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,
Welcome to the month of March! It’s been a year since we sheltered in place and many of us cannot wait to move into the next phase, one in which families can choose to continue in distance learning or return to an in- person hybrid schedule. Once negotiations have been finalized you will be asked to make a final decision for your family. We have lots to accomplish in the weeks to come and we will need to partner with you. Using our usual communication tools, including BearFacts messages, Remind messages, Robotic Phone Calls and our Room Parents we will invite you to a Parent Information Meeting and make all School Reopening information available to you. We encourage you to stay engaged in the weeks ahead.
One critical task to accomplish prior to the return in person is to make sure that the school office has your child’s updated immunization records. According to legislation, students must have updated T-Dap, Polio, etc. vaccinations before attending school in person. Ms. Gaby, School Secretary, is emailing and calling parents who have missing records. Please seriously respect this request and provide us with your child's immunization records as soon as possible. If you have any questions please contact Gabriellapara@berkeley.net.
As referenced in the Superintendent message last Friday, Emerson Elementary completed a safety and planning walk with Staff from the City of Berkeley and BUSD. During this site visit, the City of Berkeley's Deputy Doctor, City of Berkeley Program Manager, and BUSD Risk Assessors set up a model classroom that will serve as a prototype for the rest of our classrooms. In addition, we created plans for a staggered school entry, student and staff bathroom usage and use of the hallways. Furthermore, we mapped out a plan for lunch time and playground usage. We will maximize our outdoor space to allow for cohorts of students to eat outside and play in a staggered schedule.
March will be a busy month. Please make a note that Friday, March 5 is the end of the second trimester. Report cards will be emailed to you by Ms. Gaby or Ms. Michelle by Monday, March 15th. If you have questions about the report, please contact your child’s teacher.
This year's theme for the Office of Family Engagement & Equity’s Black History Month Oratorical is Black Women Triumph. Grades 3-5 are encouraged to submit entries for the competition and they are due Monday, March 22. Ms. Lily will hold office hours on Mondays from 1- 2 pm and Fridays from 3-4 pm to help students prepare. For more information please follow the link here.
The PTA Parent/ Staff Equity Circles will begin this month. Speaking from personal experience, as I was a participant last Spring, this is an excellent opportunity to learn from the engaging and experienced consultation Ms. Pamela Smalls. She will equip you with the tools to raise a child who is able to navigate our complex and diverse world with understanding and appreciation.
We celebrate Cesar Chavez, his advocacy for social and economic justice and the spirit of “Si, se puede!” (Yes, you can). We are planning a special All School Meeting on March 26th with more details to come.
Last, but not least, we encourage you to participate in our Read A Thon. Yes, it will look different this year, but the excitement is the same. We will announce the Read-a-Thon to students at the All School Meeting on Friday, March 5th, and students can begin collecting pledges right away (see notice below). The 10 days of reading officially begin on Friday, March 12th! We hope your child will enjoy the “mystery guests” who will read some engaging stories to get us started!
Yes, we have lots to look forward to and we hope you will join us in keeping the Spirit of Emerson alive this spring. We will need your ongoing support and continued flexibility as we engage in an exciting month with lots of changes and reasons to celebrate.
Take care,
Jana Holmes
Upcoming Events and Key Dates
Friday, Mar 5, 9:00AM: All School Meeting
Wednesday, Mar 10: Spirit Day
Friday, Mar 12 - Sunday, Mar 21: Emerson’s 2021 Read-a-Thon (see message below)
Tuesdays, Mar 16, 23, 30 and Apr 13, 20, 27: Spring Racial Equity Circles (see message below)
Apr 5 - Apr 9: Spring Recess (No School)
Find more dates/details: emerson.berkeleypta.org/calendar
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.
Read-a-Thon Packets Mailed Home
Emerson Read-A-Thon packets were mailed home to each student earlier this week. The packet contains a student and family guide to how the Read-a-Thon will work, a reading log (which will replace your student’s regular reading log during the Read-a-Thon), and two bookmarks to color in and use during the Read-a-Thon. Tomorrow, the Read-a-Thon will be announced to students during the All-School Meeting, and parents will receive an email with a link to our Read-a-Thon campaign page. If you don’t receive an email, you can search for your student’s page here: http://www.99pledges.com/fund/emersonreads. Questions: contact Ms. Jeannie at jeanniewang@berkeley.net or Ashleigh Kanat at ashleigh.kanat@gmail.com.
Join the Spring Racial Equity Circle
Registration - Now Open
At Emerson, equity is more than just a word. We invite you to become part of a dynamic community of parents at the 8th Racial Equity Circle. The pandemic has shown clearly the huge disparities in our education system and we need our community now more than ever. As we emerge from this difficult year, let’s emerge stronger with an Emerson that is welcoming to all families.
Tuesdays March 16 - April 27 (total of six meetings), 6:30-8:30 pm via Zoom
Sign up here: https://forms.gle/yXq3T687T86qPJmq5
Find out more about racial equity efforts at Emerson: https://emerson.berkeleypta.org/equity
Reopening WorkING GROUP
A group of Emerson parents has set up a googlegroup to communicate, collaborate and help support schools reopen safely, at Emerson and beyond. There are many community members involved, many updates and important work ahead. If you would like to learn more and get involved, please click on this link and send a request to join.
Hope to hear from you,
Reopening Work Group Members
CHECK OUT THE “DAD’S PAD”
The “Dad’s Pad” is a new offering by the BUSD Office of Family Engagement & Equity. This group will be an exciting space for African American fathers and father figures to regularly come together, under the Leadership of Dr. Khalid White, to build community in an empowering space. Please sign up now if you are interested.
ZOOM FRIENDLY RULE REMINDERS
Be prepared for class by wearing clothes, putting away toys and ready to participate
Be aware of your surroundings- remember your teacher and class can see behind you. Try to find a quiet place to join the Zoom meeting.
Mute yourself when you enter the meeting use the microphone bottom and wait for the teacher to call on you to unmute.
Raise your hand and wait for the teacher to call on you- take turns and practice being patient.
Be respectful- contribute to class positively and be a Zoom leader by participating responsibly.
Find Emerson Online
Website: emerson.berkeleypta.org
Remind: Text @7f6hb to 81010; or go to www.remind.com/join/7f6hb
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emersonpta (or follow @emersonPTA)
About BearFacts News:
BearFacts News is a weekly publication created by parent volunteers. Typically, it is distributed each Thursday in students' Look Folders and posted online at emerson.berkeleypta.org. During Distance Learning, it is only posted on the website.
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. The deadline is each Monday at 6 p.m.
Copyright © 2020. Emerson Elementary PTA. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
2800 Forest Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705