School Announcements:

Sally Foster Gift Wrap Sale – Deadline extended to Friday, October 17.  Burns Park will receive 55% of every order to support Golden Apple Grants and field trips.  Orders can be placed in the collection box in the office.  All checks should be made out to Burns Park School and please do not add tax to the orders.  Please remember to complete the order form in full, especially with the student’s name.  If you are ordering online, please enter the school’s account number 253593 so Burns Park gets credit for the order.  Please contact us with questions and thank you for all of your support!  Any questions, please contact Anne Steinhauer, 476-6499 (acws1012 at hotmail dot com) or Jennifer Osterwisch 995-9222 (josterwi at gmail dot com).

Burns Park Used Book Sale & Silent Auction – This Saturday, October 18 from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.  Please BRING your gently used adult and children’s books to the auditorium by Thursday, October 16.  We NEED volunteer to help set up and price books on Friday, October 17, just after drop off AND to help with the sale on Saturday, October 18 at one of three two hour shifts (8 am – 10 am; 10 am – 12pm; 12 pm – 2 pm).  Please contact Helen Starman (hstarman at comcast dot net) if you are available to volunteer.  The sale will benefit the Burns Park Media Center and The Karen Thomas Memorial Fund (Karen’s son Jonathon is in 5th grade at Burns Park) which supports literacy programs for underprivileged students in the Ann Arbor Public Schools.  The silent auction is online and features many rare and first edition books – please visit the auction website (http://www.burnsparkpto.org/auction/) for more details about these books. The auctions will remain open until midnight, October 31st.   PASS THE WORD – tell your friends, family and co-workers about the sale and encourage them to shop on Saturday!  Questions?  Andy Thomas (athomas at med dot wayne dot edu)

October PTO Meeting – Our October PTO meeting will be held this Thursday, October 16th in the Media Center (Library) at 7:00 p.m..  Fun, FREE child care is provided in the gym, so you can bring your kids along!  This is a great way to participate in our PTO and learn more about our school.  This month, Burns Park parent, Daniel Stephens (son Dylan is in Ms. Kreger’s 5th grade class) will give a brief presentation about his ideas to help eliminate plastic/styrofoam products from public school cafeterias.

Halloween Costume Donation Drive – Each year Burns Park families donate Halloween costumes which are given to students without costumes to wear in the all-school parade and to take home and wear that night to trick or treat.  If you have a gently used costume (sizes from Youth XS to XL) that you would like to donate, please place it in the box labeled "Halloween Costume Drive" outside of the auditorium.  Students in need of a costume will have an opportunity to select a costume from the box on Halloween day. 

Golden Apple Grant Applications – The deadline has been extended to this Wednesday, October 15th!  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) and turn it in by Wednesday.  Applications turned in by this deadline will be reviewed and approved at the next PTO meeting.  After that, applications are accepted and granted on a "rolling basis".  Please contact Elizabeth DeRose (ederose at comcast dot net) if you have any questions.

Read-to-Feed Heifer International Update— Wednesday, October 22 at 8:55 a.m. Rachel Erdstein, our Media Specialist, writes: Last summer I was fortunate to participate in an Educator’s study tour of Heifer International projects in Honduras.  Because our Burns Park students (and their families) have contributed to the success of Heifer’s efforts, I will be sharing my photos and findings from this trip first thing in the morning on October 22. Please join us at this assembly (we will make room for all) as our students learn how their own reading during last spring’s March-Is-Reading month can and did benefit impoverished families and communities in developing countries.  Heifer’s program helped all of us to make a difference.  I look forward to seeing you at our assembly.

Community Announcements:

Burns Park Players – Mark your calendars!  Burns Park Players production of Annie Get Your Gun on February 5th,6th,7th,13th and 14th!  Interested in getting involved?  Email producers@burnsparkplayers.org as soon as possible to find out more about cast and crew opportunities.  Cast tryouts October 20th and 21st, callbacks October 23rd!  Please visit our website for more information, http://www.burnsparkplayers.org

Family Field Day – Come to Family Field Day on November 2, 2008 from 1:00 – 4:00 at Burns Park!
Ann Arbor Active Against ALS (A2A3) is kicking off its fundraising efforts with a Family Field Day. This new non-profit has been created by a group of volunteers from the Ann Arbor community to show support for the Schoeni/Spreitzer family by raising money for ALS research (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Family Field Day will be a fun afternoon of games and activities for children and adults of all ages including relay races, kickball, a scavenger hunt, and sports clinics (lacrosse, field hockey, football, soccer). There will also be an information booth on ALS and a sale of baked goods, A2A3 t-shirts and books. Suggested donation: $20 donation per family, $10 per individual if registered before October 27 ($25 per family, $15 per individual after October 27).  All proceeds will go to ALS research. For additional information or to register, email a2a3als@gmail.com.  We are looking for volunteers to help with games and tables on November 2nd. Email Suzanne Ross if you want to help! (srhross at mac dot com).

Animal Haunts – October 25, 6-9pm, $8/person, $30/family
Celebrate Halloween at Leslie Science & Nature Center’s non-scary Animal Haunts. This year’s theme is “Creatures of the Night”!  Come in costume, or just come and enjoy our costumes.  Out on the trail you will meet our staff  "creatures of the night” — possums, moths, and more — that will entertain and educate you with skits and songs.  In addition to the guided hike we will have games, hay jumping, face painting, and fun! The guided hikes depart from the campfire every few minutes.

Farm Fresh Fridays – Fall 2008 Farm Fresh Friday Schedule:  Carrots on 10/17, Cabbage on 10/24, Acorn Squash on 10/31  These 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
ederose at comcast dot net   or 677-0882
Lynda Norton, President-Elect
 llnorton at okno dot com   or 761-1478