Upcoming Burrell fireside chats give community a chance to share opinions

The Burrell School District once again is inviting students and families to pull up a lawn chair and chat during an event in November.

The district is bringing back its “fireside chats” from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 7 in the high school’s student parking lot, 1021 Puckety Church Road.

Now in its third year, the event aims to strengthen relationships between the school district and the community.

“We will have small fireside chats for parents and guardians, community members, staff and our middle and high school students,” said Autumn Turk, Burrell’s director of curriculum and development. “We use the chats as an opportunity to build relationships, hear about what is going well and learn about how we could grow to better meet our families’ and community’s needs.”

About 100 people attended the event last year.

Turk said the district will provide pizza, hot cocoa, s’mores and other snacks, as well as activities for children, such as pumpkin painting and decorating, campfire songs, storytime and yard games.

The event is organized by Burrell’s Parents as Allies, a group of parents and school staff who engage with students and families to strengthen relationships and build trust. It’s funded by a grant from Kidsburgh, a Pittsburgh-based organization that promotes programs for children and education in the region.

The group also hosts a Community Connections event during the spring, which drew more than 1,000 people in April.

“The fireside chats provide a warm, inviting environment where informal yet informative and honest conversations are facilitated between students, teachers and administrators, and the community at-large,” said Adam Rossi, a Burrell High School teacher and teacher representative for Parents as Allies.

Rossi said the event’s format removes any perceived barriers to communication between families and the district.

“If the previous two years are any indication of what to expect for this year’s chat, one can be sure to walk away from it feeling heard, respected and better informed about what a ‘normal’ day is like in the lives of all those involved, knowing that there is nothing we cannot accomplish if we are all rowing the boat in the same direction,” Rossi said.