September

Calendar
1 Labor Day. No School.
3 Headmaster’s Reception, 5 pm – 6:30, Rowland Center
5 Headmaster’s Reception, 7:30 am – 9 am, Rowland Center
9 School Photos
12 Parent Association Fall Fest at the Equinox, 6 pm
16 Senior Parent College Night, 7 pm
19 Saint Michael’s College Fair, 7:15 am – 3:00 pm
24 Open House for Parents

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From the Headmaster

Dear Parents,
The new year has begun. This morning, we welcomed a record number of students onto the Burr and Burton campus: 737 students strong! This is the largest enrollment in the history of this school and it defies the demographic downturn in this state, proving that families will do whatever it takes to find great education for their children. The breakdown is as follows: 174 freshmen, 155 sophomores, 226 juniors, and 182 seniors. Included in these numbers are 51 international students representing 12 countries: Germany, Austria, Spain, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Mexico, South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, and Sweden.

At the opening assembly, I shared with students a deeply held belief: teachers have a right to teach, and students have a right to learn. I also urged students to get off to a good start to this school year by focusing on three things:

1. Work hard—because nobody reaches their full potential in anything without putting forth effort.
2. Stick together—those who work as a team will go farther and accomplish more.
3. Find the inner beauty in each subject—I encouraged students to dig deeply into each subject. The more you explore a subject, the more interesting it becomes.

With our size comes a rich array of opportunities, the vibrancy of a diverse community, and a place where every student should find someone with whom to connect. Our size also challenges the Burr and Burton faculty to bring to each student the attention and care that he or she deserves and that are the hallmarks of this school. We as a faculty are committed to continuing Burr and Burton’s tradition of excellence and utilizing our size as a strength rather than a weakness.

There is terrific energy in the air around here that comes with the start of a year filled with possibilities. On behalf of the entire faculty, I want to welcome your sons and daughters back to school.

Sincerely yours,
Mark H. Tashjian
Headmaster

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Fall Fest 2008
Headmaster Mark Tashjian and the Parent Association cordially invite you to celebrate Fall Fest on Friday, September 12, at 6 pm in Equinox’s Rockwell Room in Manchester Village. A sumptuous Harvest Buffet will start the evening off, followed by a live auction. Later in the evening, guests will be dancing to the music of one of Manchester’s most sought-after bands, the Knee Jerks. A silent auction will also be held and a cash bar will be available. Committee members are delighted to offer outstanding auction items including a two houses for one week in ‘Sconset, Nantucket; a one-week stay in San Francisco with a trip to Napa Valley; tickets to a Yankees game; dinner at the Reluctant Panther with Headmaster and Mrs. Mark Tashjian; reserved seats for Burr and Burton’s 2009 graduation ceremonies, and many priceless and unique opportunities to support Burr and Burton students. All proceeds will go to the Annual Giving Campaign which supports all students and school programs. Tickets are $50. For more information please call Advancement Coordinator Nancy Brown at 549-8110 or e-mail nbrown@burrburton.org.

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New Faculty and Staff

Burr and Burton welcomes new faculty and staff members:

http://bbanewsandevents.blogspot.com/

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From the Arts Department
The Arts Department would be very grateful for your donation of clear plastic 3-way egg cartons. You may leave them with Betsy Hubner in the lower level of the Rowland Center.

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From the Performing Arts Department
Music teachers Neil and Julie Freebern will be leading a Music Department trip to Scotland during the Spring Break next April. An informational meeting will take place Thursday, September 25, at 7 pm in the music room (located in the lower level of the Riley Center for the Arts). For more information contact Julie Freebern: jfreebern@burrburton.org.

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From the Business Office

Please be aware that some changes have been made to the way the student lunch accounts are refilled. We have temporarily suspended the credit card option that was used in the past. If you would like to place money in your student’s lunch account, please have your student bring in a check made payable to Burr and Burton Academy and have them place it in the lock box located in the cafeteria next to the cash registers. Checks will be posted to your students account the following business day.

We are currently working on a payment system that you will be able to access through the parent’s web page and that will allow you to make deposits directly into your student’s lunch account. Once the system is available we will let you know

If you have any questions regarding your student’s lunch account you may call Dennis Filippi at 549-8213.

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From the English Department
The English Department has adopted the following policy: Late papers will receive a zero grade. The student has one day to complete the paper in order to receive a failing grade. The failing grade could be anything from a 59 to a zero depending on the quality of the paper. If the paper is not turned in after one day, the zero will stay in the gradebook.

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From the Library
Returning students will quickly discover our 26 new Apple computers that are running the Mac platform instead of Windows! Be sure to turn in your purple Acceptable Use Policy Signature Form so you don’t experience any interruption in computer access.

New fiction and nonfiction books are on display throughout the library and if you are looking for a title from one of the extra-credit Social Studies reading lists you will find copies of all the titles in your library.

For great reading suggestions try these reading blogs:
Reading Rants http://readingrants.org/
Educating Alice http://medinger.wordpress.com/
YA Books Central http://yabookscentral.blogspot.com/
Alternative Teen Services http://yalibrarian.com/

Or try these online reading lists:
2008 Summer Movies: http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Read-alikes_for_Summer_2008_Movies
Graphic Novels: http://www.noflyingnotights.com/index2.html
Titles by Genre: http://www.genrefluent.com/
Grade-level Suggestions: http://www.edb.utexas.edu/resources/booksR4teens/grade.html

We are always looking for ways to serve you better. If you have any suggestions or comments we would love to hear them. Just stop by the library and tell us!

Library website: http://northshirelibraries.com

Library hours:
Monday-Thursday 7 am – 4 pm
Friday 7 am – 1 pm

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College and Career Information

MAKE-UP SENIOR COLLEGE WORKSHOP
Seniors who missed attending one of the three mandatory college workshops offered in late August need to attend an evening session on Tuesday, September 16, at 7 pm in the Rowland Center. This will be the only make-up session.

COLLEGE APPLICATION WORKSHOPS FOR PARENTS OF SENIORS
Mark your calendar for BBA’s College Application Workshops for Parents on Tuesday, September 16, at 7 pm. This program will take place in the Rowland Center and will recap details of the college process, application tips and other information we will have shared with seniors during their senior college workshops in August.

COLLEGE FAIR FIELD TRIP
Burr and Burton will sponsor a trip for interested juniors and seniors to the NEACAC College Fair at St. Michael’s College on Friday, September 19. The bus will leave promptly at 7:15 am and return to Manchester by 3:00 pm. Approximately 250 college representatives will be in attendance to meet with you and answer your questions. To sign up, bring a completed college fair worksheet, permission slip and $5 to the School and College Counseling Office. Bus seats are limited, and will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis until full. No reservations will be accepted after Wednesday, September 17.

Students and families may instead opt to attend the evening session of the college fair on Thursday, September 18, from 6 to 9 p.m. Students will not be permitted to drive separately to the daytime portion of the college fair.

STANDARDIZED TESTING REGISTRATION FOR SENIORS
Burr and Burton will be the host site for both the SAT and ACT this October. Seniors take note: September 9 is the registration deadline for the October 4 SAT and September 19 is the registration deadline for the October 25 ACT. September 26 is the deadline for the SAT on November 1. Pick up these forms outside the School and College Counseling Office or register on-line at www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org. Please note that Burr and Burton does not collect the fees for the SAT or ACT; you must register directly with these organizations.

COLLEGE WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS OF JUNIORS
Juniors had a jump-start on the college process during on their special first day in August. Now it’s time for their parents to join the action. Mark your calendar for 7 pm on Tuesday, October 7, for a college workshop in the Rowland Center when BBA School and College counselors will present an overview of the college process.

SOPHOMORE AND JUNIOR TESTING
Sophomores will take the PLAN on the morning of Wednesday, October 15. The PLAN helps students measure their current academic development and explore career-training options. It is a test that has value for students planning to enter college as well as those entering the workforce. The charge for this test is $10 and students should bring the fee to their advisors by October 5.

Most juniors will take the PSAT (a preliminary, or practice, SAT) on Wednesday, October 15, during school hours. Students need bring the $15 registration fee (checks should be made out to Burr and Burton Academy) to their advisors by October 5. The PSAT is a wonderful opportunity for students who have completed geometry to assess their testing skills. Juniors who don’t wish to take the PSAT can instead register for the PLAN.

Contact the School and College counselors if you have any questions or need to request a fee waiver for either the PSAT or the PLAN.

The Assistant Headmaster is currently putting together the schedule for NECAP tests that juniors will take place over 3-4 days during the month of October. The final dates will be announced shortly. We ask that you keep this in mind when scheduling doctor and dentist appointments during this period.

VSAC FINANCIAL AID NIGHT
The annual Vermont Student Assistance Corporation Financial Aid road show comes to Burr and Burton on Wednesday, October 15. Parents of juniors and seniors will especially benefit from attendance. The VSAC representative will present the principles and basic steps of the financial aid process and review the different parts of the various financial aid forms. Come to the Rowland Center at 6:30 pm.

CAMPUS VISITS
Seniors who haven’t yet visited colleges are strongly advised to make plans to do so as soon as possible. While scheduling college visits during vacations and on weekends is preferable, we understand that it is sometimes necessary for students to miss school. Campus visits are excused absences. Tuesday, November 11, is a particularly good day to visit colleges because it is a faculty in-service day at Burr and Burton.

COLLEGE VISITORS
Juniors and seniors may be excused from class, with teacher permission, to meet with college representatives visiting Burr and Burton this fall. At press time, more than 20 colleges have scheduled appointments for the month of September. Please check the college visit list on Naviance (http://connection.naviance.com/burrburton) or the College Planning Calendar in the School and College Counseling Office for the most up-to-date list of visitors and meeting locations. Daily announcements will also serve as a reminder of these appointments. College visits provide students with a great opportunity to ask questions and learn the most current campus information.

School and College Counseling Office Contact Information

Don’t hesitate to call us if you have a question, a concern or feedback. We welcome all contact and the opportunity to work with you to assure the quality of your student’s experience at Burr and Burton.

Phil Anton, Director of Admission and Guidance, counselor for all freshmen
549-8125; panton@burrburton.org.
Andrea Hogan, Guidance and College Counselor for sophomores, juniors,
and seniors.; 549-8145; ahogan@burrburton.org
Melissa Michaud, Guidance and College Counselor for sophomores, juniors,
and seniors 549-8130; mmichaud@burrburton.org
Cristin Rose, Guidance and College Counselor for sophomores, juniors, and
seniors; 549-8126; crose@burrburton.org

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From the Booster Club

Dear Parents,
As the new school year gets underway and our athletic teams begin their seasons, the Burr and Burton Booster Club is putting out its regular call for volunteers. The Booster Club is a group of parents who, because of their belief that athletics represent an important part of a child’s education and development, just as academics and the arts, work to provide both moral and financial support of the sports programs at Burr and Burton Academy.

Probably one of the most recognizable of our efforts is the weight room, where the Booster Club was one of the primary financial contributors. In the past few years, the Booster Club has provided the Athletics Department and BBA teams with items such as a portable sound system for the athletic fields, electronic scoreboards, championship banners, and athletic scholarships.

Obviously none of this happens by itself, it takes the efforts of the parents and students of BBA and the extended BBA community. To insure that the Booster Club will be able to continue support our teams we need the further support of the BBA community such as the parents of BBA’s athletes. We urge you to become an active member of the Booster Club by attending our meetings (the first Tuesday evening of every month) or by volunteering to help with our various fund raising activities.

During the fall sports’ season we will need help with concession sales during the games at Applejack Field. We also will need help over Homecoming Weekend with some of the events that will take place on campus and concession sales both at Applejack Filed and the Burr and Burton campus and at the Peru Fair September 27.

Hopefully, the great support the Booster Club has received in the past will continue. Once again, I urge you to become an active member of the Booster Club by attending our meetings or by volunteering to help with one of our events. Our next club meeting is scheduled for September 2, Tuesday, at 5 PM.

John Conlon
President
Burr and Burton Booster Club

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From the Health Clinic

Dear Families and Students,
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the Burr and Burton community as the new Health Clinic counselor. Having worked in independent schools for almost nine years in a variety of capacities, I consider myself not only a mental health clinician, but also, an educator. I began my career teaching at NOLS (the National Outdoor Leadership School) and soon realized my lifelong passion is linked to inspiring young people in their journey through adolescence.

I most recently worked at Bromley Brook School as a therapist for adolescent girls and their families. In this position, I provided individual therapy, family therapy and facilitated many topic-focused groups including: substance use/abuse, mindfulness, the use of yoga and aerobic exercise to overcome feelings of anxiety and depression and process groups to explore ways to cope with just being a teenager in today’s world.

In my capacity as a full-time counselor in the Heath Clinic here at Burr and Burton, I will be working with a variety of students on a weekly basis, but will also have time allotted for drop-ins and be a resource to anyone in the community. I will also be facilitating parent informational meetings throughout the year to explore some of the challenges our young people face today, including cyber-bullying, eating disorders, substance use and teenage depression, just to name a few. I welcome any input you have for these sessions and any questions you may have at any time.

I also have the pleasure of working with and supervising an additional Health Clinic counselor, Rebecca Morse, whom many of you know from last year. Rebecca is currently completing a master’s degree in clinical psychology and will be available Monday through Thursday to counsel students, work with families and serve as an additional resource.

I look forward to meeting you soon.
Sandy Birch, MSW