Dear BES Families,

It is that time of year again:   Parent Survey Time!   We really appreciate the 5 minutes that you take to fill this out.  Last year we had almost 70 responses (a record!) and we hope to have even more this year.  This survey and the one that I ask the staff to fill out become very important to me and our School Improvement Team as we track the effectiveness ofour instruction and the service that we provide to the families of Burr District Elementary.  Each year we make some changes to our programming and we need to have ongoing feedback in order to see if your experience continues to be positive, has led to some disappointment, or is better than ever.

You have two options for filling out the survey, the first would be to follow the quicklink on this page and complete it online.  It is confidential and easy for you.  And since the computer will collect and tally results, it is easiest for us.  However for you technophobes, we still want your voice to be heard.  You also will find a copy of our survey attached to the back of this newsletter.  You can fill it out on paper and either send it in with your child or drop it off in a box in the school office.  It is important that we hear from you.  Please be a part of helping BES be the BEST.

While you are on our website, take a moment and check out the new faculty directory.  You’ll see that we finally have the classroom teacher profiles up (click on the picture of the little person next to their names.)  Thank you to Brian Trost, one of our tireless IT people, for helping this to finally happen.

And speaking of biographies, did you know that Tony Bergantino used to play the stock market before he played with our kids?  It’s true!  Mr. Bergantino, after receiving an economics degree from UCONN, worked as a Senior Account Manager at Travelers Life and Annuity where he oversaw stock market trades for his clients.  I wonder if he wore shorts there as well.

Luckily for thousands of kids in Haddam, Mr. Bergantino left the office to go to University of Hartford to get a Masters of Science in education.  He began teaching in 1999 in the fourth grade at Haddam Elementary.  By 2003-4, he was named Lead Teacher there, soon after he earned his public school administrative degree from Sacred Heart University.

Mr. Bergantino joined our staff as a PE teacher in 2007 and in his first year was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year for BES.  He says of our community:  “The kids in this school come into the gym with such excitement, passion, and prior knowledge that we can build on those passions and knowledge immediately.  I am always impressed by the amount of support I receive from our parents.  You love your children so much and it is very evident to me by your generosity with your time.”

He is passionate about helping our students set healthy lifestyle goals and assisting them in reaching them.  It is easy to make PE every kid’s favorite subject, but our students not only have fun, they learn about making healthy choices during each lesson and the importance of working hard to meet their goals.

When Mr. Bergantino is not playing with our kids, he’s playing with his three boys, ages 7, 5, and 3.  Of course, he enjoys very active outdoor activities and sports with his whole family.

Have a great February,

Eric Larson