Calendar
2 SATs
4-15 AP exams
5 College Admission Program, 7-9 pm, Rowland Center
7-9 All-State Music Festival
20-24 A Chorus Line, 7 pm, Riley Center for the Arts
20-22 NECAP tests for juniors
22 Awards Assembly
25 Memorial Day. No school.
28 Showcase, Southern Vermont Arts Center
29 Jazz from the Schools, Southern Vermont Arts Center
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From the Headmaster
Dear Families,
We are entering the home stretch of the school year. In these last six weeks, we will have myriad of special events, including the spring musical, A Chorus Line, NECAP testing, sporting events, papers, tests, and final exams. I ask that you as parents do everything you can to help your sons and daughters stay on track as spring bursts around us and the excitement of summer looms. If we can finish the year as smoothly as it has gone so far, we will be able to proclaim it a resounding success.
It is also Prom season, and with it comes opportunities for experimentation with substances and the always-dangerous mix of impaired judgment and driving. Yesterday, we had a “Ghost Out” assembly to highlight the dangers of drinking and driving, and I highly recommend that you have a follow up conversation at home. The assembly generated some powerful emotions among all of us—students and faculty alike—and my hope is that the emotions unearthed through this simulation will help keep our young people safer in the months ahead. I suggest you ask about the assembly and talk about “What if,” namely, what if someone is going to get behind the wheel while intoxicated? What will you do? How will you handle it? I suggest you reassure your son or daughter that they can call you at any time for help, and demonstrate to them that you will be able to handle the situation in the moment and discuss it later.
Students typically fear that their parents “can’t handle it,” so they avoid sharing information and seeking help when they might need it. The onus, therefore, falls on us adults to demonstrate ability to handle these discussions and situations. Most of all, I want to be sure all of our students make decisions that protect each other as well as themselves.
So, with that, I wish us all an exciting, productive, and safe end to the school year. I look forward to seeing all of you at the many events in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Mark H. Tashjian
Headmaster
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From the Health Clinic
Dear Parents,
In an effort to keep you well informed regarding the international outbreak of a novel strain of swine influenza in humans, we share with you the following information:
Symptoms of swine flu are similar to seasonal influenza and include:
Fever
• Lethargy
• Lack of appetite
• Coughing
• Occasionally: runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Precautions you can take to stop the spread of ANY germs:
• Wash your hands often and well
• Use alcohol-based hand wipes and sanitizers (if soap and water are not available)
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue and throw it away
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth – ALL germs are spread this way
• Stay home from work or school if you are sick
If you feel you may have symptoms of ANY influenza strain you should call your health care provider for further advice and assistanc
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Lunch Accounts Online
You can now visit mymealtime.com and setup an account to view your student’s lunch account. You can check balances, see what your student has purchased and add funds to the account by debit or credit card. You will need a unique ID number in order to establish the account. You can email mharvey@burrburton.org to obtain the ID number.
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2009 Yearbooks
Attention Students and Families Wanting 2009 Yearbooks
…now is the time to buy your yearbooks! The Burtonian staff is currently accepting checks, or you can place your order through www.jostensyearbooks.com. Look forward to a new, fresh, and memorable 2009 yearbook.
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From the Advancement Office
Celebrate Your Graduate
Parent of seniors – if you’re struggling to figure out what to give your graduate, please consider making a gift in their honor to our endowment fund. A gift to Burr and Burton’s endowment is a thoughtful, meaningful way to mark this wonderful milestone in your son’s or daughter’s life. Your gift provides continuing support for a dynamic curriculum, challenging educational programs and a wide-range of offerings and opportunities for students from all backgrounds and walks of life. What better way to honor your student’s achievements?
In addition, you will be recognizing the faculty and school that helped your child transition from youth to adulthood and launch them onto their next endeavor, whether college, the military, a technical program or the workforce. And best of all, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by the Rowland Challenge!
Your graduate will be notified of the gift and recognized in our Annual Appreciation Report published in September. Please include the graduate’s name and “Class of 2009” with your gift. For more information, contact the Advancement Office at 802-549-8110.
There’s Still Time to Support the Annual Campaign
The school year is just starting to wind down, but we’re still hard at work to meet our goal for the Annual Giving Campaign. Gifts can be made for this year until June 30, 2009. So if you’ve set aside our request thinking you’ll get to it later, please consider doing something now. We still have a ways to go to meet our goal of $450,000 and parent support is extremely important to our success as a school. Remember, the beneficiary is YOUR student, not the school. The annual fund supports many diverse programs at Burr and Burton Academy, in addition to academics, athletics and the arts. Gifts can be made online at www.burrburton.org/advancement/onlinegiving or by check.
And a heartfelt THANK YOU to all parents who have already supported the Annual Giving Campaign this year! We deeply appreciate your gift.
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From the Arts Department
Performing Arts Department Presents A Chorus Line May 20-24
A Chorus Line, the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all on the line! Winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for drama, this singular sensation is the longest-running American Broadway musical ever. Don’t miss Burr and Burton Performing Arts Department’s production of A Chorus Line, Wednesday, May 20 through Saturday May 23, at 6:30 pm with 2:00 pm matinees on Saturday May 23, and Sunday, May 24 in the Riley Center for The Arts.
For tickets and more information go to bba.ticketjunior.com or call the 24-hour information line at 802-549-8224. The box office will open one hour prior to the show. Some material may be inappropriate for younger audiences.
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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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From the Library
We the People Bookshelf Grant Received
Thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association we recently received the We the People Bookshelf collection of 22 hardcover titles, all of which explore themes in American History and supplement the Picturing America poster set received earlier in the year.
We the People Bookshelf Titles
Here are 5 of the 22 titles received:
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne
Across America on an Emigrant Train by Jim Murphy
Founding Brothers by Joseph S. Ellis
1776: the Illustrated Edition by David McCullough
Visual Thesaurus
For a fabulous online thesaurus, check out http://www.visualthesaurus.com “which creates word maps that blossom with meanings and branch to related words.”
Media Literacy
If you haven’t seen Dove’s powerful videos about the beauty industry, be sure to watch Dove’s Evolution and Onslaught. Both can be found at the Dove website: www.dove.us/#/features/videos/videogallery.aspx/
Evolution will make you question reality in a digital world and Onslaught tugs at your heartstrings using many video techniques.
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 Counseling
Spring College Admission Program
On Tuesday, May 5, from 7 – 9 pm in the Rowland Center, Burr and Burton Academy will host an hour-long panel presentation on the college admission process followed by a variety of topical workshops as part of its annual spring College Admission Program. Panelists from Boston University, Hobart and William Smith College, Castleton State College, and the University at Albany will later discuss the college search, essay writing, campus visits, college athletics, and the admission process at selective colleges in breakout sessions at 8 pm. Another workshop option is the special talk on financial planning (see next item). Sophomores, juniors and their parents are encouraged to attend the entire program.
Financial Planning for College-Bound Students
Graduating seniors and their parents will want to come to the Rowland Center on Tuesday, May 5, at 8 pm for a special presentation by Dr. Karen Gross, president of Southern Vermont College, on “What You and Your College-Bound Student Should Know about Finances.” Currently a Visiting Professor of Law at New York Law School and an expert in the areas of consumer finance and over-indebtedness, Dr. Gross is co-authoring a new book on how Americans handle (or mishandle) money. Her mission is to financially empower students as they move on to college and careers. We are most appreciative that Dr. Gross is sharing her knowledge with the Burr and Burton community.
Standardized Testing Registration
Juniors should have already taken or signed up to take the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT with writing at some point this spring. If necessary, juniors may still register for the June administration of these tests with an additional late fee or on a stand-by basis. The next testing opportunity for both tests comes in October. Information is available at www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org.
Junior Papers
Juniors should save copies of their current best papers to submit to colleges next year. Increasingly, colleges are requesting that students provide graded writing samples in addition to their applications and essays.
Visit, Visit, Visit
Our college counseling mantra is “visit, visit, visit.” Juniors should make plans to make the trip to some college campuses in the upcoming months. College visits are legitimate absences for juniors but they need to let their counselor and their teachers know their visit plans in advance. Students are responsible for all work that they miss. Please contact your counselor if you need assistance in setting up tours, information sessions and interviews.
Advanced Placement Exams
AP exams run from May 4- May 15 this year. Please note that all Advanced Placement students taking morning exams will be released from school at the conclusion of the exam. Students taking exams that begin at noon are required to attend the first two morning classes, but are released at 11 am in order to have lunch and prepare.
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.
Attention Male Seniors
Don’t forget to register for the U.S. Selective Service when you turn 18 years old. Neglecting to register can prevent you from receiving college financial aid. Pick up a selective service form at any U.S. Post Office.
Upcoming Scholarships and Deadlines
For full listing please go to: connection.naviance.com/burrburton
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 member 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 Vermont Cultural Grants
Eligibility: Vermont 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.
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