|
|
|
|
Burgundy Farm Country Day School
|
October 18, 2013
|
|
|
|
|
Quick Calendar
|
4/5 Redtails return from Cove
JV Soccer vs. CHDS (home)
Cross Country Practice
Junior Kindergarten Potluck
October 19
Fall Fair
October 20
Garden Work Day
October 21
Varsity Soccer Practice
October 22
8th Grade SSAT Tutoring
V Soccer Practice
Student Recital
October 23
Cross Country Practice
Volleyball Practice
October 24
Varsity Soccer vs. CHDS (home)
Burgundy Dads' Hoops Night
October 25
Cross Country Practice
JV Soccer Practice
Middle School Dance
Kindergarten Penguin Potluck
October 26
Cove Closing Weekend
Board Meeting
October 27
Cove Closing Weekend
October 28
Student Picture Make-Up Day
Varsity Soccer vs. ACDS (home)
October 29
8th Grade SSAT Tutoring
JV Soccer vs. Edlin (home)
October 30
Cross Country Practice
Varsity Soccer vs. Gesher (home)
October 31
Parent-Teacher Conferences: No Classes,
Extended Day Open
November 1
Parent-Teacher Conferences:
No Classes,
Extended Day Open
Click here for a full calendar.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
Burgundy was founded by parents who desired to create a school that would nourish and preserve their children's early love of school and learning. These parents bonded together around core values like diversity, learning in and from Nature and learning by doing, which we continue to treasure today. They literally created a school campus out of an old dairy farm. Then they continued to contribute to their children's educations in a true parent cooperative enterprise.
I observe parents today volunteering in a dozen or more different ways. I see parents coaching teams, checking in books in the Library, leading weekend open house tours, organizing the Auction, driving carpool to the Cove to support the program there... Can we doubt that Burgundy would be an entirely different school without the diverse volunteer contributions of our parents? Students would have a lesser set of Burgundy experiences were it not for an extraordinary parent commitment to volunteering.
In many ways the Fall Fair epitomizes this fact.
The Fair is exciting and fun for all ages, but especially children, and I think that is why there is special fun in the fact that nearly every adult in our entire community contributes in some way to the Fair, many by working shifts the day of the Fair. That our older students, who have seen their parents volunteer over the years, also volunteer is part of the magic. Younger students see their parents working in preparation for the Fair or taking a turn working a station at the Fair, and this adds to the excitement and sense of a quintessential Burgundy day. With the games and scarecrow making, the haunted house, the music and great food, the day is something our kids look forward to year-round. And, in fact, the Fair also serves as our Homecoming, as alumni look forward to returning to campus and reconnecting with friends and faculty.
The Fair is a great Burgundy tradition that embodies many Burgundy values. In a most concrete way, the Fair generates thousands of dollars for financial aid to allow a diverse group of students to attend Burgundy. The Fair also models for our students the mindset of service to one's own community. I can't wait until Saturday! Tatum and I will be here all day, celebrating our beautiful, natural campus, and our community. See you there! And thank you for helping to put on such a wonderful and signature event!
Sincerely,
Jeff Sindler
Head of School |
|
Reminders
Student Recital: October 22
Burgundy's first student recital will be on Tuesday, October 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Loft, and all students are invited to sing or play instruments -- with friends or family members or on their own. Please email the name of your piece to Cathy Manley (cathym@burgundyfarm.org) before the end of today, Friday, October 18 to participate.
Help the Homeless Mini Walk: October 23
On Wednesday, October 23, all Burgundy students will participate in a Help the Homeless Mini Walk at school at 8:35 a.m. Our walk raises funds for New Hope Housing, a non-profit organization that provides shelter and tools to build a better life for homeless families and individuals in our community. If we register 250 walkers, we will earn a $2,500 "walker bonus" for New Hope Housing in addition to the registration fees ($30 for adults; $20 for anyone 25 or younger), 100% of which help our homeless neighbors and are fully tax-deductible. Registration must be done online before our walk on October 23! Please email parent Torun Walker (wtorun@hotmail.com) with any questions.
Cove Closing Weekend: October 26-27
This year we are closing up Cooper's Cove for the winter on the weekend of October 26 and 27, and everyone is invited to come help! It's a family-friendly event, and you are welcome to come for all or any part of the time. It's mostly a lot of hauling, packing, storing and weather-proofing, but it's also a time to enjoy the Cove at a very pretty time of year in the company of other people who love being there so much that they just don't care what the weather brings. We promise to feed you well, and all you have to bring is yourself, a pair of favorite work gloves, and the usual bedding/layers of clothing that you would for a vigorous Cove visit. Children of all ages are welcome, and we do put them to work; but parents are completely responsible for any children they bring. Contact Vini Schoene (vinis@burgundyfarm.org) with any questions, and let us know you are coming by emailing vinis@burgundyfarm.org with the following: how many/for what meals/any dietary issues.
Applications for New Students of Current Families Due November 15
Current families and/or faculty and staff members who would like to apply for admission for the 2014-2015 school year for any of their children who are not currently enrolled at Burgundy are encouraged to do so by November 15. Visits for these students will be scheduled in early December. Our online application may be accessed here or on our website under "Admission" in the "Applying to Burgundy" section. Please feel free to contact Lori Adams (loria@burgundyfarm.org or 703.842.0464) if you have any questions or need assistance with the online application.
Bikes for the World: November 16
In a creative celebration of America Recycles Day, Burgundy will partner with Bikes for the World on Saturday, November 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to collect, repair and donate bicycles to community development programs in more than 12 countries. Please save or collect any bikes you are no longer using and bring them to the Middle School parking lot on Saturday, November 16. Bikes do not have to be in perfect condition. Contact Doug Fishman (dougf@burgundyfarm.org) with any questions.
|
The Fall Fair is Tomorrow! 
We're expecting a day in the mid 60s tomorrow -- we may have clouds, but we don't expect rain! Two brief and essential notes:
Volunteer Sign-In
Many thanks to all the parent, student, faculty and staff volunteers who are helping to make the Fall Fair a great success tomorrow. When you arrive on the Blacktop, look for the Volunteer Sign-In station to check in and get additional information about your shift.
Parking
There will be no parking on campus during the Fall Fair, so we ask you to park instead at Sunset Hills Baptist Church (corner of Norton Road and Franconia Road). A shuttle bus will travel between the church and Burgundy starting at 10:45 a.m. The last shuttle will leave Burgundy at 3:30 p.m. If you choose to park on neighborhood streets, please park only next to a white curb (if you don't see a curb, you're in a no-parking zone). Do not turn around in or block anyone's driveway. You may be ticketed or towed.
|
Garden Work Day: October 20
Come out to Burgundy's Garden this Sunday, October 20, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. to enjoy what's forecasted to be a gorgeous fall day and to support our Garden Work Day. Everyone is welcome! We'll provide all the supplies, and we'll teach you what you need to know! The Burgundy Community Garden was completed in 2008 with the help of teachers, students, parents and staff. The Garden is an outdoor classroom for the 285 students in Junior Kindergarten through 8th Grade and relies on volunteers to plan and maintain the 650 square foot space. Classes plant and harvest a variety of foods throughout the fall and spring. Excess produce is shared with the food pantry at Alive!, a local charity serving those in need in Alexandria. The Garden is run by volunteers, and every hand makes a difference! Contact Garden Coordinators Jane Hanson (703.242.7368 or janehanson@yahoo.com) or Jill Reuter (703.807.1199 or jreuter@answerware.com) with any questions.
|
First Ever Burgundy Dads' Hoops Night: October 24
Come out and "hoop it up" with other Burgundy Dads at the Middle School Gym on Thursday, October 24, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Please RSVP to Jerry Casagrande (jerry@carrotseed.net) or Aaron Adams (aaron_j_adams@hotmail.com), so that we have some sense of numbers for the night. If there is significant interest, we will hope to make this a regular event (once or twice a month). Come out regardless of ability. We'll go full court!
For the first Dads' Hoops Night, Burgundy is generously donating the use of the Gym for this event to celebrate the ways our Alexandria campus offers fun opportunities for our adult community as well as our student community, and we hope you'll remember this spirit as you make your gift to Annual Giving. If there is popular demand for more regular Dads' Hoops Nights, we will charge $10 at the door to cover the cost of the facility rental.
|
| Board Briefs
Board Meeting: Saturday, October 26
|
 Service Spotlight
On Monday, October 14, more than one-third of Burgundy's Middle School students helped clean up the Occoquan River at Fountainhead Regional Park. The Occoquan serves as the reservoir for much of Northern Virginia and is a beautiful setting for boating, hiking and fishing. After a short safety lesson, Burgundy students, along with many parents, went out in canoes, kayaks and johnboats and collected large amounts of trash, including water bottles, shoes, construction materials, tires and fencing.
Our students' work cleaning up the river was particularly appreciated right after the heavy rains. Typically, Burgundy students must search the coves surrounding the river to find large amounts of trash, but this year, the recent rains had brought much of the trash to the middle of the river.
Beyond seeing and cleaning up trash, volunteers also saw recycling centers, which Burgundy students constructed two years ago, in use at the park (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority asked Burgundy students to make a number of fishing line recycling centers for use in their parks). The recycling centers allow for proper disposal of used fishing line to prevent birds and small animals from entangling themselves in the lines.
|
United Nations Day: October 24
On October 24, the world celebrates United Nations Day. More than 100 countries are members of the United Nations. This organization is devoted to promoting and maintaining world peace. It is dedicated to bettering humanity by implementing a wide range of programs including but not limited to: ending world hunger, educating the world on environmental sustainability, and supporting health initiatives around the world.
|
Burgundy Bulletin
Groundworks Farm, owned and operated by alumni Elizabeth Evans '02 and Kevin Brown '01, is currently taking orders for winter farm shares. There are several options available. Please click here for more information or stop by the Advancement Office to pick up an order form.
|
|
Parting Pictures
Kindergarten Penguins and Polar Bears prepare the vegetables they had selected at the Farmer's Market for a Friendship Soup.
Eighth-graders host the weekly All School Meeting in the Amphitheater.
The 4/5 Coopers learn archery during PE classes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
