Burroughs Community School

Is your child missing a sweatshirt, jacket, or hat? Or anything else that went to school one day and never came home? The Lost and Found table in the atrium is full of misplaced items. Be sure and check it out soon, because any items still on the table on November 23 (Tuesday!) will be donated to charity.

Did you know that all Burroughs 4th and 5th graders participate in choir? Mr. Hofmann would like to expand their horizons a bit and has a request for parents:

I would like to take the 4th and 5th grade choirs on a field trip, to perform somewhere. I am looking for venues and ideas for where to take our singers. My preference would be to perform in downtown Minneapolis in a few of the skyscraper atriums. Do we have any parents interested in having a visit from 2 choirs with a total of about 180 children? We could also perform at retirement homes.

I am looking to take the choirs out on either Wednesday, January 12th or Wednesday, January 19th. Another option could be for the choirs to visit other schools and perform for other children if the downtown idea doesn't work out.

If you have an idea for a venue, email Mr. Hofmann or talk to him at school.

Did you read today's Star-Tribune article about the district's school closing plan? If you want to weigh in with your opinions before the School Board meets to discuss the plan on November 30, you have one last chance. The final public hearing will be held at Washburn High School on Thursday, 7 to 9 PM.

Get all the details on the plan as it stands today on the district's site.

Don't forget to stop by Burroughs on Saturday for the 50 Artists on 50th art show and sale. The sale takes place in the Burroughs gym and hall from 10 AM to 5 PM. Get the full story of 50 Artists on 50th and how it benefits Burroughs on the Burroughs Fundraising page.

Via Parents United Network:

Senators encourage public input at new email address: schools@senate.mn

The Minnesota Senate is seeking citizen input on public schools. Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson and LeRoy Stumpf, Chair of the K-12 Education Budget Division, announce that they have created an e-mail address for Minnesotans to share opinions and possible solutions for funding schools. Amid new reports indicating that schools are not adequately funded, the Senators hope to spark community discussions on the topic.

Download the full Press Release from Parents United Network for more information and links to Senate publications relevant to school financing.

Burroughs PTA, along with the other Southwest Minneapolis PTAs/PTOs and ECFE, will be sponsoring a special meeting on Thursday, November 11, at 6:30 pm. The meeting features Dr. Bill Doherty, a Professor and Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Doherty will be speaking on the topic Help for Hurried Families.

Dr. Doherty's presentation will be followed by Time In for Family, a Southwest Minneapolis community initiative, from 8:00 to 9:00.

This event, held in the Burroughs Auditorium, takes the place of the November PTA meeting. Childcare will be provided.

The district has posted a summary of findings from the Community Engagement meetings held earlier this fall. The summary includes a prioritization of values the Minneapolis community feels must be considered when the school board makes decisions that affect us all.

The district has posted a summary of Facilities Utilization Plan recommendations prepared over the summer and fall. Meetings to discuss the recommendations will be held around the district this week and next. The Southwest area's meeting is scheduled for 7:00 - 9:00 PM on Thursday, November 11 at Washburn High School.. A final meeting with the school board will be held on Thursday, November 18, again at Washburn from 7:00 - 9:00 PM.

Will you have a child entering Kindergarten in 2005? Be sure to call to schedule a tour at Burroughs. Tours are held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings throughout January and February. Also, the kindergarten teachers and members of the PTA will host a Kindergarten Information Night on February 22. Click here for more details.

The Burroughs Spirit Wear store will now be open every Friday before and after school! You can purchase clothing as well as all the other items. We will also be selling at PTA meetings and other school events. If you'd like to purchase something but can't make it in during store hours, contact Beth Sutherland at bsutherland@visi.com or 827-3012.

Burroughs LEGO League teams are scheduled to take part in a regional tournament on December 11. Keep tabs on how one of the teams is doing, and find out more about LEGO League, by reading the Monkeyz's blog. We'll be adding updates and pictures of our robot throughout the season.

Did your kids go to the polls with you on Tuesday? If they did, they'll probably be interested in seeing the results of the 2004 Kids Voting USA elections. The site has both overall results and results by state. Minneapolis's results for local elections aren't posted yet, but when they are you'll find them here.

Did your child bring home a student directory last month? We just printed more copies, so if we missed you, you can stop by the office and pick one up starting Monday. If you'd like an extra, we're asking for a $2 donation.