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Mustang Messenger CK Burns

December 14, 2022

Mustang MessengerCK BurnsDecember 14, 2022
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Hello Families,

It's incredible how quickly this year has gone and to think we are soon approaching our holiday vacation. As a full school, we truly enjoyed cheering on and celebrating the Wreaths Across America convoy. As the end of 2022 comes to a close, I want to thank the families and community of Saco who have welcomed and supported me. CK Burns is a special place to work and I look forward to what 2023 brings to us.


Cheers to a happy and healthy vacation for you and your families!


Sincerely,

April Noble

Principal of CK Burns School

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Important Dates

  • December 14, 21: Abbreviated Wednesdays

  • December 23-January 2: No School - Vacation (Return on Tuesday, January 3)

  • January 4, 11, 18, 25: Abbreviated Wednesdays

  • January 12/13: NWEA testing

  • January 16: No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Please read the below information as we approach storm-day weather conditions!

CK Burns Lego Robotics Team

Places First for Robot Design at the Maine State Competition

The CK Burns School’s LEGO Robotics team placed first for Robot Design at the Maine State Lego League Championship. On December 3rd, Saco students competed against 24 other Maine teams, sharing their innovative projects and competing in the robot performance. Thanks to their collaboration and advanced coding skills, the Electronic Mustangs won the Robot Design Award.


Their challenge was to design five robots in partnership and vote on the best parts of each robot to put together in one final design. Students worked as partners to create codes to accomplish five different challenges on the game board. These were all created on different computers. The team joined the codes onto one computer by using variables to connect the codes. Students maximized individual strengths in each design as they communicated how to join each other's design into one unique design. 4th-grade member Evan Marines shared, "It helped me learn how to work as a team and made me want to research more about real-life problems and solar power." As a team, each member voiced their thoughts respectfully during their process, included all team members, and the advanced coding skills they showcased won first place in robot design.


The CK Burns School has had a LEGO Robotics team started in 2018, and it continues to grow each year. Thanks to Saco STEAM for their financial support in growing this extracurricular activity. The CK Burns LEGO Robotics Team would like to thank their coaches and family members for their support. To learn more about Robotics in Maine schools, visit the Robotics Institute of Maine at www.rimaine.org.

Team members and coaches pictured left to right: Joshua Alley, Evan Marines, Hudson Kenniston, Holly Trottier, Aryanna Rivera, Robyn Hollenbeck, Adele Foy, Beryl Foy, Andrew Stevens, Audio Hollenbeck, and Charlotte Letourneau.

Wreaths Across America

This past Monday, our district had the honor of welcoming the Wreaths Across America convoy as they made a scheduled stop at Biddeford Middle School en route to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. As the convoy passed through Saco and Biddeford, students lined the streets with flags leading to the convoy stop and waved to the truck drivers on their way to honoring American heroes. When the convoy made its scheduled stop at BMS, students and local veterans were invited to a special presentation.


Each December, on National Wreaths Across America Day (December 17th), their mission is to Remember, Honor, and Teach. They do this by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at 3,400 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad, and making scheduled stops along the way to teach children the value of freedom.


If you would like to be involved, you are welcome to join local community members on Saturday, December 17 at 9:00 am at the following cemetery locations: St. Joseph’s, St. Mary’s, St. Demetrios, Woodlawn and Greenwood to place wreaths on Veteran graves.


Computer Science Education Week Coding Collaboration with CK Burns & Fairfield Students

Computer Science Education Week is held around December 9th, the birthday of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper who was a computer pioneer responsible for developing computer languages. Computer science helps develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills. Coding is just one way we can help students develop these skills. CK Burns has been participating in the Hour of Code since 2014. Starting in 2016 students in 3rd, 4th & 5th grade took their coding skills to our Fairfield School assisting grades K-2 with computer science activities. This event is led by our Technology Coach, Janice Budzik-Conley who has partnered with twenty-six classrooms from both schools working in a peer setting on coding projects.

Parents - Ask your kids to show you their coding skills
A great resource for students grades K-5 to work on coding at home!

Pictured below are students from Mr. Marines 4th grade, Mrs. Tousignant's 2nd graders & Technology Coach Mrs. Budzik-Conley assisting students as they peer teach coding

Mr. Lamothe, Mr. Marines, and Mr. Wynne's class making wreaths

Raising money for a facility dog

We raised over $400 at our dog treat sale for our Facility Dog! Thank you to everyone that bought treats or a ticket for our 50/50 raffle.

Exciting Math News at CK Burns!
Please click here to read our family letter about math at CK Burns

Nursing Update

There has been an increase in the number of reports of children in Maine, and across the U.S., with respiratory illness caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, enterovirus, influenza, and COVID-19. Our School Nurse would like to remind parents and guardians of the following:

Encourage children to stay home if they are sick to help prevent illnesses in the school setting:

  • COVID-19: Individuals should consider home testing, isolate for at least five (5) days with a positive test, and may return with masking depending on severity of illness. When to Leave Isolation.

  • Influenza: Individuals should stay home until 24 hours after fever resolves without the use of fever-reducing medications. Fact Sheet.

  • Pertussis: Individuals should stay home until they have completed five (5) days of antibiotics. Fact Sheet.

  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV): Individuals with RSV are usually contagious 3 to 8 days. Most RSV infections go away on their own in a week or two. Fact Sheet.

  • Colds: There is no standardized recommendation for returning during/after a cold. Individuals with colds are typically infectious for 4-7 days after symptoms begin.

Please contact the school nurse if you have questions or concerns about your child.

STATE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS UPDATE

Additional assessment and surveys of the Clair parcels are underway, including work with the Department of Transportation and two appraisals of the land. We have solidified two appraisal companies, and we hope by early January we will have the report. In conjunction with our legal team at Drummond Woodsum, we have begun the process of drafting a purchase option for the property. The Saco School Department Team, in conjunction with Oak Point Associates, have continued to meet with the DOE to keep them up to date. The next step is to look at space allocations within the schools. All of these items must be completed in preparation for a straw poll, ideally sometime in January, when members of the public will have an opportunity to get updated information and participate in a vote to move forward with the site. Additional information can be found in the Clair Site Selection Memo. Please provide feedback or review updates on our School Construction Page.
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Youth Full Maine Food Distribution Date & Location Change

Youth Full Maine's monthly community-wide free food distribution in Biddeford, usually held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, is being moved to the 2nd Wednesday for December: Wednesday, December 14 from 2-4 PM at the Biddeford Ice Arena.


Hannaford Supermarkets will supply large boxes of fresh produce from local and national farm partners. No income or geographic restrictions. This is a drive-up event: volunteers will load boxes into participants' vehicles. In case of storm conditions or for more information, contact Youth Full Maine at (207) 391-0185 or info@youthfullme.org, check https://www.youthfullme.org/our-calendar and https://www.facebook.com/YouthFullME/

PARENTING EDUCATION & RESOURCES

Children's Clothing Recalled Over High Lead Levels

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, children's clothing sets manufactured from Bentex have been recalled because of dangerously high levels of lead in the textile ink.

Click Here to read the details.
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