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,
We have lots to celebrate and learn about this month! Please join the Emerson students and staff as we celebrate Black Lives Matter Week, Black History Month, and the Lunar New Year! We will be busy learning about the many accomplishments of African Americans, past and present, about allies and co-conspirators who stand with social justice, and respectfully join our Asian community as we honor a New Year. Stay tuned for the many ways we will recognize all of this together, starting with our All School Meeting on Friday, February 5, which will be shared with parents via a Remind message.
If you would like to learn more about Berkeley Unified Commitment to equity, inclusion and social justice you can read the Black Lives Matter and Asian Pacific Islander Board Resolutions Here: Denouncing Hate Crimes and Bigotry targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and BLM.
As we move into February, we hope that we can begin to shift our focus away from the all-consuming Covid 19 pandemic. January has really taken its toll at Emerson this month, with many students and several staff members affected. As always, you can monitor our cases, and really notice the surge at Emerson during January, as reflected on the BUSD Covid case dashboard: https://www.berkeleyschools.net/coronavirus/case-dashboard/. Again, we are grateful that the weather has permitted us to be outside as much as possible, especially during breakfast and lunch.
Masks, ventilation and regular testing continue to be our biggest tools in this fight against Covid. Please continue to partner with us to encourage masking at school and in the community. Here is a link to the best types of masks, currently recommended by the City of Berkeley: https://www.cityofberkeley.info/covid19-masks/. BUSD has supplied KN95 masks for staff and students, which are available upon request. We continue to keep our classroom windows and doors open, with Air Purifiers and additional fans blowing. As weather permits, we eat outdoors. We wash our hands and sanitize many times throughout the day, especially after using shared materials or eating. During this surge, we are offering twice a week Covid testing for students and staff. We do need volunteers to sustain this effort. We currently test on Wednesday and Friday mornings. If you are able to volunteer, and are fully vaccinated, please sign up at: Volunteer Covid Testing Support.
Through all of this craziness, the Emerson staff is happy to be on campus to teach your children in person. We get so much joy from seeing them every day! They delight us in their learning, laughs, creativity and enthusiasm. Thank you for continuing to support Emerson- this community means so much to all of us.
Take care, Jana Holmes
Upcoming Events and Key Dates
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 - Happy Year of the Tiger
First and Second Grade Artists created these tigers using many different media. They started by mixing yellow and red paint to make the orange backgrounds. They used various texture tools (including forks) to create the implied texture of fur. The next week the students drew the tiger's shapes using a piece of light chalk to start. When they were satisfied they colored in the shapes and outlined all of the shapes with oil pastel. They painted leaves on the background papers with paint sticks and then cut and glued their tigers down. The Year of the Tiger starts on February 1st. The zodiac sign Tiger is a symbol of strength, and braveness.
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 TOMORROW, 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
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 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.
Our mailing address is:
2800 Forest Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705