November 13, 2015
Constant Comment
EJ
When I saw the long plaid skirt pulled out of the congested costume closet for the current 7th grade production, I knew I had seen it before. It is the skirt that I wore for my 7th grade play, Anne of Avonlea, 14 years ago! I never thought that this same skirt would return to the Burgundy stage for my first production as the Drama Teacher and Director. The lesson truly is what goes around comes around.

Friendship, adventures, teamwork, music, and laughter--sounds like Burgundy to me! I am ecstatic to be making my Burgundy directorial debut with the Class of 2017 and their Fall production. The 7th grade class has taken on the challenging task of bringing Roald Dahl's James and The Giant Peach to the stage. In true Burgundy fashion, the class has embraced the play with double casting to tell the story of James, his twin sister Jane, and their adventurous friends.

This is a classic story of a young boy and a young girl whose world becomes rather peculiar after a peach grows to the size of a house. Little critters become giant human-like insects, each with their own personality. Burgundy 7th graders tell the tale of two kids who are desperate to leave their difficult home situation to search for friendship. Little do they know that they will meet 11 new friends, all at the same time. During their adventure, they learn how to be leaders, to problem solve, to be helpful and kind, and to appreciate wonderful friends of all ages. This story embraces each individual person while empowering them to work together as a team.

A true "page to stage" project, the 7th graders are not only putting on their actors' hats for their roles in the play, they are each also taking on a vital, additional role; each student is a member of a production team, such as set design, costume design, stage management, community outreach, and more! With the help of production assistant and drama teacher Roberta Masters-Cullen, and the numerous parent volunteers, the 7th grade is learning that it takes a village to put on a production.

We hope to see you next Thursday and Friday evening at 7 p.m. in the Loft. Tickets are $5 for Adults and $1 for kids. Be sure to see the 7th graders' Production Team descriptions and reflections on posters displayed in the Loft next week. And, bring your peachy smiles!

EJ signature  





Emily "EJ" Jonas '03
Drama Teacher
Director, Jane, James, and the Giant Peach
Coming Up at Burgundy ...
Collecting Shoes and Bikes
In cooperation with the Sustainability Program and in celebration of America Recycles Day, Burgundy will host a Bikes for the World collection tomorrow, Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Students and parents will become bike mechanics for a day, helping to break down bicycles to donate and ship to Bikes for the World. Bikes for the World can use child or adult size bikes of all sizes and conditions, as well as bike parts. Please bring them to school tomorrow.

From Ena Sullivan, 7th grader:
As part of my community service this month I'm putting on a shoe drive for the Soles 4 Souls organization, from November 9 through 18. Soles 4 Souls collects used shoes, and gives them out to people in the US and around the world. Shoes help make getting from place to place easier, so that people can get to school, and work. This past week collection boxes have been placed in in the Middle School atrium, and in each of the middle school homerooms, and a BIG thanks to everyone who has already brought in shoes they will make a huge difference and help so many people. Our Soles 4 Souls collection continues through Wednesday, November 18 so please check your closets and bring in any shoes that you are no longer wearing. Soles 4 Souls will put them to great use. All shoe sizes and types are needed. So please join me in standing up to poverty, one pair of shoes at a time.

Campus Renewal Construction Update
This weekend, November 14-15, the Outdoor Classroom and Discovery Playground will be closed for caulking work on the surrounding sidewalks. Rainy weather last weekend delayed the work. Thank you for your cooperation as this "punch list" work is completed.

Map Norton Road Closure Next Week
There will be road work causing a closure of a small portion of Norton Road next week, scheduled for Monday-Thursday, November 16-19. Workers will be replacing piping under Norton Road between Franconia and Lakota Roads.

If you typically access Burgundy via Franconia and Norton Roads, please plan to use an alternate route--from Franconia to Sable Drive to Lakota Road and then to Norton; or from Telegraph Road to East Drive to Burgundy Road. Directions and a map are available
on Burgundy's website if needed. All drivers, please exercise patience and allow extra time if possible for morning and afternoon carpool.

Middle School Math Club
Begins Nov. 16
Middle School Math Club will hold its first meeting Monday, November 16 in Matthew Reames' classroom, 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. All Middle School students are welcome. The theme for the first meeting is "math you can make!"  

Jane, James, and the Giant Peach Next Week
Things will be peachy at Burgundy next week, as 7th graders take to the Loft stage for their adapted production of Jane, James, and the Giant Peach. The show will be 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, November 19 and 20. Tickets are $5 for adults and $1 for children. Concessions will be available to purchase at intermission. Sales require cash.

Get a taste of what's to come in this video created by a team of 7th graders--click to watch:
Video image 
 
Sevareid 'Overwhelmed' Follow-Up, Nov. 20
Are you feeling overwhelmed and unable to fit in the play, love and downtime emphasized as so important by Brigid Schulte in her recent presentation at the Sevareid Forum? Are the upcoming holidays just serving to complicate this process for you?

You're invited to Coffee & Conversation on Friday, November 20, at 8:30 a.m. in the Library as we continue the discussion begun at Java with Jeff in October and highlighted by Brigid last week. Led by Burgundy's School Counselor and alumni parent Pat Harden, attendees will explore ways to support each other on this journey towards de-cluttering our lives and the lives of our family members in order to make space for play and other connections that are so important for healthy development.

Austin sweatshirt
Austin Fodrie loves his Burgundy sweatshirt.
By Popular Demand:
More Burgundy Sweatshirts!
The Burgundy sweatshirts were top sellers at the Fall Fair and we sold out of several sizes. But you can still get a sweatshirt to show your Burgundy spirit and stay warm this winter. We're planning to reorder sweatshirts in adult and youth sizes.

Place your order online by Monday, November 23. The cost is $30, with net proceeds going to student financial aid. Sweatshirts come in Adult S, M, L, and XL and Youth S, M, and L sizes. You will receive an email with pick-up options when the order arrives in December.

Looking for other Burgundy gear? Visit the Advancement Office to check out baseball caps ($20), as well as long-sleeve ($15) and short-sleeve ($12) t-shirts in youth and adult sizes.
Don't Forget!
Saturday, November 14: Board of Trustees meeting, 9 a.m., Loft. Bikes for the World collection, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Yearbook meeting, 1-4 p.m., 8th grade homeroom.
Monday, November 16: Math Club for Middle School students, 3:15 p.m., Matthew's room. Work Smarter session, 3:15 p.m., Library.
November 16-19: Norton Road closure, use Burgundy Road to access campus.
Thursday, November 19: Work Smarter session, 3:15 p.m., Library.
November 19-20: 7th grade play: Jane, James, and the Giant Peach, 7 p.m., Loft. $5 adults, $1 children, concessions available to purchase.
Friday, November 20: Coffee & Conversation on time pressures, 8:30 a.m., Library. Pizza Day.
November 25-27: School closed for Thanksgiving Break.
Monday, November 30: No classes, Extended Day open. Professional development day for faculty and staff.
Tuesday, December 1: Giving Tuesday. Parents of African American Students meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 2: Work Smarter session, 3:15 p.m., Library.
Friday, December 4: Pizza Day. Middle School dance.
Saturday, December 5: Admission Open House, 2-4 p.m.
Continuing: Dori Gonzalez-Acevedo offers a weekly "Morning Mindfulness" with meditation and yoga, 7:30-8 a.m. Wednesdays, Loft.
Recently at Burgundy ...
Recognizing Burgundy's Veterans
With Veterans Day this week, we recognize and thank Burgundy Facilities Manager Larry Inguagiato, Assistant Facilities Manager Jerry Vaughan, Middle School PE teacher Steve LeBoo and all of the members of our extended Burgundy family who are veterans. These staff members join current parents, alumni, alumni parents, and former faculty and staff who have served our country nobly and strived to protect and preserve freedom for Americans and others around the world.

Burgundy in the News
Last week's Local Living section of The Washington Post featured Burgundy parent Robert Schlesinger in an article about considering and applying to independent schools. Robert, father of first grader Emmet, lauded Burgundy teachers. "The teachers have been great in terms of, first and foremost, teaching and taking care of Emmet," he told the Post. "We couldn't have been happier with the results."

The Sevareid Forum also received coverage in local newspapers, with a photo and caption in this week's issue of the Alexandria Gazette Packet (p. 30), Mount Vernon Gazette (p. 12) and Alexandria Times (p. 12). The Alexandria Times also included a photo of Director of Athletics Steve LeBoo guiding Middle School students through an obstacle course on the new Outdoor Classroom & Discovery Playground.

Brigid Schulte
Brigid Schulte at the 2015 Sevareid Forum November 3.

Parent Perspective: Sevareid Forum
On November 3 Burgundy hosted Brigid Schulte, author of Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love and Play when No One Has the Time, for the 2015 Lois and Eric Sevareid Forum. Brigid introduced the concept of time confetti--the small bits of free time that we have between work, home responsibilities, and kid activities, which has caused real leisure time to evaporate. Brigid talked with parents at Burgundy about finding the sweet spot for our families in the balance of after school activities, parent involvement, and homework. She called on parents to band together, finding groups of like-minded parents to support each other in deciding to limit after-school and weekend activities to bring leisure time back to our ourselves and to our children.

Brigid discussed the child's "shrinking habitat" and the potential consequences to a child's development for not having the freedom and responsibility to roam. Parents expressed fears of being outliers in letting their children roam, and not giving the "opportunities" of intense extracurricular activities. Brigid shared the philosophy that success is measured not by where you go to college, but by what you bring to it, and that persistence, imagination, and energy are the characteristics that we have to be careful to not squelch in our children with over overscheduling.

In terms of cutting back for ourselves, Brigid discussed the need to redesign work with more opportunities to be present. Parents should seek this out, and be part of the change that is needed in the American workplace.

In a lead-in to the Q&A session, Jeff reminded attendees that as individual parents and as a community, we have the ability to make better choices for ourselves and our kids. When too many commitments leave us feeling frantic, the stress we're feeling affects our children. Burgundy will offer more events to continue this conversation--including an event next Friday, November 20, 8:30 a.m. in the Library.

--Tara Carter

Professional Development Reflections
In an effort to continually improve as individuals and educators, Burgundy faculty and staff engage in a variety of professional development opportunities throughout the year. Professional development is made possible through Annual Giving. Sometimes Burgundy creates an on-campus opportunity for learning, and sometimes faculty and staff take advantage of offers hosted online or on other campuses. Whatever the format, faculty and staff bring ideas and inspiration back to Burgundy.

We'd like to share some of their reflections in an occasional series. To start the series, here are several reflections (PDF) from Burgundy's representatives at the Progressive Educators Network Conference in New York last month--Assistant Head of School Elizabeth Lener, Spanish teacher Maria Espinoza, 4th grade teacher Zoë Bailey, and 5th grade teacher Henry Edwards.

Thank You: Admission Open House
Thank you all very much for your support of our open house this week! A special thanks to Girls on the Run and those parent organizers for helping to clean up campus before our visitors arrived. Parent volunteers and 8th grade students played a big role in the event--it wouldn't be possible without you! And of course, Burgundy's staff and faculty put in extra work that is very much appreciated as well.

Our next open house is Saturday, December 5!

--Lori Adams, Director of Admission

Packing up Cove
Packing up books at the Cove. Photo by David Williams.

Thank You: Cove Closing Weekend
Many, many thanks to the following radio thespians and Mad Libbers for help getting us all tucked in for the winter.  

Current Families:
Jenny, Lawrence, Porter, Lindy, and Tyler Friedl
Mariana, Mario, Felipe and Geovana Garcia-Acosta
Darcy Katzin and Emma Aaron
Marcia de Souza Lima and Mark and Gabriel Posposel
Russ and Rowan Smith
Sarah Riseman and Charlie, Dae, and Kayla Taylor
David and Robert Williams

Alumni Families:
Jill and Jim Eichner '05
Thea Mills '14 and Chris Mills
Fred Reiner '69
Vicki Hayes and Chuck Weger, Carolyn Weger '96, and Eleanor Carlson ... and all the noisemakers

Camp Families:
Natty Abrahams
Eli and Silas Bell
Mitch Garrabrant
Adam and Mary Schoene
Sam Simon

Thanks to these folks, we got the place shut down and found time for some Saturday night nonsense including a Bray Haunted House, a unique rendition of "Challenge of the Yukon," and the inevitable chorus of nose flutes.

--Vini Schoene '73, Director of the Burgundy Center for Wildlife Studies

Thank You: Nearly 1,000 Box Tops!
Wahoo! Could you hear all the whooping and hollering as Box Tops were being counted recently? We collected 969 Box Tops in just the last six weeks! Way to go, Burgundy families! Please keep clipping and saving those Box Tops and Labels for Education - we will do another collection before winter break. Think we can top these fantastic numbers?

JK - 46
K - 196
1st - 183
2/3 Viceroys - 243
2/3 Buckeyes - 158
4/5 Coopers - 29
4/5 Redtails - 0
Middle School - 79
Main Office - 32
Ex Day - 3

Labels for Education Many thanks to everyone who collected Box Tops and Labels for Education! And a friendly reminder: when you cut out the Labels for Education, you must include the entire barcode as shown in the image here. Some products, such as Goldfish crackers, do not have a point value on the label, but the barcode still counts if it says "Labels for Education" so be sure to clip the whole thing!

--Jenny Friedl

Burgundy Bulletin
Krizek
Paul Krizek '76 and his family.
Paul Krizek '76 recently won election to the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 44th district. Paul is a native of Mount Vernon and has had a career as a nonprofit executive. He will take office in January when current delegate Scott Surovell will become a state senator. Paul recently shared a reflection about Burgundy: "I loved that school and it really shaped my world view and made me into a strong protector of the environment."

On The Wing, a new family comedy-adventure film from Burgundy parent Jerry Casagrande, has awards from three recent film festivals. It was named Best Feature in Louisville and Boston festivals, and won the Best Feature Audience Award in Alexandria. Burgundy students Riley Casagrande, Tae Casagrande, Nicholas Foster, Carrie Rawls, and Majlis Walker as well as other Burgundy parents appear in the film. Learn more about the film and see a trailer at www.OnTheWingMovie.com.
Parting Photos 

Volleyball
The ball hovers in front of 7th grader Ava Brody mid-serve at Tuesday's volleyball game against Congressional. The team also played Wednesday.


Umbrella
Early Childhood friends share an umbrella on the way to afternoon carpool.

Cove singing
Chuck Weger, alumni parent and husband of Viceroys teacher Vicki Hayes,
keeps everyone singing past their bedtime during Cove closing weekend.
Photo by David Williams.