Advising:   This summer we will begin implementing some major changes in our advising system with the goal of improving advisor training and accountability, increasing meeting time for advisors and advisees, and improving communication among faculty, administration, students and parents. These changes come at the recommendation of an ad hoc committee, including our principals, counselors and senior members of our faculty. Among their suggestions are capping the number of advisees per advisor at eight, scheduling (almost) weekly meetings between advisors and advisees and soliciting student and parent feedback on their advisors. At the core, advising is about building solid, effective relationships and must be subject to constant and vigilant review. I think we’re off to a good start.

Administration:  At the urging of the Board of Trustees, I have spent a lot of time this year reviewing the school’s administrative structure and have decided we would benefit from the creation of a new position – what is called dean of faculty or dean of academics on many campuses. This summer, I intend to refine the job description but envision that this person would oversee a number of academic areas, such as coordinating ISACS reports, supervising the advising system, being a technology liaison to departments, seeking professional development opportunities for faculty, managing student teachers and overseeing cross-curricular initiatives. Next fall, we will conduct a search with the hope of filling the position for the 2011-12 school year. Continue Reading

In This Issue:

May 2010

On the JBS Stage
Compulsory Voting?
New @ Burroughs
Raindrops at Drey Land
Full Throttle on Biodiesel
Model UN 7/8
Hoops for Hope
Very Funny, Seniors
Student Travel
Overcoming Racism

News

News & Events

Athletics

Calendar

Parents Council

Bragging Wall

On the JBS Stage

The Theatre Department presented The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 in its traditional indoor venue, Haertter Hall. Though it had planned to take the seventh and eighth grade presentation of A Midsummer Night's Dream outdoors, a soggy lawn and threatening clouds sent the Sunday afternoon performance under shelter. First on the Haertter Hall stage were  "Green Show" performers, who read sonnets, performed on the cello and acted out scenes and soliloquies from the four Shakespeare plays  — Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar — that the JBS English Department includes in its curriculum. The afternoon culminated with the one-act production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, featuring a cast of 21 students.

Compulsory Voting?

During the final round of the all-school debate, a sophomore team — Mariel Van Landingham and Eileen Williams — faced a junior team — Margaret Schnuck and Robert Wright — to debate the wisdom of making voting compulsory in federal elections. In a school-wide vote that followed the debate, the opponents of compulsory voting, Margaret and Robert, prevailed. More

New @ Burroughs

The library staff, lead by Jennifer Gosnell with technical assistance from Vicki Sauter (past parent), has launched new web pages with features that range from access to the library's catalog and online databases to electronic books, full-text periodical articles, films and the library's blog, LibraryLife@JBS . Check out what's available, and keep in mind that parents have full borrowing and access privileges. Visit the library's catalog and discover the titles that await you for some great summer reading.

Raindrops at Drey Land

Soggy scientists did sound science at Bio Drey Land. While dodging raindrops during both sessions, ninth graders culminated their year of biology study with four days of intensive field work in the forest and the stream ecosystems. More

Full Throttle on Biodiesel

The sporty 2010 model of the "Biodiesel Bomber" competed at the Super Mileage Vehicle Competition in Warrensburg and won the People's Choice, Sportsmanship and Engineering Awards. The vehicle was powered by biodiesel fuel processed from waste oil from the JBS kitchen. More

Model UN 7/8

Thirty-one students in Model UN 7/8 participated in the Civitas General Assembly Session at Creve Coeur Civic Center on Friday, May 7. A team representing Japan (eighth graders Claire Pieper, Anna Stillman and Kathleen Walsh) passed a resolution prohibiting child trafficking. A team representing Germany (eighth graders Clara Abbott, Emmie Connor, Margaret Kogos and Hannah Rodgers) passed a resolution centered on combating global terrorism in specific struggling countries. The students also engaged in discussion sessions, proposed amendments and voted on each of the resolutions.

Hoops for Hope

Seventh grade basketball players charged admission to the last game of their season to benefit Jean Patrickson, a Haitian boy who was injured in the January 12 earthquake and came to St. Louis for medical care. The event raised money for Jean's education when he returns to Haiti. More

Very Funny, Seniors

While underclassman were in assembly, the class of 2010 commandeered the backpacks that the younger students had scattered all over campus and tied them together in the Quad..."numbering out" 2010. See more pictures from their mischief and their last day at school. Oh, we will miss you, Class of 2010!

Student Travel

At this writing, Burroughs language teachers are planning two trips for 2011. The Classics Department plans to take a group of interested students (grades 10 through 12) who are enrolled in Latin (any level) or Greek (levels I and II) to Italy during spring break of 2011. If you have any questions about the Italy trip, contact Avery Springer . The Modern Languages Department plans to take a group of interested students of Spanish (grades 9 through 12) to Panama either during spring break or in June. The students will stay in the homes of Panamanian families and volunteer at the children's center, Nutre Hogar. For more information about the Panama trip, contact Bill Gilbert.

Overcoming Racism

“Overcoming Racism—Understand, Explore, Strategize” is a three-day summer workshop which Burroughs has offered to faculty and staff for 10 years. This year registration is open to other adults in the Burroughs community and beyond. The workshop is facilitated by Rita Starr, who has created programs that are distinguished by their capacity to move beyond talking about racism and other prejudices, to strengthening people’s capacity to work for substantive change. This year the workshop is on June 21, 22 and 23. The fee is $150 but financial assistance is available. To learn more or to register, contact Daniel Harris.

All of the major spring Parents Council events have come and gone with their usual flare and success, but not without a lot of hard work from hundreds of parents (and students).

Many thanks to Shelly Baizer and Cindy Schnabel for helming the 41st annual Potpourri. Shelly and Cindy oversaw more than 100 subcommittee chairs and turned the field house into the venue for a giant garage sale. Friendships were forged while emptying trucks on move-in day, over lunches in the furniture department during set-up week, and while unpacking boxes and pricing. If you missed out on the fun this year, be sure to help out next year. In addition to all of the friendships forged, Potpourri raises a considerable amount of money for the school and provides a valuable service to the greater St. Louis community.

Just one week after Potpourri, the field house was transformed into a vision of chocolate, pink and cream for the Auction and Annual Dinner. Many thanks to auction cochairs Liz Philpott and Kathleen Rogers, and to JoAnn Petrullo and Tammy Taylor, who were the team behind the dinner. The theme of this year’s dinner was “A New Chapter,” in honor of Andy Abbott’s first year as head of school. With enticing auction items, a delicious dinner, live music provided by Jazz Band I and a delightful slide show that accompanied Andy’s speech, there really was something for everyone. The New Chapter evening was definitely a best seller! Continue Reading