Working together for our kids
and for a strong community
We are moms, dads, aunties, litos, babas and more from every part of the world, brought together by a shared commitment to the children in our community. We are fortunate to be able to weave this rich tapestry of cultures, languages and ethnicities to enrich our children's education and experiences at Burr.
Fundraising is a big part of what we do. Through our annual giving program, The Wolf Fund, and various events throughout the year, we raise money to bring cutting-edge technologies and curriculum-aligned programs to Burr School. Every child in every grade benefits from the Burr PTO.
ABOUT OUR PTO
Our Mission
The mission of the PTO is to strengthen Burr School’s capacity to provide quality education to all our children by:
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Serving as a communication link between parents, the school and the broader community
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Raising funds to support the education of our children
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Providing supplemental educational programs within the school and
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Building community among Burr families and faculty.
Where does the money go?
The Burr PTO infuses more than $40,000 into our school each year, and these funds help to provide the technology needed in today’s classrooms, as well as the programs, services, and community events that help make Burr the wonderful place that it is. The Wolf Fund campaign is one of two primary source of funds for the PTO’s annual budget, and every penny raised through Burr Wolf Fund goes directly to the school. The remainder of the annual budget is raised through our spring online auction, as well as other events with community building and/or academic support elements, such as the Book Fair, as well as indirect fundraisers like Amazon Smile (see home page).
The PTO fully funds the Creative Arts & Sciences program at Burr, an unfunded mandate from Newton Public Schools, which gives Burr students the opportunity to write and illustrate stories and poems with published authors, design and build mini water distribution systems, dance with Chinese ribbon dancers, hold creatures from the depths of the ocean in their hands, and more. These programs are chosen with the teachers and tie-in with the grade-level curriculum, enhancing and enriching the academic experience.
Meet Our Board
The PTO Board is comprised of Burr parent volunteers, who meet throughout the year to oversee numerous community events and fundraisers, manage the PTO budget and perform other essential PTO functions.
Amie Butler
President
Amie Butler and her husband, Grant Butler, moved to Auburndale in 2016 with their son, Grayson (now in 3rd grade). Since joining the Burr community Amie has enjoyed serving as a room parent and volunteering at various Burr community events such as Boo Fest and the Book Fair. Amie is excited to work more with the PTO in the future, and hopes to help maintain the strong community which is so integral to our kids' elementary experience. In our free time, the Butler family can often be found on some of the great local hiking trails.
Sonia Yung
Secretary
Sonia Yung's children are Aaron (a 6th grader at Day) and Brendan (a 3rd grader at Burr). Sonia enjoys volunteer work whether it is at her work serving the Boston community or at Burr. Over the last five years at Burr she has been a room parent and volunteers at events at such a the Book Fair and Picture Day. She is looking forward to being part of the PTO so she can continue to support the Burr community in many other ways. Sonia works at Blue Cross Blue Shield in Finance where she also does lots of volunteer work and runs a book club. On her free time Sonia enjoys being with her family, going for bike rides with her children, running, and reading.
Angie Kim
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair
Angie Kim currently has a 4th grader at Burr. She and her family moved to Auburndale the summer of 2020. Although new to the school and also to the city, she has actively taken on roles to be an active member with our Burr community. She is currently co-room parents for her son’s class. She is also on the board for ELPAC & part of the Hospitality Team. She wants to make sure that our children’s memory of school is fun, engaging, exciting, but most of all a community.
Kerry Lynch
Co-Events Chair
Kerry's daughter Emma is a 1st grader at Burr. She is the Director of Sales for Big Night Entertainment group, a Boston Hospitality group, and she also owns her own local creative consulting group, Emma Coleman Creative. This is her first year on the PTO and can't wait to help with all the wonderful events in the Burr community. Her free moments are spent having epic dance parties with Emma.
Casey Kudesia
Treasurer
Casey Kudesia has a 3rd grader and a kindergartener at Burr. She enjoys supporting her kids as a cheerful soccer parent (with Garden City Kindergarten Soccer!) and an assistant leader of a Newton-wide Girl Scout troop. Casey works for Mass General Brigham where she uses her background in instructional design, leadership development, and learning management systems to advance compassion in healthcare around the world. Nothing makes her happier than a well-formatted spreadsheet and a balanced PTO budget. You've probably seen her out for a run or walking her perfect dogs, Bog and Addie.
Sarah Barbrow
Education Coordinator
Sarah Barbrow (she/her) has a 3rd grader and a 1st grader at Burr. She and her husband, John, have been in the neighborhood since 2016. Sarah is a librarian at Boston College and loves all things libraries! Her role on the PTO is "Education Coordinator" which simply means supporting the teams who organize the wonderful Creative Arts & Sciences, Understanding our Differences, Safe Routes to School, Green Team, and the Community Garden programming.
Dave Lievens
Communications Chair
Dave Lievens is the dad of William (3rd) and Thomas (1st). He and his wife, Eliza Spaulding (who is the Burr SEPAC Liaison and co-chair of Newton, MA SEPAC), have lived across the street from Burr since 2015 and love having two kids there. Dave is a book editor at Harvard Business Review where he launched the HBR Working Parents series. He is always looking for more running partners from the Burr community, but usually ends up running after kid bedtime with local raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. He does his best to make PTO communications relevant, succinct, and engaging.
Kayla Noblecilla
Co-Events Chair
Kayla Noblecilla has a 2nd grader and a Kindergartener at Burr. She moved to Newton in 2019, is originally from Puerto Rico, and really enjoys this community and the season changes. Prior to joining the board this year, Kayla has enjoyed volunteering for activities like Teacher Appreciation Week and being part of the Burr Buzz emails. Kayla is currently a stay-at-home mom and takes care of her 2-year old full-time. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family on hikes, bike rides, and snowboarding in the winter.
Interested in taking on a leadership role on the PTO? Please don't hesitate to reach out!