News Archive

A small snippet of field trips and travel from January 2026.

Close Up on Leadership
"From January 27-30, Zora P. '27, Noa F. '27, Payton A. '27, Leyu F. '28, and Curtis (HS History) attended the NAIS Close Up Student Civic Leadership Summit in Arlington. At the conference, the Burke cohort networked with other students from around the United States and built knowledge, developed strategies, and honed leadership skills to make a positive impact in their community. At the end of the conference, the cohort presented a proposal to implement an improved peer-to-peer tutoring program at Burke. We are excited to see the action plan come to fruition!" – Kamilah (Director of Civic Engagement)

On January 22, we sampled techniques for mental wellness and reset. During the community period, students could try different activities, based on their preferences – peaceful or high-energy, athletic or artistic, and more.

Leading up to the back-to-back varsity games, we reveled in Burke's musical talents, thanks to performances from Band 9/10 and Intermediate Band at the Pep Rally.

First, a plot twist: UDC was closed on Friday, January 30, due to the snow side-effects! Burke's intrepid Athletic Department pivoted quickly and moved the games to the Gym. Given the much smaller seating area, we opened the Dance Studio for overflowing seating and the planned live-stream (effort led by Isaac S. '27) was projected into the Atrium.

Stacks of Possibility
In AP US History, research at a collegiate library is a requirement for the social justice paper in the winter trimester. This past Saturday, Maureen reports that 11th graders met up at the Georgetown University Library, assembling a wealth of scholarly and primary sources and enjoying the study spaces.

Framing the City
Digital Photography 9/10 and 11/12 are finding plenty to fill the frame – from the National Zoo to the Botanic Gardens to our neighborhood streets in Van Ness. Be sure to pause on the Hobbes stairs as the walls fill with new photography in the coming months.

Following last spring's gradewide Soapbox Speech competition, Burke's winners from the Class of 2027, Oscar A. '27 and Sasha F. '27, headed to the DC Citywide Project Soapbox on January 9. 

Our Advanced Band recently returned from a whirlwind musical adventure in New Orleans, LA. Burke musicians and faculty took part in the JENerations Jazz Festival and annual Jazz Education Network (JEN) conference, which spans "research, technology, jazz industry and music business, improvisation, composition," and more. Students explored the cultural and food scenes, performed and played onstage, and absorbed the city's vibrant jazz history.

Flat-Pack Sustainability
Before the break, Amy C.'s Life Science class headed to IKEA in College Park, where they are exploring small space design (and enjoying the meatballs) in preparation for the annual Tiny House Project. For this interdisciplinary opportunity in science and HVE (Health, Values & Ethics), 7th graders craft a small dwelling to scale, focusing on eco-friendly and sustainable features.

Did you know that Burke has a permanent art collection, including textiles, paintings, and sculptures? Our 2nd floor terrace is home to "Four Lines Diagonal Jointed" (1988) by George Rickey (1907-2002) donated to the school by Susan P. Willens. Often large-scale sculptures that move with the wind, Rickey's works can also be found at the National Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum here in DC.