posted Apr 27, 2012 7:19 AM by Tricia Amend Bombara
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updated Apr 27, 2012 8:06 AM
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This Wednesday, May 2 Burr is joining schools across Newton and around the state to participate in Massachusetts Walk to School Day. Join kids and parents around the state to celebrate the benefits of walking and biking*! The celebration is based on a simple idea — a day when children and parents, school and local officials get out of their cars and walk or bike to school together. It is an energizing event, reminding everyone of the simple joy of walking to school, the health benefits of regular daily activity, the need for safe places to walk and bike, and the environmental and safety benefits of fewer cars on our roads and around our schools.
So leave the car at home, wear green, and walk or bike with friends and neighbors! If you can't walk with your kids, arrange for them to walk with another family in your neighborhood, or to be dropped off with a friend who is walking. And taking the bus is a great green option because it reduces the number of cars on the road and in the Blue Zone! Parents and staff will be on hand to welcome the walkers and riders and hand out information and mementos. Brought to you by the Burr Safe Routes to School and Green Teams.
(*for information on Burr's Bike to School Guidelines, please visit: Biking to School)
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posted Apr 2, 2012 5:28 AM by Tricia Amend Bombara
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updated Apr 2, 2012 5:30 AM
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Spring is here, and more kids are walking, biking, and rolling to school! This is not only a great way to get more exercise (and have fun!) it means fewer cars and less traffic congestion around Burr, which benefits everyone. To help make getting to school safer for everyone, Burr has a set of Bike to School Guidelines that all riders must follow, including wearing a helmet, crossing the street only at marked crossings, giving pedestrians the right of way on sidewalks, and walking bikes on school grounds during arrival and dismissal. If your child wants to ride a bike (or scooter) to school, it is important that you review the Bike to School Guidelines with your child and that you are confident in their biking skills and their understanding of the guidelines and general traffic safety. Children in Kindergarten through Grade 3 are unlikely to have the developmental and judgment skills for unsupervised bicycling. Children in these grades should be accompanied by an adult when bicycling to or from school. Children in Grades 4 and 5 may ride to school alone with parental consent after reviewing the Bike to School Guidelines with a parent and returning a signed copy of the Student Agreement and Parental Consent Form to the office. Please remember that while walking and biking are strongly encouraged, parents are ultimately responsible for determining their own child’s readiness to walk and/or bike without supervision (as well as the best route for their child to take.) To learn more about Biking to Burr, and to download a copy of the Bike to School Guidelines and Student Agreement and Parental Consent Form, please click this link: https://sites.google.com/site/burrsaferoutes/home/biking-to-school or visit www.burrpto.org and click Safe Routes to School. |
posted Feb 10, 2012 10:47 AM by Tricia Amend Bombara
A Newton police officer has been present at Burr most mornings and afternoons for the past week to enforce parking and traffic regulations (with actual parking tickets and moving violations instead of the friendly "reminder" tickets many have become accustomed to.) As a result, there has been much greater compliance with existing regulations, providing a clear demonstration of how much better and safer drop-off and pick-up can be when everyone is patient and follows the rules. This enforcement will continue indefinitely, on a periodic basis, to help ensure the safety of our children. If you have any questions, please email BurrSafeRoutes@gmail.com or contact Ms. Johal.
Very Important! In just 3 days last week, at least 5 drivers were issued tickets for passing the school bus while students were getting on or off the bus. If a school bus (or any school pupil transport vehicle) has its lights flashing and a stop sign extended, you must stop. It is the law. It does not matter which side of the road you are traveling on. Remain stopped until the lights stop flashing and the stop sign folds back. A first violation of this law is a $250 fine and points on your license, and can cause a license suspension. (Even if a police officer is not present, a violation can be issued based on a bus driver's report, and the police have instructed drivers to alert them to any violations.) |
posted Feb 3, 2012 11:36 AM by Tricia Amend Bombara
 Last Thursday the Traffic Council of the Board of Aldermen heard the item that was docketed by our Ward 4 Aldermen requesting a review of traffic safety around the Burr School. A number of parents and neighbors attended, along with Ms. Johal and Alderman Jay Harney. A city Traffic Engineer displayed slides showing maps and photos of the area, along with the current parking restrictions and some "action" shots from morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal. After a lengthy discussion of the issues, it was clear that while Burr has done a good job encouraging more families to walk to school whenever possible and educating families about Blue Zone and traffic regulations, with our growing population more help is needed to keep everyone safe. Based on the feedback we received from the Traffic Council on these issues and the possible solutions that were raised, our Aldermen will now begin the process of working with our school community and the neighborhood to reach some consensus on specific action items that we can then bring back to Traffic Council for their consideration.
One important development from the meeting is the increased enforcement that we will be seeing from the Newton Police Department during arrival and dismissal. Sergeant Jay Babcock from the Newton Police/Traffic Bureau, a member of the Traffic Council, will send directed patrols to Burr frequently in the coming weeks to help put an end to illegal and unsafe practices such as double-parking, letting kids out of cars while stopped in traffic, jaywalking, reversing direction in the school zone, "waiting" in no parking areas, blocking neighbors' driveways, etc. Please remember that the police are here to help keep our children safe, and this enforcement is a direct result of our failure to stop these practices on our own. |
posted Jan 26, 2012 6:40 PM by Tricia Amend Bombara
Hang Up Before You Pick Up (or Drop Off) - No cell phones in the School Zone – they are a dangerous distraction. Stay in Your Car in the Blue Zone - Children should be able to enter or exit the car from the sidewalk on their own. Arrange car seats so your Burr child can use the sidewalk side of the car, and disable the child safety locks on that door. If this isn’t possible, you will need to park (legally) so you can assist your child. Give all your hugs and kisses at home, and make sure the kids have their belongings within reach so they can get out of the car quickly. Your child does not need you to put their backpack on for them – they do it themselves every day at dismissal. Pull All the Way Up in the Blue Zone – Don’t let your children out in the bottom half of the large Blue Zone, because the cars ahead of you will invariably begin to move just as your child opens the door and has one foot out of the car. Now you can’t pull forward into the empty Blue Zone in front of you, and the drivers behind you get frustrated and try to pull around you, creating gridlock with oncoming traffic. So you tell the kids to hurry, and they start to rush and get a little frantic, which generally leads to backpacks, lunches, and musical instruments being forgotten in the back seat of the car, and the whole process takes longer. Wait until you get past the mid-way point (about where the tree is), and pull forward as far as possible before letting kids out.  |
posted Jan 13, 2012 11:07 AM by Tricia Amend Bombara
As you know, Burr’s rapid population increase has led not only to a space-crunch inside the building but also to a severe traffic-crunch outside. In an effort to improve safety in our school zone, our Ward 4 aldermen docketed an item with Newton's Traffic Council to review the existing traffic and parking regulations around Burr, and the item is scheduled to be heard at their meeting next month.
While any decision to change current regulations rests with the Traffic Council after studies by the city Traffic Engineer and input from the community, possible outcomes include: extending the "Live Parking Only" zone on Pine Street and including morning drop-off; eliminating parking in areas where gridlock is common; eliminating the small Blue Zone; making Pine Street one-way during drop-off and pick-up.
If you would like to learn more about this process, or to share your ideas about these issues and/or possible solutions, please join the Burr Safe Routes Team, members of the School Council, and representatives from the PTO Board at the Parent-Principal Coffee this Friday January 21. If you can't be there this Friday but would like to be involved please email BurrSafeRoutes@gmail.com
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posted Nov 4, 2011 11:05 AM by Tricia Amend Bombara
Burr’s
population increase has led not only to a space-crunch inside the building, but
also to a severe traffic-crunch outside.
Unfortunately, this has led to an increase in the number of drivers who
are choosing to ignore traffic regulations in an effort to get through the
drop-off and pick-up process more quickly.
This is unsafe, illegal, and it is putting all our children at risk. Winter will bring a significant increase in
the number of people driving to school every day, leading to even longer lines
for drivers waiting to use the Blue Zones and more competition for legal
parking spaces. As a community, we need
to accept that driving to school will
require more time, more patience, and an even stronger commitment to following
the rules for the greater good. This
is the only way to ensure a safe trip to and from school for everyone (and to
lessen the likelihood of increased police enforcement and traffic tickets!) Please remember that everyone you encounter
during drop-off and pick-up is a member of the Burr community, whether they are
a teacher, a fellow parent, a grandparent, a babysitter, or a neighbor. Everyone waiting in the Blue Zone line is
there for the same reason as you – to drop off or pick up a child. Follow the rules, be patient, and be
courteous, and everyone will get through safely.
The
following issues have become critical and need to stop:
Blocking
traffic while waiting to enter the small Blue Zone - If the
small Blue Zone is full you cannot wait. You must continue east on Pine Street and join the end of the line
for the large Blue Zone. We encourage everyone to use the large Blue
Zone directly in front of the school, and strongly recommend that those with younger children do so.
Spending
excessive amounts of time in the Blue Zone – By City Ordinance (Sec. TPR-179.School drop off zones) cars may only remain in
the Blue Zone for one minute – the time it takes for your children to exit. Parents should not be getting out to hand
kids backpacks, lunches, musical instruments, or to impart last minute
instructions. If the Blue Zone feels too
rushed for you, or if your child needs more assistance, then you must park
legally and walk your child to the school.
Parking in
“No Parking” areas - If the sign says “No Parking”, you
can’t park there. If the curb is yellow,
you can’t park there. If you can’t park there, you also can’t wait there. Use a designated Blue Zone or park
legally. These areas are “No Parking” for
a reason - to keep traffic moving safely.
Parking or
Turning in Private Property – Do not enter the Gazebo property
(the condo complex across the street) for any reason; it is private
property. Do not turn in or block any
neighbors’ driveway. Go around the block
after dropping off or picking up, instead of trying to turn around. It only adds another minute or two to your
trip, but it will prevent a traffic tie-up and frustration for many other people. It might even save a child’s life.
Are
you concerned about traffic safety at Burr School? We will be working with the city
to improve traffic safety around Burr and we need your help. If you’d like to get involved please email us
at BurrSafeRoutes@gmail.com.
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posted Sep 23, 2011 6:39 AM by Tricia Amend Bombara
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updated Sep 23, 2011 6:48 AM
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Wednesday October 5 is International Walk to School Day! Burr School will once again join with students across Newton and around the world to participate in this great event.
Make plans to leave the car at home and walk with friends and neighbors! If you can't walk with your kids (and they are not ready to walk alone) arrange for them to walk with a friend or another family in your neighborhood. Taking the bus also reduces the number of cars on the road and in the Blue Zone so kids riding the bus are participating too!
Last spring, over 80% of Burr students walked, biked, or road the bus on MA Walk to School Day – that’s twice the percentage we have on an average day! Let’s see if we can get to 90% this time!
Please make every effort to participate on Wednesday October 5th. The goal of this event is to show how much safer, healthier, and more fun it is to walk to school, and the hope is that families will continue to walk whenever possible. If you are not a regular walker now you can start by committing to walk just one day a week on Green Wednesdays.
Remember - wear green and be green this (and every) Wednesday!
Do you have any questions? Want a cool “Walk to School Day” sign for your group to carry? Email us BurrSafeRoutes@gmail.com |
posted Aug 25, 2011 8:10 AM by Tricia Amend Bombara
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updated Aug 25, 2011 9:05 AM
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Welcome to the 2011-2012 School Year at Burr!
Let's get this year off to a safe start! Please take a few moments to review the Burr Safe Routes program, our Walk to School initiatives, and our traffic safety and Blue Zone regulations.
If you plan to drive your child to school, even occasionally, please view and download the Burr Blue Zone Guide and the Burr School Zone Map, a color-coded map that shows the locations of the No Parking, Live Parking Only, and Blue Zones, along with an explanation of each. This is a great resource for anyone who drives to Burr, so please print one out for yourself and give a copy to grandparents, babysitters, and friends, anyone who drops off or picks up your child.
If you have any questions or concerns about the Blue Zone, traffic safety, or walking to school, or if you would like to join the Burr Safe Routes Committee to help increase the number of families who walk to school and improve the traffic safety around Burr, please email us at burrsaferoutes@gmail.com.
Remember, walking to school is a great way to start the day! And walking home is a great way to wind down! Click here to read all the benefits of walking to and from school, and to see a map showing all the Burr families in your neighborhood - walk with your friends and neighbors!
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posted Apr 28, 2011 9:23 AM by Tricia Amend Bombara
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updated May 2, 2011 10:02 AM
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This Wednesday May 4th Burr is
joining schools across Newton and around the
state to participate in Massachusetts Walk to School Day! The
event begins around 8am with kids, parents and community
leaders walking from all over Auburndale and West Newton
to arrive at Burr between 8:15am and
8:30am. Parents, staff, and guests
will be on hand to welcome the walkers and hand out information and
mementos.
Mayor Setti Warren and Superintendent David Fleishman
will be presenting awards to schools in a variety of categories, including
"Most Dedicated Walkers", "Fewest Cars in the Blue Zone",
"Happiest Walkers", and more. Since it is Green Wednesday at Burr, let’s see if we can be the Greenest Group!
So leave the car at home, wear green and walk with friends and neighbors! If you can't walk with your kids, arrange for
them to walk with other families in
your neighborhood, or to be dropped off
with a friend who is walking! And taking the bus is a great GREEN option because it reduces the number of cars on the road and in
the Blue Zone! Questions? Want to get involved? Email: BurrSafeRoutes@gmail.com |
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