The Burnham School

As we wrap up our last few days of school, and we embark on the sunny days of summer vacation, it's time for our elementary families to dust off those beach towels, pack up the picnic baskets, and get ready for some well-deserved fun in the sun! From sandy toes to ice cream cones, summer is the perfect season to create unforgettable memories with your little ones. Whether you're planning epic backyard adventures, exploring new parks, or simply enjoying lazy days with a good book, let's embrace every moment of this sunny season. So, grab your shades and sunscreen, because the countdown to endless laughter, splashes, and smiles starts now!

Wishing all our families a sensational summer filled with joy, relaxation, and plenty of popsicles!

Dr. Rhew

It has been an amazing year in Kindergarten. The boys and girls have thrived learning how to read and write. They are quite the mathematicians and scientists. More importantly, they have shown responsibility, sportsmanship, compassion, respect, and kindness in our classroom community. Each student will continue to shine in the future.

First grade is wrapping up an amazing year! I am so proud of the boys and girls' hard work this year. We were excited to celebrate with field day filled with lots of fun games. We also visited White Memorial and got to explore the pond, the museum, and learned about the adaptations of some of the live animals they have there. The students enjoyed our ABC Countdown to Summer. Each of our final days were celebrated with an activity such as movie day and board game day. Have a great summer!

Second graders had a blast visiting the Norwalk Maritime Center! It was an awesome field trip that was super engaging. We saw maritime creatures that can be found in the Long Island Sound like: sea turtles, harbor seals, moon jellyfish, and sand tiger sharks. We were also able to touch some of the sea creatures like: cownose rays, eastern oysters, and flat clawed hermit crabs.

Not only were we amazed by the maritime creatures, but we also loved interacting with the tamarins, meerkats, and striped skunks who were behind glass, in their museum habitats. We really enjoyed crawling into the meerkat habitat bubbles too!

It was hard to pick our favorite creature, but the majority of second graders really loved touching the rays in the touch tank. Watching the sharks and sea turtles was also one of the favorite activities in our class!

Third graders have been busy working on comparing Cinderella stories across cultures in reading. They learned that the place, time, and culture a story develops within have an impact on how the plot unfolds. In math, they are collecting and representing data with different types of graphs. They are also growing their opinion paragraphs into essays in writing. We have also been making sure to enjoy special experiences like field day, a trip to the Institute for American Indian Studies, and putting on a shadow puppet performance with the Flock Theatre. Students have worked so hard and learned so much this year! We had an absolutely amazing year, and we are so ready for fourth grade!!

The Burnham Fourth Grade class has had a tremendously busy month of May, from standardized testing to field trips. We have shown just how much we know between the SBA, STAR, and BAS assessments, but have also had our share of fun with a trip to Flanders Nature Center and the ABC countdown. Field Day was a great time, thanks to Mr. Morgan and all of the volunteers that made it happen. As we close out the year, we are finishing up our Unit 6 of math and Unit 3 of ARC.

Math: Exploring Geometry and Problem Solving

• In math class, our fifth graders have been diving into geometry! We’ve covered addition and multiplication, and we’ve also explored area and volume. Our students are becoming experts at calculating the dimensions of different shapes. They’ve even started plotting points on the coordinate plane! 🌟

Language Arts: Mysteries and Character Analysis

• Our young detectives have been reading thrilling mystery books this month. We’ve been analyzing characters, paying special attention to the antagonists and protagonists. Currently, we’re engrossed in the book “Me, Frida, and the Missing Peacock Ring.” 🕵️‍♀️🔍

• In writing, we’ve been practicing persuasive and opinion writing. Our students have chosen arguments and provided strong supporting reasons. One hot topic? Whether our town should build a skate park! 🛹

• We’ve also had fun with “This or That” and “Would You Rather” scenarios. It’s a great way to sharpen our language skills while having a blast! 😄

Social Studies: Journey to Early English Settlements

• Our time machine took us back to early English settlements. We’ve been comparing the different colonies, learning about life in colonial Williamsburg, and discussing the impact of slavery in the Americas. History truly comes alive in our classroom! 🌎

Science: Data Analysis and Hands-On Experiments

• In science, we’ve been analyzing tables and data. Our students have become mini-scientists, experimenting with different trials and solving real-world problems.

Field Trips: Exploring History and Getting Ready for Middle School

• Our fifth graders had a blast visiting Shepaug! We got to ask questions, meet the Shepaug student leaders, and our favorite activity…swim in their awesome pool!

• And let’s not forget our adventure to Sturbridge Village. We stepped back in time and experienced life in the past. 🏰

Farewell, Amazing Fifth Graders! 🎓🌟

As you step out of these elementary school doors and into the exciting world of middle school, remember that you carry with you a treasure trove of knowledge, friendships, and memories. 🎒📚

Keep shining bright, just like the stars you’ve become. Embrace new challenges, explore uncharted territories, and continue to learn and grow. 🌠

Middle school awaits, and it’s ready for your unique talents, your laughter, and your boundless curiosity. So go forth, my young adventurers! 🚀

Thank you for making this year unforgettable. You’ve left footprints in our hearts, and we can’t wait to see the incredible paths you’ll forge ahead. 🌈

Congratulations, graduates! 🎉👏

Summer Reading 2024

What are you going to do with your summer? The Governor of Connecticut thinks that everyone should READ, and I agree! The iRead theme for this year’s summer reading challenge is Read, Renew, Repeat. Since we always strive to be a top performing school in the summer reading challenge, I want to encourage everyone in the school to spend their summer reading. I will be sending home the official Summer Reading Journals so that students can keep track of their reading over the summer months. Also, be sure to look for a Summertime Learning newsletter with links to all sorts of resources for summer reading, such as the town library’s calendar of summer reading events, State Department of Education’s lists of suggested summer reading for each grade level, and the winners of the 2024 Nutmeg Award. With these resources, as well as access to Overdrive/SORA and the town library, students will have plenty to read over the summer.

Town Library Summer Reading

The town summer reading event kicks off Saturday, June 22 at the Burnham Town Library. All three town libraries- Bridgewater, Washington Depot, and Roxbury- will be participating and collaborating. Students can stop by on July 22 with their parents and pick up their reading passport for the summer. The tri-town theme is Around the World Adventure, and the library will be handing out raffle tickets and prizes for the number of books read as students fill up their summer reading passports.

Don’t Forget

As the school year winds down to a close, please make an effort to return all overdue books. I will continue to send home notices about overdue books. Thank you for returning our books to their home.

Thank you for another wonderful school year! It has been a joy to watch our readers stretch their imaginations this year. Have an incredible summer!

Spring turned into summer in a flash! Students have been quite busy the last few weeks. Kindergarten started our clay frenzy off with pinch pots. They learned how to form and shape a pinch pot then had fun decorating their pots with colorful paints. First grade extended the pinch pot theme by learning the score, slip, smooth technique to attach fun additions to their pots. Some chose to turn their pot into sharks, others turned them into frogs or cats and beyond. Second and third grade got busy with making their own coil pots. Rolling the coils into snails for additional flair or clay balls for some fun patterns in their pots. Because we were using air dry clay, students found the clay to be quite fragile, and those who didn’t use the score, slip, technique had some issues with pieces falling off as the clay dried. Fourth and fifth grade had fun rolling slabs out of clay and making wall pockets. They mastered the attaching method and added fun details to their wall pockets.

The Burnham School Student Council has had a busy month of May. We have concluded our Spring Fundraiser where we raised over $500 to be put towards indoor/outdoor recess equipment for our fellow classmates! Thank you to all who supported us. With the proceeds from the Flower Sale, we were able to supply the ice cream for the whole school to enjoy Sundaes while the teachers scooped and topped the bowls. As we conclude our year, I want to thank all 3rd through 5th grade students for their participation in the Student Council process and helping make our school a great place to learn!

Thank you for allowing me to care for your children’s health needs. I enjoyed getting to know all of them over the past 10 months. There are many things to think about as we approach the last week of school. Here are just a few reminders:

New health forms/meds for the 2024-2025 school year: If you have a rising 6th grader, please contact your student’s primary care provider to see if they will need any required immunizations before school resumes in August. An updated Health Assessment Record (HAR) is needed prior to the start of the school year. If you plan to bring medications to the nurse's office next school year, you must complete a Request for Administration of Medication form with each medication turned into the nurses office. If the medication is over the counter, only a parent's signature is required. However, if it is a prescription medication, or needs to be administered for over 2 weeks, the form must also be signed by a physician. Please see the school website for medication related forms. All medication orders must be renewed each school year.

Summer: Have a fun, safe, and healthy summer!!! Can’t wait to see everyone, well rested, back in August. Best of Luck to the 5th graders as they begin their Shepaug adventure next school year.