School Announcements:

Fall Festival – Come to the flag pole area this Wednesday, September 24th from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. for Fall Festival! Bring a blanket, a picnic dinner and a dessert to share! The 5th graders will be selling drinks to raise money for their end of the year graduation activities, and the Pioneer High School Jazz Band will provide entertainment! This is a fun Burns Park tradition, so be sure to join us!

NO NUT Classrooms – Due to nut allergies, the following classrooms will need to be “NO NUT”. This means that students in these classrooms should not be sent to school with snacks that may contain nuts. Teachers have been provided with a list of approved “no-nut snacks” so that families in these classrooms can be sure to avoid unsafe foods. We appreciate your help with keeping our classrooms safe for all of our students:

• 1st Chappuis
• 1st Davila
• 1st Monts
• 2nd Kim
• 3rd Crankshaw
• 3rd Staples
• 4th Dworkin
• 5th Pryce

• K Stein

Sally Foster Gift Wrap Sale – The first major fundraiser for the school will begin on September 29 with the Sally Foster Gift Wrap sale. Please look for the information to come home with your children on Monday, 9/29. With every gift wrap purchase, 50% of the proceeds go to Burns Park School. This is a great time of year to stock up on gift wrap, holiday items and magazine subscriptions. There is online ordering as well to provide easy access for extended family members. The sale will last through October 13. Please help us raise money to fund Golden Apple grants and field trips for the kids! Last year we raised over $7,000 and hope to match that again! Any questions, please contact Anne Steinhauer (acws1012 at hotmail dot com) or Jennifer Osterwisch (josterwi at gmail dot com).

Burn$ Park Buck$ – The Burns Park PTO’s scrip fundraiser, known as Burn$ Park Buck$, is starting its sixth year on Monday, September 29. Burns Park families who participated in this fundraiser last year earned over $8000 for our school without spending an extra dime; they simply changed the way they paid for their groceries and other retail items. Look for a detailed flyer in your child’s backpack mail at the end of the week.

Picture Day – We are seeking parent volunteers to help with Picture Day, Tuesday, October 7. Parents will assist the photographers with administrative tasks, including notifying classes when it’s time to come and helping organize students. The overall time is 8:50 am to 1:30 pm, and we would like to have 2 parents at a time. Depending on how many parents are available, we can have either 2 shifts (8:50-11:10 and 11:10-1:30) or 3 shifts (8:50-10:20, 10:20-11:50, and 11:50-1:30). If you’re able to help, please contact Janice Lieberman (liebermanjanice at yahoo dot com) and indicate what times work for you.

Lunches With Love – This program is still on hold for this week, but will hopefully start next week on Tuesday, September 30th. Please look for an update in next week’s Weekly PTO Notes.

Golden Apple Grant Applications – Golden Apple Grants are awarded by the PTO to parents and staff who seek funding for enrichment activities. There is generally a $500 maximum per application, but exceptions are occasionally made when applicants have no other funding sources. If you have an idea for an enrichment activity, please fill out a Golden Apple Grant Application (it can be downloaded from the PTO website here) and turn it in by Friday, October 10th. Applications turned in by this deadline will be reviewed and approved by the October PTO meeting. After that, applications are accepted and granted on a “rolling basis”. Please contact Elizabeth DeRose if you have any questions.

Native Plant Garden Project – The grassy area next to the school near the A-wing entrance has been weeded in preparation for a beautiful garden. The garden will include only plants that are native to Michigan. This will make the garden hardy and easy to maintain. Details about the garden project and the donations needed can be found at: http://groups.google.com/group/burns-park-penguins-care-club/web/native-...
If you don’t have plants to donate, simple cash donations of $5 will purchase a typical native plant. Details for online cash donations for the garden can be found at the link above – or you can give a check made out to Jackie Dalton to the Daltons in person or by mail, or deliver to 1302 Henry St., 48104.

Needed – Gently used adult and children’s books for the Burns Park Used Book Sale, Saturday, October 18, to benefit the Burns Park PTO and the Karen Thomas Memorial Fund. We are accepting all types of adult and children’s books including: current fiction and non-fiction, cook books, travel and self-help – whatever you would like to contribute! Please bring your books to school by Wednesday, October 15 and place them on the auditorium stage. The Karen Thomas Memorial Fund (established through the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation) honors Karen’s profound love of reading and her belief that literacy is essential to a successful and fulfilling life. The Fund will sponsor programs for underprivileged children at the elementary level. Questions? Please call or email Helen Starman (994-8553 or hstarman at comcast dot net)

Community Announcements:

Harvest Dinner for AAPSEF – Come help our schools, but first help yourself! Join us for the Harvest Dinner at Zingerman’s Roadhouse on Wednesday, October 15th at 7 p.m. to support the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation. Chef Alex Young will prepare a Harvest Dinner inspired by the crops at his Dexter Farm. Enjoy food, drinks and good company All proceeds will support the AAPSEF’s Village Fund, created to fund social inclusion across the district. For more information about the AAPSEF, the Village Fund Initiative and to buy tickets visit our website or contact Helen Starman (hstarman at comcast dot net or 994-8553).

University Center for the Child and the Family Fall 2008 Lecture Series – All lectures are free and open to the public, registration is required (764-9466), lectures are 7:00 – 8:30 pm at the UCCF (530 Church Street), free parking in the UM Church Street structure. Lecture One: Monday, September 22 …. Strong Moms, Strong Girls: Promoting Positive Interactions among Girls and Women in the Family (*This lecture will take place at Borders, 3140 Lohr Road).

Farm Fresh Fridays – Fall 2008 Farm Fresh Friday Schedule:
Cucumbers on 9/26, Grape Tomatoes on 10/3, Beans on 10/10, Carrots on 10/17, Cabbage on 10/24, Acorn Squash on 10/31
The above items will be available on the fruit and veggie bar.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Elizabeth DeRose, President
Lynda Norton, President-Elect