The Monday Morning Blog

HELP FOR OUR SCHOOL

2010-02-17T05:31:00.000-08:00

Burks in the midst of a big school wide fundraiser. All grades are selling delicious cookie dough, rolls, and breadsticks. This stuff makes some of the best cookies I've ever tasted and is super easy to use! The money raised will be used for some emergency items needed in the building and the 4th graders will be taking their earnings and using them to fund their accounts for next year's science camp. There are many great flavors and kinds to choose from. So if you haven't purchased yet, just find a Burks student and I'm sure they'll be glad to show you their brochure! The sale continues through Monday, Feb. 22.

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE & SCHOOL WIDE FUNDRAISER

2010-02-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

Remember, our Family Valentine's Dance is this Thursday, the 11th, from 6:30-8 pm in the cafeteria. That is, if the weather cooperates! If, by chance, we do get bad weather and school is cancelled, the dance will be too. :( Otherwise, we'll see you there gettin' your groove on, taking pictures, you know, havin' FUN!

Due to a need for some emergency funds and just because we love cookies(!), the school is having a fundraiser. The sale began on Monday, the 8th and goes until Monday, the 22nd. We are selling cookie dough, lava cakes, Auntie Anne's Breadsticks and pumpkin, red velvet, chocolate, and carrot rolls. Ummm, I get hungry just thinking about it all! These are the same great products that our 4th & 5th graders have sold to go to camp. In fact, all of the money the 4th graders earn during this sale will be going towards their camp accounts. So find a Burks student and support our school. Your tummy will be glad you did!

Burks' Teacher of the Year

2010-02-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, one more post and then somebody's really got to take this over...

Congratualtions to Mrs. Vanessa Chavez, Teacher of the Year (first to the left with the rest of the 5th grade teaching team)! Many parents may also remember her as Mrs. Lucero. She's taught a few different grades at Burks and smiled upon everyone who passes through Burks' halls.

PTO meeting this Tuesday at 4pm!

Celebration!

2010-01-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

This is a happy and sad post.

Happy because this is the 100th post of The Burks' Monday Morning Blog! Don't you like that "100" picture? It reminds me of Eric Carle.

Sad because I am moving away and this is my last post. Hopefully one of you readers will volunteer to take over the blog. You can make it your own and do it on a monthly basis instead of weekly. Talk to Teri Kirkpatrick who will probably also remind you the vice-president spot is now vacant and her president position will be open next year. Next year we'll also need someone to take over the bulletin board, a perfect job for any former teachers out there!

I don't know how to sum up my 2 1/2 years on the PTO Board. It was a lot of work but I also received a lot of smiles, hugs and waves from students that made it worthwhile. Goodbye!

Six Flag Reading Logs are due in a month, don't forget to log your reading time!

Beautiful...Oblige...

2010-01-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

Successful...and Enormous were some of the challenging words at last week's Spelling Bee. Silent E often raised it's ugly head, students either forgot it or added it on when it wasn't there. Congratulations to Spelling Bee Champ Ariana Hernandez and all those who participated!

Plans for the Spring/Valentine's Day Dance on February 11th are under way. More information will be sent home in February.

This is not related to Burks or even to school but the Mardi Gras Barkus Dog Parade is on Valentine's Day this year in downtown McKinney. The theme "Barkus does Romance." It's fun to watch or if you envision your dog dressed as a "famous valentine," contact Blynda Christian at the Art Institute of McKinney 972-529-6872.

Buzz

2010-01-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

The 1st Annual Burks' Spelling Bee will be held on Thursday, January 21 at 6pm in the cafeteria. The winning student will move on to compete at the County Spelling Bee!

I Have a Dream Today

2010-01-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day by reading his "I Have a Dream" speech. Here are a few excerpts:

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will be not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream that one day....little black boys and little black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as brothers and sisters.

http://www.mlkonline.net/

No Snow

2010-01-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

Yay! We made it through the cold weather without a snow day! That means the students will enjoy a having Good Friday off which is our cold weather make up day.

Get out your 2010 Calendars!

2010-01-06T07:14:00.001-08:00

Crack open your brand new calendars and write these down!

Valentine's Day Dance
Thursday February 11th 6:30-8:00

Book Fair
March 8th-12th Open House is that week too!

Dollar Movie Night
April 9th
$1 for the movie ($5 tops for families), $1 popcorn, $1 sodas. What a deal!

Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
Thursday May 6th

Carnival
May 14th

Also calendar-worthy but not a PTO event is the school-wide Texas Tornadoes Hockey Game on March 5th. And don't forget there is a Box Tops Popcorn Party winner every month! I think 2nd grade was last month's winner.

2010!

2010-01-04T07:23:00.000-08:00

I'm sure becoming more active in your child's school is at the top of your New Year's resolution list. Here's your chance to act on that by attending Tuesday's PTO at 4pm at Burks. We'll be talking about the Valentine's Day Dance so it will be short and lots of fun. I promise!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2009-12-28T09:54:00.000-08:00

Santa and Ms. Stewart sing Silent Night.

Before the break Coach Klem told the kids they'd probably be getting tons of video games for Christmas and reminded them they need outdoor running around time along with all their indoor video game time. Hopefully when it snowed everyone got plenty of that outdoor time. If you are not fond of the cold weather like me, try McKinney's newest library, the John and Judy Gay Library, on El Dorado just past Sonic for a warm (and free!) place to roam around. Not only does it have shiny, new books, it also has a big video and books on CD collection. Enjoy!

Happy Hanukkah!

2009-12-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

The Festival of Lights is an opportunity to bring up the Hebrew adage that prompts many a volunteer "If not me, who? If not now, when?" Thanks to all those who have answered the call to volunteer for PTO and at Burks Elementary.

Friday will be a day of dizzying excitement. Christmas caroling at Good Morning Burks in the morning and holiday parties in the afternoon. Too avoid surprises on Thursday night, check now with your student if you are supposed to bring something. Parents are always welcome at the parties!

Boys, Girls & Dogs on the Nice List

2009-12-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

There are so many volunteers to thank for making Sweets with Santa a success:
Carol Woglemoth for getting yummy cookies from Kellogg's.
Melissa Drane and Carol for wrestling up the drawing prizes.
Mrs. Bendorf for arriving at school on a Saturday at 8:30 in the morning!
Robert Champigny and the D.O.G.S. for squeezing their hands into gloves several sizes too small and passing out cookies and hot chocolate.
Candi Carminati for agreeing to be photographer after we volunteered her for the job.
Burks Choir and music teacher Ms. Stewart/Stuart for wonderful performances.
All the PTO Volunteers especially president Teri Kirkpatrick, who spent HOURS getting everything ready.
And thank you, Santa, for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by Burks!

The Gift Shop continues until Wednesday. It will be open before and after school.
2nd grade is having their Popcorn Party this week for bringing in the most Box Tops in November.
Mark your calendar for Friday the 18th. Good Morning Burks will have a Chrismtas carol sing-a-long and there will be Holiday parties in the afternoon.

'Tis the Season

2009-11-29T12:45:00.000-08:00

My kids are in that mopey Sunday mood fixating on going to school tomorrow, only made worse by having a whole week off. I'm sure the teachers feel some dread as well, how will they keep the students focused when they have to compete with daydreams about Christmas presents?

PTO is doing our part to infuse the Christmas spirit. Please join us for Sweets with Santa on Saturday, December 5th from 10-noon. We'll have cookies, hot chocolate, pictures with Santa, performances by Burks' Honor Choir, the Holiday Gift Shop and coloring cards for soldiers.

The Holiday Gift Shop will continue December 7th-9th. Kids get really excited about this event. It's completely run by PTO moms and dads and we need all the help we can get! Reply to this email or return the volunteer form sent home if you can spare an hour or two.

Last chance for Lost and Found. Items in Lost and Found will be going to Goodwill on Tuesday afternoon. If your student has a jacket you haven't seen in awhile, remind them to check on Monday. We've got plenty of them!

Remember to keep an eye out for Box Tops while you're doing your holiday shopping and cooking!

2009-11-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

On the Spanish side of the marquee Thanksgiving Week translated into "A Week of Giving Thanks." Says the same thing but makes you think a bit. Take time this week to give thanks for all the great things in your life starting with your family.

Check out Burks' "Kitschy Coo Christmas Tree" at MISD's Festival of Trees Friday through Sunday at the Performing Arts Center down at the Square.

Thanksgiving Break is sooo close!

2009-11-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

While the students are off on the school-wide Science Fieldtrip this Friday, PTO will be counting the November Box Tops. 3rd grade won the popcorn party for October with a giant bulk of the 1919 Box Tops we collected.

Santa is coming to Burks! (I'd wait to post this after Thanksgiving but it's coming up quick!)
Sweets with Santa November 5th 10-12 am
*Cookies and Milk
*Pictures with Santa
*Burks' Choir
*PTO's Holiday Gift Shop
*Card-making for Service Men Overseas
*A Drawing for a Photo Session, Taekwondo Lessons, Dancing Lessons and more!

Yet another busy week.

2009-11-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

If you didn't make it to PeterPiper Pizza Day you missed some good pizza and awesome hot wings. Not very many people came- why not? Too far, too busy, too expensive? Let PTO know. I think most people's answer is too far.

5th grade Ambassadors (the nice kids who open your car door in the morings) are collecting items for less fortunate this week. Each grade is assigned things they can contribute. I'm buying toothpaste (1st grade) and a card game (4th). I saw a kinder parent carrying at least 15 shoe boxes for their contribution, they must have cleaned out their closet!

Wednesday is a Thanksgiving lunch at school. Don't have much info on this one yet but family is invited to attend and buy a lunch with your student.

Friday is early release at 12:45 and the last day to send in your $5 for the school-wide field trip on the 20th.

Write this down on your calendar now: Sweets with Santa, Saturday December 5th, 9-11am. The choir will be singing, Christmas movies will be showing and Santa will be sitting for photos.

The Assistant Principal & Pizza

2009-10-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

This is our new assistant-principal, Mrs. Havard, in case you have not had the pleasure to meet her yet. If you eat at Peter Piper Pizza (121 & Custer) on Saturday November 7th, there's a possibility you could run into Mrs. Havard enjoying Burks' Peter Piper Pizza Day. Even if you don't see her there you can still order up some delicious pizza and that's a good thing. Stop in anytime on Saturday from 11am-9pm and let them know you're from Burks!

Also on Saturday is MISD's Huge Holiday Bazaar at Evans Middle School from 9am-5-pm. There's more info at MISD's website.

Teachers' Appreciation Luncheon on Monday drop off something yummy for the teachers on your way to your parent/teacher conference.

Photo: Candi Carminati

Field Day Cancelled

2009-10-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

Field Day is no fun with mud puddles (or actually it'd be lots and lots of fun) so it's been rescheduled for sometime in the spring.
Our buddy school Glen Oaks is having a Tiger Trot on Saturday morning if you and your family would like to challenge themselves to a fun 5K. For more info:
http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1794906

Fundraising $ Due

2009-10-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

A picture of Burks before PTO made some improvements.

Okay, maybe it's a picture from last week's 1st grade fieldtrip to Heritage Village, but PTO has made some pretty significant additions to the school in the past years. We helped update the audio system, last year we partnered with the school to buy a new poster machine and every year we help with blue bonnet books, author visits and classroom supplies. The majority of our funds come from the catalog sales and we really appreciate all the students that help raise money. That being said, fundraiser packet money is due MONDAY OCTOBER 26th.

This week's Red Ribbon Week is devoted to drug awareness. It's a fun week for the kids with theme days, Thursday night Bingo and Friday's Field Day. After such a busy week, it's a good thing the kids have Monday off. Parents and teachers will be busy with conferences and the Teacher Appreciation Lunch. If you can bring a soup, bread or dessert on Monday, November 2nd, please let Judy Poe know- jpoejudy@aol.com, 972-814-1157.

Do you know Judy Poe?

2009-10-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

You might have seen Judy Poe around school but you might have also caught a glimpse of her at official MISD functions where she serves on the School Board (I lifted this fine photo of Judy from the School Board page). It's a big job but Judy still finds time for Burks PTO where she's in charge of Teacher Appreciation. That means monthly cupcakes for teachers' birthdays and planning a luncheon twice a year. Our first Teacher Apppreciaiton Luncheon is coming up on Parent/Teacher Conference Day, November 2nd. We're asking parents for soups in crockpots or breads/muffins/cornbreads or a dessert. This allows the teachers to eat lunch at school that day and not have to rush out and wolf something down. If you'd like to bring something, give her a call 972-814-1157 or send her an email at jpoejudy@aol.com. Thanks!

First grade has a field trip this week! If you want to accompany your child on an upcoming field trip, don't forget to fill out MISD's volunteer application- link is on the right hand side of this page.

I forgot the most important information of all! 5th graders are at Sky Ranch. All your cookie dough money is being put to good use teaching kids about science and team work! Thanks for supporting all 5th/4th grade fundraisers to make this happen! Good Luck to 5th Grade this week!

Highlights from our Meeting

2009-10-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

What goes on at a PTO meeting? Lots of talking and planning. Here's a rundown of some of the items we discussed last Tuesday.
*Chili Cook-Off was cancelled! Teachers already pitched in to help the school with the Kickball Tournament and the upcoming Bingo Night so the Chili Cook-Off was a bit much for them.
*Possibility of having a Peter Piper Pizza Night.
*The Holiday Gift Shop in December. In conjunction with the Gift Shop, we're planning a Saturday morning Breakfast with Santa. Lots of discussion about whether making pancakes is possible or if we should have sweets brought in by parents or just buy donuts.
*School Requests: Mrs. Bendorf asked PTO to think about donating some kind of stepping stones for the super muddy areas from the gym to the playground. Also on her wish-list is BIG TREES for the playground.
*We're buying insurance (always a good idea) for our events and a license to show movies.

Most of the time we're talking about either raising money or spending money. Our Catalog Sales Fundraiser just kicked-off this Friday. This is the primary way we fund things from inflatables at the carnival to teacher requests to buying blue bonnet books. Help PTO out by purchasing a thing or two from your favorite Burks' student!

The Score? 50,000 to 2

2009-10-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

It was an athletic week for Burks. Everyone had a great time at the Burks/Glen Oaks Kickball Challenge on Tuesday, although finding out the score was a little difficult. Were they even keeping score? Mrs. Hurbough told my son Burks won 50,000 to 2 and I am going to stick with that.

Several teachers got even more of a work out at the Crepe Myrtle Trails 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk on Saturday. I saw about 10 teachers and several Burks families participating. $5 of each Burks' person's entry fee went to Burks so I think we probably earned at least $100 for the school wide science field trip. Coach Klemm was so excited to see whole families out doing physical activity together. She would like to see an even greater turn out at McKinney's next run/walk: The Believe 10K, 5K & 1Mile Run/Walk sponsored by St. Andrews and held around the Square on November 28th.

PTO is meeting this Tuesday at 4pm. The public is always welcome.
Packets for our Catalog Sales Fundraiser go out this Friday. I know times are tough financially but when each student is able to raise a little money, collectively we are able to do so much with it!

Support the Science Camp!

2009-09-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

You must see the Teacher Kickball Challenge this Tuesday!
Admission is only $1 and all proceeds go towards Burks' 5th Grade Science Camp!
6:30 at Burks
Burks Teachers vs. Glen Oaks

I hear the Book Fair will be in the cafeteria that evening too. Last chance to get some great books at great prices!

Brand New Book Fair Sept 21-25

2009-09-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

This year there are a couple of new things about the Book Fair this year. First, it is being run by a different company named Southwest. I have no idea what difference that makes, different books? A new look? Everyone will have to come in to check it out themselves. Also new to the Book Fair, is our new coordinator, Carol Wolgemuth. It's not too late to send in your form to volunteer! Monday and Tuesday the classes will preview the books and Wednesday through Friday students can come down to make a purchase. The Book Fair will be open from 8:15-4:00. Parents and visitors are welcome to drop before and after school as well as during the day. It's a great place to buy Christmas presents for kids or an appreciation present for teachers.

Did you know Mo Willems has a blog on blogspot too?! http://mowillemsdoodles.blogspot.com
What a cool author.

What do D.O.G.S. do?

2009-09-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) spend a day or a half day at school going to classes, patrolling the hallways and helping students. You probably will be paired up with your child for a little bit but you will also experience other grades and classes. My husband's done several half-days and comes home exhausted and amazed at the teachers' stamina and patience. Your chance to find out more information about D.O.G.S. is this Tuesday at 5:30. All Dads, Grandpas and other interested male relatives are welcome. Do I need to mention there will be free pizza?

After the D.O.G.S. meeting is Curriculum Night. Grades Kinder through 2nd are meeting from 6-6:30 and then grades 3-5 will meet 6:30-7.

I was dropping off some poison ivy cream during lunch on Friday and was amazed by the amount of Grandparents and other relatives that came to Burks for Grandparents & Grandfriends Day. I sat next to a Grandma who took the day off and drove all the way from Tyler. I think she and everyone else who came deserve a big gold star sticker.

Start of a Busy School Year

2009-09-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Moore sent home a calendar full of all sorts of things like this Friday is wear red, white and blue day for Good Morning Burks and also that this Thursday is Mrs. Bendorf's birthday. Friday is also Grandparents and Grandfriends Day at Burks, don't forget to invite an elderly relative or friend for lunch. An important date for parents is Curriculum Night and the D.O.G.S. meeting Tuesday the 15th. Also Picture Day is Thursday the 17th. My favorite upcoming date is September 29th- the Kickball Challenge between Burks and Glen Oaks at the First Baptist Church. Just a dollar admission per person, this is a great way to raise funds for Burks' 5th Grade Science Camp. Although you can't always make every school event, remember what a difference you make when you are involved in your child's education!

Grandparents and Volunteers are Great!

2009-08-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

The school is celebrating Grandparents' Day on September 11th. Invite a grandparent, grandparents, or an elderly friend to lunch with your child, they will love it!

On Wednesday is the MISD Volunteers in Public Schools Breakfast at the First Baptist Church Life Center from 9-10. This is for anyone who does any amount of volunteering from helping out in your child's class room to PTO/PTA events. There will also be sessions afterwards if you would like to stay. They include affordable travel destinations, products that help you stay organized, how to protect your family from the swine flu and quick and healthy breakfast options presented by Market Street There are 2 sets of sessions, one from 10-11 and another from 11-12. It's a great way to get psyched of the school year!

Cell Phone Use in School Zones.

2009-08-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

This is from the City of McKinney's website. I suppose everyone has heard it by now.

Use of a mobile communication device on city streets is prohibited when the school zone
hours are in effect in the morning and afternoon for drivers of any vehicle if the car is in
motion. Hands-free devices are allowed when using a mobile communications device in
a school zone, and cell phone use is allowed in a vehicle when it is stopped. It is
permissible for passengers in the cars to use cell phones. There are exceptions for
medical, fire or police related emergencies.

Drivers caught using a cell phone to place calls or send text messages in a school zone
or in the public street without using a hands free device while operating a vehicle could
get warning the first time or up to a $200 fine. Signs will be posted warning drivers of the
new ordinance.

The whole document can be found at :
http://www3.mckinneytexas.org/www/uploadedFiles/Departments/Communications_and_Marketing/Press_Releases/CellPhoneOrdinance080709.pdf

Roll out the Red Carpet

2009-08-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

Students returning to Burks this morning got a super red carpet weclome. Most children strode up like stars, some made a detour around the fuss and a few looked like they were being dragged back to school. And then there were those that had to be carried- the first day of Kindergarten can be tough.
There will be lots of tears shed today, some sad ones and some for joy. Mine will be both. Sad that my boys seem so independent that they don't need me to walk them to class and happy because my house will remain quiet and undisturbed for 7 hours in a row.

For your to-do list this week:
1.Give your child a giant hug and tell them they will have a great school year.
2.Fill out all the paperwork and return it to school ASAP. This really helps the teachers and the staff.
3.Don't forget to complete your volunteer application form (link on the left hand side of this page). Doing it the night before a field trip is too late!

Have a great year!

Can't make it Thursday?

2009-08-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

Burks is the place to be this Thursday night, but what if you can't make it?
The teacher's list is usually posted on the windows of the front office so that you can check the list at any time. You can also call the school that Friday if you are so inclined.

And if you are waiting for the tax-free weekend and haven't bought your supplies by Thursday, you are still more than welcome to come on Meet the Teacher night. Just don't forget to bring your supplies on Monday!

Hot dog! 3 weeks until school!

2009-08-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendar for the most exciting day before the start of school- meeting your new teacher- at Burks' Meet the Teacher and Hot Dog Supper, Thursday August 20th. Actually, the hot dog supper comes first between 6 and 7 and then from 7 to 8 you can meet your teacher and drop off school supplies.

Cooking is not one of my favorite things so I'm happy to say the school will be making the hot dogs and PTO will be sitting pretty at tables giving out the pre-ordered school supplies and handing out information about volunteering. We have a few extra pre-ordered school supplies for each grade that are first come first served. If you realized that you do not want to step out in this heat to buy a single pencil and are interested in one of our extra packages, send me an email and we'll see what we can do : burkspto@yahoo.com.

Other items for your back to school checklist:

Fill out MISD's volunteer form (links to the new and returning forms are midway down on the left handside of this page under Links)

Make a copy of a current utility bill or housing contract or rental agreement to prove your proof of residency

Mom, what are we doing today?

2009-07-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

School's been out a month, I hope you've had the opportunity to visit Finch Park or Towne Lake. Don't forget to take advantage of McKinney's pools, Juanita Maxfield or the Old Settler's Aquatic Center- it's $1.25 for youth and $2 for those over 10 years of age. If you're looking for something free that's air conditioned don't forget to stop by McKinney's public library.

Six Flags of Fun!

2009-06-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

You can start using your free Six Flags Six Hour Reading Club tickets starting today through August 9th.

When we go this summer, I will be sticking strictly to the kiddy rides and the two water rides. No roller coasters or whirling tea cups for me!

Celebrate the end of the year!

2009-05-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

The school sent this out a little late so I'll post it in case you have not seen it.

Celebration Ceremonies
Monday, June 1st
9am Kindergarten
2:30 2nd

Tuesday, June 2nd
9am 1st
1:45 4th
2:45 3rd

Wednesday, June 3rd
2:30 5th

I also heard a rumor about a note sent home that the Talent Show will only be on Thursday during the day (and not Wednesday night). My son vaguely remembers this note but it did not make its way home. You may want to call school if you would like more details.

As for PTO news: Parents can still buy prepackaged school supplies until June 3rd. Bags for collecting Box Tops over the summer are being sent home on Tuesday. Even if your bag does not make it home, you can still save Box Tops over the summer and return them to school in the fall!

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T10:59:00.001-07:00

8 more days of school left...

Go Hawaiian

2009-05-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

I've got people sending their pictures of the Carnival taken with cameras much niftier than my little one, so I will post them as soon as I get them. It was such a success, people didn't even want to leave at 8:00 when it closed. It was great to have all the games in the nice, cool indoors. Hopefully you passed by the PTO booth selling popcorn and considered buying prepackaged school supplies (It's not too late to buy one! We'll be selling them until the end of the year). Burks' staff and many parent volunteers did a wonderful job making this happen. A special thank you goes to Nurse Kelly, Cory St Aubin and Toni Crawford for all their hard work planning and running the Carnival.

On top of helping with the Carnival, Cory is also working on the talent show with Mrs. Stout. It's no small feat with 44 acts this year. There will be an additional night performance for parents on June 4th and then a daytime performance for the students on the last day of school. The Grammys go to Hawaii is the theme, so you will be seeing more Hawaiian creations built by Robert Champigny. (Did you see his fabulous palm tree archway at the Carnvial?)

Tuesday is this year's last CiCi's pizza night.

Don't forget to send your kids to school with water bottles and sunscreen for their trip to Finch Park this Thursday!

CARNIVAL this Friday!

2009-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

This year there will be FOUR inflatibles at the Carnival for running, jumping and climbing!
Don't forget to send money to school for a wrist band for the inflitables ahead of time so you don't have to waste a minute of your time waiting in line. It's $7.50 for unlimited use of all the inflatibles. In addition to inflatibles and games there will also be food: nachos, cotton candy, pizza and popcorn. Tickets for food and games are .50 cents. PTO will be manning the popcorn machine and aslo selling pre-packaged school supplies on the side. Come by and visit with us!

Teacher of the Year

2009-05-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Mr. Young, Burks' Teacher of Year! Besides being Burks' energetic reading teacher, Mr. Young is always game for such things as manning the dunking booth during the carnival or dressing up like Beyonce for TAKS. You can show Mr. Young and all the teachers at Burks your appreciation by dropping a dessert off at school this Thursday morning for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon.

Fliers about important PTO and school stuff should be coming home in flurries these next few weeks. If you don't regularly see the fliers your child is supposed to bring home, make sure you poke around their backpack for more information on events such as:

CARNIVAL is on Friday May 15th, less than 2 weeks away!
Prepackaged School Supplies will be on sale very soon
THE GRAMMYS are going to Hawaii! Tryouts are on May 12th.
Kindergarten Registration started on Friday and the Kinder Round-Up is on the 19th.

McDonald's Night is tomorrow! Remember 15% of your purchase goes to PTO. Thanks!

Baker Alert

2009-04-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

Not much going on this week except for TAKS and rain. How dreary!
The teachers will have something to look forward to next week- bbq at the Teacher's Appreciation Luncheon on Thursday the 7th. If you are able to bring a dessert (anything from store-bought cookies to a homemade cake) both the teachers and PTO will appreciate it. Just drop it by the library on Thursday morning. Thanks!

Yay! New Board Members

2009-04-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Yay for Melissa Drane and Casey Tidmore stepping up to a challenge and becoming our new Treasurer and Secretary respectively! Don't worry though, there are plenty more volunteer opportunities available for everyone! Do you have a desire to help with the marquee? Mrs. Montgomery is always very grateful to the kind person who does this duty. Many thanks to Clair who has done it all this year but will be moving on to Middle School.

Tomorrow is CiCi's pizza night- eat in or make it an easy night and get take-out.

We entering the last months of school and there is still plenty in the works- the Carnival with even more inflatables this year, the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon and we hope to be selling pre-packaged school supplies too.

Last of all, CHECK LOST AND FOUND! It is brimming full of winter coats. Everything will be gone Friday afternoon so make sure your child has all of their coats and jackets.

1st Grade Wins Again!

2009-04-14T16:57:00.001-07:00

For the second time this year, 1st grade turned in the most Box Tops. They had almost double of what the rest of the other grades turned in. They will be getting another pop corn party popped by the fine ladies of PTO.

Lost and Found is full of jackets! The unclaimed jackets will be gone by the of the week so make sure your child checks for any missing clothing items before Friday.

PTO Meeting this Thursday for Everyone

2009-04-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the awesome David Chicken concert and slime-ing are coming as soon as I learn how to create a slide show. The kids really enjoyed it- some danced the entire time!

If you were there you would have also seen PTO present flowers to Clair Wall and Besty & Mary Tunnell, PTO volunteers for YEARS who are moving on to Middle School. (In the photo there's Clair and her daughter Cat, Mrs. Bendorf, Mary Tunnell and Betsy Tunnell). Burks was so lucky to have them help out with events over the year and now there is a big void to fill. Come help fill it by attending PTO's meeting this Thursday, April 5th at 5pm. See where you can pitch in so that we can continue to have fun activities for the kids.

David Chicken clucking away this Friday Night

2009-03-30T10:34:00.001-07:00

Mrs. Randolph had so many penny votes that she needed two cups. But I think students must have been stuffing dollars in Mrs. Montilla's cup because she had the most votes in Kindergarten. See who else won on Friday night right after the concert!

David Chicken Concert
(and Slime the Teacher)
Friday 3rd, 6pm-8pm
Bring a picnic or buy pizza and drinks at the concert.
Don't forget a blanket to sit on!

David Chicken coming soon!

2009-03-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Less than 2 weeks away is Burks' Family Picnic and Concert featuring David Chicken on Friday night, April 3rd! You are welcome to bring your own food or we will have pizza & drinks for sale again. Don't forget comfy blankets to sit on.

We're collecting March Boxtops this Friday, so send them in! The Friday before Spring Break we had 2nd grade's popcorn party for winning last month. It was just the right thing for kids who just could not wait for their week of to begin. Who will win in March?

Tuesday is CiCi's Pizza Night.

Although not related to PTO- DOGS (Dads of Great Students) is having a donuts for Dads on Thursday at 7:30am. Hopefully Dads out there will have a chance to drop in before work.

Valentine's Day Dance

2009-03-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

Cory wanted to thank

Toni Crawford

Lisa Springer

Judy Montgomery

Lindsay Montgomery

Kelly Cook

Carol Wohlemuth

Sharon Shelvin and the whole Shelvin family plus

all the other wonderful Volunteers that helped with the Valentine's Day Dance.

Dr. Seuss Day

2009-03-10T06:48:00.001-07:00

One more week before Spring Break!

2009-03-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Open House 6:00-7:00, 7-7:30 Survey and Pizza, 8:00 Meeting and Ice Cream for Dads

Thursday PTO Meeting 5:00-6:00 Public is invited to come!

2nd grade won the latest Popcorn Party for bringing in the most Box Tops.

TAKS Tuesday & Survey

2009-03-02T05:44:00.000-08:00

Tuesday is McDonald's Night which will give all those TAKS takers something to look forward to. Parents are asked not to lunch or drop in on Tuesday or on any of the other TAKS days that are coming up the next few months.

Take our Survey! I don't have a counter to tell me how many people visit this page so I thought I'd take a poll located on the upper righthand side of the website. If you are reading this please pick an appropriate answer. Thanks!

Last week's magician James Wand received the highest compliment possible, Teri said she'd never seen the students sit so quietly during any performance. He certainly caught my kids' attention when he set a book on fire. They also kept saying "Ciao baby!" but I never learned why. Maybe it's the new abracadabra.

You are all invited to next week's PTO meeting. We would LOVE for you to drop in and get involved, or you can just sit back and observe on Thursday, March 12th at 5pm in the Library.

Wand, James Wand.

2009-02-23T14:40:00.001-08:00

I wanted to add James' name to the previous posting in case you are nosy like me about those things.

James Wand will be performing his Secret Agent Magic Show at Burks this Friday during a special assembly (or at least that's what we called these kinds of things when I was at school). Magic and the joy of reading will be thrown in together. You can check out his website at www.jameswand.com

Quick Week

2009-02-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

This is an early release week ending with a school-wide Reading is Fun program with a special guest on Friday sponsored by PTO. 1st grade will have an extra special Friday because they are having their Box Top Popcorn Party right after lunch. Outside if the weather is nice. Teri is doing the final counts for February's winner. I think we've almost reached our $500 goal for the year.

Drive Friendly

2009-02-16T06:53:00.000-08:00

I used to read in the carpool lane until this Christmas when I got an iPhone. Now it's my favorite toy to play with while I wait in line. In August I will have to go back to reading when the City of McKinney starts enforcing it's ban on drivers with handheld electronic devices in school zones. This applies to all moving, standing or even parked vehicles in school zones during the designated times.This includes drivers in carpool lanes and parking lots using anything from a cell phone to a gameboy.

For now you are better off concentrating on the current laws like slowing down in school zones. Although not as often enforced, I've also seen cars in the neighborhood given tickets for parking against traffic. I think parked, stalled or standing cars that block a crosswalk (like those at the intersection of Hill and Graves) is also a ticketable offense.

Then there's just common courtesy:
Drop off and pick up in designated areas.
Do not drop off or pick up at any of the corners of Hill and Graves.
Be courteous to Burks' neighbors, do not block their driveways.
If you are going South on Finch don't try to turn left on to Hill and cut in the carpool lane. This happens a lot the first week of school, but I am surprised that it still goes on way into the year.
Give pedestrians the right of way.

Remember little kids are everywhere- on foot, bikes and scooters! Let's keep them SAFE!

Cici's Pizza Night this Tuesday. Pizza is the best cure for cabin fever.

Friday the 20th is the deadline for Six Flag Reading Logs, don't forget to turn yours in!
Check back later this week- Cory is sending me Valentine's Dance pictures and some special thanks yous to volunteers.

Time Clarification

2009-02-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

Family Night Hours for Thusday, February 12th
Book Fair 6:00-800pm
Family Sweetheart Dance 6:30-8:00pm

I Heart Books

2009-02-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Classes started writing their wish lists of books at the Book Fair this morning. Take a look at your child's list and check out what they like to read. You can buy books at the Book Fair all this week: Monday through Thursday 8:15am-4:15pm, plus Thursday 6:00pm-8pm and Friday 8:15am-noon (or you can always see if the school or public library carries some of your child's favorite picks).

The cafeteria will be full of pink and red balloons, cupids and hearts this Thursday for the Family Sweetheart Dance from 6:30-8:00pm. It's not just dancing, there will be coloring and I think even some games. Dress up or dress comfortably and have a great time!

Did you hear about the cell phones in school zones ban passed last week by City Council? It includes hands-free phones and also talking on phones even while you are in a parked car in a school zone. Sounds like a good subject to go over in next week's blog.

Have a cautious Friday the 13th and a Happy Valentine's Day!

Box Tops & Books

2009-02-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

The popcorn machine was a hit with Kindergarten! PTO was glad the Popcorn Party for bringing in the most Box Tops could be turned into a learning experience- heat causes change. And what is better than a science experiment you can eat?

Teri is announcing the winner of January's Box Top contest in February's newsletter due out tomorrow. I'm sure we can apply "the science of the popcorn machine" to any grade- Mrs. McGuire was already thinking how it could relate to circuits and electricity for her 5th graders.

The biggest day of the Book Fair is this Friday- set up day. It involves about an hour of moving things and then 2 hours of rearranging little things. Clair has it down to a science- come by Friday morning 9am-noon and lend a hand! The Book Fair is open all next week including before and after school and late on Thursday night (night of the Family Sweetheart Dance- don't forget to dress up!). Even if you can't volunteer during those times, you are always welcome to drop in!

Thursday- not quite a snow day.

2009-01-30T14:10:00.001-08:00

What makes popcorn pop?

2009-01-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

I have to say a big THANKS to all the parents who are turning in Box Tops and clipping them so nicely. It really makes counting go by fast when they are nice and trimmed.
This week we're having a popcorn party for Kindergarten who turned in the most Box Tops in November (yes, we're a little behind on this but catching up fast!). The timing couldn't be better because they are studying why popcorn pops. PTO is bringing out the popcorn cart so they can see and hear it in action. I've never used the cart before and I'm hoping it's easy to use so that we can wheel it out at other PTO events.

So just how does popcorn pop? Here's the answer from the NASA for kids website:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
Only popcorn kernels can pop, and the secret is water. Each kernel contains a small amount of water stored in a circle of soft starch inside the hard outer casing. When heated to around 450 F, the moisture turns to steam, creating pressure within. As the pressure builds, the casing eventually gives way, and the kernel explodes and pops, allowing the water to escape as steam and turning the kernel inside out. If you have ever popped popcorn, you know that it explodes everywhere!

Busy as Bees

2009-01-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

This is a day late since yesterday we were off enjoying MLK Day at the Dallas Art Museum checking out King Tut. The Egyptian dog collar, the pre-pilow/head rest and a replica of King Tut's skull seemed to popular with the kids.

Tonight is CiCi's pizza night for those of you who enjoy pizza and/or pasta. And even salads for who enjoy those.

Although PTO does not have any events scheduled in January, we're still pretty busy. Clair has been working very hard creating decorations and making sure everything will be in order of the Book Fair next month. Cory is doing likewise for the Sweetheart dance. Teri and I are squaring away the boxtops and other PTO members are gearing up to write our Soaring Eagle Scholarship guidelines. Want to contribute too? Then don't forget to fill out the volunteer form for the Book Fair! Or talk to any PTO board members if you have something special in mind you would like to do.

Bring in your Box Tops!

2009-01-12T06:52:00.000-08:00

Send in any Box Tops you may have floating around your house. Mine our like confetti in my junk drawer in the kitchen. We're about to start gathering and counting all the Box Tops that the students (and teachers) have brought in. We are halfway to our goal of $500 and I think we can reach that and surpass it!

A Brand New Year

2009-01-05T07:54:00.000-08:00

2009 will be another busy year for PTO!

We're combining our Book Fair and Sweetheart Dance in February. Fall in love with books and then dance the night away.

How do we top last year's Eddie Coker concert? With a chihuahua! David Chicken and his superhero dog, Super Chachie, will entertains Burks with songs and tricks in April.

As school winds down in May and TAKS tests are over we'll celebrate with our Carnival and everyone's favorites - inflatables.

Plus, there's the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon and we'll be selling prepackaged school supplies again. Stay tuned for more details!

Ready for Winter Break?

2008-12-15T06:23:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night is CiCi's Pizza Night. Drop in or carry out for pizza and pasta.

Burks is celebrating the holidays with Holiday Parties Friday afternoon. Parents are always welcome, don't forget to bring a picture ID with you!

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Gift Shop was full of Smiles

2008-12-08T08:09:00.001-08:00

The Gift Shop was not only fun but a huge learning experience for the kids. Among the lessons they learned were thinking of others and budgeting. Why you can't buy something for $2.25 when you have only $2 can be very difficult to understand when you are a little kid! Thanks to all the volunteer "elves" who helped with money dilemmas, crowd control and added Christmas cheer!

Last 2 PTO Events of the Year

2008-12-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

It was hard wake the kids this morning after a whole week of sleeping in. But there are a few things going on to catch their interest this week-

Tuesday the 2nd is McDonald's Night. I heard a rumor that teachers may be lending a hand at the counter between 6pm-8pm but it hasn't been confirmed.

Wednesday the 3rd through Friday the 5th is our Holiday Gift Shop, where kids can buy inexpensive gifts for their family. Kids LOVED it last year, which was one of the reasons we decided to do it again. However PTO is high on enthusiasm but very low on volunteers. If you can volunteer for an hour or two during the school day, it would help make the event a success. Just send us an email or return the volunteer sheet to school with your student on Monday or Tuesday. Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-24T07:15:00.000-08:00

What do you do this week when you get tired of eating turkey and shopping? You can drop by the Festival of Trees and check out Burk’s entry, A Candy Cane Christmas. All sizes of trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses will be auctioned off on Saturday night and are available for public viewing on Sunday and Monday. All proceeds go to Project Graduation, something Burks’ PTO feels is pretty important since one day our kids will graduate from high school too! For more information, go to their website http://www.projectgraduationmckinney.com/

Hopefully your student came home with tales from Science Place field trip. My son’s been talking about a movie about caves and how magnets have pluses and minuses. Take a look at the Museum of Science and Nature’s website to get an idea of what your student saw http://www.natureandscience.org/

Pre-Thanksgiving Thanks

2008-11-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

The Chili Cook-Off was a spectacular event, thanks to all of the teachers who created some great chili-making memories for their students!

In case you missed it, Mrs. Kelly's Lightning Strike Chipolte Roadkill Chili won the best chili. Mrs. McGuire's Lava-Licious Chili (my favorite name!) won the best presentation. Her chili was actually served out of the volcano. Mrs. Gregorash won best title, I don't have it right now but I remember the phrase "hair-raising" being used. Winners for each grade were: K- Mrs. Hernandez, 1st- Mrs. Smith, 2nd- Mrs. Baker, 3rd- Mrs. Kelly, 4th- Mrs. Gonzalez, 5th- Mrs. McGuire and Staff- Front Office.

A special thanks to our judges who tasted enough chili to last a lifetime. Kenny Moore, Manager of Brookshires, has been kind enough to donate food items to Burks at various times in the past. Commercial Real Estate Broker Mark Cantrell also graciously stepped in to help judge the 33 different kinds of chili. Mark attended Burks when it was West Ward and Kenny's kids, who are grown now, also went to Burks. De StAubin has two children going to Burks right now. De is McKinney's Senior Animal Control Officer and he is the one responsible for Burks' kindergarteners getting a free subscription to KIND News, a newspaper put out by the Huname Society about animals for kids. These guys took their job seriously, even going back for seconds, in order to pick the best chili. The competition was fierce with teachers adding all sorts of secret ingredients.

More thanks goes to Cory St Aubin and the PTO Board, who planned the event. And a final thank you to all the parents who bought cooking ingredients, rounded up chili themed items and spooned out chili. Next year we'll work on making all that good chili last a little longer, send us your suggestions if you have any!

This week will be a fast one ending with the school-wide field trip on Friday. Tuesday is Burks' CiCi's Pizza Night. A few reminders before the holiday: don't forget to check Lost and Found for missing coats and jackets and remember to save any Box Tops you may come across while you are cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy the Fall Break!

Book Fair & Chili Cook-Off

2008-11-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

Skippy Jon Jones and Diary of a Wimpy Kid are some of the most popular books at the Book Fair. There are also plenty of picture books for younger kids and chapter books for the older ones. Plus cookbooks for moms and teachers and reference books and thingamajigs for everyone. The Book Fair will be in the library all week and each class will have a chance to look around. Talk to your child about what they saw and liked. This is a great way to encourage reading in your house, whether you buy some books or check them out at the library!

You may have already gotten a note sent home about an item to pitch in for the Chili Cook-Off. I had to buy some shredded cheese. Some classes are getting awfully fancy, I heard Mrs. Gregorash's chili recipe has 4 different kinds of meat!
Come and taste all the different variations of chili on Thursday night at the Chili Cook-Off from 6-8pm. It's only one dollar to sample all the chili. For another dollar you can get a whole bowl of last year's winning recipe. 4th grade will be there selling sodas to help fund next year's 5th grade Field Trip.

Is your child feeding the Lost and Found monster?

2008-11-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

The weather for Field Day was beautiful!
There were plenty of PALs (MISD High School Volunteers who are awesome!) helping out so parent volunteers got to spend some quality time with their child's class. It was really sweet to see how the younger kids treated each other. During the relay race they often waited, baton in hand, for the other team to pass the baton so that the 2 new runners could start off together. As the grades got older, you could really see that competitive streak start kicking in! There was a bit of a competitive streak in the teachers too, many lent a hand when it came to winning tug of war.

As you might remember the day started off a little chilly but warmed up after lunch. You know what this means- LOTS of left behind jackets and long sleeved shirts. Our Lost and Found is overflowing! Please help us control the lost and found monster by reminding your student to look for any cold weather item you may not have seen return to your house.

Tomorrow is McDonald's Night- remember to put your receipt in the box or tell your cashier you're from Burks!

Fall Weather = Chili

2008-10-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

My house still smells like the cookies I baked for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon today. I think parents could use some treats to fortify themselves for the parent teacher conferences too! At least there was plenty of coffee available for everyone.

The cold weather makes me think of the Chili Cook-Off. Chili is perfect on days like this. This year there are a lot new teachers not familiar with the Cook-Off. I'm sure they could use a little extra help with recipes and decorating. The most important part of the chili is left up to the kids- thinking of that perfect name. Armadilly Chili is still one of my favorites, what will they come up with this year?

More soup please!

2008-10-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

This week has flown by and I forgot to update on Monday!

Next week promises to be an even busier week. Teacher Conferences are on Monday and that is also the day for our Potluck Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Judy Poe is still searching for cooks to stir up a pot of soup. Bread and desserts are also welcome!
And if a 4 day week is not exciting enough, Field Day is on Friday, which is also Halloween.

Our thoughts are with 5th graders at Science Camp this week. Remember, no student is ever denied the chance to go based on financial need. 5th grade raises money with it's catalog fundraiser, t-shirt sales and soda stands at events. Thanks to all the parents who chaperoned and teachers and staff that do a lot of the behind the scenes work to make the camp possible!

Fundraiser Ends Today - Sort Of

2008-10-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

The fundraiser ends today - Monday, October 13th.
Can you still turn in your child's form and money tomorrow? Yes.
How about Wednesday? Yes, but that's pushing it.
How about Thursday? That's cutting it very close but we will still probably accept it.

Why do we want the orders on Monday if we don't send it out to the fundraising company until later in the week? Because it takes a long time to double check the forms and count the money. A lot of forms don't have a complete name on them (It's nice that Burks is such a small school that as long as there's a first name you can pretty much track down whose it is. I think Mrs. Montgomery has every student's name memorized!). Some orders are short a few dollars but more often there will be an extra $10 or $20 that we need to send back. So it takes a few days to straighten out those that end up in the "problem" file. Make it easy on PTO and turn your orders in on time!

Thursday is the Bingo Night from 6-8pm. There will be 12 fabulous rounds of bingo with callers like Superintendent Tom Crowe and our very own School Board Member, Judy Poe. Bingo cards, snacks and soda are a dollar each. Or if you are serious bingo player, 12 cards (one for each round) will sell for the bargain price of $10. The proceeds will go towards the school's field trip to the Science Place. This is not a PTO event but about every program at school involves teachers and parents anyway, doesn't it?

2008-10-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday is our first McDonald's Night. You know the drill, tell the cashier that you're from Burks and we will recieve a percentage of your sale. The current Happy Meal Star Wars toys are very popular at our house!

This week PTO is going to start planning for November's Chili Cook-off. You would not believe all the behind-the-scenes work that goes on by PTO, teachers and students! Not to mention the judges, who this year will sample over 20 different chili dishes. To ensure we don't run out this year, we're planning to have a big extra pot of last year's winning chili.

Students can turn in tickets every day that they sell something from the fundraiser. Every morning Mrs. Bendorf picks three tickets. Two get to win a little Kung Fu Panda bear and one gets the chance to have a giant Kung Fu Panda stay in their classroom for the day. It was a very exciting day in Kindergarten when one of my son's classmates won the bear for Mrs. Freshcoln's class! Even the older grades seem to like the spending the day with a huge Kung Fu Panda.

Busy October

2008-09-28T13:41:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the moms that came out to help on Picture Day. Not only did Burks appreciate their help, but so did the photographers at Lifetouch. They gave each of the moms that volunteered one free package of photos. There are many more volunteer opportunities coming up in October with unforseen rewards and benefits!

To give teachers plenty of time for their conferences without growling stomachs, PTO is having the Teacher Appreciation Potluck Luncheon on Parent/Teacher Conference Day Monday, October 27. If you are interested in showing off your cooking or baking skills, get in touch with Judy Poe who is wonderful at coordinating all the crock pot soups, breads and desserts.

Field Day is another great opportunity for volunteers. Volunteers are needed for the morning and afternoon sessions of Field Day on Friday, October 31 (Halloween). For more info, contact Coach Klemm or Coach Hall (Did anyone see them at the Wellness Fair this weekend? We did!)

On top of that, Kinder is going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch, 3rd grade is heading to the symphony and 5th grade's camp is comping up too! Fill out those background checks now so you are ready to jump in and participate!

By now you should have seen our Fundraising Catalog floating around your house. I've already found something I want to order, a splash guard for the microwave. This is PTO's big fundraiser for the year where we get the majority of our money for school supplies and activities, from balloons and helium to author visits. All forms and money are due by September 13th.

Benefits of Volunteering & Fundraising Friday

2008-09-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

If you haven't had a chance to take a look at the Handbook of Volunteer Opportunities, it's not too late to fill out the form or even just let us know what you are interested in doing. We've already had parents helping out on Curriculum Night and this week a few parents will be keeping the lines moving on Picture Day. These are great opportunities to help out the school and also to get to know the kids in your child's class and their other school friends.

Our Catalog Fundraiser starts this Friday, keep an eye for the fundraising packet! This year there is also a chance to take orders online- great for when your family is not in town. And the product will be delivered right to them, free of charge!

See you at CiCi's

2008-09-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday is our first CiCi's Pizza Night from 5:00 to 9:30. Let the cashier know that you're from Burks and they will ring you up on their second register. Burks will then get 10% from all transactions done on that register! This includes families that eat at CiCi's and those that get their orders to go. CiCi's is at the Northeast corner of Central and Virginia.

CiCi's Pizza Night is every third Tuesday of the month for the rest of the year. Next month we are also starting a McDonald's Night. This is a no-brainer fundraiser, I know everyone at Burks must eat at McDonald's at least once a month!

Our myway email address went awry, you can reach us at our new email: burkspto@yahoo.com.

Don't Miss Curriculum Night

2008-09-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

PTO President Teri Kirkpatrick will be leading the PTO meeting in the cafeteria on Curriculum Night. She'll talk a little about PTO's plans and goals for this year.

Teri initiated the PTO survey last year and the response was impressive. Most parents said they'd like about 3 PTO meetings and that they'd rather just pay money than have a second fundraiser. In the added notes more than one parent asked to do away with goldfish as a prize at the Carnival. I wonder if one of those comments came from one of the many parents that I saw in the pet department at Walmart buying a fish tank the night of the Carnival (Our goldfish, Sparks, just got upgraded to a 10 gallon tank).

If the PTO survey never surfaced at your house or you thought of something you would like to have added, don't hesitate to let us know. You can drop off a note in PTO's box (just outside of Mrs. Bendorf's office), or send an email to burkspto@myway.com, or talk to her directly about what you would like to see PTO do or how you would like to help!

Today is Science Day at Burks. Students are also getting a dose of science in P.E. this year. Ask your student what the Bone of the Week is this week. Last week was clavicle, skull was the week before.

Curriculum Night Meeting

2008-09-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

This year's first PTO meeting will be at Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 11th.

I think the details are still being ironed out but it looks like K-2 will have their curriculum night from 6-6:45 and then there will be a half an hour long PTO meeting in the cafeteria and then 3-5th will have their curriculum night from 7:15-8:00. This is to give a chance for parents with students in different grades to meet their teachers. I heard rumors of some goody being served during the break too. Burks should be sending something official out soon...

BRING IN YOUR BOX TOPS AND NESTLE PURE LIFE WATER LABELS!

We are NOT collecting Campbell Soup labels this year- this program awards points when you turn in your labels, not money like Box Tops. It takes an enormous amount of points to buy something substantial so we'd rather focus on Box Tops and Nestle Life water labels where we get a nice little check for the school! Last year we made about $350, this year we are aiming for $500. I know we can do it!

Get Ready to Volunteer!

2008-08-25T09:08:00.001-07:00

PTO volunteers, room parents and field trip helpers all need to fill out the MISD volunteer application. To quote MISD's website: "This is to ensure that all students have an opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment. The volunteer application process is just one effort used by the school administration to make our schools safe." Makes sense, doesn't it?

Filling out the volunteer form for the second time is so easy! If none of your information has changed, you just keep hitting "continue." I was done in 2 minutes! Whether your information has changed or not you still need to submit one every year.
Even if you've never filled it out before it does not take too long. Here's the link:

http://www.mckinneyisd.net/departments/communications/volunteer_application/

Filling out the form does not commit you to volunteering. It just clears you ahead of time for when you wish to volunteer at school.

If you are interested in going above and beyond helping out in your child's classroom or at PTO events, talk to Eva Madera with CIS at Burks about mentoring opportunities. You can give her a call at Burks or email her at evam@mckinneyisd.net

Let's have a great year!

New Hours

2008-08-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

School starts in a week! Don't forget the new school hours 8:45-3:45. How are you going to spend your extra 15 minutes in the morning?

See you at Burks this Friday

2008-08-11T05:55:00.000-07:00

Teachers are busy at school this week getting classrooms ready for the school year. You will be able to meet your child's teachers and droop off your supplies on Supply and Say Hi Night from 4-6 this Friday.

At 6pm there will be a meeting for 5th grade parents about this year's science camp. Science camp is being held in the Fall instead of the Spring this year, allowing them to do different experiments.

Ice cream and pre-packaged school supplies will be available in the cafeteria, while you're there check out our lost and found rack, it's not big gigantic box any more!

New is the Word of the Month

2008-08-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

Everything is new at Burks!
New Teachers, new portables, old teachers in new positions...
On account of all that is new, Burks is having a Raisin' of the Barn on August 14th, 9-3. What's that? A chance to help teachers, old and new, get their classrooms ready. You can drop in for an hour or all day and help with bulletin boards, name tags or making copies. There will even be things you can pick up to do at home. Give Lauren Nunez a call for more info: 903-267-3905

Supply and Say Hi Night, a little early this year, on Friday, August 15th. PTO will have free ice cream in the cafeteria. If you bought pre-packaged school supplies in May, they will be available for pick up and if you did not buy one, a few extra for each grade will be on sale.

Also new is a new system for signing in at the front. There is even a new part-time staff member at the front office to help implement the system. Be prepared, you must have a photo ID with you! You should be getting a letter soon from Burks talking about these changes and other important information.

Talent Show on TV!

2008-07-14T05:37:00.001-07:00

For those of you who didn't order the DVD of the Talent Show, you can catch it on MISD's cable channel 98 at 9am, 2:30pm and 8:30pm. Even if you have the DVD, it's a whole new experience to watch it on 'real' TV.

New PTO President Teri Kirkpatrick hasn't wasted any time this summer finding ways to improve the dreaded Lost and Found box. Expect to see a brand new Lost and Found area with bins and bars for hanging up all those lost jackets in the cafeteria. We can't guarantee the students won't still lose their coats but at least now they will be easier to find!

School's Out!

2008-06-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

The Talent Show was a wonderful way to end the year!
We'll be updating the blog once a month during the summer.
Have a safe and fun vacation!

Soaring Eagle Scholarship

2008-06-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

PTO is honored to award the Soaring Eagle Scholarship to McKinney North's Jacqueline Anthony.
Jackie is captain of North's soccer team and also plays select soccer. She will continue to play soccer at Harding University while studying pre-med (!). She plans to be an orthopedic surgeon so after her soccer career she can stay connected to sports. A former Burks student as well as a leader and an athlete, her accomplishments serve as an inspiration to the current students at Burks.

For those who can't wait to see Eddie Coker again- he's back in McKinney on June 20th to play a benefit concert. Check out his webpage for more details: http://www.eddiecoker.com/htdocs/showEdNew.asp

Prepackaged school supplies are on sale until the end of the year.

Parents & Pre-Packaged School Supplies

2008-05-19T07:03:00.001-07:00

The first question I was asked when I became PTO president last year was "How about pre-packaged school supplies?" It was the most frequently asked question I had all year. I am happy to say PTO listened and today order forms for pre-packaged school supplies are going home with students.

Other concerns parents raised were about the school grounds- improving the playground and beautifying the campus. I think Mrs. Bendorf has some things in mind (did you notice flowers planted in front of the school this spring?) but it's something PTO can look into as well.

Students and parents asked about yearbooks. Teri Kirkpatrick, PTO's brand new president, is already checking out yearbook companies and seeing what is affordable.

One thing PTO would like to do is have more general meetings for the public. Hopefully that will give parents a chance to voice their ideas and give us feedback on what is working and what is not. Parents can always email us or drop us a note at the PTO box at school.
Keep your suggestions and comments coming!

The year isn't over yet!

2008-05-12T08:55:00.000-07:00

PTO is working on counting the many Box Tops and Labels for Education students turn in. As soon as we empty our collection containers, they are overflowing again with those Pure Life water labels! At the beginning of the year we were earing almost $100 a month with our Box Tops. This money goes to PTO and funds activities and supplies for students and improvements around the Burks.

Also still in the works are pre-packaged school supplies. Pre-packaged school supplies are something parents have been asking about all year long. I hope to have the order forms to send home by next week.

Book Fair & Math & Science Family Night

2008-05-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

This posting is late because I was busy helping kindergartners make books lists at the Book Fair. In the Fall many of them were struggling to write their names, today they were writing their names, book titles and prices!

All students visit the Book Fair with their classes, but it is also open before and after school and all the way until 8pm on our Family Night this Thursday. Parents are welcome to stop by the Book Fair at anytime during the school day. For parents who buy teacher presents at the end of the year, I think this is a perfect opportunity to buy something you know the teacher really would like. Each teacher has a wish list of books attached to a brown bag on top of the shelves at the Book Fair.

For Family Night we are having a Math & Science Road Trip with fun math and science activities created by the teachers. PTO will also be selling hot dogs, chips and soda.

The brain behind the Book Fair is PTO's Clair Wall, whose daughter boasts the title "student living closest to Burks." If you are interested in helping with the Book Fair next year, drop in and say hi. If you don't know who Clair is, just follow the South African accent!

CARNIVAL THIS FRIDAY!

2008-04-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Come join us for our Luau Carnival!

Games, prizes and INFLATABLES! That means 3 kinds of bounce houses!

This Friday, May 2nd, from 6:00-8:00 at Burks.

All proceeds benefit Burks and Burks' PTO.

Busy PTO

2008-04-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

This Thursday is the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. If you would like to bring a dessert for the teachers, just drop it off at the library before 10:30 on the 24th. Thanks!

PTO is busy until the last few weeks of school- next week is the Carnival and the week after that is the Book Fair and the "Math and Science Roadtrip" Family Night. Mid-May PTO will be selling Pre-Packaged School Supplies. More information is coming your way about these events as they unfold. Don't forget to consider volunteering, we need all the help we can get!

A Texas Tea

2008-04-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

One of PTO's most popular events isn't advertised or attended by students. Our Teacher Appreciation Luncheons are for Burks' teachers and staff to show them how much we appreciate all the time, patience and creativity they put in to teaching our children.

Bar-b-que is on the menu for this Spring's Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Teapots and fresh plants will adorn the tables. Show your child's teacher (or last year's teacher or next year's teacher!) how much you appreciate their hard work by contributing a home-made or bought dessert item to this "Texas Tea." You or your child may drop off goodies at the library on the morning of the luncheon, Thursday, April 24th. Thanks!

Singing & Slime

2008-04-13T18:57:00.001-07:00

PTO Meeting This Week

2008-04-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone had a great time at the Eddie Coker concert- pictures will be posted soon.

If you are interested in helping plan fun family Burks activities, or just wonder what PTO is up to, drop by our monthly meeting this Thursday, April 10, at 5:30 at Burks. Just walk up to Burks' front door and we'll be there to let you in!

Sunny, 70 and Slimey

2008-03-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

It's expected to be a sunny 70 degress on Friday with a few clouds. Perfect weather for a picnic and outdoor concert! I wonder if the top 3 coin-collecting teachers that will be slimed are wishing for rain instead?

PTO is selling cheese and pepperoni pizza slices for $1 starting at 6:00pm. 4th grade is getting a jump start on their science camp fund by selling drinks and desserts for a dollar as well.

Eddie Coker CDs will be on sale for $15 at the concert. Stick around after the concert and Eddie will sign your CD!

54 Days...

2008-03-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

Now that spring break is over, the countdown to summer vacation is about to start. But PTO is already thinking about next school year and looking at Pre-Ordered School Supplies. Parents will be able to order them in May and pick them up at Meet the Teacher Night in August.

Burks Family Picnic and Outdoor Concert is only 2 weeks away. Eddie Coker will start the concert at 6:30 but you won't want to miss any of the pre-cocnert activity. You can either bring your own food or starting at 6:00 you can buy pizza, desserts and drinks. Food is not the only reason to get there early. There are rumors that "winning" teachers (and maybe even Mrs. Bendorf) will be slimed in conncection with the Coins for the Cure coin drive. You will have to see for yourself if the rumors are true.

Getting ready for Eddie

2008-03-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

PTO is busy making plans for the Burks' Family Picnic and Outdoor Concert with Eddie Coker on Friday, April 4th. Eddie Coker has played for kids around Texas for years. Haven't heard of him? Burks is going to start playing his music in the hallways and you can check out his website at http://www.eddiecoker.com/

We spent this morning watching his free online videos at http://www.eddiecoker.com/htdocs/videoSelector.html and now we're all doing the Woo Woo Dance. Woo Woo! Have a great Spring Break!

PTO's Presidential Race

2008-03-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for kids to wave at you as walk through school, have Mr. Young call you "Madame Presidente," and plan family nights that make students very excited?
Then you are ready to be PTO's next President!
Or perhaps you'd perfer a position with a little less responsibility like Publicity Chairperson or Fundraiser Coordinator.

The PTO board has several openings for next year inlcuding President, Vice-President, Fundraiser Coordinator and Publicity Chairperson. There will be more positions open in 2009 as our secretary, treasurer and book fair coordinator will have students moving on to Middle School. If you are interested in getting more involved, consider volunteering for one of these positions or perhaps acting as an apprentice to our current treasurer and book fair coordinator.
If you are interested or would like to nominate someone else, contact me or speak with Judy Montgomery at the front desk. I am also always happy to hear any ideas parents have about PTO events or volunteering!
Thanks,
Erika

2008-02-25T07:06:00.000-08:00

Burks students ruled the Chick-fil-A playground last Tuesday at Burks' Spirit Night. This was our easiest fundraiser to plan ever- all we had to do was show up and eat. Chicken nuggets and milkshakes were students' favorites. We're already looking forward to doing this again in the Fall!

Who doesn't love chicken nuggets?

2008-02-18T06:38:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night is Burks' Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A. You can go to Chick-fil-A on 75 & 380 at any time on Tuesday, drive through or dine in to raise money for Burks PTO. How easy is that? They will donate 15% of the money from those little forms. They have more forms at the register if you don't have the flyer Burks sent home.

1st grader Cynthia de la Garza won the Penny Drive Raffle to help out Caldwell's Coach Mooney's son. Her brother Austen already has a Sponge Bob laundry basket so now she has one of her own.

Valentine Festivities

2008-02-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

The dance was full of activity- dancing, coloring, eating and posing for pictures. Many girls were in their finest as well as a few boys. But the most fabulous thing at the dance may have not been noticed by too many- Burks' brand new sound system! Burks PTO donated money for the new sound system and MISD Fine Arts Department covered the rest of the hefty amount. It does all kinds of fancy things that will benefit choir performances, recitals, Good Morning Burks and dances.

I did not take pictures but if you have a photo of your Burks Sweetheart you would like me to post, just send it to our email: burkspto@myway.com and I will get it on this week.

I predict pink colored food will be popular at the Valentine's Day Parties on Thursday. Don't forget, parents are always welcome to attend! Valentine Carnations will be delivered to classrooms on Thursday as well. It's not too late to buy a carnation and help 5th Graders with their Science Camp fund -just send in the pink slip or give school a call.

Dance and Color the Night Away!

2008-02-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

Start brushing up on your dance moves! The Burks Family Valentine Dance is this Thursday, the 7th, from 6:30-8:00. Get ready for your favorite line dances like the Cha Cha Slide, the Electric Slide, the Cotton Eyed Joe and the Bunny Hop! For those who need a break between dances there will be a Coloring Station for kids who want to enter our Coloring Contest or simply make a Valentine. The dance is FREE. There will be sweets and cookies, thanks to donations from 3rd, 4th & 5th grades. 5th grade will be selling refreshments in their quest to earn money for Science Camp. See you there!

Tornados 5, Avalanche 1

2008-01-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

Although not a PTO event, how can we not mention last Friday's Texas Tornado hockey game, possibly the most anticipated event of the year? Student went crazy over a chance to watch a fast-paced sport where fighting is allowed, ride on a school bus with all their friends plus a snack to top it off. When they returned to school after the game, they were happy and exhausted. Kudos to the staff, teachers and chaperones who coordinated an army of students from school to the stadium and back safely!