Monday, November 2

Families,

We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather for all the fun events happening at Burton! A special thank you to the BHS Marching Band for sharing their musical talents during our Halloween parade, and to Huntington Woods Public Safety for helping keep our Blue Jays safe. We loved seeing the amazing family support, creative costumes, and all the smiles and joy throughout the day!

A big thank you to our Burton PTA for hosting a special Trunk or Treat on Tuesday! We are so grateful to all the families who volunteered their time to decorate trunks and pass out candy. Your efforts helped make it such a fun experience for our students!

Thank you for making this Halloween week so special.

We look forward to seeing our Blue Jays return on Wednesday, November 4th.

Go Blue Jays!

November

Monday, November 2 & Tuesday, November 3

• No school for students

Tuesday, November 10

• PTA Meeting

Tuesday, November 17

• Music concerts for grades 2nd, 3rd, and 4th

Monday, November 23

• Evening Parent Teacher Conferences from 5-8pm (in-person)

Tuesday, November 24

• No School for students
• Parent Teacher Conferences from 8am-4pm (in-person)

Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27

• No School (Thanksgiving Break)

Monday, November 30

• School resumes

December

Tuesday, December 1

• PTA Meeting at 7pm - Burton Media Center

Monday, December 21 - Friday, January 1

• Winter Break
  
  

January

Monday, January 4

• School resumes

Starting Tuesday, November 10th, families can purchase an additional pizza slice for their child. The first slice is still free for all students. Please see second slice information below:

Key Information for Families

• Cost: $1.75 per extra slice
• Payment method: Parents can upload funds online via the MiStar portal.
• Cash Policy: If a student brings cash to the lunchline, no change will be given. The full amount will be deposited directly into their Food Service account in MiStar.

Dear Families,

This week, during our first social conflict lesson for 4th and 5th graders, we explored the difference between bullying and mean behavior, and how students can stand up for one another.

What We Learned:

Bullying vs. Mean Behavior

• Rude behavior: Unintentional words or actions that hurt someone

• Mean behavior: Purposefully hurtful words or actions, once or twice

• Bullying: Repeated, aggressive behavior with a power imbalance and intent to harm

Bystanders and Upstanders

Bystanders witness bullying. Students identified three types: assistants who join in, reinforcers who encourage it, and passive bystanders who avoid getting involved.

Upstanders are people who see bullying and step in to help. Students practiced identifying bullying scenarios and brainstormed ways to be upstanders.

How to Continue the Conversation at Home

• Ask your child: "What's one way you could be an upstander if you saw someone being left out?"

• Practice scenarios together:

• Help your child brainstorm who is their trusted adult at school, who they can ask for help for themselves or a friend.

Thank you for reinforcing these lessons at home. Next week we will talk about “What Makes a Good Classmate?”

Christina Schlenker

Hello Burton Families!

On Monday, November 23, our teachers will be meeting with our families for Fall conferences. The PTA will be providing dinner for our amazing Burton Staff that night. We are looking for additional items to help make the evening and following day extra special for our Burton staff. Please go to the Sign-up Genius link to help.

We are asking that all items be delivered to the office BY 3:15pm on Monday the 23rd.

We appreciate your support. Please reach out with any questions.

Thank you!

Annmarie Sanderson and Melissa Purdy

What is Caring & Sharing?

• Caring & Sharing is an annual program sponsored by the Berkley Area PTSA Council that provides holiday grocery gift cards to families within the Berkley School District and local veterans. Traditionally, the program relied on school-based food drives and PTA-sponsored holiday baskets that included turkeys, fresh produce, and other meal essentials. Since 2020, Caring & Sharing has shifted its focus to online fundraising, allowing us to maximize donations and provide families with gift cards so they can purchase the groceries and household items that best meet their needs. We are asking our Burton Community to support these needs.

• Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, the 2025 Caring & Sharing campaign raised $33,600, supported 130 families, and donated more than $2,000 to the American Legion and Berkley Cares Food Pantry. Additional contributions were collected through Berkley Cares Days held at each school.

• There are two ways to help:
• Refer a Family (linked here) who could benefit from assistance this holiday season. Note: this is strictly confidential.
• Donate funds that will be used to purchase grocery gift cards for people in our community. Donation page is linked here.

Questions? Please contact Abby Watteny, 2026 Caring & Sharing Chair.

Hello Burton K–3 Families,

We’re excited to share that Fuel Up with Friends after-school program is returning to

Burton for its 5th year starting in January!

This free, six-week after-school program combines nutrition education and yoga in a

fun, hands-on way. Led by a Registered Dietitian and Yoga Instructor, students will:

• Taste-test foods from each of the five food groups

• Blend smoothies using our blender bike!

• Create snacks and explore food science through hands-on activities

• Build strength, balance, confidence, and mindfulness through yoga

Classes are limited to 12 students per session and spots fill quickly.

Please register your child for one session only (Monday or Wednesday). If both

sessions are full, please join the waitlist.

To register, click on a session below or scan the QR code on the attached flyer:

Monday Session

Wednesday Session

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/waitlist-fuel-up-with-friends-afterschool-program-mondaywednesday--2027Waitlist

This program is sponsored by Burton Elementary and the Berkely Education

Foundation. We look forward to another fun-filled session of Fuel Up with Friends at

Burton!

Hello and happy fall season! The fifth grade has been asked to stock the lounge with treats and goodies for November. Please read below for all the ways you can send a snack or donate to stock the lounge.

Make a monetary donation

Families can make a monetary donation to our Stock the Lounge campaign. We will use the funds to purchase whatever is needed and restock the lounges throughout the month.

Monetary contributions will also allow us to provide fresh items such as fruits, vegetables, cheese, yogurt, and other refrigerated foods that aren't practical to include on the Signup Genius. We’ll "price shop" to make the donations go as far as possible! Click here to donate to Stock the Lounge.

Signup Genius

Take a moment to sign-up for an item here. We ask you bring in your items on Wednesday, November 4th at the morning drop-off time. Annmarie will be at the front door with a cart.

Please note: Snacks do not need to be peanut-free.

Feel free to contact us should you have any questions or concerns and THANK YOU!

Melissa and Annmarie

mostasze@hotmail.com and alsanderson@icloud.com

November's Inclusion Initiative recognizes Veterans Day and National Military Family Appreciation Month. It highlights the experiences of veterans and military-connected families and encourages us to create welcoming environments where their service, sacrifices, and contributions are recognized.

Did You Know? Michigan has approximately 435,500 veterans, giving it the 13th largest veteran population in the nation.

Questions, Ideas, Feedback

Please contact Dr. Renee Allen PTA DEI co-chair

reneeallenphd@gmail.com

Join us for two casual coffee meetups to connect with other Burton parents and caregivers, share experiences, ask questions, and build community. Whether you're new to Burton or have been part of the community for years, we'd love to see you!

QUEER CONNECT PTA MEETUP

Friday, November 20 | 8:15 AM

Das Velo Coffee – Oak Park

A welcoming space for LGBTQ+ parents, caregivers, and allies to connect, share experiences, and build community.

ALL BURTON FAMILIES ARE WELCOME!

Come as you are, stay as long as you can!

Questions? Contact ellie.mosko@gmail.com

Join PTA Today! Each member is able to vote in our elections and budget meetings and will receive a copy of the 2026-2027 Burton Directory. Note: directories are printed 10/1.

Thank you, Mother Handsome! In addition to signing on as one of our Silver Fun Run Sponsors again this year, Mother Handsome is offering our Blue Jay community 20% off all online takeout orders! Just enter Burton20 at checkout. Code is valid 8/24/26 - 6/12/27.

Show your Blue Jay pride with Burton gear! Students can wear their Burton gear during Birdhouses, Burton Bashes, or any day! Tap the button below to shop! All items will be shipped directly to your home.

All parents/family members volunteering in the classroom or during school-sponsored functions or field trips must complete the Volunteer Release form prior to any activities.

Please keep in mind that the Volunteer Release Form is sent to the Berkley School District Administrative Offices and may take up to three weeks to process so we recommend you submit the required forms well in advance of your planned activity.

You will need to upload an image of your valid driver's license or state-issued ID when completing the Volunteer Release Form.

Office phone number:

• 248-837-8600
  
  

1. In the top right menu, select Report Absence.
2. Select "All Day" for a full day absence, or uncheck the "All Day" box and select the start and end date and time.
3. Select the Reason from the drop-down menu.
4. Click Submit.

*You may also report absences via phone 248-837-8630

Full Day:

• School begins at 8:00am and is dismissed at 3:15pm
• All students will be dismissed at the same location as they enter each morning.

Half Day of School:

• School begins at 8:00am and is dismissed at 11:20am

All medications should be dropped off at the office by a parent, please do not send the medication in with your student.

If your child has a medical condition that requires a prescription medication that needs to be kept at school (such as an asthma inhaler, epi-pen, etc.), each school must have a medication authorization form on file. The form must be filled out by both the parent and your child's doctor and be signed by your doctor. Please bring the medication in the original container.

If your child needs over-the-counter medication during the school day, we must also have a medication authorization form on file, but it does not require a doctor's signature. Medication (in its original package) should be brought to the office along with the completed form by a parent.

Berkley School District uses the Raptor Visitor Management System in all our buildings to strengthen the safety of our students and staff. Major components of the Raptor System:

• Screens visitors, contractors, and all volunteers in our schools.
• It keeps electronic record of who is in our building.
• All visitors will be required to check-in at the office.
• Visitors will be asked to present a government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license or state ID. The photo ID scan will happen the first time you visit the building. After the first visit, you will check in using the Raptor system, but will not have to scan your ID.
• Raptor will check the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a number of national databases to identify anyone on the database of registered sex offenders. No other data from the ID is gathered and the information will not be shared with any outside agency.
• Once approved, Raptor will issue a visitor ID badge that contains the visitor's photo, the date, and the purpose/location of the visit.
• When leaving the building, return to the office to be signed out.
• All parents that are volunteering in classrooms, field trips, mystery readers or plan to be with students at Burton are required to fill out the district required forms (note there is a 2 week turnaround time to complete the background checks.)

Volunteer Form will be available soon!

Please visit the Berkley School Website for more food service information including menus, allergen information, and student accounts.

Burton is a "nut sensitive" school. Please be aware of snacks and lunches to ensure they do not have nut products.

Ala Carte items available for an additional charge. Single milk is $0.75.

Breakfast:

• Students may enter the Multipurpose Doors (The Nest) starting at 7:40am for breakfast. Only families dropping off for breakfast may use the staff parking lot to drop off your child.
• At 8:00am students will arrive at their classrooms. Kindergarten and TK students will be walked to their classrooms.

Lunch Times:

• 11:15-12:00 TK & Kindergarten
• 11:25-12:10 5th Grade
• 11:35-12:20 3rd Grade
• 11:45-12:30 1st Grade
• 11:55-12:40 4th Grade
• 12:05-12:50 2nd Grade

Go Blue Jays!