Burroughs Community School

Parents of students in Mr. Kilibarda's 3rd grade can now keep up on classroom happenings by reading Room 353's blog! Welcome to the Burroughs Blogosphere, Mr. Kilibarda.

Teachers: Would you like your own space on the Burroughs Web site for posting classroom news? If so, e-mail me and I'll get you set up.

The annual all-day ski trip for Burroughs 4th and 5th graders will be on Monday, January 24. Kids (and interested accompanying parents) leave school at 9:40 for Hyland Hills in Bloomington. Buses return to school at 2:00, but skiers can return to the slopes with the same lift ticket later in the afternoon.

There will be an orientation for kids and interested parents on Friday, January 21, 9:40 - 10:35.

If you have some free time today around lunch (12:15-1:15), join us in the Burroughs auditorium for the first Burroughs Poetry Slam. Fourth and Fifth grade students will compete for the title of Burroughs Slam Master!

One of the highlights of the school year is about to get underway! The 2005 Read-a-Thon theme was announced at the PTA meeting tonight, and the logo unveiled. You can read all the details about this year's Read-a-Thon on the Read-a-Thon blog.

Don't forget about PTA tonight from 6:30 to 8:00 in the auditorium. The agenda looks like this:

6:30 FIRST LEGO League

6:45 PTA Business

• Welcome and President's Report (Becky Wright)
• Principal's Report (Tim Cadotte)
• Committee Chair reports
• Read-a-Thon (Kristin Sutherland)
• Spirit Wear

7:15 Guest Speaker
Jackie Krammer, Burroughs parent and professional Homeopath

Limericks (and modern composers) are coming to Bravo! Find out more on the Bravo blog.

Parents of 4th and 5th graders may have been hearing about a writer who is visiting at Burroughs this month. Diego Vazquez is here through a grant from the district's Arts for Academic Achievement program. Earlier this week Joanne Toft, the program's project facilitator, visited Mr. Sherburne's classroom and wrote this summary:

Words flow as pencils move across the page. Student voices sharing poems, and thoughts of favorite objects can be heard from the classrooms at Burroughs Elementary School. During this cold January, Diego Vazquez, an area poet from COMPAS, is working with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders on developing their own voice through poetry. Diego uses the COMPAS anthologies of student poetry to help motivate the Burroughs writers. The students read poems, write poems and share their new works created from the inspiration of other young writers.

Diego says he loves working with students because they are so close to their own poetry. The student's work clearly reflects their lives and activities. The artist's work helps to extend the students' classroom learning in writing, reading and public speaking. The children work towards real world goals hoping that some of their poems might also get published in the COMPAS yearly anthology. In this way their writing can be shared beyond their school community and serve as inspiration for other young writers. Teachers are making plans to create an anthology of Burroughs students' poetry.

Diego's visit to Burroughs School is made possible through funding from Arts for Academic Achievement, a MPS program that embraces student learning in and through the arts. Diego will be working at another AAA site, Harrison School, later this spring.

Thanks to Uve Hamilton, AAA Program Manager, for sending this to us.

Make a point of checking out Mr. Hofmann's Music blog. He's added more detailed information about the upcoming Choir trip, and a post promising more to come: Advice on music lessons for kids, and information on concerts outside of Burroughs!

The next PTA meeting will be held in the auditorium on Tuesday, January 11, at 6:30 PM. The Read-a-Thon committee will reveal this year's theme, and Jackie Krammer, from the Center for Classical Homeopathy, will speak on Kids and Drugs: Alternatives to Ritalin and other prescription medications. See the PTA page for more information on Jackie's background and the topic of her presentation.

Are you thinking about Anthony Middle School for your fifth grader? Do you have questions about what Anthony is like, and how middle school is different from elementary school? If so, take some time to attend the Anthony Middle School Open House on Thursday, January 13, at 6:30 PM. You can take a tour, talk to students who currently attend Anthony, and find out what life at Anthony is really like.