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 "Snowzilla" is in the rear-view mirror, the 70th anniversary celebration is tomorrow, and... in four weeks the Burgundy Auction will be here!
The Burgundy Auction is our fun-themed annual adult party. It's an auction, yes, with a live and silent auction, and also a fine meal, an opportunity for families of every budget to find and purchase a unique item or experience to suit their tastes and support financial aid at Burgundy. (Do you have just such an item or experience to donate? We're still welcoming auction items!) The theme of our 34th annual auction will be The Wonder of Burgundy.
Why do we have an auction? The auction is our biggest fundraiser of the year -- in support of financial aid! Burgundy's mission statement stipulates an inclusive learning environment, and that very much includes socio-economic diversity. This year as usual more than one in five students benefit from financial aid to attend Burgundy. Students in every grade receive financial aid.
Consider that more than 50 of our students probably could not attend Burgundy if we did not provide financial aid. Their absence from our learning community and each classroom would be a terrible loss for each of those children, but also for all of our children and our community!
So please plan to join us for the auction on Saturday, March 5. You don't have to be a big spender to attend; there's items for every budget. You don't want to miss it! 
Jeff Sindler
Head of School
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Coming Up at Burgundy ...
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Reminder: Annual Meeting of the Corporation Feb. 9
We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation on Tuesday, February 9, 7 p.m. in the Loft. If you plan to attend and haven't yet done so, please RSVP.
Complimentary childcare will be provided for Burgundy students 4 and older in the Extended Day building. Children will enjoy pizza and a screening of Ratatouille, rated G. If you'd like to use childcare, make the request in your RSVP. Please note that we can only guarantee childcare for registrations made by noon Monday, February 8.
The Annual Meeting of the Corporation is an opportunity for updates from the Burgundy Board of Trustees and administration, as well as strategic discussion with Burgundy parents. This is a chance to come together with a focus on strategic issues rather than day-to-day operational questions. There will be an introduction to the slate of nominees to the Board of Trustees; ballots were recently emailed and voting ends Monday, February 15.
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Dive into summer at one of our
Burgundy camps!
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Camp Registration Now Open! Registration is now open for Burgundy Farm Summer Day Camp! With all-new programs for 2016, plus all your favorites from previous summers, Burgundy Farm Summer Day Camp has more than ever for you and your camper to choose from. Learn more about our camp, check out the grid of all our 2016 programs, and register when you're ready!
Want to get a preview of camp? Burgundy will host an open house and camp demonstration Saturday, February 13, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Gym. The program includes campus tours and Q&A with Camp Director Hugh Squire from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Then get a hands-on camp experience with program demonstrations in three rotations, 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Light refreshments will be available.
Don't forget, registration is also open for camp at Burgundy Center for Wildlife Studies, which offers junior and senior sessions as well as an adult weekend! (Please note that Session 1 is full for girls. We can add your child's name to the wait list.) Learn more at a presentation with BCWS Director Vini Schoene '73 tomorrow, Saturday, February 6, at noon in the drama classroom.
Auction Update: Underwriting and Advertisements  Are you wondering how we're able to put on such a special auction and still raise money for financial aid? Fortunately, we have generous supporters who choose to underwrite an auction expense. Our event expenses come in different price ranges from the big ones (such as rentals for tables, chairs, tableware and more) to the smaller ones (such as water and soft drinks served on auction night). There are plenty of opportunities in between as well! Underwriting lowers Burgundy's expenses and thereby increases the amount we as a community raise for student financial aid. Interested? To contribute directly to underwrite select expenses, please contact Allison Niedbala.
Thank you to all who have already offered to underwrite! We will recognize all underwriting in the auction catalog and at the auction.
In just a few weeks, you'll be paging through the auction catalog, picking out the items your family will love best. Do you know a business who would like to advertise within those pages? Catalog ads can be a great introduction to the Burgundy community, or can highlight a donated auction item to drum up even more interest. Ads are available beginning at $50. Order an advertisement by filling out a donor form (PDF) -- if you are making other auction donations, one form will suffice. Camera-ready, print-quality ads are due by close of business on Tuesday, February 16. Questions? Contact Meghan Williams.
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Tom Teasley will return to Burgundy Friday, February 12!
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Musician Visit Feb. 12 We're happy to share that Tom Teasley is returning to Burgundy next Friday, February 12! Tom is an accomplished percussionist and music educator. He will speak to Middle School students about his travel experiences in the morning and work with students in our drumming elective class in the afternoon, but from 11 a.m. to noon in the Gym, Tom will perform for the entire school. Parents and guests are welcome, please join us!
Reminder: Author Visit Feb. 25 Author Dan Gutman is coming to Burgundy on Thursday, February 25 at 8:30 a.m. Grades 3-6 will be attending his 30 minute presentation, and if there are students from other grades who are interested, they may attend with teacher permission.
Print an order form (PDF) to purchase a signed copy of his brand new book, The Lincoln Project. Your child may bring the form to the library with cash or check (made out to BFCDS). The deadline has been extended due to our snow days! Forms must be returned to the library by Tuesday, February 9.
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Keep clipping those Box Tops! Our next collection will be Friday, February 19.
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Don't Forget!
Friday, February 5: Home basketball game, 3:10 p.m. varsity girls, 4:10 p.m. varsity boys vs. Capitol Hill Day School. Middle School Dance, 7-9:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 6: Admission Visits. BCWS summer camp presentation, noon, drama room. Celebrating 70 Years of Burgundy and our Vision Forward, 5:30 p.m. at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.
Monday, February 8: Math Mondays, Grades 3-5 Math Club, 3:15 p.m., Scout's classroom. Basketball home games, 3:30 p.m. varsity boys & 4:45 varsity girls vs. Gesher. Tuesday, February 9: Annual Meeting of the Corporation. Basketball away games, 3:30 p.m. varsity boys, 4:45 p.m. varsity girls vs. Edlin. Wednesday, February 10: Work Smarter session, 3:15 p.m., Library. Basketball away games, JV vs. Congressional, 3:30 p.m. boys, 4:30 p.m. girls. Basketball home games, varsity vs. Congressional, 3:45 p.m. girls, 4:45 p.m. boys. Thursday, February 11: Work Smarter session, 3:15 p.m., Library. Basketball home games, JV vs. Green Hedges, 3:30 p.m. girls, 4:30 p.m. boys. Friday, February 12: Pizza Day. Tom Teasley performance, 11 a.m., Gym. Saturday, February 13: Camp Open House, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Gym. Yearbook Meeting, 1-4 p.m., 8th grade homeroom.
Monday, February 15: School closed, President's Day. Tuesday, February 16: Re-enrollment contracts due. Wednesday, February 17: Work Smarter session, 3:15 p.m., Library. Basketball away game, JV girls vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes, 2:45 p.m. Basketball home game, JV boys vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes, 3:15 p.m. Thursday, February 18: Work Smarter session, 3:15 p.m., Library. Basketball home games, JV vs. Capitol Hill Day School, 3:45 p.m. boys, 5 p.m. girls. Friday, February 19: Pizza Day.
Looking Ahead: March 21-25 is Spring Break, and that means Spring Break Camp with Extended Day. Registration is coming soon!
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Professional Development Report
In the fall, Pat Harden and Steve LeBoo attended a conference on gender and sexuality diversity hosted by the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington. Pat and Steve shared some of what they learned from presenter Jennifer Bryan, Ph.D. as part of a broader opportunity to discuss diversity during Tuesday's professional development afternoon for faculty and staff. Dr. Bryan made the case for addressing issues of gender and sexuality in an ongoing way as part of a developmentally appropriate elementary-level education. She explained that doing so is especially appropriate for progressive schools, where by definition schools emphasize the education of the whole child. Pat and Steve noted that what they learned has already been a positive influence on their work at Burgundy.
Burgundy faculty and staff engage in a variety of professional development opportunities like this throughout the year, made possible through Annual Giving. Thank You: Bingo Night Last Sunday's Burgundy Bingo Night, hosted by the BPA, was a roaring success with more than 150 Burgundy students, parents, siblings, and special friends in attendance. Guest callers, including Elizabeth Lener, Joseph Edwards, and Emily Jonas (better known as "EJ") led rounds of old-fashioned bingo games such as "Four Corners," "The Big X," and "Postage Stamp." No child walked home empty handed from the prize table, and fun was had by all! A special thanks to our callers and our organizers, including Deedra Everett, the popcorn queen, and the rest of the Bingo committee: Ann Blakey, Johnnie Spicer, Maggie Prisby, and Kyle Dunbar. Be on the lookout for more Burgundy Family Fun Nights. Burgundy Bulletin 8th grader Isaac Ahdoot recently auditioned and won second chair for clarinets in the all district Fairfax County Band Competition. Along with other middle and high school students, Isaac will perform tomorrow, Saturday, February 6, 2 p.m. at Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 Telegraph Road, Alexandria.
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| | Evan Roper performs at the Birchmere. Photo by John Roper. |
Recently several Burgundy students who are also part of the Rock of Ages Music Rock School put on a show at the Birchmere in Alexandria. Burgundy performers included Isaac Ahdoot and Evan Roper (pictured), 8th grade, and Ena Sullivan and Jared Synnestvedt, 7th grade. Burgundy Class of 2012 graduate Declan Heist, currently a senior at Augusta Preparatory Day School in Georgia, has been named a candidate for the Presidential Scholars Program. The program was established in 1964 to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Each year fewer than 200 students are named Presidential Scholars.
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Parting Photos
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| | 5th grade Redtails take a bow after their performance of Pyramus and Thisbe. |
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| 8th grade instrumentalists and singers perform for the school
at their rescheduled recital Wednesday morning. |
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| After their Monday game, JV girls basketball players pause for a photo.
There are varsity home basketball games this afternoon, and JV next plays
on Wednesday. Photo by Maria Gilroy. |
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| Chance, Elizabeth Lener's dog, checks on the snowy playground
from a Meyers Barn window. Photo by Kathleen Hennessey. |
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