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Burgundy Farm Country Day School
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September 12, 2014
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Quick Calendar
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September 13
Gilded Age Party to Benefit Auction
September 15
Monday Morning Mingle
Middle School Curriculum Night
September 16
Board of Trustees Meeting
September 17-19
6th Grade at the Cove
September 22
Lower School Curriculum Night
September 22-24
7th Grade at the Cove
September 22-24
7th Grade at the Cove
September 30-October 1
2/3 Buckeyes at the Cove
October 1-3
2/3 Viceroys at the Cove
October 7
All Parent Meeting
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In his address to the nation Wednesday evening, President Obama conveyed his belief that "to whom many blessings are bestowed come many responsibilities." Our students are probably familiar with the Spiderman movie version of the axiom: "With great power comes great responsibility." However you phrase it, the lesson is, in essence, that in a democratic nation and in a caring world, there is a responsibility of citizenship, and this is something that we strive to teach across many learning experiences at Burgundy and, indeed, in how we exist as a learning community.
The President, the rest of the government, and its adult citizens are required to think about our nation's role in the world. At school we try not to overwhelm children with the problems of the world, but -- in striving to prepare 'the whole child for the whole world' in a developmentally appropriate way -- we don't want to buffer them too much, either. We help them recognize their blessings, and teach them to harness their power and fulfill their responsibilities.
This is obvious in our Middle School humanities academic program, for example. Through an integrated study of literature and historical events, students contemplate essential questions including:
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How does production and consumption impact world cultures and environments? (6th grade)
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How is strength drawn from diversity? (6th grade)
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How can ignoring the infringement of others' rights lead to the infringement of everyone's rights? (7th grade)
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Where does racism/anti-Semitism come from? (7th grade)
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Are we an equal society today? (7th grade)
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Why is there oppression? Why is there violence? (8th grade)
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How do geography, politics, and history affect culture? (8th grade)
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How can racism end? (8th grade)
These are weighty issues to grapple with, but Burgundy students are supported by our humanities, science, advisory, service learning, and other programs to do just that. This week the 7th graders learned about agriculture and the food economy, including access (and lack thereof) to fresh and healthy food. They examined this topic on a local scale by connecting with Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture and considering the problem of 'food deserts,' in which lower income families have no access to fresh, affordable food. A hands-on visit to the farm helped the class examine food sources first-hand and consider the many variables that impact access and cost for both fresh and processed food.
From this look at food production and accessibility, students can see the blessings of having a local farm to provide food, the power for good that suppliers like Arcadia can have in a community, and the responsibilities we all have in making sure that access to healthy, affordable food continues to improve. In upcoming classes and studies, 7th graders will address the big questions and make connections between food and health, science, technology, and more. Is having access to healthy food a right? Does an equal society allow 'food deserts' to exist? I am excited to watch them learn, and equally excited to see what they might teach us and how they may influence policy and practice of future societies.
Jeff Sindler
Head of School |
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Fall Fair: Introducing This Year's Chair
Maria Gilroy (mother of Sofia '17 and Owen '19) will be staying especially busy in the next month as she leads the 2014 Fall Fair efforts. Maria is this year's Fall Fair Chair, working with Fall Fair Coordinator Allison Niedbala to plan, organize and staff the event. This popular event would not be possible without parent leadership. Many thanks to Maria for her enthusiasm and support.
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Help Burgundy through Affinity Programs
Affinity programs with local and national stores and brands can bring hundreds of dollars to Burgundy each year. You can support Burgundy by linking your customer or rewards card account at Amazon's Smile, Harris Teeter, Giant, Pottery Barn Kids and Teens, Safeway, and Target. Harris Teeter and Safeway require relinking your card each year. Giant is eliminating the relinking requirement, but check your account starting September 15 to be sure you're supporting Burgundy.
Turning in General Mills Box Tops for Education and Campbell's Labels for Education also helps Burgundy. Ten cents for each Box Top adds up quickly, and the Labels count as credits to buy school equipment and supplies. Download and print a collection sheet for Box Tops (PDF) or Labels for Education (PDF) and return it to Burgundy's front office when complete.
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Board Briefs
The Board of Trustees will meet on Tuesday, September 16 in the Loft at 6:30 p.m., adjourning by 9:30 p.m. If you plan on attending, please contact Board president Charlie Rawls to ensure that there is enough seating.
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| BPA Corner: Mingle and Meeting
Thank you to those of you who made last week's Monday Mingle a success! There's one more on Monday, September 15 at 8:30 a.m. in the Loft. Get to know the Burgundy community over coffee and bagels.
This year's first Room Parent Meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 16 in the Library. All parents are welcome to join the gathering, facilitated by BPA President Tara Casagrande, even those who are not official room parents. Topics of discussion include reviewing the role of the room parent as well as generating ideas for volunteer activities.
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Girls on the Run for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Girls
This fall Burgundy is excited to continue to offer the Girls on the Run (GOTR) program, a national afterschool curriculum that uses the power of running to help prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. The fall season culminates in a 5K non-competitive event in November. Burgundy's program will meet September 30 through December 6 twice a week, Tuesdays after school 3:15-4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Teams are limited to 20 girls. Burgundy already has more than 20 girls registered, so GOTR will conduct a computer-generated lottery to select our team members and notify registrants via email. However, registration is still open through Monday, September 22. Please note that Burgundy is listed under "Alexandria City" schools. If you're interested in forming a second Burgundy team, please contact coach Jane Marcus.
Once Burgundy's team is finalized, we will be back in touch with more information. Questions? Please don't hesitate to get in touch. Coaches' contact information is listed in the Burgundy directory by student name.
The Girls on the Run Coach Team
Jane Marcus, Allyson Senie, Tara Carter, and Milan Waters
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New Sibling Applications Due November 15
We give priority consideration to applications from siblings of current students and others in the Burgundy community. If your family includes children who are not currently attending Burgundy, but for whom you would like to apply for admission for the 2015-2016 school year, applications are due November 15. Apply online and contact Lori Adams (loria@burgundyfarm.org or 703.842.0464) if you have questions or need assistance. Campus visits for these potential students will be scheduled in early December.
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Spotlight On ... Middle School
The 8th grade class took their last trip to the Cove this week (above). With a nocturnal walk lit by the full moon, a Closing Circle full of reminiscing, and constant reflection on passing on the Cove to 1st graders who will visit for the first time this spring, it felt like "Cove graduation." At Burgundy for the end of the week, the 8th graders continued to think about what they will leave behind after they graduate, with a pizza party to begin discussions about their class legacy gift.
 Back on campus, 6th and 7th grade kept busy with their 3-day projects. 7th graders learned about food, farming, and sustainability with a field trip to the farm at Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture on Monday, lessons on food deserts and access issues on Tuesday, and a visit and presentation from Arcadia's Mobile Market on Wednesday. As an added treat, the 7th grade teachers made lunch for the class -- a tomato and peach salad -- with produce from the Mobile Market (left).
Meanwhile 6th grade's 3-day project helped them connect with themselves and the community. In Humanities, they read the poem "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon and thought about their own worlds. In Advisory, students discussed guidelines to do better work individually and together, and learned strategies for dealing with stress. And they worked on two community service projects to introduce themselves to the broader community-painting activities at the 1st grade play areas to start the "buddy" relationship with that class, and recording early reading audio books for nonprofit partner Wright to Read (below). Thanks to parent Erik Synnestvedt for his help!
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Handbook Addendum: Medication Policy
The following addendum replaces guideline #1 under Medication in the 2014-15 Handbook (p.34).
1. All prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications lasting more than 10 days require a medical authorization form completed by a parent/guardian and the physician. All prescription medications must be in the original container with the pharmacy label attached. If a prescription medication must be separated from the original container a duplicate label must be obtained from the pharmacy. All OTC medications must be in the original containers, supplied to school by parents, and labeled with the child's name.
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Directory Updates
The Friedl family (Lindy and Tyler, JK Chicks and Porter, 1st Sheep) have corrections to their email addresses. Please keep lfrield@nasa.gov but replace the others with friedlfam@gmail.com and jnfriedl@gmail.com.
Allison Coyne (mother of Jackson, 2/3 Buckeyes) would like to update her email address. Please replace broncos75@juno.com with akcoyne75@gmail.com.
There are several corrections to Burgundy staff addresses: Tom Kim, 6th Grade Homeroom/Middle School Humanities -- updated address 7004 Richmond Highway Alexandria, VA 22306
Charlene Pritzker, 6th Grade Homeroom/Middle School Math/Community Service Coordinator -- updated house number 4113 North Garland Street Alexandria, VA 22304
Julie Vega, 7th Grade Homeroom/Middle School Math -- updated ZIP code 9290 Tower Side Drive, #412 Fairfax, VA 22031
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Reminders
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Please follow the carpool rules to keep all our children safe. The speed limit on campus is 5 m.p.h., and if you plan to walk your child to class in the morning please drop him or her off first in the carpool line first, then park, and then meet your child on the Blacktop.
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Buy a Book for Burgundy runs through September. A donation of $18 covers the cost of one of our new books. The books remain in the library with a bookplate recognizing the child or family donor, and your child will be the first one allowed to check out the book. Download and print the flyer (PDF) to buy a book.
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Parting Pictures
 | | Redtails in the pool |
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 | | Work on the gabion wall outside JK |
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 | | Bees near the Middle School |
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