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STANDARDIZED
TESTING
Students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 will take the New York State
English/Language Arts Test, January 12-16, 2009. As with any
standardized test, parents are urged to see that their children
receive a good night's sleep before testing days and eat a
nutritious breakfast on the days of each test. The ELA Test
Schedule is as follows:
Grade 5 – January 12 and 13, 2009
Grade 4 – January 13, 14, and 15, 2009
Grade 3 – January 15 and 16, 2009
EARLY DISMISSALS,
SCHOOL CLOSINGS, DELAYED OPENINGS
The
Commack School District utilizes the parent home contact system
called Connect-Ed. When there is an event that requires parent
notification the Connect-Ed automated phone system will be
activated. Early dismissals, emergencies, school day delayed
openings, cancellations; special events at schools will be reported
using the Connect-Ed system. School districts who already use
Connect-Ed report that parents on their systems appreciate the quick
notification regarding important school-related information and
emergencies. Parents are requested to notify their child’s school
when any of their phone numbers are changed. The new phone numbers
will be placed on the Connect-Ed system.
With a number of weeks of potentially bad weather ahead,
we would again like to remind parents that they can also telephone
368-5555 for a recorded announcement of closing or delayed
openings. In the event of an early dismissal, your
children should be informed of actions that they should take if they
arrive home early. Please make these arrangements with
the knowledge that your child will not be able to call you from
school since telephone lines are few and must be kept open for
incoming calls. Your cooperation is appreciated.
SCOPE
In the event of an unscheduled early dismissal, all SCOPE afternoon
programs will be cancelled. In the event the district
cancels after-school activities (for student safety reasons) after
operating a full day of school, the SCOPE After School Program
MAY BE CANCELLED.
Please contact the SCOPE office immediately to discuss the status of
the After School Program.
FROM THE HEALTH
OFFICE
What everyone should know
about the Flu.
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza
virus. It can cause mild to severe illness, which can be very
serious. Some people, such as older people, young children and
people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious
flue complications.
The flu usually starts suddenly and may include the symptoms below:
The flu spreads in respiratory droplets caused by coughing and
sneezing. It usually spreads from person to person. Occasionally
touching something with the virus on it may infect a person who then
touches their mouth or nose.
Adults may infect others beginning one day before showing flu
symptoms and up to seven days after getting sick.
The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but are
caused by different viruses. At times it can be difficult to tell
the different between the two. There are special tests that can be
done to distinguish between the two. Usually the flu is worse than
a cold with more intense symptoms. Colds usually are milder and do
not usually lead to other health problems.
It is important to speak to your doctor and discuss whether or not
you should get the flu vaccination. Remember that you should wash
your hands and cough or sneeze into a tissue and to cover your mouth
when you have to cough.
In the event of student
illness, please do not bring student back to school for clubs or
nighttime activities.
LOST & FOUND
All lost and found articles are located in Cafeteria B on racks and
in cardboard boxes. Students should look over these items and be
sure to take home anything that belongs to them. Parents are also
advised to visit the lost and found to identify any of their child’s
belongings. You would be amazed at how many items such as coats,
sweaters, sweatshirts, lunch boxes, etc. (with no identifying
labels) can be claimed. Unclaimed articles will be donated to
charity during our mid-winter recess (February 16-20, 2009).
“YOU CAN’T STOP THE BEAT” -
GR. 5 MUSICAL
You Can’t Stop the
Beat is an original script
that demonstrates how music has had such a great impact on our
lives. The young actors and actresses of Bur will take the audience
on a trip around the nation to see the influence of music. The
production will be staged on the evenings of February 10th
and 11th, 2009. All Grade 5 students will participate by
performing in a musical piece together with their classes. Please
make plans to come and see our Grade 5 students shine!
SCHOOL LUNCHES, LUNCH MONEY, ETC.
If a child
normally buys lunch and forgets his/her money, the classroom teacher
will automatically issue them a Lunch Charge Slip. Students are
expected to repay the lunch money loan the following day. Parents
are asked NOT to take lunch money to school since the
loan process is available. Parents may bring bag lunches to the
MAIN OFFICE. The student's lunch should be labeled with his/her
name and the name of the classroom teacher. The Teacher Aide
supervising the child's class will deliver the lunch to the child.
Lunches may be pre-paid by check directly to the cafeteria.
However, snack money cannot be prepaid. Snacks must be
paid in cash only.
AUTHORS OF THE
MONTH
Zachary Gross was chosen as the Grade 3 Author of the Month for
December. Zachary is a student in Mrs. Billet’s class and is the son
of Kimberly and Adam Gross. His favorite activity is music. He
enjoys playing football and playing on the computer.
Samantha Lemza, a student in Mrs. Robinson’s class was our Grade 4
Author of the Month for December. Samantha is the daughter of Peter
and Nicole Gargiulo-Lemza. Her favorite color is pink and she loves
mashed potatoes. Reading and writing are Samantha’s favorite
pastimes. When she grows up she would like to become a singer.
Kara DiBenedetto, Grade 5 author, is a student in Mrs.
Cestaro’s class. She is the daughter of Victor and Lisa DiBenedetto.
Kara attends cheerleading and tumbling classes. She enjoys reading
and writing, but especially likes writing stories and poems.
SBM - STAFF FOR A
DAY
Our first “Staff
for a Day" program for this school year took place on Thursday,
December 18, 2008. Three students filled the positions of Principal
(Ryan Song, Grade 5-Mrs. Tanzi), Assistant Principal (Mia That,
Grade 4-Mrs. Mariani), and Secretary (Nicole DiFrancisco-, Grade
3-Mrs. Oelcher) for a half day. The three students did a great job
in their positions and were very helpful to the secretaries, Mr.
Heppeler, and Dr. Martin.
THE BURR READING
CHALLENGE
“Chill Out and Read!”
Our
Burr Reading
Challenge Representatives have been hard at work
sharing reading opportunities to our students and community. The
Ronald
McDonald fundraiser was a huge success and the
students raised over $1,800. 00. Thank you for your continued
support.
During the month of December, Burr students participated in the
theme, “A Book is a Gift You Can Open Again and Again”. Burr
representatives enjoyed a reading from “The Treasuring of Virtues”
and “Gallop”, a Scanamation book by Rufus Seder. Burr students were
asked to give a “gift” to their fellow students by sharing a book
they had read. Students decorated a “gift package” with interesting
elements of a favorite book. The Burr hallways were decorated with
the student’s “gifts you can open again and again”. We hope you
enjoyed our student’s gifts!
Welcome to the
2009 Six Flags Six Hours Reading Club!
During the
months of January and February, Burr Intermediate School will be
participating in an exciting program, the Six Flags Six Hours
Reading Club, which encourages children to read for fun.
Students
may read anywhere, outside of school, and they may read silently or
aloud with an adult.
Every student
who completes six hours of recreational reading will earn a free
admission ticket valid at participating Six Flags Theme Parks from
June 15, 2009 through August 9, 2009. Please encourage your child
to complete six hours of recreational reading and return the Keeping
Track sheet to his/her teacher by Monday, February 23, 2009. Late
entries cannot be accepted.
ART NEWS
Congratulations to last month’s Featured Artist!!
Sydney Haas
Grade 5 Mrs. Tanzi
Casey Reubenstein
Grade 5 Mr. Hand
Anna Kolanovic
Grade 3 Mrs. Billet
Emily Hanley
Grade 3 Mrs. Oster
MUSIC NEWS
Mrs. Dank and Ms. Molldene would like to congratulate both the 4th
and 5th grade chorus members on an amazing performance.
You should be very proud of yourselves. Your singing was awesome.
Ms. Wareing congratulates the 5th grade orchestra on a
wonderful performance. Thank you for your hard work. Mr. Nadeau
would like to thank the 5th grade band on their wonderful
performance.
The
Music Department would like to thank parents, teachers, and
administrators for their continued support of the Commack Music
Program.
Fourth
Grade Band members will begin rehearsals on Wednesday, January 21,
2009 OR Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 8:15 a.m.
Fourth Grade Orchestra students will begin early morning rehearsals
on January 21st and 22nd at 8:20 a.m.
Grade 4
Chorus rehearsals will resume on Tuesday, January 13th,
2009. Grade 5 Chorus rehearsals will resume on Thursday, January 15th,
2009.
The
following Burr Intermediate School students were selected by chair
people from SCMEA to participate in the 2009 All-County Festival:
Andy Zhou, Eliza Glaser-Kshensky, Maya Glaser-Kshensky, Morgan Hill,
Dara Danziger, Sarah McMann, and Sara Kim
Congratulations to these students on this outstanding recognition!
CHALLENGE AND DISCOVERY
Grade 3
Third grade Challenge and
Discovery Students have started their Mock Caldecott Study. They
have been enjoying reading and analyzing books that can be possible
Caldecott Winners. They will soon make a decision as to which book
THEY think will win this prestigious award. The real Caldecott
Committee makes the decision in late January.
In addition, students are embarking on an exciting math unit that is
designed to help students simulate a real-world activity. Students
are helping the Rosada family solve problems about starting and
running their new restaurant with hands-on-mathematics activities
that challenge the mind and work up an appetite! Students are
applying problem solving strategies, planning and expanding the
menu, determining different combinations of ingredients, analyzing
costs, setting prices, and arranging tables and chairs in a new
location.
Grade 4
Grade 4 Challenge and Discovery
students have been investigating plant and animal cells and learning
about the organelles contained in each cell. With their newly
discovered knowledge, students will be comparing a cell to a school
and seeing their similarities – is the nucleus really like the
principal of a school? Students will be making a PowerPoint
presentation to share with others about what they have learned.
Grade 5
Fifth grade Challenge & Discovery
students continue their work toward a solution of the Mystery of the
Gray Area. We used bird populations and water life as
bio-indicators and tested water samples for phosphates. Outside our
classroom, learning was extended at Brookhaven National Laboratory
where students performed experiments in water filtration. Two new
suspects have surfaced, and the plot thickens. Who is responsible
for the fish die off? Stay tuned, environmental detectives are
working hard toward a solution.
We’ve concluded our unit study about the brain and learning.
Simulating Dr. Marian Diamond’s groundbreaking experiment on rats,
which led to the conclusion that the structure of the brain changes
as we learn, we reached our own conclusions. We have ideas about
what helps and hinders learning, how learning can be measured, and
most important, that each brain has to play it’s own tune!
Students explored topology through the construction of Mobius
bands,investigated rubberband geometry, and read about the life of
Ferdinand Mobius and his contributions to the field of mathematics.
A study of Escher’s art completed the study.
BURR LOCKER ROOM
Congratulations to the students in the 3rd, 4th,
and 5th grade classes on winning the Fall Sportsmanship
trophies for their grade level:
Grade 3 Mrs. Oster
Grade 4 Dr. Hoheb & Mrs. Ierano
Grade 5 Mrs. Levine
The physical education units planned for the month of January
include Volleyball/Newcomb, kickball-basketball, dance and
wellness. Both the Newcomb and kickball-basketball units will
culminate with class tournaments.
February is Healthy Heart month. In keeping with that theme, the
Physical Education Department will sponsor our annual “Jump Rope for
Heart” fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Students are
encouraged to perform community service by collecting funds for this
worthwhile cause. (Students should not go door-to-door to collect
donations.) Checks should be made payable to the “American Heart
Association”. The Jump Rope for Heart envelope collection day will
be Friday, February 6th. The students will report to the
gym at 7:45 a.m. on the following dates to participate in this years
Jump.
Jump Rope for
Heart Dates
Sports Night Dates
3rd grade – Tuesday, February 10th
3rd grade – Thursday, February 26, 2009
4th grade – Thursday, February 11th
4th grade – Wednesday, January 28, 2009
5th grade – Wednesday, February 12th
January’s Character Education Trait
is TOLERANCE.
“We
must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools”
Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.
STUDENTS and TEACHERS IN THE NEWS…
Congratulations to Mrs. Christine Campa for obtaining a mini-grant
for her grade 3 classroom. Congratulations to Austin Pogrob, a
student in Mr. Hand’s fifth grade class. Austin is performing as
one of the Workhouse Boys/Fagin’s Gang in the production of
Oliver at the John W. Engeman Theater at Northport.
SCIENCE FAIR
The Burr
Intermediate School Science Fair will be held March 23-25, 2009.
The Science Fair guidelines are aimed at encouraging student
interest in Science. These guidelines are listed here to give you
background information and to help you encourage your child's
participation.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
1. The Science Fair is open to students in
Grades 3-5. It will be held the week of March 23, 2009.
2. Individual grade levels will display their
projects on designated dates during the week of March 23-25, from
9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Classes at other grade levels will be
able to view the grade level displays at this time.
3.
The Science Fair will be held for parents the evenings of March 24 and
25, 2009 from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Parents will have the
opportunity to view projects and displays, set up in individual
classrooms at this time.
4.
Prior to the parents viewing the Science Projects there will be a
judging by teachers. The judges will select two projects per
grade level as the project to be entered into the Brookhaven
Lab Science Fair in May.
PROJECT INFORMATION:
1. Individual projects from students at all
grade levels are encouraged.
2. Adult support is encouraged; however, the
projects must clearly reflect the students' own efforts. To this
end teachers are encouraged to allow class time for project
formulation and assembly. In addition, students may wish to work at
home. Although we encourage parent interest, we strongly discourage
parents from "taking over the project."
3. All projects must be durable and safe.
Moveable parts must be firmly attached. Projects requiring running
water, electricity, drainage, gas or compressed air are
discouraged. Live animals, dangerous chemicals, open flames and
explosives, and cultures in Petri dishes may not be displayed at the
Science Fair.
4. Projects may consist of a demonstration
model, an experiment, a working mechanism, or of charts, diagrams,
or collections with a scientific objective. Tabletop projects must
be no larger than 18" deep (front to back) by 32" wide (side to
side) and no higher than 3' above the top surface of the table.
Floor displays must be no larger than 30" deep (front to back) by
48" wide (side to side) and no higher than 5'. Both tabletop and
floor displays must be free-standing and stable, because no backing
or rear display board of any kind will be provided. It is
suggested, but not required, that entrants construct displays like a
miniature stage with three sides and a floor.
5. Records show that projects in which students
carry out experiments usually do better in competition.
6.
A Science Fair PowerPoint (prepared by the Science Collegial Circle) is
available on the Public Folder. This presentation includes
suggestions on choosing a topic, the Scientific Method, and
preparing a Science Fair Exhibition Board.
www.commack.k12.ny.us/burr
The following
criteria will be used to judge the projects:
-
Scientific Thought
-
Creative Ability
-
Clarity
-
Thoroughness
The library will
have a display of materials and resources for teachers to use in
preparation for the Science Fair. We look forward to a successful
Science Fair with your students' imaginative projects.
SPORTS NIGHT
Student Council will be sponsoring PTA/Faculty "Sports Nights"
on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 (Grade 4) from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. and
on Thursday, February 26, 2009 (Grade 3). Registration forms will
be sent home with your child in the near future. All registration
forms MUST be turned in by the deadlines indicated or they
will not be accepted. We hope to see you there!
THANK YOU
Debbie Poznack, Burr Intermediate School crossing guard,
would like to say thank you to all who made a donation to Little
Shelter. It is greatly appreciated!
THEME DAYS & BURR CARES DAYS
The theme day for January is
Inside Out and Backwards Day
on Friday, January 18, 2008. This will be counted for Field Day
Points. The organization that we are raising money for this month
is the
Little Shelter Animal Rescue.
On all designated Burr Care Days, students and teachers are asked to
wear their Burr T-Shirts (or school colors) and donate for the
cause. Students are asked to donate $1.00 for each Burr Cares Day.
Staff are asked to donate $5.00.
Thank you to all students and staff who participated in our third
Burr Cares event for the 2007-2008 school year. Funds were
collected for the
Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation.
Each month, Student Council will be raising awareness and funds for
a different cause. The organizations that have been chosen directly
relate to the people in the Burr Community. The Burr Cares event
for February will be on
Thursday,
February 14th.
The theme is
Red and White
Day.
All monies collected will go to the
St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital.
For a list of upcoming Burr Care Days, visit Mrs. Cestaro’s e-board.
BOX TOPS FOR
EDUCATION
The next collection has already begun. Don’t forget to bring in the
Box Tops! The winning classes will get an ice cream party. The
deadline for this collection is February 13, 2009.
PTA TOY DRIVE
For our recent Toy Drive the response from the Burr School Community
as well as the staff members of Burr Intermediate School was
outstanding. The new donated toys were distributed to
a number of families in need in our school. All donations were
greatly appreciated making the holidays a lot brighter for these
families. Thank you to all who participated.
The Burr PTA would like to thank all the parents who volunteered
their time to help run the Holiday Boutique. It could not have been
a success without your help!
Help Your Child Stay Calm and Confident on Test Days
Nobody likes to take a test. And some kids get what's called
"test anxiety." They are so worried about taking the test that they
don't show what they know.
Telling your child, "Just relax" won't work. But there are
ways you can help your child. These tips can get rid of test
anxiety:
-
Stretch out study time. Encourage your child to study a
little bit every day. By test day, she'll feel prepared.
-
Don't cram. A good night's sleep is more important
than an extra hour of studying. Studies show that last minute
cramming doesn't work.
-
Read the directions. If the test says to show all work,
make sure your child shows her work. If she doesn't understand
the directions, have her ask the teacher to explain
-
Look the test over quickly. Before answering any
questions, have your child skim quickly through the test. That
way, he'll be able to figure out how much time to spend on each
section.
-
Don't be afraid to skip a question. Tell your child not
to waste time worrying about a question he doesn't know.
Instead, go on to questions he does know. If there's
time, he can come back to the items that had him stumped.
Attendance, Attitude and Achievement Are Keys to Your Child's
School Success
Whether or not your child earns straight 90s he can be a winner if
he masters these three "A"s:
1.
Attendance. Businesses know how important attendance is. When
they call schools before hiring a graduate, they ask first
about attendance and then about grades. Teach your child that
attendance is important. You go to work if it's cold or if you have
a headache. Pass on those same values to your child.
2. Attitude. Jesse Jackson often says, "It's your attitude and not
your aptitude that determines your altitude." In other words, the
brightest student may be a failure if he doesn't work hard. Help
your children learn the importance of work. Let them know you
expect them to try their best.
3.
Achievement.
We all need goals. Help your child learn to set goals - in school
and at home. Then support him as he works to achieve his goals.
Encourage your child to keep raising his sights. Make a time for
homework. Let him see the relationship between hard work and
achievement.
Ask
Questions When You Review Your Child's Writing
Here are some questions you should ask as you are reading your
child's writing:
• Does it make sense? Read your child's writing to see
if you can understand what he's trying to say. Mark an X beside
sentences that don't make sense.
• Are paragraphs used correctly? Each paragraph should
focus on one specific idea.
• Are sentences correct? Sentences need a subject and a
verb. They should express a complete thought.
• Has your child used the best word? There's a
difference between "happy" and "elated." Help your child think
about the best word to express thoughts.
• Is the paper neat? Teachers usually have a format
they want students to follow.
Reading With Your Child
Look
for Signs When Your Child Has Trouble Reading
You
can tell when your child comes to words he can’t read. He’s likely
to squirm in his seat, get sleepy, look anxious or act up.
When you see these signs, you
can help.
§
Look at the book to find out where your child was last reading well. Ask
him if there’s a word he doesn’t understand.
§
Help your child look the problem word up in a simple dictionary.
§
Check his understanding. Have him use the word in several sentences.
If your child says he knows all
the words, do some spot checks. Ask him, “What does this word
mean?” Look up the words he doesn’t know. Have him use them in
sentences.
Also, don’t assume the problem is with big words. Little words like
the or and can cause problems, too. So can symbols
like periods and commas.
Building Character
Make Resolutions To
Bring Out the Best in Your Child
Many parents make New Year’s
resolutions. Here are some you can make. They are virtually
guaranteed to evoke better behavior from your child. He’ll be more
motivated at school and home. Your relationship will also improve.
Promise yourself you will:
§
Be more positive. Break the habit of paying attention to only what your
child does wrong. Look for and praise what he says and does right –
when he’s polite, when he’s not whining, when he does his homework
without you asking.
§
Be more consistent. Let your child know what you expect. Then follow
through on what you say.
If your
child breaks a rule, don’t say, “It’s not a big problem.” Don’t
say, “I’m too tired to deal with this now.” Enforce family rules,
and you child will connect his behavior to consequences.
§
Have more patience. Children can’t change their behavior over night. Nor
can we. Start fresh each day and keep at it. It can take weeks to
see some improvement.
Successful Students Have Many Things in Common
There's no recipe for creating a successful student. But successful
students do seem to have some things in common:
• Their parents encourage and support them.
• Their parents limit and monitor the amount and quality
of television they watch.
• Their parents read to and with their children.
• They get enough sleep and exercise.
• Their parents make sure children eat breakfast before
they come to school.
• Parents expect their children to work very hard and to
be successful.
• They attend school regularly.
• Their parents expect them to show respect to all
adults they meet, including the adults they see in school.
• They have responsibilities at home.
Make the Most of Time With
Your Child This New Year
It’s
only January and already your calendar is filling up. How can busy
families find time for studying, playing, sports and other
activities? Here are some tips on how to make the most of your
child’s after-school time.
·
Set a study schedule. Kids need to spend some time studying every day. Talk
about what time of day works best. Some children want to get their
work done right after school. Others need some time to play.
·
Limit television during the week. One family uses the VCR to record the
kids’ favorite programs. During the week, the TV stays off and the
kids use their time for studying and other activities. On the
weekend, when the schedule is more relaxed, kids can watch their
shows.
·
Don’t feel your child
has to do everything. Some kids spend every afternoon at
a sports practice or a special class or lesson. They may be
stressed, and their parents may be frazzled just getting them to and
from all those activities.
This year, pare down. Choose one or two things for each child.
·
Have a regular reading time. Kids who get into the reading habit will do better
throughout their school years. Set aside some time each day when
you can read to and with your child.
Long after your child can read by himself, he’ll still love to hear
you read to him. If you make reading time just before bed, you’ll
also have a quiet time to catch up on other important news of the
day. |
