit, commitment, and support of each other behind stage, on stage, and obvious enjoyment of both their story and roles. They took delight in everything and supported the other attending schools. Their excitement was infectious." Several students were also recognized for their work as individuals, and the following day the ensemble concluded their work with a lunchtime performance for the school community and guests. Click here to read more. |
Save the Date: Lois and Eric Sevareid Forum on Tuesday, April 30
Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m., when Burgundy will welcome Dr. Wayne Jonas, alumni parent and former Board of Trustees member, and his colleague Dr. Gail Christopher as our featured speakers at Burgundy's annual Lois and Eric Sevareid Forum. We are excited to host this discussion about integrative wellness in children, success in school and the future of America. We'll be sharing more information with you in the coming weeks. Look for your email invitation shortly.
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Portraits of Adoption: A Conversation About Adoption
On February 14, Stephanie Borges, Director for an Inclusive Community, and Elizabeth Schachter, School Counselor, held a parent coffee focused on adoption. Parents interested in adoption, who had adopted, who have family members who've adopted, or who were adopted themselves were invited to the coffee. Discussion topics included: transracial adoption, whether/when to tell the child about the adoption, the difficulties and joys of bonding as a family, the social-emotional challenges of adoption, adoption in the classroom, et cetera.
By the end of the meeting it was clear that there is a need and desire for more education around adoption in the Burgundy classroom and community. Last week, members of the administrative team met and decided to set aside faculty meeting time to facilitate discussion around this topic. This meeting will be held on April 9.
Stephanie and Elizabeth will speak to the faculty about the power of language and proper terminology when discussing adoption, and they will share resources with the faculty to ensure that our classrooms are as inclusive as possible. As an ongoing project, Stephanie and Elizabeth will work with individual teachers and teaching teams to ensure we are all comfortable and confident with the topic of adoption and also to ensure our curriculum echos that comfort for all the students.
As a way to foster connection and family support we also plan on hosting a Burgundy community event for families touched by adoption to come together over pizza and conversation. Stay tuned for more on this opportunity.
If you are interested in learning more about adoption please review the list of resources below:
Baker Foundation
National Adoption Center
National Council for Adoption
Please feel free to contact Stephanie (stephanieb@burgundyfarm.org) and/or Elizabeth (elizabeths@burgundyfarm.org) with any questions or ideas.
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 Garden Day ThanksThanks to the many volunteers - more than a dozen adults and nearly as many children - who made our Garden Day on Sunday, March 17, a fun success! The group harvested broccoli, spinach and lettuce that wintered well; they weeded, turned, and composted all of the beds in preparation for planting and Earth Day celebrations. They also put together seed packets for class paintings. It was a great turnout on a cold, somewhat rainy St. Patrick's Day, and we are so grateful for their positive energy and impressive teamwork! - Jane Hanson and Jill Reuter, Garden Committee Co-Chairs |
 Seeking Volunteers! Cove Opening Weekend: April 20-21Why help at Cove Opening Weekend on April 20 and 21, 2013? Based on their extensive experience, experts agree: Your companions: A select group of sophisticated, socially responsible nature lovers. Educational Opportunities: Mouse nesting habitat studies Parent nesting habitat studies Motivational studies Private tutorials in woodwork, etc. Food: Dine in rustic splendor on gourmet regional cuisine, prepared personally for you by one of the finest chefs in the Capon Bridge area, plus all the hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies you can consume. Special Opening Weekend perk: you will not be forced to finish up all the leftovers from the entire preceding season. Accommodations: Sleep anywhere you like. Physical Fitness Activities: Gravel shoveling Mattress-toting relay races Couch-pillow-recovering contest Herbarium- and refrigerator-moving body-building regime Cost to you: ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!! (to qualified applicants) Price includes total kitchen access What you get: Priceless spiritual reward of having given true service Our eternal gratitude Cryogenic preservation, so you don't age while you are there FABULOUS PRIZES!!!
AND one person found $1.42 while cleaning couches
Email Vini Schoene (vinis@burgundyfarm.org) NOW to see if you qualify for this life-changing experience! |
| Parent Resource for Internet Safety Information
Working in the field of Internet education is always exciting because the landscape is constantly changing. Either new technologies or websites come along that kids explore or kids find ways to explore and use technologies in new ways.
The statement above comes from Marje Monroe and Doug Fodeman, two experts on Internet education and safety for children. We have welcomed Marje and Doug here at Burgundy as guest speakers on two different occassions (and we anticipate welcoming them back in the future). We continuously learn from them, and many of our faculty, staff and administrators enjoy reading their Children Online newsletter. We believe that the newsletter contains valuable information, and we recommend that parents also subscribe. The latest edition focuses on the rapidly growing popularity of video chat programs, and you may read it here. Their website, Children Online, contains additional information and resources related to Internet safety.
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 Annual Giving Update
Thanks to everyone who has already made their pledges or donations toward Burgundy's Annual Giving Fund. You've raised $186,979 to date, 75% 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.
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| Congratulations, Tom Kim
We are so excited to share the news that Middle School teacher Tom Kim and his wife announced the birth of a healthy baby girl, Evangeline Kim, on March 18. Evangeline weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz., and according to Tom, "after taking her time behind the curtains, she slipped right into center stage..." Congratulations, Tom! We're looking forward to meeting Evangeline.
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