Families,

Thanks to a great staff and wonderful parents, we are off to a terrific start!  Students are adjusting well to their teachers and classmates.   Please know that everyone at Burns Park is working hard to adjust to the changes a new year brings so we can provide the best for your children.

  
    We extend a warm welcome to our new staff members!  Lester Shelley joins the office staff as Teacher Clerk.  Mr. Richard Minick joins us as our new head custodian.  Mary Chatigny joins us as a new second grade teacher.  Mary did her student teaching under Nancy Ambrosino and Molly Crankshaw.  JR Leonard joins us from Ann Arbor Preschool and Ann Arbor Open, he will teach PE and Humanities in the morning and early afternoon.  Kelli Bert joins us from Forsythe and will teach PE and Humanities in the afternoon. Sharyl Burau, a Media teacher from Carpenter will join us to teach  Humanities to our 3rd and 4th graders.

    Ms. Chen and Ms. Ferrell both moved to 3rd grade this year.  Ms. Crankshaw is teaching a 2nd/3rd combination classroom and Ms. Walters is teaching a 1st/2nd combination.    These changes in our primary staffing plan allowed us to create smaller class sizes through third grade and supported our teachers who were better matched to their preferred grade levels.  We are excited about this staffing plan as it benefits our entire school community.
   

    Burns Park Curriculum Night is an opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher and learn what is planned for this year.  It is scheduled for Tuesday, September 14.  Please reserve 6:00-8:00 p.m. for this very important “adults only” event.
    

• 6:00- 6:45 – K-2 families meet with their teachers in classrooms.
• 6:30 to 7:00 – 3-5 families meet in the Auditorium
• 7:00 to 7:30 – K-2 families meet in the Auditorium
• 7:00 to 7:45 – 3-5 families meet in classrooms with teachers

MEAP

If you have a children in grades 3 to 5, please make every effort to make sure they are in school from Tuesday, October 12 through the Thursday the 21st.  Although we can administer make up tests from the 25th through the 28th, students always feel more comfortable taking the MEAP test with the rest of their classmates in their classroom.   More specific information on which tests are required to be given on which day, will be provided at Curriculum Night.  The information is also available on the district web site.

SIT

Our “In search of excellence” Team (SIT) is looking for volunteers. The team’s membership includes teachers, parents, staff, and the principal. The charge of this team is to focus on increasing students’ achievement and success. The team meets only a couple times each year and we are looking for some new members to replace retiring members. This year we will continue to spend time discussing student achievement and the work we have been doing as a school to encourage and sustain difficult conversations about race, equity, privilege, and serving children without bias and preconception. If you are interested, please call the office and let me know.

In closing, if there is ever anything we can do to help your child, please do not hesitate to call or come in to visit with us. We strive to make sure that your child loves school and learning.   I look forward to a wonderful year.

Kathy Morhous
Principal
Burns Park Elem.