In The News

Updated: Friday Novemeber 16, 2007

Burr and Burton Academy Selects New Headmaster

Burr and Burton Academy’s Board of Trustees has announced that Mark H. Tashjian, head of the middle school at the Collegiate School in New York City, has accepted the Board’s invitation to become the school’s thirtieth headmaster effective July 1, 2008. He succeeds Charles W. Scranton, the twenty-ninth headmaster of Manchester’s independent secondary school, who announced last year that he will step down in June 2008.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have found such a remarkably well-qualified and enthusiastic leader as Mark Tashjian,” said Board of Trustees Chair Seth Bongartz. “His background, values and educational philosophy fit very well with who we are and where we are going. We look forward to welcoming him to the Burr and Burton community.”

A native of Philadelphia, Tashjian received his undergraduate degree in political science and international relations from Yale University. He went on to earn an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and spent over a decade in business where he gained extensive experience developing global business strategies. Following his decision to devote his life to education, Tashjian taught mathematics and science at the East Harlem School at Exodus House and then became headmaster at the Children’s Storefront in Harlem. He received his M.Ed. in education leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College and joined Collegiate School in 2002.

In addition to his responsibilities at Collegiate School, Tashjian is chair of the board of Manhattan Country School and is a trustee of Harlem Academy, both in New York City. He and his wife Erin have a daughter, Ella, 17 months, and are expecting another child in January.

“I am filled with a combined sense of gratitude and responsibility,” said Tashjian. “Burr and Burton Academy has such a proud tradition with roots in the community that go deep and wide. I look forward to working with its superb faculty, energetic student body, and loyal supporters in the years to come.”

According to Bongartz, a committee composed of trustees, members of the faculty and the community, worked through the summer to identify qualified candidates. The finalists were on campus in October where they met with all the school’s constituencies, including students, school administrators, current parents and alumni.

“I am truly gratified that the Search Committee found someone as competent as Mark to lead the school, though I never doubted they would,” said Scranton “I have spoken to Mark to congratulate him and offer all my assistance for his transition to the leadership of a school which, next to my family, has been the most important part of my life for the past fifteen years. I’m confident he will provide the dedicated, thoughtful and passionate leadership Burr and Burton needs and deserves.”

Burr and Burton Presents “The Foreigner” November 14-17

Tickets are now on sale for Burr and Burton’s fall production of “The Foreigner.”

Burr and Burton’s Performing Arts Company invites the community to “come see hilarity ensue in rural Georgia, when a shy young man, believed to be from an exotic land where they speak no English, hears more than he should.” The fact that he secretly understands every word drives this show to a wildly funny climax where things go awry for the “bad guys” and the “good guys” emerge triumphant.

The show will run from November 14-17 in the school’s Riley Center for the Arts. Performances are at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students, children, and Burr and Burton employees. To reserve your tickets please call the Burr and Burton box office at 362-1775 ext. 144.

Burr and Burton Students Earn Advanced Placement Scholar Awards

Twenty-five members of Burr and Burton Academy’s Class of 2007 and four members of the Class of 2008 earned AP Scholar Awards from the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement examinations.

Last year’s seniors Heidi Allen, Brittany Borella, Lowrie Kenigsberg, Justin Lappin-Hueckel, Laura Madison, Joshua Montgomery, Andrew Pattison, Samantha Pierce, Sean Raphael, Shane Regan, Andrew Tarnas Raskin, Angela Thomas, and Kong Zheng and current seniors Elizabeth Ayre, Megan Nemlich and Stephanie Whalen were named AP Scholars, having earned a grade of 3 or higher on three or more AP examinations taken. Last year’s seniors Elizabeth Laberge and Caroline Pribble and current senior Amy Peniston were named a Scholars with Honor, having earned an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. Last year’s seniors Danielle Boudreau, Eamonn Campbell, Adam Dubrow, Samantha Leonard, Liam Mahabir, Elizabeth Salsgiver, Andrew Seier, Matthew Sleeman, and Hannah Wright were named Scholars with Distinction, having earned an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

About 18 percent of the more than 1.4 million high school students in more than 16,000 secondary schools worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to merit the recognition of AP Scholar. The examinations are given every spring to high-school students who have completed challenging college-level courses during their junior and senior years.

Burr and Burton Academy Seniors Receive National Merit Scholorship Recognition

Burr and Burton Academy seniors Tyler Dreiblatt, Anna Victoria Ellsworth, Amy Peniston, and Katherine Vallario have been named Commended Students in the annual National Merit Scholarship Program for their outstanding academic achievement. This award was given to 34,000 students out of over 1.4 million high school juniors nationwide who entered the 2008 competition by taking the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last year.

“Recognition of academically talented students and of the key role played by the school in their development is essential to the pursuit of educational excellence in our nation,” said a National Merit Scholarship spokesperson.

Health Clinic News

The BBA school -based health clinic is excited to announce that it has enrolled in the Vermont Department of Health’s Vaccine for Children program. Congress created the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program to help prevent certain vaccine-preventable diseases by providing immunization services at no cost. In collaboration with the school health clinic’s medical director, Dr. Robert Schwartz, we will be offering all students the opportunity to receive the Tdap or the HPV vaccine beginning November 1. Parents must sign two forms of consent in order for their student to receive either the Tdap or the HPV vaccine. No student will receive either vaccination without both forms of parental consent on file.

Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)
Your student is required by Vermont law to have a current Td/Tdap vaccine in order to remain in school. Most students are in need of this vaccine booster at 14-15 years old. You may have already received a letter from our health clinic stating that your child is in need of a current vaccine, please contact our office so that we may bring their immunizations up to date. This vaccine is available for your student at no cost (usual cost $36.26).

HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and women 13-26 years of age who did not receive it when they were younger. It protects against genital human papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. HPV can cause cervical cancer in women. Every year in the U.S. about 10,000 women get cervical cancer and 3,700 die from it. There is no treatment for HPV only to be vaccinated against it. This vaccine is given in a 3-dose series. This vaccine series is available for your student at no cost (usual cost $359.25).

Please call the health clinic if you would like your student to receive either of the above-mentioned vaccines or have questions about our new immunization program: Meg Burns 549-8132 or Heidi Welch 549-8238.

Burr and Burton students are touring South Africa and posting updates to a blog. Click here to read updates on there travels.


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