The academic committee along with teacher, parent and student input plans and implements enrichment activities related to various subjects. These activities are for one or more grade level and are before, during or after school. The committee is always looking for new ideas!

Please join us for a used book sale, and collectible book auction, to benefit a fund established in the memory of Burns Park parent Karen Thomas.

The Burns Park PTO and the AAPS Educational Foundation are working together to organize this used book sale and online auction of collectible books from the collection of Karen and Andy Thomas. The sale itself will take place at the Burns Park school Auditorium this Saturday, October 18, from 9 am to 1 pm.

In addition to the used books, thirty lots of first editions and other rare and collectible books will be on display during the book sale. These books are being auctioned on our PTO’s auction site (http://www.burnsparkpto.org/auction), and the auctions will remain open at least until midnight, October 31st.

All proceeds from the rare book auction will benefit the Karen Thomas Memorial Fund at the AAPSEF, which is dedicated to help fund literacy programs for at-risk children in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Proceeds from the used book sale will be shared between the Karen Thomas Fund and the Burns Park media center (library).

Please note that contributions to the Karen Thomas Memorial Fund made by the end of this year will be matched up to a total of $25,000. Here is how the Educational Foundation describes the fund:

The Karen Thomas Memorial Fund of the AAPSEF was established by her husband, Andy, in early 2008. The Fund honors Karen’s profound love of reading, and her belief that literacy is essential to a successful and fulfilling life. The Fund will sponsor literacy and academic retention programs for children at the elementary level with an emphasis on academically at risk students. Karen loved to read, and especially loved reading aloud to children. On just about any school morning, you could find her sitting on the bench outside the office at Burns Park Elementary, reading to her son Jonathan. She never missed an opportunity to volunteer as a reader during “March is Reading Month” — even while undergoing chemotherapy.

To promote literacy, the books on tape committee makes voice recordings to accompany books that are distributed to students in lower elementary grades. This project is ongoing thoughout the year and volunteers work on their own time at home using books, tapes and instructions provided by the committee.

It’s audition time for the Burns Park Players! Initial auditions will be held on Monday, October 15th at 7:00 p.m. in the Tappan auditorium with callbacks held on Tuesday, October 16th. If you would like to audition but are unable to make the audition day, please notify Susan Hurwitz, susanh22@aol.com or call 994-3508.

It’s that time of year again!

Bulletin board displays in the front hallway are created by the PTO to provide information about upcoming events and fundraisers.

Burn$ Park Buck$ is our school scrip fundraiser. Beginning in September, families have an opportunity each month to purchase gift certificates and gift cards at cost to be used at local groceries and other retailers; the school receives a percent profit from the merchants.

The Burns Park Press is the monthly newsletter of the PTO, distributed to all families, faculty and staff in electronic and paper format. The Press is our regular way of communicating as a community, and carries news, an events calendar, and regular contributions from PTO officers and our principal. All families receive the electronic version of the press, and can get a paper copy sent home upon request.

Please select from our available issues below:

2008-09

Once a month this committee works to print, collate and distribute copies of the Burns Park Press to families that have requested a paper copy.

Scheduled annually on the first Sunday in May, the Burns Park Run, a 5K and 10K race through the streets around the school, is a community wide event and a major fundraiser for the PTO each year. The run committee needs over one hundred volunteers for a variety of tasks before, during and after the race.

Visit the BP Run site: http://www.burnsparkrun.org/