Calendar
4 National Honor Society Induction. Scranton Room in the Rowland Center, 6:30 pm.
6 SAT examinations.
11 Winter Concert, Riley Center for the Arts, 7:30 pm
15 Winter Showcase, Riley Center for the Arts, 6:30 pm
13 Chamber Choir Christmas Concert, First Congregational Church, 7 pm
22-31 Holiday Break
January 5 Classes resume
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Headmaster
Dear Families,
In every good way it feels like my family and I have been at Burr and Burton Academy and in Manchester longer than the five months that is the reality. Everywhere we go, people know about Burr and Burton, and I have been struck by the pride in the school expressed by so many, including those with no apparent connection to the school. This school reaches deep into this community, and simply by association, our family has experienced an extraordinarily warm welcome.
Since officially starting my duties this summer, I have embarked on a crash course on the school and the community. Here are some snippets of what I have experienced: Inspired teaching and learning: Peter Mull led a terrific English class using the Harkness Method discussion; Dave Micelli brought in his four-year-old son to give his psychology class a real-life lesson on Piaget; and Beth McCoy led a group of Access students in a “me thinking” and “you thinking” exercise. Dave Curtis, along with coaching the girls cross-country team to a state championship, brings science to life on a daily basis. John Wright’s quadrennial Elections class took this fall’s many races and turned them into a real-time social studies lesson. Jeff Houghton and the Target teachers take on some of our most challenging students and, through will, determination, and deep care, bring them down the path to a high school education.
Student leadership: The international students organized “Olympic” games and a potluck dinner featuring food from their home countries. The Freshmen Mentors—twenty seniors—meet weekly with 9th graders in small groups to guide them through that all-important first year of high school. The student government is leading efforts to reduce our carbon footprint (and, as a nice byproduct, reduce our costs). The girls’ field hockey team decided to use two hours of practice time to clean up the campus in advance of Grandparents’ Day. Students sit on a number of community boards—Lions Club, Rotary Club, Recreation Center, Select Board, among others—and lead campus tours for prospective families.
Developing passions: On the sports field, on the stage, in the chorus, competing in Scholars Bowl, in the art and music studios, and in the woodshop, there are myriad opportunities for students to explore their talents and develop their passions. The latest drama production, The Diviners, is only one example of students finding tremendous educational opportunities outside the academic classroom.
Parents who care: Over 500 parents were present for Parents’ Open House to meet teachers, learn about the curriculum, and demonstrate your support for the education of your sons and daughters. A similar number attended parent conferences a couple of weeks ago. Parents are essential partners in their children’s educational success, and I was delighted to see this turnout.
A faculty accountable to each other: As we implement an enhanced professional evaluation program and engage in regular departmental and school-wide discussions, we are gaining clarity regarding our own definition of excellence, and we are instilling an increased sense of accountability to the standards we are setting.
A school that is busy, productive, proud, and ambitious: Every day, good things happen within the walls of the school. Every evening, teachers and students prepare for the next day. The cycle continues, the weeks fly by, and the magical process of learning takes place.
Financially, this country is in the midst of the worst economic crisis in any of our lifetimes. Here in school, we are taking appropriate actions to eliminate waste and insure that every dollar we spend is spent wisely. (Some examples: we are reviewing health insurance providers, sealing windows, minimizing travel, and imbuing all employees with an ethos of “sensible spending.”) In addition, we need your help.
I ask that, along with the many other ways you contribute as a community member, you find a way to provide your strongest statement of financial support for Burr and Burton during this Annual Giving Campaign. We are striving for 100 percent participation among parents, and no donation is too small to be appreciated.
The decision to hire me, while entrusted in the Board of Trustees, was really a community decision. Collectively, I hope this community feels as good about that decision as I feel about my decision to accept. As with the best decisions in life, this one felt right as soon as we made it, and the work so far has been absolutely a labor of love. It is an honor and a pleasure to serve this school and this community.
I look forward to seeing you during this holiday season.
Sincerely,
Mark H. Tashjian
Headmaster
Please click here to donate $10 or more to the Burr and Burton Annual Giving Campaign.
Checks may be sent to:
Mark Tashjian
Headmaster
Burr and Burton Academy
57 Seminary Avenue
Manchester, VT 05254
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
From the Performing Arts Department
The Performing Arts Department presents its Winter Concert on Thursday, December 11, at 7:30 pm in the Riley Center for the Arts. The evening’s performance under the direction of Neil and Julie Freebern will showcase movements of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” Enjoy an evening of choir, orchestra, percussion ensembles, and more. Tickets are $4 and will be available at www.bba.ticketjunior.com.
On Monday, December 15, at 6:30 pm the Burr and Burton Drama and Dance program will showcase an evening of theater and dance in the Riley Center for the Arts. Traditional and contemporary works will be featured including the wonderful choreography of the Triple Threat extracurricular program. Donations are appreciated.
On Saturday, December 13, the Chamber Choir Christmas Concert will take place in the First Congregational Church at 7 pm.
Burr and Burton Academy had a record number of students accepted to the Green Mountain Music Festival this year. Auditions were held in early November and for the first time, every one of the Burr and Burton students who tried out was accepted. The Green Mountain Music Festival District Five concerts will take place in February and March. Front row: Charlotte Hogan, Claire Kaiser, Rachel Murphy, Rebecca Murphy, Laura Amatruto. Middle row: John Marino, Amy Hammond, Hilary Fox, Savannah Lewis, Sydney Beck, Talon Birns. Back row: Devin Johnson, Charles Richards, Dan Boston, Ian McNaughton, Mariette Aborn, Julie Freebern
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2009 Burtonian Yearbooks
Order your 2009 yearbooks at www.jostensyearbooks.com. Just select BBA and enter a major credit card. Books are $55. You must pre-order your yearbook; they will not be available for sale in the spring, so order now!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
College and Career Information
On-the-Spot Admission to Castleton State College
Seniors wanting to receive an immediate decision on their application to Castleton can do so on December 9 at Burr and Burton. Students must submit a completed application to their counselor by December 3 and then interview with a Castleton admission officer on the 9th. The application fee is waived for this program. Students should sign up with their School and College Counselor ASAP to take advantage of this program.
Applications
Seniors should be finalizing the college process – be sure to connect with your school counselor. We need to plan ahead for deadlines that fall over the holiday period; therefore, Monday, December 15, is the last day to request transcripts and records until January 5.
Once you receive a decision letter, please bring it in so we can photocopy your letter to keep an accurate record of our students’ successes. We’ll also announce your happy news at Monday assemblies!
Standardized Testing Information for Juniors
PSAT results are due to arrive later this month. We will distribute results to students as soon as they arrive and discuss future testing options with them.
SAT prep courses will be available this spring. Watch your mailbox in January for details and registration information.
Burr and Burton will be a testing site for the ACT on February 7. Students wishing to register for this exam need to sign up at www.actstudent.org by January 6.
Financial Aid
If you missed the VSAC Financial Aid Night here on October 15, an online version of its popular Paying for College presentation is available at www.vsaccollegepays.org. The online presentation takes about a half-hour, but can easily be viewed in smaller segments. There are also helpful handouts available at the site to download.
It’s important to pay attention in individual college financial aid deadlines that are different from admission deadlines. Please check each college’s website for information.
Some private colleges also require a form called the CSS Financial Aid Profile Form. This two-part process should be started immediately so as not to delay funding. Forms are available on-line at www.collegeboard.com or via the VSAC website: www.vsac.org.
All families of students applying for need-based financial aid will submit the FAFSA. Be aware that it can take 4-6 weeks for the paper FAFSA forms to be processed and forwarded to your colleges. Please remember that you can estimate on your forms and revise them later. Many colleges distribute financial aid on a first-come, first-served basis. The FAFSA form may be submitted beginning January 1 by completing it at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Families can register at this site in advance of January 1 to receive the necessary separate pin numbers for students and parents. (Beware of another website—www.fafsa.com—which charges people to complete the forms. FAFSA is a FREE form!)
All students applying for need-based aid will also submit the VSAC Financial Aid form after January 1. It is available on-line at www.vsac.org.
All seniors will receive VSAC folders to early December that contain a booklet of scholarship opportunities in Vermont; the booklet is also available on the VSAC website. Other local scholarships are posted in our office and will be announced as they come in.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
From the Advancement Office
We just came off a great fall sports season and we’re now beginning our winter season. The fall play, “The Diviners,” was a huge success and incredibly well produced and performed. Our choral group has been selected to participate in the Green Mountain Music Festival, which is a great honor. Our ACCESS students have done very well in statewide Special Olympics events. Twenty-seven students recently received Bromley Mountain passes for academic achievement. This list of successes goes on and on, and helps highlights the reason for our Annual Giving Campaign. These funds support our students in many diverse programs, both in academics, athletics and in the arts.
By now, all parents have received Headmaster Mark Tashjian’s letter asking for support of our Annual Giving Campaign. With the holiday season before us, we hope you will be compelled to support Burr and Burton Academy in its mission to educate all students, help them reach their full potential, and find individual success in many different ways.
Thank you to all of the 91 parents (out of 700 total) who have already sent in their gift. We’re looking for increased parent participation this year, so if you haven’t given, please consider a gift to the Annual Giving Campaign.
P. S. Parent phon-a-thons will be starting shortly and we need volunteers. And if you’ve given already, we won’t call you! To volunteer please contact Amy Comar, acomar@burrburton.org or 549-8281.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
From the Athletic Department
Winter schedules are posted on the school’s web site. For a complete list of ticket prices for winter basketball and ice hockey games, please see our website at www.burrburton.org/athletics.
Burr and Burton has signed up with the website LeagueMinder to give you free, real-time, public access to information on sports events at BBA. You can sign up for the e-mail distribution list for a specific sport or just go to www.viewmyschedule.com to view sports information. To sign up for the e-mail distribution list and have automatic e-mails sent directly to you when events change (i.e. date, time, venue) complete the following steps:
Go to www.viewmyschedule.com
Search for school town: Manchester
Click the circle next to Burr and Burton’s name
Under your choices click sign me up for emails
You can also visit the school’s Daily Announcements blog on our website to get weekly sports schedules and any daily changes.
Plan to join us for the Booster Club’s Chili Challenge on December 18.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
From the Library
As a Picturing America Award recipient, we recently received the Picturing America Materials and have introduced the Social Studies Department to these great resources. The National Endowment for the Humanities in partnership with the American Library Association is responsible for this wonderful program which seeks to introduce Americans to their artistic heritage and inspire them to become informed citizens. Forty large, high-quality reproductions of selected masterpieces serve as a starting point for learning about our nation’s history and artistic legacy. An in-depth resource book along with a dynamic online resource accompany the reproductions.
Season’s Readings
Here are some great new titles added this month:
Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram by Dang Thuy Tram; translated by Andrew X. Pham
Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How it Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth
Thin by Lauren Greenfield
American Shaolin by Matthew Polly
Sala’s Gift: My Mother’s Holocaust Story by Ann Kirschner
Tales From the Farm by Jeff Lemire
Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite With His Mother by Sonia Nazario
Lisa B. Tuttle Memorial Library Hours
Monday – Thursday 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday 7:00 am – 1:00 pm
Online catalogue: http://northshirelibraries.com
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
From the Business Office
Burr and Burton will be partnering with the State of Vermont to administer the National School Lunch Program. Depending on a family’s household income, your child may be eligible for free and reduced priced lunches. If you have any questions or need help, please call Dennis Filippi, Burr and Burton’s Free and Reduced Lunch coordinator at 802-549-8213
Here are some frequently asked questions about free or reduced price meals:
1. Do I need to fill out an application for each child? No. Complete the application to apply for free or reduced price meals. Use one Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application for all students in your household.
2. Who can receive free meals? Children in households receiving Food Stamps or Reach Up and most foster children can receive free meals regardless of your income. Also, your children can receive free meals if your household income is within the free income limits on the Federal Income Guidelines. See page 2 of the application.
3. Who can receive reduced price meals? Your children can receive low cost meals if your household income is within the reduced price limits on the Federal Income Chart, shown on the back of the application.
4. Will the information I give be checked? Yes, we may ask you to send written proof.
5. If I don’t qualify now, may I apply later? Yes. You may apply at any time during the school year if your household size goes up, income goes down, or if you start receiving Food Stamps, Reach Up or other benefits. If you lose your job, your children may be able to receive free or reduced price meals.
6. Who should I include as members of my household? You must include all people living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relatives, or friends). You must include yourself and all children who live with you.
7. What if I disagree with the school’s decision about my application? You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to Mary Blair, Director of Finance, Burr and Burton Academy, P.O. Box 498 Manchester, VT 05254 Tele: 802.549.8112
