Our upcoming annual auction to raise money for financial aid will be an exciting masquerade party. Masks are a fun way to express your style: are you feeling elegant, mysterious, dramatic? Bring it on! We hope that all attendees (men and women, and those with and without glasses) will wear a mask. If you are wondering where to find one, you have options. You can buy one from a craft store or online (many are inexpensive), or you can come to the West Barn Conference Room (above the Kindergarten classrooms) on Thursday, February 13, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. for a FREE demonstration of how to make your own Venetian lace mask (it's easy -- you don't have to be crafty!). Contact co-chairs Amanda Traub (alwasik@aol.com) or Jacqueline Norris (nelsonnorris@yahoo.com) for more information. 

We hope you'll have fun finding or making the perfect mask. Step out of the ordinary! We'll be looking for you on March 8...

We are lucky to have award-winning children's book author Mary Quattlebaum visit our Library on Tuesday, February 25 to help Lower School students celebrate reading and writing. She will engage children in Junior Kindergarten through 5th Grade with information and discussions about writing, creating books, and writing as a career. Students also have a chance to buy one (or more!) of her books in advance of the visit. If your child would like an autographed book, please fill out this form, mark the book(s) you want, and have your child give the form and correct amount of cash (or a check made out to BFCDS) to Barbara Krainik or Ann Van Deusen in the Library by Friday, February 14. Click here for more information about Mary and her books.

A Celebration of History and Culture: Black History Month

In 1926, notable black historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson proposed the establishment of Negro History Week to heighten awareness of the positive impact that black people have on the history of the world. It is believed that Dr. Woodson chose the month of February because it housed the birthdays of the prominent abolitionist Frederick Douglass (February 14) and President Abraham Lincoln (February 12). In an attempt to be more politically correct, in 1970 Negro History Week became known as Black History Week. In 1976, the week was expanded and became Black History Month.

Martin Luther King, Jr.; Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman are often cited as examples of leaders in the black community, but there are other notable yet lesser-known leaders who have shaped American culture and history. Some of those leaders include Bayard Rustin, a leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, pacifism and non-violence, and gay rights; Medgar Evers, a civil rights activist who was involved in efforts to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi; Majora Carter, the 2005 MacArthur genius who started Sustainable South Bronx, an organization dedicated to environmentalism; and Rosa Clemente, a hip-hop political activist dedicated to involving youth in politics. Celebrations of black history and culture take place in schools all over the nation. Teachers and students use this time to investigate the tremendous contributions that black people have made to the history and cultural development of the United States.

For more information about Black History Month and other cultural events and activities, please log on to the Inclusivity@Burgundy Haiku page; this is a hub of information and activity regarding inclusion on the Burgundy campus and in the larger community.

Other Events in February:

• LGBT History Month (United Kingdom)
• Presidents' Day: Third Monday of February
• Abraham Lincoln's Birthday: February 12
• Valentine's Day: February 14
• George Washington's Birthday: February 22

Here at Burgundy, we spend a significant amount of time planning lessons and units that are inclusive of all students. We take into account their backgrounds, and we balance that knowledge with the information we know they will need when they enter the larger community. We collaborate with one another and with colleagues around the nation -- and world -- to ensure that our students are competitive academically and healthy socially and emotionally. That's why we wanted to share some information about  American Promise, a film that explores the impact that race has on children's academic, social and emotional development.

"American Promise spans 13 years as Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson, middle-class African-American parents in Brooklyn, N.Y., turn their cameras on their son, Idris, and his best friend, Seun, who make their way through Dalton, one of the most prestigious private schools in the country. Chronicling the boys' divergent paths from kindergarten through high school graduation, this provocative, intimate documentary presents complicated truths about America's struggle to come of age on issues of race, class and opportunity." - PBS

Head of School Jeff Sindler and Director for an Inclusive Community Stephanie Borges have watched this film, as have many other administrators, teachers and parents. We encourage Burgundy community members to take some time and watch this film, which will air on PBS all month. Click here to find out when it is showing on your local PBS station, and check out the links below for more information: 

• American Promise Website 
• Washington Post: 'American Promise' and the black student struggle in the nation's private schools 
• The New York Times: Two Boys' Schooling, for 13 Years of It: 'American Promise,' a Documentary on Dalton Students 
• Sundance Institute: American Promise 

We will host an evening event in the near future for Burgundy community members to come together and discuss the film and the impact that race has on our community.

- Stephanie Borges, Director for an Inclusive Community and Middle School Learning Specialist