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 The past couple of days we have had several teachers along with Elizabeth Lener, our Assistant Head, at the national Progressive Educators Network (PEN) conference in Brooklyn, New York. Two teachers -- 4/5 Redtails teaching partners Zoë Bailey and Henry Edwards -- are presenting on social-emotional learning with former counselor, Elizabeth Schacter. The PEN conference, which takes place every other year includes our local progressive schools consortium (CAPS) as well as independent and public progressive schools from around the country.
Closer to home, this past Friday we had a terrific afternoon of professional development on campus. Two of our teachers, recent UVA graduate students Elizabeth Abramson and Kira Cotter, gave us an introduction to the latest insights into differentiation from UVA scholar-teacher Carol Tomlinson. One of the best points made is that differentiation is an ongoing, iterative process of learning and adapting to ensure that each student is being given a most optimal set of opportunities to learn and grow.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent in affinity teaching groups. I sat in on a session led by new Burgundy Middle School math teacher Matthew Reames that was indicative of the entire afternoon. Matthew, a Ph. D. in math education and veteran presenter, shared a few points that are highly important and highlighted in current academic thinking and research, and that amplify Burgundy's approach to teaching math -- among them: -
We live in a time of extraordinary and accelerating change. New knowledge, tools, and ways of doing and communicating mathematics continue to emerge and evolve. The need to understand and be able to use mathematics in everyday life and in the workplace has never been greater and will continue to increase. [NTCM - Principles and Standards for School Mathematics]
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"Understanding" math has different meanings.
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The world is not the same as when parents were in school. Knowing how to manipulate numbers isn't enough. Knowing 'procedural' math AND 'connected' math is crucial.
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Using math creatively to solve problems is the sort of math in highest demand in our age, and this is something for which Burgundy's math program must provide ample opportunities.
It is critically important to have time for teachers to reflect on their growing crafts. And that was one of the best takeaways last Friday: we celebrate our efforts but continue to seek ways to grow!
Jeff Sindler
Head of School
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Coming Up at Burgundy ...
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 Fall Fair UpdatesThe Haunted House will become the Zombie Run! Participating children will get flags clipped with clothes pins to their clothes and follow a course around the wooded area between the Loft, Middle School and Field. They will be gently pursued by Middle School children dressed as zombies (or in other Halloween costumes) who would be trying to unclip the flags. At the end of the course they will receive a prize. The run will not be a single event, but go periodically throughout the Fair. 5 Tickets. Contact Fall Fair Chairs Preston O'Neil and Amy Walsh or Fall Fair Coordinator Allison Niedbala with questions. Alumni Reconnection Calling all Burgundy alumni! This year's alumni reconnection at the Fall Fair will be in the Library, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. We ask alumni to stop by, visit, fill out an update form and submit it for a raffle drawing. This year's prize will be a $50 gift card along with a generously donated basket of fall produce from Groundworks Farm, owned by alumni Margaret Evan Brown '02 and Kevin Brown '01. This year's drawing will be held at 1:30 p.m., following the alumni photo at 1 p.m. Parents of alumni, please encourage your child(ren) to stop by and register for the drawing and be a part of the photo. And share the message! We have a goal of seeing 100 alumni at the Fair this year!
 Book Sale Preview
Next Friday, October 16, the Fall Fair's Used Book Sale in the Loft is open to all Burgundy families, faculty and staff from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Please stop by and shop early! All sales are cash and carry.
Kids' Closet/Used Books Preparations Every year Interstate Van Lines donates the use of a trailer for us to store donations for the Kids' Closet Sale and Used Books Sale. This week, the trailer arrived in the Middle School parking lot! We will accept donations Tuesday-Friday, October 13-16 during the school day and morning and afternoon carpool. See more details about donations in a previous Constant Comment.
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A Raie commemorative puzzle in progress!
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Raie the Goat Commemorative Puzzle Celebrate beloved Burgundy goat Raie, who died in August after being a part of the school for 14 years. You and your family will have fun putting together this 336-piece puzzle--it's a perfect activity for a rainy afternoon. The completed puzzle measures 12" x 18." A treasured memory of the Burgundy barnyard, on sale for $10. Stop by the Advancement Office or purchase at the Burgundy Mart tent at the Fall Fair.
Activity Updates Henna Hand Prints: A unique and temporary handcrafted memory fashioned by Bailey Williams, sister of Communications Manager Meghan Williams. You'll find the henna table next to the face painting booth. Open 1-3 p.m. for 8 tickets.
Cake Walk: Picture a delectable array of cakes, and next to it, children dancing to music. Here's what happens next: When the music stops, each child steps on a number outlined in chalk. A volunteer draws a number from a hat... the child on that number picks the cake of his or her choice. And so it goes on until all the cakes are gone! Thank you to parent Joanne Harris for organizing! Open 1-2 p.m. in front of Early Childhood. $1 or 2 tickets to participate in each round of the cake walk.
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The Da Ponte String Quartet will visit Burgundy Oct. 26.
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String Quartet Performance Oct. 26 The Da Ponte String Quartet will perform and give a Q&A Monday, October 26, 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the Loft for 4th-8th grade students. They will be using the topic of "theme and variations" based on a tune everybody knows: "Happy Birthday." In their program, they focus on repetition, contrast, and variations. They will cover styles from Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven through 20th century composers. Parents are welcome at this free performance, which is made possible thanks to contributions to Burgundy's Annual Giving Fund.
Parent-Teacher Conferences Fall parent-teacher conferences are coming up on Thursday and Friday, November 5 and 6. Sign ups will be shared on Thursday, October 15 for families with multiple children at Burgundy. Other families may sign up starting on Monday, October 19. We look forward to meeting with you!
New Sibling Applications Due Nov. 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 2016-2017 school year, applications are due Sunday, 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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Don't Forget!
Saturday, October 10 (tomorrow!): Garden Building Day, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Please RSVP if you'd like to volunteer.
Monday, October 12: Columbus Day, School Closed
Tuesday, October 13: All-Parent Meeting, 7 p.m., Loft. Please RSVP. Childcare reservation deadline today at 5 p.m. Cross country away meet, 3:30 p.m. at Congressional. Volleyball away game, 3:45 p.m. at Two Rivers.
Thursday, October 15: Student Recital, 7 p.m., Middle School Atrium--note location change!
Monday, October 19: JV soccer home game against Browne, 3:30 p.m., Field.
Tuesday, October 20: JV soccer away game, 3:30 p.m., Alexandria Country Day School
Thursday, October 22: Varsity soccer home game against Alexandria Country Day School, 3:30 p.m., Field
Continuing: Dori Gonzalez-Acevedo (parent of Alessandra, 2nd grade Buckeye) offers a weekly "Morning Mindfulness" with meditation and yoga, 7:30-8 a.m. Wednesdays on the Early Childhood deck (rain location: Loft).
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| | Elaina Hill and Emi Summey |
Botanic Garden Field Trip
On October 1, the 4/5 Coopers and Redtails had an interesting visit to the U.S. Botanic Gardens near the Capitol. During their visit, they studied the various biomes and plant adaptations to these different environments, making detailed sketches and notes of their findings. The orchids seemed to be of particular interest. The visit was punctuated by the musical play, "Flowers Stink," which had the audience laughing and clapping along to the songs. The 2/3 Viceroys and Buckeyes will have the pleasure of attending "Flowers Stink" later in the month.
--Tracy Wilson and Anita Hill
Most field trips are available at no extra cost to families thanks to contributions to Burgundy's Annual Giving Fund. Tuition alone doesn't cover everything Burgundy offers; annual giving dollars help cover the "extras" that help provide invaluable context to our students' day-to-day work. Want to support this? Make a gift today!
Congratulations, Charlene! Congratulations to Middle School math teacher Charlene Pritzker, who successfully defended her dissertation and earned her doctoral degree earlier this month!
Her program was at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education, in Social Foundations of Education, a department that includes history, philosophy, sociology, comparative education and policy. The dissertation was a comparative case study of special education policy and practice in Sweden and Japan and the implications for special education policy in the United States. A portion of the study was inspired by a trip to Japan through the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund. Charlene credits Burgundy with supporting a three-week leave for that trip, as well as personal and financial support throughout her studies. Previously, Charlene completed a masters thesis on Teach for America through the Curry School. She also holds an MA in chemistry.
 Keep Collecting Box Tops! Don't forget to clip and save Box Tops for Burgundy! It's such an easy way to get cash for our classrooms -- we send them trash, and they send us money. Here are the results of our first Box Top collection. The next tally will be at the end of October, so send those Box Tops in to increase your class's numbers!
JK - 1 K - 126 1st - 53 2/3 Viceroys - 119 2/3 Buckeyes - 1 4/5 Coopers - 8 4/5 Redtails - 0 Middle School - 0 Main Office - 32 Ex Day - 0
--Jenny Friedl
Burgundy Bulletin The feature-length documentary Most Likely To Succeed examines the history of education, revealing the challenges to the traditional educational system in today's world. For most of the last century, entry-level jobs were plentiful, and college was an affordable path to a fulfilling career. That world no longer exists. Directed by documentarian Greg Whiteley, the film is an official selection of many of the nation's top film festivals, including Sundance and Tribeca. Green Acres School, another progressive school in the area, is hosting a free screening (registration required) of the film on Wednesday, October 28, 7-9 p.m. Their campus is located at 1701 Danville Drive, North Bethesda, Maryland. Several Burgundy faculty members are planning to attend.
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Parting Photos
JV soccer team members hard at work on the field on Monday. Their next home game is Monday, October 19. Photos by Caitlin Garvey.
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| Junior Kindergarten girls enjoy the swings on a perfect fall day.
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| | The 2/3 Buckeyes class gets ready to hop on the bus for their trip to the Cove. |
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| Cameron and Jeff Sindler were happy to be included in a
recent Washington Post article about dogs on campus at independent schools, but disappointed that the story mixed up Jeff's comments, and his dogs! Cameron is here at Burgundy. Like several
area independent schools, Burgundy is a dog-friendly environment but leashes are required.
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