Academics
From its inception, Burgundy has educated children in innovative ways. Our students learn by doing. The school community and its two campuses offer a nurturing atmosphere that inspire creativity through the arts and develop critical thinking skills with an integrated curriculum and hands-on projects. Environmental science, technology, and social-emotional learning go hand-in-hand with more traditional academic topics.
Burgundy students learn the value of cooperation and collaboration through group student projects and by watching parents and teachers work together in the true spirit of Burgundy. And students themselves are guides in their own education, as well as role models for their younger peers. Because their natural curiosity and joy in learning is honed and fostered, Burgundy students and alumni carry with them an intrinsic motivation to keep asking questions and exploring the world around them.
Academic News:
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Recently caretaker Ali Shepard ’04 brought some new animals to join the herd in Burgundy’s barnyard. There are three turkeys—two females, one male, all Narragansett turkeys, a heritage breed. One of the females hatched with... Read more
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Thursday evening we held our 8th Grade Graduation in the Gym. As always, it was incredible! Burgundy's graduations feature the graduating 8th graders; a very small portion of the ceremonies are adults speaking! The program for the graduation each... Read more
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On Thursday, June 7, Burgundy celebrates the graduation of the 8th grade Class of 2018. The graduation ceremony is a student-directed event, and each member of the class will play a role. After their time at Burgundy, these young alumni plan to... Read more
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Burgundy’s current fiscal year ends June 30. Please make a gift to the Annual Giving Fund or fulfill your pledge by this date. Annual Giving provides critical support to Burgundy's operating budget for the fiscal year, contributing to the budget... Read more
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Earlier this week I had the great joy of visiting the new Gold Frogger Airlines (parent company K Frogs) at the West Barn Early Childhood building. One K Frogs student was manning the phone at the reservation desk; another seemed to be collecting... Read more
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Annual Giving and fundraising at independent schools including Burgundy comprise a vital part of schools' annual operational budgets. At Burgundy, Annual Giving provides critical monies that directly impact our children's experience, from... Read more
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Buckeyes working together on an assignment at the Cove. Photo by Joanne Petty. This is the time of the year when classes make their spring journey to the Cove. This experience is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the natural world — in our... Read more
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Some of the Deep Creek Middle School students on stage.This morning at a special All School Meeting in the amphitheater, second grader Anna M. announced the name caretaker Ali Shepard ’04 has chosen for Poppy’s foal, born in the barn last week. We... Read more
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Springtime is a time for new growth, and that’s been even more apparent in the Burgundy barnyard recently with the birth of Poppy’s foal! A few weeks ago, we didn’t know when the foal would be born or what color she would be. But a year ago, we didn... Read more
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Art teachers Mary Iannone and Annie Rocha recently attended a STEAM conference (focused on the integration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math) at the National Cathedral School to help gain knowledge for our Makerspace program for the... Read more
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On April 18 school closed at noon and soon after Burgundy employees — both teachers and staff — headed off campus for this year’s Capital Area Progressive Schools (CAPS) Symposium. Mary Akeley and I were part of the steering committee that organized... Read more
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Burgundy’s faculty and staff find ways to add to their skills and improve their effectiveness all year long, including through events like the CAPS Symposium Elizabeth described. However, summer allows more time to explore topics in-depth and this... Read more
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Kindergarteners compare their books from the Book Swap. Jacob helping prepare dinner at the Ronald McDonald House. 8th graders on their way to clean up Burgundy Road and adjacent roads. 6th graders... Read more
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It’s National Volunteer Week! We want to give a hearty thank you to all our many volunteers! At each admission open house I try to be honest with parents looking at Burgundy about who we are, and one of the things I say is, “We are not a ‘drop ’... Read more
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The recreated conference room in West Barn.The Logan Loft has officially opened and arts classes have moved in, so you might be wondering what’s going on with the spaces where they were. Burgundy’s maintenance team has already renovated part of the... Read more
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The vet visited Burgundy recently and caretaker Ali Shepard ’04 confirms that everything seems to be on track with our miniature horse Poppy and the delivery of her foal, which we’re expecting in the next few weeks. Signs like milk production and a... Read more
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Burgundy will host singer and actor François Clemmons for a lunchtime concert, noon-12:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 25. The concert will be either on the outdoor stage on the Campus Commons, or inside in the theater/community room. François may be best... Read more
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First graders exploring Huntley Meadows on a previous trip. Annual Giving supports memorable learning opportunities for all our students, on campus and off! For virtually all field trips during the year, the cost of transportation and admission is... Read more
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Thank you to all the parents who joined us last Thursday night for Curriculum Night. The event gave attendees a chance to learn more about our drama program from grades 1-8, our science program from JK-8 and our Middle School math program. It is... Read more
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This past weekend Burgundy lost one of our beloved goats, Ruby. She would have been 9 in August and lived a wonderful and full life at Burgundy. In Ruby’s passing, I have been reminded of exactly what makes Burgundy the best place for me and so... Read more
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Cutting the ribbon to officially open The Logan Loft! See more photos from the dedication. On Wednesday our school community and many guests gathered to celebrate the dedication of The Logan Loft, named for alumni parent donors who inspired... Read more
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On Tuesday evening, immediately following spring break, we had a good portion of our 8th grade parents in the community room of the new arts and community center for a reception and discussion of their Class of 2018 Legacy Gift. Parents spoke with a... Read more
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Burgundy is featured in a recent story from MindShift, an educational reporting project from public radio station KQED. The story highlights the shift toward dog-friendly school campuses and employing both official and unofficial “comfort dogs.” For... Read more
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Earlier this week I ran into one of our teachers who had just had ‘a moment’ in her classroom. But that brief disappointment turned into the kind of learning moment that arises from great teaching. In an assignment that other schools may only... Read more
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I am happy to report that this week we received from Fairfax County our "Non-Residential Use Permit for the Burgundy Farm Country Day School Arts & Community Center!" Yes, this is the occupancy permit for the new building! We are beginning a... Read more
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It has been said that Burgundy kids are good talkers. I think there is truth in that. We certainly bring our students along here at school to not be shy (even if they are shy) about speaking up. When they are impassioned, as children often are,... Read more
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James Perriam. Photo by Kayla Khan.On Wednesday, a group of Burgundy students from 4th through 8th grades participated in the schoolwide round of the National Geography Bee. Questions came from U.S. and world geography, and included a section on... Read more
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I hear two comments from parents about Burgundy on a regular basis. The first is “I wish I could have gone to Burgundy!” or, my favorite iteration, “I wish I could go to Burgundy!” The second comment I receive pretty often is, “I wish Burgundy had... Read more
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It’s been good to have a couple of ‘normal’ days after our various weather days! Overall, the students (and teachers — and admin and staff, too) have returned from the two-week break in good spirits, and Wednesday morning at All School Meeting, led... Read more
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If trips to Cooper’s Cove are a highlight for your child’s year, then imagine how fun it would be to spend 1-2 weeks there this summer! Or… if you love everything but the cold temperatures and kitchen work, then Adult Weekend might be for you.... Read more
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In August we wrote to families sharing that mid-year we likely would be entering into a search this winter for a permanent Middle School Head. We began that national search just before the holiday break, have received strong interest already, and... Read more
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We are modifying our after school math offerings to better meet the needs and interests of the students. Middle School Math Club will be offered as a math support time for the month of January. Math Club (3rd-5th grade) Math Club for Lower School... Read more
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In mid-July art teacher Annie Rocha traveled to Whidby Island in Washington state to attend a workshop led by Deborah Koff-Chappin, the founder of Touch Drawing. Touch Drawing is a drawing skill used worldwide by artists, therapists, social... Read more
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Alumnus Evan Kuester '04 was back on campus this week, talking to all students at the all school meeting, and then continuing the conversation with Middle School students. While at Burgundy, Evan appreciated the encouragement he got to pursue his... Read more
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Led by new Coopers teacher Angela Baek, the 4/5 classes and teachers celebrated Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, on Wednesday afternoon. The classes watched a video to learn about the importance of Chuseok, followed by some traditional food and games... Read more
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This year’s Book Swap was open for browsing and choosing books all day Thursday, April 27. Each class came through the book swap at a time convenient for their schedule. Luisa Reyes of Wright to Read, an Alexandria literacy-focused nonprofit, and... Read more
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Practice putting down your cell phone like Joe, Pat, and Elizabeth!Burgundy families were offered a screening of the film Screenagers on Sunday, May 7, which which was attended by about 50 adults and 30 students. In recent years we have periodically... Read more
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The Kindergarten Frogs class had a special guest last week — author Dr. Lesley Francis visited to share her own work and that of her grandfather, famous poet Robert Frost. Dr. Francis talked to the students about common elements of poetry, including... Read more
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7th grades observing heart survery at Inova Heart and Vascular Institute in April 2017. Photo by parent Joanne Petty. For nearly 20 years, Burgundy Middle School students have visited Inova Heart and Vascular Institute to observe heart surgeries... Read more
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7th and 8th Grade Art teacher Annie Rocha and Athletic Director and PE teacher Steve LeBoo collaborated on an experiential learning field trip for 7th and 8th grade students who did not attend the recent Model United Nations conference. The trip... Read more
