BearFacts News - 01.20.22

Si tiene alguna duda sobre esta nota debido a la traduccion,
por favor comuniquese con Rafael Friedmann via email: rfriedmann@aol.com


Message from the Principal

Dear Emerson Families,

As we continue to push through the Omnicron surge, we thank you for your patience as the CDC, City Of Berkeley Health Department, and BUSD policies continue to change. To address the rise in cases, Emerson students and staff will now be tested twice weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays.  We are asking for parent volunteers to make this possible.  Vaccinated parents can register to assist with COVID-19 testing at Volunteer Covid Testing Support.  Going forward, you are encouraged to check the district COVID-19 Dashboard at BUSD COVID-19 Case Dashboard to see how many cases have been identified on campus.  At the time of this message, Emerson has had over 20 cases in January 2022. If you have not signed up for testing, you may do so here:  https://my.primary.health/l/berkeley_usd. If your child is fully vaccinated, please send a copy of the vaccination card to: vax@berkeley.net.  

As you may know, BUSD has adopted the newly-revised quarantine recommendations from the CDC.  Vaccinated staff and students may now return to school on the sixth day of their quarantine, as long as their symptoms have improved and they test negative for COVID-19.  The test needs to be proctored by a medical professional and results shared with Office Staff at LeahLopez@berkeley.net or janaholmes@berkeley.net.  The Berkeley Adult School continues to be open for free, proctored COVID-19 rapid tests between the hours of 9:00 - 4:30 pm, Mondays through Fridays.  Please utilize this resource for your testing needs.  

On-campus, we continue to be as safe as possible. Thankfully, the weather has permitted us to eat outside every day and the future forecast is for more sunny days. It does get chilly, so please continue to send your children to school with layers. We continue to have classroom reminder conversations about how to safely wear masks over our mouth and nose. Teachers and school staff have cleaning products and sanitizer available to them. The custodians disinfect every classroom that has a COVID-19 case.  

We enjoyed celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr this week, with a special march on campus. Next month we will honor Black Lives Matter Week and Black History Month.  We are looking for student performances for our February All School Meeting.  Please consider the February themes and send your videotaped (2- 3 minute submissions) to MollySalyk@berkeley.net (Grade K- 2) and/ or Taylortotten@berkeley.net (Grades 3-5).  The deadline to submit is Friday, January 28.  Tomorrow, Friday, is Spirit Day and the theme is: SHINE YOUR BRIGHTEST!  

Thank you for your support- we appreciate you!

Sincerely, 

Jana Holmes


Upcoming Events and Key Dates

January 20: Superintendent’s State of the District - Webinar Link

January 31: District Professional Development Day - No School for Students

February 18: Lincoln’s Birthday - No School

February 21: Presidents’ Day - No School

Add the Emerson Google Calendar to yours!

Note to Readers: BearFacts articles and calendar items are based on submissions from the community and reviewed and edited under the PTA communication policy.  Inclusion of an item in BearFacts by itself does not indicate sponsorship or endorsement by the PTA, Emerson school staff, or BUSD.


Art Corner - Kindergarten Penguin Collages

Kindergarten students are learning all about penguins in their classrooms, so we are doing penguin art as well. Students decorated their background papers with paint sticks in spirals and other wintery designs. They cut out the different parts of the penguins and added optional scarves and earmuffs. Sometimes professional (or any) artists create realistic art and sometimes they create silly art. These definitely fall in the silly category because we all agreed that you'd never see a penguin wearing a scarf or earmuffs! Next week we will try our hand at more realistic penguins. In art my goal is to give students a chance to try a wide variety of media and styles.


Heart of Emerson t-shirt for each Emerson student and staff!

We are happy to announce that Emerson students and staff will receive a FREE t-shirt as a gift from the PTA for reaching our Heart of Emerson campaign goal! Please order through this form https://tinyurl.com/2022EmShirt or through the QR code below. T-shirt design can be viewed on the form. Extra t-shirts may be ordered for $12 each. (Big thanks to Michelle Falise for the awesome design of the shirt.)

Deadline: Orders will be accepted through Friday, January 28th, 2022

Ways to to order:


Submit Proof of COVID Vaccination

Take a picture of your child's full vaccination card and send it to Vax@berkeley.net for documentation.


Help BUSD Operationalize COVID Testing

Can you help us help the district with COVID testing? BUSD is asking for any and all volunteers to step up and support COVID testing during the next 3-4 weeks of the surge. During 2-3 hour shifts, volunteers will be paired with and support a testing technician in the testing of students, staff and active volunteers. All training will be provided and “the work” will be either outdoors, in hallways, or in auditoriums. 

This week the need for volunteers is greatest at the Berkeley Adult School, where testing is being conducted everyday 8:45am-4:30pm. Testing will ramp up next week at all school sites, and schedules and sign-ups will be available soon. Please note that you may volunteer at more than one testing location.

*** For details and sign-up links to COVID Testing Shifts and all open School Support volunteer opportunities, click HERE *** 

Email if you have questions: sallymclaughlin@berkeley.net

Thank you for supporting our students during this intense time. 

As always, we are stronger together!


COVID Vaccine and Testing Resources 

COVID vaccinations and tests are available at a number of locations within our community. Please review and share this document for vaccine and testing locations often. It will be updated with new information as it becomes available. If you have information to add to this list, please email emersonequitypta@gmail.com.


Would You Like to Receive BearFacts by Email?

Would you like to receive the BearFacts newsletter in an email? You may opt-in by completing this online form and adding yourself to the Emerson PTA Email List. If you have already done so, you will start to receive the BearFacts by email in addition to the Remind alert in the next few weeks. As always, you can find current and old posts at Emerson News any time on the Emerson PTA website.


How to Connect!

Do you want to talk to another parent about Emerson, learn ways to connect with other families and support the school? Here are four things you can do:

1) Visit the PTA table on Friday mornings at drop-off!

2) Set up your profile in Where’s Waldo, Emerson’s online family directory.

3) Join the PTA.

4) Learn about the Heart of Emerson campaign!


Find Emerson Online

Websiteemerson.berkeleypta.org

Remind: Text @7f6hb to 81010; or go to www.remind.com/join/7f6hb

Facebookwww.facebook.com/emersonpta (or follow @emersonPTA)


About BearFacts News:
BearFacts News is a weekly publication created by parent volunteers and posted online at emerson.berkeleypta.org. 

BearFacts articles and calendar items are based on submissions from the community and reviewed and edited under the PTA communication policy.  Inclusion of an item in BearFacts by itself does not indicate sponsorship or endorsement by the PTA, Emerson school staff, or BUSD.

If you have a news item or announcement to include in the BearFacts News, please send an email to emersonschoolnews@gmail.com. Please keep your message brief and include all the pertinent details including dates, times, locations and contact information. Send images as an e-mail attachment. The deadline is each Monday at 6 p.m.

Copyright © 2021. Emerson Elementary PTA. All rights reserved.


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Berkeley, CA  94705