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Even in our very worldly Washington, DC metropolitan area, sometimes we adults get so caught up in our local news and community affairs that we forget to take the time to focus on the bigger picture of worldwide and global issues. As I have been reminded recently, however, our students are often learning about and proposing solutions to some of the world's biggest concerns!
During our recent spring break, 7th and 8th graders, led by Middle School Humanities teachers Cara Will and Emily Jonas, attended a Model UN conference -- a students' United Nations -- in New York.
Our student delegation had prepared for several weeks to represent Japan in student versions of several mock UN committees. They worked side-by-side with delegations from around the US and around the world, each delegation representing different nations and dealing with different challenges that face the contemporary world. As you may know, the United Nations concerns itself with issues like peace, human rights, labor, environmental issues and other concerns that touch the lives of the masses of people around the world, issues that without international collaboration would be difficult if not impossible to address effectively. Judging from a presentation at last week's All School Meeting, our student delegates already have modeled (pun accepted) the Burgundy mission and demonstrated their ability to make a difference in a world that needs thoughtful, unselfish leadership.
Kudos to our delegation and faculty sponsors for their commitment to this activity! Thanks also to parent chaperones Gary and Sheryl Dove, Tina Sansone and Nancy Weissman.
Learn more about the students' trip in a recap from Noah Ashenafi below!
Jeff Sindler
Head of School
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Coming Up at Burgundy ...
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Board Briefs
The Board of Trustees will meet Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Loft. If you would like to attend, please notify Board President Charlie Rawls to ensure adequate seating.
Earth Week Book Swap  As part of our observance of Earth Week, and its message of Reuse-Reduce-Recycle, we will hold our third annual Book Swap at the end of Earth Week, Friday, April 24. Burgundy families are welcome to send in gently used books suitable for our students' ages: pre-K through 8th grade level. If you're doing some spring cleaning, this is an opportunity to share your extra books with our community! Please bring books to the Middle School or Main Office, or drop them off at morning carpool Monday, April 20 through Thursday, April 23. Middle School students will sort the books by grade level Thursday afternoon under the direction of Leigh Nida, Executive Director of Wright to Read, an Alexandria non-profit.
On Friday, all Burgundy students will be able to choose a book. Lower School classes will visit the book swap on Friday at a time that's convenient to their schedule. All books not chosen by Burgundy students will be donated to Wright to Read for distribution at book swaps at Alexandria City Public Schools for students' summer reading.
Burgundy Bulletin Eliza Marcus and Majlis Walker, both 7th graders, have taken on the task of becoming Junior Board members of a local non-profit organization, Kids Helping Kids. Every year, the group organizes a "LemonAide Day" throughout Alexandria. With the help of many volunteers, lemonade stands are set up all throughout Alexandria, with proceeds going to charity. If you'd like more information, contact Eliza or Majlis by Thursday, April 16 or visit www.lemonaidealexandria.org.
The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra is offering free tickets to students, families, and teachers for a performance Sunday, April 12 at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center located on the campus of NVCC-Alexandria. The performance, entitled Dare to Think Heroically, focuses on heroic works and characters. Tickets can be reserved online at www.alexsym.org; enter the code daretothink15 in the discount box at checkout. Tickets can also be reserved via phone by calling 703-548-0885 and mentioning the code daretothink15.
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Don't Forget
- The last student recital of the year is Wednesday, April 15, 7 p.m. in the Loft. Students who wish to perform should contact Cathy or Emily, as selections need to be rehearsed. Everyone is invited to attend!
- The Burgundy BBQ is Friday, April 17, 6-8 p.m. in the Gym. RSVPs are requested so we can make appropriate logistical arrangements. We look forward to seeing you at this fun and family-friendly event!
- Please note that Thursday, April 23, is a half-day for students, with dismissal at 12:30 p.m. Extended Day will be open. There will be curriculum presentations that evening from 7-8 p.m.
- Cove Opening Weekend: Come help open up the Cove for the 2015 Season, April 25-26. Contact Vini Schoene if you're interested in coming. Please share how many people will come; what meals they plan to eat at the Cove; and whether they have any food allergies. Children are welcome and will be put to work; parents are responsible for their supervision.
- Burgundy Summer Camps: Registration is ongoing for both of Burgundy's summer camps: Burgundy Farm Summer Day Camp on the Alexandria campus and Burgundy Center for Wildlife Studies Camp at Cooper's Cove. Please note that junior session at BCWS is already full, and Sessions 1 and 3 (senior) are full for girls. Contact Michele McCabe if you'd like to be added to the waitlist.
- Complete Burgundy Calendar
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Burgundy's Model UN team of Middle School students in New York.
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Middle School Model United Nations
Recently, a group of Burgundy students went to New York City to participate in a Montessori Model United Nations conference. Participants from both our 7th and 8th grades went to the actual United Nations (UN) to vote on the resolutions that they came up with. 2,500 students participated in the conference, and this was the biggest and most diverse group of students the UN has ever hosted. There were students from the United States, China, Nigeria, Chile, Puerto Rico, Canada and many other countries.
Model UN is an extracurricular activity in which students simulate being delegates that represent a particular country. Topics that students research include Disaster Prevention, Microfinance, Child Labor, Empowerment of Women through Education and many more. Students that have superior resolutions for their issue can have it passed and taken into consideration by the UN council. I would argue that this is a lot more than modeling.
Burgundy represented the Delegation of Japan and I would say we did a great job of doing so. Out of the eight committees that totalled over 2,500 student representors, Burgundy students read resolutions for two of those committees! Riley Casagrande and Eliza Marcus read those resolution papers that passed almost unanimously. Riley's paper was on gender equality; Eliza's was on sustainable development. During the trip, I made new, great friendships with people from the other side of the globe. It was compelling, interesting, and a ton of fun! Model UN was a great experience and is definitely something I would be interested in doing in high school.
- Noah Ashenafi, 8th grade
Interested in contributing to Constant Comment? Contact Meghan Williams.
Staffing Updates
We were happy recently to welcome back Dana LesPierre, proud mom of Ruby, as she returned from maternity leave. Erin Kelly, the Buckeyes team, and all of Burgundy thank longtime and recently retired Norma Roberts for filling in while Dana was away!
We also have some more bittersweet staffing updates to share:
Director of Academic and Student Support Stephanie Borges Folarin will leave Burgundy at the end of June to become Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Sheridan School in Washington, DC. This move, in addition to allowing Stephanie to work very near her home, is a great opportunity for Stephanie to continue to grow as an administrator.
Middle School humanities teacher and guru Tom Kim will not return next year due to changing family circumstances. Tom plans to homeschool his children for at least a year or two while his wife Dana takes over a dental practice.
Middle School math teacher and math-lover Julie Vega is going to attend graduate school and will not return next year. Julie will be pursuing her Ph.D. in math and is still collecting acceptances and deciding which school to attend.
Please join us in thanking and continuing to support Stephanie, Tom, and Julie as they conclude their time here and prepare to transition from Burgundy!
Campus Renewal Construction Updates
As part of the Discovery Playground construction, a portion of the sidewalk adjacent to West Barn was removed Saturday and Monday. The pavement was sawed into sections over the weekend, and workers used a front-end loader Monday to scoop up and remove the pieces on Monday. When complete, the new sidewalk will provide better drainage of water away from the building. The road between the blacktop and the pool was graded, dirt hauled off the site, and compacted and tested in preparation for the installation of the new access road and walkway to the orchard and pool area.
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| A front-end loader lifts and removes portions of the sidewalk.
Photo by Larry Inguagiato.
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Fundraising Meeting Recap
At the Annual Meeting of the Corporation in February 2015, several parents expressed interest in learning more about Burgundy's budget and discussing our revenue sources-specifically, tuition, auxiliary services, and fundraising. This follow-up meeting was held in March and was led by consultant Kathy Hanson of Marts & Lundy. The meeting provided background on philanthropy in independent schools that many attendees seemed to find helpful, and several attendees also made suggestions for fundraising opportunities. For more information, review the two-page recap (PDF).
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Parting Photos|
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