Calendar
3 Calliope Café, 6:30 pm, Rowland Center
7 Booster Club meeting, 5 pm, classroom off gym lobby
8-9 Parent and Teacher Conferences (see below)
13-17 Spring Break
29 Evening Open Parent Association meeting, 5 pm, Rowland Center
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From the Headmaster
Dear Families,
As you may have read in the newspapers, Burr and Burton recently underwent the first layoffs in many years. Four non-teaching positions were eliminated due to challenges of the global economy and our need to streamline administrative costs. Layoffs are a difficult task, but these and other cost-containment measures are necessary so our budget will balance next year.
In determining how to address the budget issues, we have taken great care to ensure that we continue to be able to nourish the academic, athletic and artistic programs of this school. To give you a flavor for the philosophy behind our decisions, please find below two basic points that not only guided the current decisions, but will lead us through these difficult times:
• We will protect, above all else, great teaching and passionate learning, and we will do everything we can to support the work of educators in the classroom. We will continue to be a leader in education and educational innovation. We will continue to be a school that attracts and retains the best teachers in the land.
• We will resist calls to strip down to the so-called “essentials” and, instead, will continue to recognize that education is an endeavor of the mind, body and spirit. The vibrancy of this school is in large part due to the many ways that students can find personal success, and the expansiveness of the Burr and Burton opportunity must continue.
In short, we will continue Burr and Burton’s long tradition of excellence, we will continue to provide the full range of opportunities for students to explore their passions and talents, and we will unabashedly seek to fill this school with great educators. You can consider these statements to be a commitment to you as parent, taxpayer, tuition-payer, and caring citizen.
The importance of education is enhanced in tough times. Thank you for your support for this great school.
Sincerely,
Mark H. Tashjian
Headmaster
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Parent and Teacher Conferences
Parent and teacher conferences are scheduled this semester for Wednesday, April 8, from 1 pm-5 pm and Thursday, April 9, from 1 pm-8 pm with a break from 5:00-5:45 pm. All students will be dismissed at 12:35 pm on both days.
Scheduling can be done again this year online at: https://www.pickatime.com/client?ven=11601183
We encourage all parents to schedule appointments. If you have any questions or are having problems scheduling appointments, please call Sue Towslee in the main office at Burr and Burton Academy at 549-8102.
Helpful Hints: The pick-a-time software is VERY sensitive to both case and punctuation. Please follow the examples exactly in order to register. The most common problem when trying to set up appointments is not entering your student’s birth date correctly. It needs to be entered exactly as the example is shown: mm-dd-yyyy. Also, if you are a split family, and another parent has already made appointments, you will need to contact me so I can help set up appointments for you.
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Lunch Accounts Now Online
To Use MealTime Online log on to the Burr and Burton web site www.burrburton.org/parents/index and click on “Lunch Accounts” which will take you to MealTime Online.
Step 1: Create a MealTime Online parent account. Click on the “Create new account” link and enter a username and password that you will use to login to MealTime Online. The username and password must be at least 6 characters. For example, username: jsmith password: pty845.
Step 2: Add your student. Login to your MealTime Online account (using the username and password that you created in Step 1), click on the “Add New Student” link, and add your student by entering their first name and ID number. The ID number is NOT your student’s school PIN/ID#. You will receive an email from MealTime Point of Sale that will inform you of your student’s unique identifying number.
Step 3: Make a deposit. Click on the “Make Deposit” link to make a deposit into your student’s account. There is a transaction fee of 4.9 percent for making deposits. If you do not want to incur a transaction fee, you may continue to send a check into the school with your student and have them deposit it in the lockbox located in the cafeteria next to the cashier stations.
There is no charge to view your student’s cafeteria balance and purchase history. Click on the “View Details” link next to your student’s name to view their cafeteria account balance and purchase history. The purchase history starts on Thursday March 19, 2009, the date the new system was activated. If you need a purchase history prior to this date, please contact Maureen Harvey at 802-849-8139 or mharvey@burrburton.org.
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Summer Driver Education Program Begins June 17
The Driver Education Course begins on Wednesday, June 17, at 8 am in the Smith Center. This course is free of charge to Burr and Burton students. Driving permits are required at the first class. There are no exceptions.
The course runs from June 22 through July 10. Students are in the classroom from 8 -10 am (excluding weekends and July 4) and in-the-car driving sessions take place from 10 am – 12 noon or 12:15 – 2:15 pm.
The above schedule is for the first 3 weeks only. Classroom instruction ends on and includes July 10. Driving instruction continues until each student completes the required hours on the road, as outlined below:
July 11 through July 31 (or sooner depending on when 6 hours are completed; some students will finish their 6 hours of driving before others): 7 – 10 am, 10 am – 12 noon, 12:15 – 2:15 pm.
Each student must complete 30 hours of classroom time, 6 hours of driving, and 6 hours of observation. These requirements are mandated by the Vermont Department of Education. The course will include 3 separate classrooms, 3 instructors, and 3 vehicles. Typically we have about 75 students participating.
Students drive on a rotating basis, not every day. Copies of the driving schedule will be made available to students. We will accommodate students within limits as to what block of driving time suits them. Other than the 15 two-hour classroom blocks, students need NOT be at school except when they are scheduled to drive. Those times will be determined once the course begins.
Attendance is mandatory with no exceptions. If you have a conflict with work/vacation/camp activities, you must make a choice before the course starts.
Absences cannot be made up. In order to successfully complete this course, a grade of 70 percent must be achieved.
We recognize that a driver education course offered in the summer can be a challenge for some families. However, Burr and Burton has chosen this option as it allows for more academic offerings during the regular school year. Please feel free to contact Stan Blicharz, Director at 775-2827 (home) or 775-0566 ext. 2005 (work) if you have any questions.
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From the Advancement Office
It’s hard to believe spring is here and midterms have happened; the school year certainly is speeding by. The spring athletic season is underway with the track and field team running through town with pink cheeks from the cold and Dana Thompson Park is coming alive as tennis, lacrosse, baseball and softball prepare for their home opening games and matches. The buzz has begun as play practice begins for our spring musical A Chorus Line; everyone is looking forward to experiencing this next great production.
As we move closer to our goal of $450,000 we stay focused on our other goal of continuing to provide endless extracurricular programs and resources in the classroom. We also continue to be conscious of our expenses to ensure that every dollar donated is being used to provide the most necessary tools for our students. The support of our parents, alumni, grandparents, local businesses and friends has been phenomenal in this challenging economy.
We count on our parents to help support the needs of the school – please consider a gift of $25, $50, $100 or more. It’s not the amount but the participation that’s important. Burr and Burton Academy isn’t the beneficiary of your gift, YOUR student is! Make an investment in your student’s future today. For more information please contact Amy Comar, Annual Giving Campaign coordinator, at 549-8281 or by e-mail acomar@burrburton.org.
The Advancement Office will host a second Open Parent Association Meeting on April 29 at 5 pm in the Rowland Center. If you were not able to attend the first meeting at the beginning of March, we hope you can join us for this one. There will be a discussion with Headmaster Mark Tashjian for about an hour and some break- out groups afterward. An e-mail announcement will follow with further details.
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From the Arts Department
Please join us for Calliope Café on Friday, April 3, at 6:30 pm in the Rowland Center. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students.
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From the Athletic Department
Do you have unused sports equipment sitting in your closet? We’d love to have it for our international students! We have several students who would like to try a sport every year who decide not to because they have to buy equipment that they will never use again. Please contact Director of Athletics Kathi Bierwirth at 549-8119 or by e-mail kbierwirth@burrburton.org if you have equipment you would like to donate.
Booster Club Needs Your Support
The Burr and Burton Booster Club is dying. A dramatic statement, perhaps, but definitely not an overstatement. At present, the core of the Booster Club consists of about seven volunteers. Within the next two years, we will most likely lose three of those members as their children graduate from BBA. In the almost three years that I have been involved with the Booster Club, I have seen several other members leave but I have not seen one additional person come on board. Without additional members we will see our efforts slowly die away. Already we have seen the end of our ski sale and this year we have been forced to cancel our annual golf tournament. The loss of these events will have a substantial impact on our fundraising efforts, and in times like these fundraising is more important than ever. I am sure by now that most of you have seen Mark Tashjian’s letter outlining the financial pressures that Burr and Burton is experiencing. We would be naive to think that this will not have some impact on BBA’s sports programs.
The parent and student involvement in staffing some of our efforts has been tremendous. The times that we have had trouble getting people to run the concessions or handle the 50/50 raffle have been very, very few. Last year when we hosted the Harlem Rockets, I sent out an e-mail asking for help and within minutes had more than enough people to get us through the evening.
However, we still need people who are willing to make the commitment to help organize and run these events. Without those events our fundraising efforts will fall short of the total needed to support the commitments we have made in the past, let alone fund those things that need to be done in the future. So far this year, BBA has won seven state championships. The banners that will hang in the gym celebrating those championships will cost approximately $2,000 and are paid for by the Booster Club. The Booster Club has spent over $1,000 this year on travel money for our student athletes going to state playoffs. In addition, the club in the past has awarded an annual scholarship of $1,000 to a male and female Burr and Burton senior. This year we committed $1,000 to help pay for an indoor batting cage for the baseball and softball teams (a necessity for teams that are lucky if they see any outdoor practice before their first game). There are also the monies raised through the 50/50 raffles that have gone to help support the hockey teams. Through our golf tournament, we were able to pay for an outstanding weight room and exercise facility. However, without future fundraising events, maintaining that facility will be very difficult.
I know all of us are faced with numerous other commitments and demands for our time, but I also know that sometimes all that it takes is to ask someone to help out. Unfortunately, I can’t ask you all one by one, so I am asking you now through this letter to help. Please attend our meetings. They are held the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30 pm in Julie Fifield’s classroom, off the gym lobby. Please call me if you have any questions.
Thank you,
John Conlon
(James ’10 and Marjean ’12)
President
Burr and Burton Booster Club
802-362-1873
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From the Library
New additions to our nonfiction collection include:
• We Are the Ship: the Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
• John Steinbeck : a Twentieth-Century Life by Milton Meltzer
• Blue Clay People : Seasons on Africa’s Fragile Edge by William Powers
• Custom Kicks: Personalized Footwear by Maki
• Outliers : The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
• Nothing to Fear : FDR’s Inner Circle and the Hundred Days That Created Modern America by Adam Cohen
• The Tyranny of Oil : The World’s Most Powerful Industry—and What We Must Do To Stop It by Antonia Juhasz
• Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals by Temple Grandin
• Mrs. Lincoln: a Life by Catherine Clinton
• The Soloist : a Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez
New additions to our fiction collection include:
• Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers
• The Watchmen by Alan Moore
• The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson
• Sovay by Celia Rees
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Boxer and the Spy by Robert B. Parker
• Bonechiller by Graham McNamee
• Diamond Willow by Helen Frost
• Child of Dandelions by Shehaaz Nanji
• Boot Camp by Todd Strasser
Library website: http://northshirelibraries.com
Library Hours
Monday – Thursday 7 am – 4 pm
Friday 7 am – 1 pm
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Summer Camps 2009
We have some exciting new camp offerings this year including tennis, music, techsploration, softball and gamers. We will continue to offer all the camps from last year: lacrosse, football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and dance. For your convenience, there is a link to our new camp website at www.burrburton.org (click on Summer Camps 2009 in the left column) where you will find more information about all of our camps.
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College and Career Counseling
Mock Interviews for Juniors
Our annual Mock Interview Program takes place on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 8. Juniors will have an opportunity to test their interviewing skills while meeting one on one with visiting college admission counselors. Students will receive direct feedback from the admission professionals that they can put to use when they schedule college visits in the upcoming months. As previously announced, this is a first-come first-served program. nterested juniors who haven’t yet signed up should check with Lynne Welsh to inquire if there are any remaining spots.
Standardized Testing Registration Information for Juniors
Test: ACT
Registration Deadlines: February 27 and May 8
Test Dates: April 4 and June 13
Place: BBA and Other
Test: SAT or Subject
Registration Deadlines: March 31 and May 5
Test Dates: May 2 and June 6
Place: BBA and Other
Students can register for the SAT online at www.collegeboard.com. Please be aware that the June testing date may conflict with post-season athletic contests. The SAT Reasoning Test is the regular SAT (the previous SAT I) required by most colleges. The SAT Subject Tests are the old SAT IIs or even older Achievement Tests; all but a handful of the most selective colleges do not require Subject Tests.
- The ACT is a nice alternative to the SAT; nearly every college accepts either test and some colleges accept the ACT in lieu of SAT subject tests. To register online, go to www.actstudent.org. Paper registration forms for both the SAT and ACT are also available in the School and College Counseling Office.
SAT Prep Class
There are still spaces remaining in the SAT Prep class coming to Burr and Burton on April 25 and 26. Bruce Hammond, an editor of the Fiske Guide to Colleges and national speaker and presenter will lead the class. Please sign up in the School and College Counseling Office asap.
College Planning To-Do List for Juniors
The School and College counselors have been meeting with juniors for the past two months. Please ask your student to check out their college list on the Naviance program: http://connection.naviance.com/burrburton. We’ll be sending you a more extensive to-do list in the upcoming midterm report mailing, but here are some of the highlights:
• Sign up for SAT or ACT (see above).
• Research colleges and make college visits (during April break or take an excused absence on another day).
• Make journal notes in Naviance. Keep track of what you learn about each college and share your impressions with us.
• Let us know when you’re ready to meet again.
• Attend relevant programs like the Burr and Burton College Night on Tuesday, May 5.
• Stay in regular communication with your counselor so we can assist you.
Local College Fair
Representatives from primarily Northeastern colleges will gather on Wednesday, April 8, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Castleton State College to speak with families about their programs. The list of participating colleges is posted in the School and College Counseling Office.
Graduation Information for Senior Families
Watch your mail for a booklet with comprehensive graduation information; it should arrive by the end of this month.
Senior College Notifications
May 1 is the National Candidates’ Reply Date. Seniors should be sure to send in their deposit to the ONE college of their choice by May 1 in order to hold their place in the class. Families who have not received financial aid packages may want to request an extension for the deposit but all students should communicate with their college by May 1. At the same time, seniors should notify other colleges that they have decided to enroll elsewhere.
Financial Aid Packages
Families of seniors who are receiving financial aid award letters may find the different presentations to be confusing. Use the “Award Letter Comparison Tool” available on the “Pay for College” page at www.vsac.org to better understand what different colleges are offering. The friendly folks at VSAC are available to answer questions about loans and other parts of the financial aid process; feel free to contact them at 1-800-642-3177.
Scholarships
Forms for all of the scholarships listed below are available in the School and College Counseling Office. This scholarship information is also listed on the Naviance website at: http://connection.naviance.com/burrburton.
The Order of the Eastern Star College Scholarship
Eligibility: High school senior planning to attend 2-4 year college or university full-time; academic achievement; community involvement; financial need.
Award: $500; Deadline: April 1
Nelson E. & Marie Williams Scholarship
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who live within the borders of the area served by Currier Memorial School. This includes the towns of Danby ad Mt. Tabor. The student must have been a graduate of Currier Memorial School; strong character, strong academics, financial need.
Award: Not specified; Deadline: April 1
Sons of American Legion – Denis Comai Scholarship
Eligibility: Senior planning to attend trade school or technical college. Must have an immediate family member who is a member of the American Legion Family
Award: $1,000; Deadline: April 1
American Legion of Vermont Scholarship
Eligibility: seniors accepted at approved or accredited school or college,
Award: $1,500; $1,000; or $500; Deadline: April 1
Stephen Wood Carman and Sean Stephen Wood Cornell Memorial Scholarship
Eligibility: Senior planning to attend college in fall 2009. Based on overall academic record, extra-curricular activities and community service
Award: not specified; Deadline: April 10
For further information contact Jackie Sargood, SVAC, 362-1405
Wantastiquet Rotary Club Scholarship
Eligibility: Senior planning to further education through vocational course of study or 2- or 4-year college; academic potential, participation and involvement in school and home communities.
Award: $150; Deadline: April 11
Vermont Space Grant Scholarship
Eligibility: graduating high school senior or current undergraduate at VT College or University. GPA 3.0 or above. Planning to pursue career with direct relevance to US aerospace industry and NASA.
Award: $2,500; Deadline: April 13
Application also online at: www.vtspacegrant.org/scholarship.htm
Manchester Lions Club Scholarship
Eligibility: graduating senior needing financial assistance with college, trade school, conservatory, AA degree program or other non-traditional training program. Also for a recent past graduate who may just now be moving ahead with their education.
Award: not specified; Deadline: April 15
VFW – Phil Kelleher and John West Scholarship
Eligibility: High school senior planning to enroll in college. Award based on academic record, personal achievement, community service
Award: not specified; Deadline: April 20 must be hand-delivered
Vermont Golf Association Scholarship
Eligibility: Senior, in top 40% of class, GPA of 80, minimum combined SAT of 1500; connection to golf through play, caddying, or working at a club or golf course. Demonstration of financial need.
Award: $1,000/year for 4 years; Deadline: April 20
Application also online at: www.vtga.org
Manchester Masons of VT Scholarship
Eligibility: senior planning to enroll in college; award based on leadership, community service and extra-curricular activities and financial need
Award: $500.00; Deadline: April 22
Vermont Grocer’s Scholarship
Eligibility: senior affiliated with VGA via family or as an employee: financial need
Award: $1,500 to $2,500; Deadline: April 24
Winona Smith Scholarship
Eligibility: senior who has demonstrated an interest in civic participation and community service, financial need. Must have a teacher recommendation specific to this scholarship
Award: $50; Deadline: April 28
Southern Vermont Arts Center Scholarships
Harriet Miller Memorial Scholarship
Thomas Reilly Dibble Memorial Scholarship
Churchill Ettinger Memorial Scholarship
Eva Mathiasen Memorial Scholarship
H. Thomas Clarke Memorial Scholarship
Eligibility: graduating senior accepted to an art program or art institution. Must be nominated by the BBA Art Faculty and have a comprehensive portfolio for review. Awarded to the artist who best shows a firm grasp on the principles of aesthetics and design.
Award: $500; Deadline: May 1
Bill Muench Basketball Camp Scholarship
Eligibility: graduating senior (one boy and one girl) who participated in or worked as a counselor at Bill Muench’s Basketball Camp. Recognizes attitude, academic achievement and effort, involvement in sports, community or other extra-curricular activity)
Award: not specified; Deadline: May 1
Stephen Phillips Scholarship
Eligibility: Financial need, academic excellence, and exemplary citizenship, character and serious-mindedness. Extensive application form. Start early! (See if you qualify financial BEFORE filling out the application.)
Award: $3,000 to $10,000
Deadline: May 1
Application online at www.phillips-scholarship.org
BBA Wadsworth Art Scholarship
Eligibility: must be planning to major or double major in studio art.
Award: $1,000; Deadline: May 1
Ray Pellegrini “Reach for the Stars” Scholarship
(sponsored by the Vermont Principals’ Association)
Eligibility: graduating senior, first generation college student, attending a college in VT, with the intention of remaining in VT after college. Community service and/or volunteer work will be given strong consideration.
Award: $1,000; Deadline: May 1
Applications also online at www.vpaonline.org.
Rutland Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Scholarship
Eligibility: must be accepted at an accredited college or university and plan to study in the field of health care.
Award: $1,000, $1,500, or $2,000; Deadline: May 4
St. Andrew’s Society of VT, Cultural Grants
Eligibility: VT residents who plan to enroll or are already enrolled in studying Scottish History language, arts, literature, dance and/or music
Award: $1,000; Deadline: May 5
Application also online at http://www.standrewssocietyofvermont.org
BBA Booster Club Athletic Award
Eligibility: outstanding accomplishments and participation in the area of athletics. 100-word essay required. Awarded to one male and one female athlete.
Award: $500 each; Deadline: May 5
BBA Teachers’ Association Scholarship
Eligibility: Seniors, based on personal integrity and commitment to learning. Brief essay required.
Award: not specified; Deadline: May 5
Rizio-Wood Memorial Golf Scholarship
Eligibility: graduating senior or current college student intending to pursue a career related to golf and/or agronomy as related to golf. (Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science.)
Award: not specified; Deadline: June 2
COMING SOON: The Reverend Canon Robert L. Clayton Scholarship Program
Eligibility: graduating senior, strong academic record, financial need, extra-curricular involvement, community involvement, character, goals
Award: $4,000/year for four years; Deadline: TBA (Probably early to mid-May)
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