Thanksgiving Break is sooo close!

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.

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

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

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

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?

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

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!