Dear Families/Guardians:

Thanks to the PTO we had a fabulous visit from the University of Michigan Solar Car Team on May 14.  Students had a presentation in the auditorium first and then went out to the playground and saw the solar car that placed third in the World Solar Race in Australia last year. The car weights about 300 pounds, goes 105 miles per hour, and can run about 5 hours with stored up energy from the sun.  Really cool!  To donate or find out more about Buy-A-Cell program: http://solarcar.engin.umich.edu/cell/

Thank you also to the PTO for the excellent teacher/staff appreciation brunch on May 28. We had wonderful time with so many choices.

As the end of year is fast approaching please remember our no nut classroom food policy for the end of year parties.  Our approved treat list is available in the office.  We want to end the year with everyone enjoying the activities and no one getting ill due to nut treat choices being brought into the classroom.

Our last day of school is Friday, June 14 with a dismissal time of 11:48 a.m.  Please encourage your students to hang in there and keep learning as we will continue to keep teaching until the end. Final assessment reports will be sent home on the last day of school if students have no fines or outstanding books due.

Students will not receive their final assessment reports if there are outstanding fines and books due. Board Policy states that district provided materials are expected to be returned to the school in satisfactory condition. These materials include such items as, textbooks, library books, calculators, band and orchestra instruments, and other tools loaned to students during the academic year.  Parents will be notified in writing that fees are due and that final report cards will be held for pick up from the school until the obligation is met or arrangements are made to meet the obligation.  Please check under the bed and under desk papers for those library books, instrumental music folders, etc!

School will be closed from June 22 until August 12.  Placement letters will sent at the end of August with classes beginning September 3, 2013.

The Community Builders Flag is up in our front door lobby. The Community Builders Program is designed to support the social and emotional development of young leaders, while strengthening our learning communities.

 The goals of the Community Builders program are:

• To provide young people with opportunities to develop key leadership skills at an early age, serving as role models among their peers
• To empower our young people by providing an opportunity for student input with District administrators
• To recognize the positive conduct and contributions of school communities from a District level.

Burns Park Community Builders representatives for 2012 – 2013 are:

•  Zolan Baptista, 5^th grade and Deja Moore, 4^th grade

The criteria for flying our flag is:

The Positive Behavior and Intervention Support (PBIS) student survey is completed and available to families to review at the general office.  This survey was created last year and as part of our SIT plan was to see if students felt safer after we implemented several activities. We repeated this same survey this spring.

Thank you to all the staff, students and parents who have made my time here a wonderful and exciting experience.  The time has flown by and I’m truly honored to have been a part of the Burns Park Elementary School community.  I will truly miss the community and school as I begin my new journey into retirement.

Sincerely,  

Virginia Bell, Ed.D.