Welcome back to school, and a Happy New Year to everyone! I hope the winter break and holidays provided family and relaxation time.

Obviously, the near 70-degree temperatures we experienced toward the end of the break are a distant memory! Thanks for your patience and cooperation as we make the necessary weather-related decisions. I think this week's local public school systems' decisions illustrate why we choose to make decisions independently. Our decisions are made with safety always in mind and considering the forecast, the condition of regional roads, and our ability to ensure campus is safe and prepared.

As they say, "Enough about the weather!" We were delighted to see artwork from many of our students in the recent Children's Connections newspapers. The Mount Vernon edition included a Burgundy student's watercolor on the cover. Looking ahead, in next few weeks we'll also be treated to musical performances from our 8th graders and others. As this issue of Constant Comment attests, the visual and performing arts are two of many areas our students distinguish themselves both at school and in their communities. Whether in academic competitions, community and regional theater and dance, instrumental or vocal music, or photography or painting, team sports or community service, our students share and develop their talents not only here at school but also in the community. This is one of many reasons high schools love our graduates -- because they are such well rounded and interesting people!

Music Notes: Two Performances

There is a student recital Monday, January 12, 7 p.m. in the Loft. The program is approximately one hour and is free of charge, family and friends are welcome. If your child would like to participate in the recital, please email Cathy Manley or Emily McCrory by the end of the day today, January 9. Cathy is available to accompany. Participating students should arrive by 6:45 p.m.

The 8th Grade Choral and Instrumental Concert, the final opportunity for the class to perform together as a group, will be Wednesday, January 14, 7 p.m. in the Loft. The students have been working all year on a variety of songs. After other favorites, the evening will conclude with a wind ensemble and string accompaniment to "Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera. Please come out and support our Class of 2015 for an enjoyable evening of music.

Burgundy Auction: Save the Date

Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 7 to "Shine bright like a diamond" with other Burgundy parents at the 33rd annual auction, our primary fundraiser for financial aid. One in five students at Burgundy receives financial aid, and the auction is one of the most fun, most important ways to support our community and maintain the diversity that benefits every member of our Burgundy family. You will continue to get updates about the auction in the coming weeks, and we welcome questions at any time. We look forward to celebrating the event with you on Saturday, March 7, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Gym.

- Jacqueline Norris and Nancy Weissman, 2015 Auction Co-Chairs

Community Service to Honor Dr. King

For several years Burgundy has celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a time of service, "a day on, not a day off." School is closed on Friday, January 16 and Monday, January 19, but there are events planned both weeks for Lower and Middle School classes.

Food Drive: The entire school is invited to participate in a food drive to benefit ALIVE (Alexandrians Involved Ecumenically). ALIVE distributes food at three sites in Alexandria on the last Saturday of each month. Burgundy families will receive a bag and a list of suggested food donation items today, January 9. Should you choose to participate, please return your donation by Thursday, January 15. Middle School students will sort and deliver the items.

Class Projects: Lower School classes will do a service project with their classes in the week before or after MLK Day. Projects includes assembling care packages for deployed troops, making blankets for hospitalized children, and preparing "warming kits" for clients served by Carpenter's Shelter Hypothermia Program.

Participating Middle School students will convene for snacks and announcements at 9 a.m. on Monday, January 19, and then choose from a collection of projects, mostly off campus, for the morning. Among the planned Middle School projects are sorting and delivering food drive donations; processing and loading bikes for Bikes for the World; making and serving food at the Meade Memorial Episcopal Church lunch program; creating games for student clients at Koinonia; and building elements for a Community Lodgings playground.

Keep Clipping Box Tops!

Look for the Box Tops logo on hundreds of products like Cheerios®, Hamburger Helper® and Kleenex®, in almost every aisle of the store. All you need to do is clip and send them to them to the Main Office -- each one is worth 10¢ for Burgundy. Please send in your Box Tops for the next collection by Wednesday, February 25. This is the last collection of the school year, so get your Box Tops in now!

For more information and a complete product list, visit www.boxtops4education.com. Download and print a Burgundy Box Tops collection sheet (PDF).

Familiar Face Subbing in Drama

Deborah Clark Ives will be out for a few weeks for surgery and recovery, and while she is out Roberta Masters-Cullen will take her 4th through 8th grade classes. Deborah will be out beginning January and anticipates returning in mid-February. Join us in wishing her a speedy recovery.

Emergency Alert Reminders

Don't Forget!

• The BPA hosts a Room Parent meeting Wednesday, January 14, 8:30-10 a.m. in the Library. All parents are welcome! No RSVP needed.
• A Cove chaperone meeting is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, January 21. The meeting is open to all parents, but our agenda will likely focus on topics of particular relevance to 2/3 parents. Childcare will be available from Extended Day. More information and an RSVP link will come next week.
• BPA hosts a fitness themed family fun night on Sunday, January 25, 6-8 p.m. in the Gym. The event features group exercises, healthy snacks, and time to mingle. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.
• Complete Burgundy Calendar 

Burgundy's Crisis and Emergency Management Plan

Burgundy's first priority is the safety and well being of its students, along with the safety of its faculty and staff. Accordingly, Burgundy has a Crisis and Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) to guide our faculty-staff and students, as well as parents, in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a crisis or emergency that may arise. A guide to the plan outlining background and parents' responsibilities is available online. For safety reasons, the full plan is not published but is available to review with an appointment.

Art in Children's Connection Newspapers

Burgundy students had art published in the Children's Connection issues of several local Connection Newspapers editions in the last week of 2014. Some of our students were included in the Mount Vernon Gazette (cover and pages 21-23), Alexandria Gazette-Packet (page 20), Springfield Connection (page 11), Burke Connection (page 3), and McLean Connection (page 4). To view the papers, visit www.connectionnewspapers.com/PDFs and scroll down to Children's Connection.

Annual Giving: Thank You!

Thank you to all who gave to Burgundy's Annual Giving Fund in 2014. If you didn't, start 2015 off right with a gift today! It's never too late to support classroom budgets, professional development for teachers, and student financial aid.

Nick Sansone

Isaac Ahdoot

Burgundy Bulletin

Burgundy clarinetists Nick Sansone, 8th, and Isaac Ahdoot, 7th, recently auditioned and won spots in a competitive district band for middle school students. The band, a project of the Virginia Band & Orchestra Directors' Association, will hold a performance Saturday, February 7, at West Potomac High School. Congratulations, Nick and Isaac!

Isaac shared that he put in a lot of extra work before the auditions. "I had to prepare an etude, and be ready to play all my scales up to four sharps and four flats. I also had to play the chromatic scale. I practiced this stuff for one month for 30-45 minutes a day. ... I am very happy that all my hard work paid off and that I will get to play with other people like me. I want to thank Cathy Manley for being really great about making this possible for Burgundy kids. I hope lots of other kids will think about joining the district band next year."