The Barton Leadership Council, consisting of parents and staff members, is the primary governing body for the school. The Council is responsible for setting school policy, keeping our work aligned with our progressive school mission, identifying yearly goal areas, monitoring school improvement plans, encouraging broad participation from all members of the school community, and guiding overall staffing and program decisions. Parent representatives to the Leadership Council need to be endorsed by 50 or more votes from the adult members of the Barton School Community. Each adult in a family may vote for up to 10 candidates, but only one vote per individual candidate.

Read the Leadership Council candidate statements and complete a ballot. PLEASE RETURN THE BALLOT TO YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER NO LATER THAN Friday, MAY 25, 2012. 

The Leadership Council endorsement ballot is being sent home this week to affirm next year’s parent representatives on the Council. We will also have the ballot available on the school website if the backpack mailing system falters for you. Please return a completed ballot to school by Friday, May 25. Each adult in every Barton household can endorse up to ten candidates. Your participation in this endorsement process is important to us as it assures a fully representative council serving all our school families.

Parent David Curle has served on our Leadership Council since school year 2002-2003 and assumed the responsibilities of treasurer early in his Council experience. He will now be moving on from Barton with his youngest son graduating this spring. David was particularly instrumental in orchestrating the move to create a separate Barton Foundation for our fundraising dollars. He’s been a thoughtful steward of our school funds, vigilant in creating accurate reporting systems regarding the uses of funds, and wise in his understanding of our highest needs as a community. I have valued his insights and advice on many levels in my position as principal and want to publicly acknowledge and thank him for his long-lasting contributions to making us a stronger learning community. His leadership and council presence will be greatly missed! --Steven R. DeLapp, Principal (steven.delapp@mpls.k12.mn.us)

Wonder what to do with all of those garden pots and trays after you have planted your Barton plants? Once again, you may recycle them with former Barton parent, Marianne Carolan, next to her garage in the alley at 4234 Dupont Avenue South, only a block from school. They will go to good use at Grassroot Growers greenhouse. No broken pots please. Thanks for recycling!

Pack your own picnic dinner and join other families for good conversation, music and games. Each picnic will have a theme: Edible Flowers Picnic (May 15), Green Compostable Picnic (May 22) and Haiku Picnic (May 29). Victor Sanchez is your host. Meet at 6:00 p.m. at Barton (door #2) with your picnic dinner and walk to the Rose Gardens. Please make a $5 per family donation for each picnic to cover the cost of a luscious dessert (our treat). Please indicate which picnic you will attend (pick one or all three) and email cindy.smedberg@mpls.k12.mn.us or call 668-3585. Please register the day before the picnic for planning purposes. If rain, the picnic will be cancelled.

By Abdirahman, Daud, Brock and Ben:

Biking
Fast air!
Pedaling, steering, tricks, Super speedy bumpy fun, Riding

By Amaree, Trevor, Ruby and Lucy:

Summer
Hot days
Swimming, vacationing, cold treats, Family picnics, friendly fun
Play!

By Trevor, Max, Evva and Mohamed:

Drawing
Moving pencils,
Observing, looking, thinking Excited, weird, concentrating, calm, Creating

118 Barton Uppers students participated in the Model UN Conference at Augsburg College on May 10, 2012. 

Katie Mae Kaelin & Maggie McClun won First Place in the Speakers' Award category. Paavo Neseth & Anthony King and Carter Steinhagen & Guthrie Nielsen won Honorable Mention awards.

See the full list of representatives and a few pictures...

Barton Community Education is offering some special events during May.  See the Information and Registration form for details.

Many Barton students have favorite summer camps that they like to attend year after year. Look in the Students section for the listing of summer camps as compiled by members of the Barton community over the past several years.

You will soon be receiving letters that specify which immunizations your child will need in order to start school next fall. Please look at what shots are needed and, if possible, make an appointment to get them now. Waiting until fall creates unnecessary disruption. Make sure you forward a copy of the document from the clinic to the school. If you wish to conscientiously object to any immunization, that form is on the back of the physical exam form which will be sent along with the immunization letter.  Read on for details... 

Get ready for the one, the only, Barton Lake Day!!! Yes, that’s right, it’s time for our great community event and we need your help. Lake Day will be on Friday, June 1st, 2012. We need adult volunteers to help with transporting lunches, set-up, clean-up, and activities at the Lake Harriet band shell. The activities will include things like beanbag toss, obstacle course, face painting, chess, kickball, relay races, jump ropes, and sidewalk chalk. The activities are easy and everything that is needed will be provided. You just have to jump in and play with kids! For more information or to volunteer, please call or email Sue B. (612-327-3547 or susan.buettgen@mpls.k12.mn.us), stop in Room 12 and let her know, or leave a note in her box in the Barton office. Teachers will need some extra adults to walk with classes to the park, so please check with them individually to see if they need your help, too. Lake Day is always a wonderful, safe day because we have lots of great volunteers willing to help make it fabulous! Join in the fun this year!

There were mixed reviews regarding the format of last year’s back-to-school picnic. Previous years were a potluck. While last year, every family brought dinner for themselves and a dessert to share. The change last year was in the hopes of cutting down on the amount of time people stood in line. However, there were many who felt it was not as community oriented as the potluck.

As I plan this summer’s back-to-school picnic, I would appreciate some feedback on the format. Please respond to this ONE QUESTION SURVEY with your favorite of the following two options:

• Potluck Style Picnic in which families bring dessert, salad or side dish, or main course according to their children’s last name.
  OR
• Family Style Picnic in which each family is responsible for their own picnic meal, as well as a small dessert to share.

FYI, The picnic this year will be held at Beard’s Plaisance—if construction is complete. As always, volunteers are needed and welcome! Please contact Andie Thomas andrienthomas@gmail.com to volunteer. Look for more news about the picnic date and time in the Barton Bugle. 

Please let us know what we could do to make the Barton web site more useful for you. Just send an email with your thoughts to barton@mpls.k12.mn.us.

Some photos from the Open Evening for Barton at the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center were posted on the Barton Parent Group Facebook Page.

The Young Dance Performing Company is holding auditions for boys and girls, ages 7-18, for the 2012-13 season (September – May). Company members attend dance classes twice/ week with professional artists and perform at venues around the Twin Cities. We encourage anyone excited about dance to audition; no experience is necessary. Auditions are Tuesday, May 29th, 5:00-6:00 PM at the Center for Performing Arts. For more information or to register go to www.youngdance.org or call 612-423- 3064.