Burroughs Community School

This is the week to join us at school to jog or walk around the gym with your student. Each class's Fun Run will be during one of its gym periods this week. For a complete list of classes and times, check out the PE Web site.

Did you miss the last PTA meeting? If you want to keep up on what's going on, check out the PTA page. After each meeting, PTA Secretary Chrissie Bonnes posts a detailed account of the happenings. She also posts an agenda several days before upcoming meetings.

We are so proud of how both of Burroughs Lego League Teams -- the Stingrays and the Sharks performed at the Regional Tournament on December 10th.

There were 16 teams competing in Division 1 and both Burrough teams won top awards. The Stingrays, with eight 4th graders and three 5th graders, placed fifth overall and won the Teamwork Award. The Sharks, comprised of ten 5th graders, placed first overall and won the head to head robot Performance Award.

Lego League tournaments are about more than just robots. Lego League requires each team to build and program a robot out of Legos as well as complete a research presentation around the year's theme -- this year, the theme was Ocean Odyssey and how the earth's oceans are affected by humans. At the Tournament, each team must present the research project to a team of judges. Also, each team must present their programming and robot to another team of technical judges. Throughout the day - in hallways, competitions and during presentations, teams are also judged on their teamwork within their group and how they interact with other teams.

To find out more about Lego League, you can go to the national web site at www.FirstLegoLeague.org to find out more about Lego League and the current year's theme. The state site, www.HighTechKids.org, has links to tournament events, schedules, and results as well as training materials and information on how to get involved.

Burroughs Lego League coaches and parents are currently exploring creating a Lego Club for kids to get involved in Lego League and to provide an opportunity to learn and prepare for next years competitions. Keep an eye out for more information. Contact Jim Jacobs for more information or questions.

Come on by to the State Tournament on January 28th to watch the Burroughs Sharks compete. If you are thinking of joining Lego League it's a great opportunity to see the energy and really understand what it is all about. Once you see the kids and what they are learning, you'll be hooked! Tournament admission is free and open to the public.

Thank you PTA, administration, parents and teachers. Without your support this would not be possible.

We've recently added a page to the Burroughs Web site with information about the Burroughs School Fund, how it differs from other fundraising vehicles at Burroughs, and how to contribute. Click here for more information.

New wish lists have been posted! Needs not listed before include copy paper for the office, printer cartridges for Phys Ed (see the post for specific cartridge numbers), and winter gear so this Ms. Alvarez can make sure all children are warm outside this winter.

A number of teachers also have lists posted. Be sure to check out their lists if you're planning to give a gift to your child's teacher or classroom this holiday season. Remember that you can always get to the wish lists using the link under Burroughs Blogs on the right side of the page.

Burroughs is home to two FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams made up of kids ages 9 and up. The LEGO League season culminates in a regional tournament this Saturday at St. Louis Park Jr High. The event lasts all day, starting at 8:30 AM--come and stay for the whole day, or stop by at any point to see the teams compete. All parts of the tournament are free and open to the public.

Families with kids who will be 9 by September 2006 and are interested in participating in LEGO League next year are especially encouraged to attend. You can get directions and a full schedule for the day on the High Tech Kids Web site.

Each week, we post a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) version of the Burroughs Bulletin on the Burroughs Bulletin page of the site. You can always find a link to it in the Burroughs Weekly E-News e-mail. If you tried to read this week's issue online and encountered an error message, give it another try. We've fixed the problem.