Burbank Elementary School

Burbank Family News

September 21, 2025

Dear Burbank Families,

Buddy the Bear

After just over two full weeks of school, it has been heartwarming to see students, staff, and families already forming strong connections and settling into new routines. Back-to-School Night was delightful. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend! It was wonderful to share a glimpse of your children’s daily experiences at Burbank, and we are excited to continue this partnership with you throughout the year. A special thank you to our PTA and BASEC for providing childcare.

Together at Burbank, we share a simple commitment: to care deeply for your children, to partner with you every step of the way, and to keep learning and growing as a community. In return, we ask for your partnership. Stay connected with us, and never hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns. We also count on your support with daily routines: bringing your children to school on time when they are healthy and helping us keep everyone safe by following traffic rules.

When we work together, our children thrive. Thank you for being such an essential part of our school community. I look forward to all that we will accomplish together this year.

With gratitude,
Lisa

A Few Important Highlights:

> Back-to-School Night Feedback

  • We’d love to hear your thoughts on Back-to-School Night! Whether or not you were able to attend, please take a few minutes to complete this Google Form. Your feedback will help us make the event even better in the future.

> Be sure to check out our updated Burbank School Website here!

> We had our first All School Community Meeting on Sept. 9th! 

  • All School Meetings are held once a month, and is a wonderful opportunity for students and staff to join together for community-building announcements and activities. Parents/caregivers will be notified and invited to attend when your children are scheduled to perform or present in front of the school. 

  • The students were re-introduced to our mascot, Buddy the Bear and our PBIS system of earning “pawsitive” notes from staff members. We will begin with the following on October 1st, and will make modifications if needed throughout the year:

    • Staff hand out “pawsitive” notes to individual students when they are demonstrating expected behaviors.

    • Students put them into their designated grade level bin.

    • Ms. Williams pulls out two names/”pawsitive notes” from each grade level each month and announces them during Morning Announcements. Those students can each invite a friend for “Lunch with the Principal.”

    • All students receive their notes back.

    • There is a “pawsitive” bulletin board that is updated each month.

  • We also have announced Spirit Days when students and staff are encouraged to wear Burbank’s color blue and/or Burbank spiritwear.

> Please see this important letter from Burbank’s fabulous Mental Health Team. There is a request in the letter for parents/guardians to let the school know if you do not want your child to participate in specific opportunities.

> Morning Arrival / Afternoon Dismissal

  • Please be mindful that there is no parking on Sharpe Rd on and after the bend in front of the school, as buses cannot pass safely - see this map. You are welcome to park further up the street before the bend, or on surrounding roads. As an alternative, you may want to take advantage of our supervised live drop off on Gale Rd. behind the school. 

  • There is also no parking on Gale Rd. during live drop off as shown on this map. Again, you will find parking on roads adjacent to Gale and near the school. 

  • Please remember that if your student(s) arrive after 8:40 a.m., they will be marked tardy. At that time, you will need to park and sign your child(ren) in at the main office.

> Thinking About Volunteering This Year?

If you’d like to volunteer at Burbank, please stop by the main office to complete a CORI form. All volunteers must be cleared before beginning. See Ms. Boucher in the office to fill out the form (remember to bring your driver’s license).

> Talking Points -  As you know, we are using Talking Points as our primary mode of communication. If you receive a request for a code when signing in, that means you need to notify Melissa Boucher in the main office to update your contact information in Rediker. 

> School Advisory Council 

  • Burbank's School Advisory Council is still seeking members for the 2025-2026 school year. The Advisory Council is a group made up of parents/guardians, a community member, and school staff  that discusses big picture issues related to the governance of the school (school improvement plan, budget, etc.).  Meetings are about 5 times a year. 

  • The only requirement / qualification is being a parent or legal guardian.  There is a parity requirement per state guidelines.  This means that although as many people as are interested can attend meetings, only a limited number of parents/guardians will be able to be members of the council. 

  • Interested? Email: MaryLeeBurbankPTA@gmail.com or Lisa Williams

  • You can learn more about the School Advisory Council by reading Section 59C the MA General Law.

> Please remember to complete your student’s online update forms before October 1st. You will be specifically prompted to let BPS know if you would like your child and family to be included in Burbank’s Directory. This was the messaging you received from BPS previously:

  • Each year, the Belmont Public Schools updates its student records. This form allows parents to fill out their child's information and submit it electronically, saving both you and the school time, while ensuring accurate information is being provided. We will be requesting this information every September.

  • New forms have been posted to PlusPortals under  "Forms." https://www.plusportals.com/Burbank

  • Please review and submit:

    • Student Update Form or Contact Update form 

    • New Families:

      • Web Authorization form - required submittal

      • MassHealth Benefits Permission - submit if student is receiving MassHealth

> District Wide Family Math Night flyer

Dates to Remember

  • Burbank’s Fall Social this Thursday, Sept. 25th from 5:00-7:00 PM (rain date 10/2)

  • Principal Chat and Coffee - Sept. 26th (9:00-9:30 am) in Mods Room 2

  • National Custodian’s Day - Oct. 2nd

  • Picture Day - Oct. 9th

  • Indigenous People’s Day (No School) - Oct. 13th

  • Early Release (11:40) and Parent Teacher Conferences:

    • Nov. 5th

    • Nov. 12th

    • Nov. 19th

  • Veteran’s Day (No School) - Nov. 11th

  • Early Release (11:40) - Nov. 26th