Thank You: Affinity Giving

As we head into summer, make sure you don't forget about opportunities to support Burgundy through affinity giving with regional and national retailers.

We've earned more than $300 this year from the Box Tops for Education program. We have collection deadlines twice a year, but you are always welcome to drop off your Box Tops in the Main Office or Advancement Office. Each Box Top is worth 10 cents. Sign up at http://www.boxtops4education.com to receive coupons and participate in sweepstakes to win more Box Tops for Burgundy.

Additionally, in the first quarter of 2015, we received more than $50 via Amazon Smile, which sends 0.5% of each purchase made from Smile.Amazon.com to Burgundy. Link your account and start at Smile.Amazon.com to send more donations to Burgundy.

Visit our website to check out all our affinity giving programs, including partnerships with area grocery stores. And of course, you can give directly to Burgundy to make sure your full donation goes to support our students and teachers.

Community Service and Science

8th graders work together to make homemade detergent.

In our students' service with organizations who work directly with individuals and families experiencing homelessness, they found that, after finding a place to stay and a source of food, the most frequent request by their clients is to help them clean their clothes and other belongings. Places like Carpenter's Shelter, the largest shelter in Alexandria, often provide laundry facilities and give their clients detergent so they can use the washing machines.

As part of larger science lessons on water chemistry, including exploration about how soap works, Middle School science teacher Paige Pluymers-Durand directed 6th and 8th graders in making homemade laundry detergent. They will donate the end product to Carpenter's Shelter. The recipe they used is above, and all ingredients are readily available if you'd like to make some of your own!

Campus Renewal Construction Update

Teachers check out the view from the treehouse in a tour before it opened to students.

The treehouse is now open! The new addition is accessible from the expansive new deck behind the Early Childhood classrooms, which was also recently opened. The Early Childhood teachers have gone over rules for safe use of the deck and treehouse with their classes as their learning moves from the classroom to these new spaces. Open to all Burgundy students, the treehouse will offer a bird's eye view of the enhanced ecological area around the pond. Burgundy's Class of 2012 donated the treehouse as their Legacy Gift.

But, as fun as it is, the treehouse isn't the latest "buzz" on campus! Burgundy is now home to a top bar bee hive! The hive, which is already home to bees, will be serviced by Eco Honeybees and will provide invaluable opportunities for children to study these industrious insects. Lower School science teacher Carol Schwartz notes that there is already a pollinator unit in the 2/3 science curriculum, and some students are so interested they do additional projects on the topic. Observing the bees will also be an opportunity to learn about their role in the food chain. The beehive is located behind the community garden, across from the pool house. Students will learn the proper behavior to avoid stings.

The new top bar beehive installed behind the community garden space, across from the pool house.