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MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Emerson Families,

March is a busy month at Emerson, with opportunities for students and parents to enjoy several special events. This year, the PTA is sponsoring several STEAM events (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). Earlier this winter, students participated in the Hour of Code, which provided them with an introduction to computer programming. Emerson students will enjoy a School-Wide Math Festival on March 16. Each class will have a block of time to visit the Festival, which will include hands-on math manipulatives and intriguing puzzles that are age appropriate. Also this month, we are happy to announce the return of the Family Art Night on Friday, March 24 from 6:00- 7:30pm. The Family Art Night has been on hold for the past two years due to the pandemic, and we are pleased to bring this beloved event back. We appreciate the PTA’s help in organizing and funding these special events, which benefit our students and the larger community.

We hope you will consider joining us for the Spring Equity Circle this March/April — these sessions are a keystone of our equity commitment at Emerson.

What: This is a six-part series where we will create space together to study and discuss race, ethnicity, equity, and identity — in service of our community, our children, and their future. We highly encourage you to participate in person in all six meetings to build momentum and trust. However, we also understand if you'll need to excuse yourself as well.

Who: All caregivers, teachers, and staff who want to grow in their self-awareness, advocacy, and/or involvement for Emerson.

When: 1) Saturday, March 11 (kickoff) 9:15am -1:15pm @ Emerson Elementary

2) Thurs, March 16; 6:00-8:15 pm

3) Thurs, March 23; 6:00- 8:15 pm

4) Thurs, March 30; 6:00- 8:15 pm

5) Thurs, April 13; 6:00-8:15 pm

***Final date is determined by the group

Register here (dinner and childcare for Emerson students provided): Spring 2023 Equity Circle - Emerson

It’s time for the 2023-24 Read-a-Thon Fundraiser! Shout out to Ms. Jeannie, literacy coach, Ms. Rachel, librarian, Ms. Kanat and Ms. Paine, parent volunteers, for coordinating our school-wide event. Students have 10 days, from Friday, March 10 to Sunday, March 19, to read and record as many books as possible. Families are invited to use the 99 Pledges website to record progress and donations. The school-wide goal is 300,000 minutes, with a prize for everyone if we meet the goal. Students can also earn individual prizes. Read-a-Thon information packets were sent home last week in students’ backpacks. If you would like more information, watch this fun video (preferably with your student) created by Elephant and Piggie. Let’s have fun reading this Spring!

We encourage you to take a moment to watch the March All School Meeting as a family. The Student Shout-Outs were presented, and we had a large group of students participate in the district’s Oratorical Contest. This year’s theme was Black Joy, and our student presentations were inspiring and heart felt. Take a look and be encouraged.

Take care,

Jana Holmes

UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Friday, March 10: 1st Day of 2023 Read-a-Thon

Saturday, March 11: Equity Circle Kickoff, 9:15am-1:15pm, at Emerson

Thursday, March 16: School-wide Math Festival, during the day

Thursday, March 16: Equity Circle, 6-8:15pm, at Emerson

Thursday, March 23: Equity Circle, 6-8:15pm, at Emerson

Friday, March 24: Art Night, 6-7:30pm, at Emerson

Thursday, March 30: Equity Circle, 6-8:15pm, at Emerson

Monday, April 3 - Friday, April 7: Spring Recess (No School)

Thursday, April 13: Equity Circle, 6-8:15pm, at Emerson

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.

Read-a-Thon STARTS TOMORROW!

Read-a-Thon Begins Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the first day of our 2023 Read-a-Thon. For the next ten days (including Sunday, March 19), we encourage all students to read as much as they can, while raising money for Emerson. We’re striving for full participation, meaning we hope every student will find some time to read at home! There will be prizes for the top three students in each grade who read the most minutes, a prize for the classroom at each grade level that reads the most, and a schoolwide prize if all together we read 300,000 minutes! If you haven’t already, please visit https://app.99pledges.com/fund/emersonreads23 to find your student’s page. You can forward the link to your student’s page to friends and family far and wide! And a reminder to caregivers to add your initials to daily minutes on the reading log.

Here are forms you may need: Student and Family Guide (English), Student and Family Guide (Spanish) and the Reading Log.

Questions: contact Ms. Jeannie at jeanniewang@berkeley.net or Ashleigh Kanat at ashleigh.kanat@gmail.com.

Art Corner: SPRING BLOSSOMS BY KINDERGARTEN ARTISTS

First, students cut tree trunks and branches from brown paper. Next, they added twigs with crayon. They created grass by snipping green paper. Next, they used the eraser end of a pencil to twist tissue squares into little blossoms. Finally, they added springtime details in crayon.

Lucy Ames, Art Teacher (she/her)

PTA BOARD & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

The Emerson PTA Board is a group of volunteers who meet monthly to support the Emerson community through fundraising, events, and programs. Consider joining us to collaborate on building an inclusive culture and modeling service for our Emerson students. Connect with Rana to explore joining the board! rana.cho@emersonelementary.org

We also need volunteers for three upcoming events. Please reach out to the committee chair if you are able to help!

Spring Service Day - a day of community service (TBD- possibly Earth Day April 22) - cluteariel@gmail.com

Moveathon - May 6 - kneram.elise@gmail.com

Tech Talk Series - Digital citizenship, games, online best practices with kids! - rana.cho@emersonelementary.org

Congratulations, March Shout-Outs!

equity corner— join the 2023 equity study circle!

Equity work began at Emerson back in 2013 when a group of caregivers recognized that not all of our community felt welcomed at Emerson. Because of their advocacy, the PTA now funds annual racial equity trainings and workshops. The Spring Equity Study Circle is the keystone of the work we do throughout the year to provide a space to learn, connect, and engage in the issues that help us build a culturally inclusive, racially equitable, and welcoming school.

Over 100 members of our community have taken part in an Equity Study Circle since 2015, when our school’s Desired Racial Equity Outcome Plan (DREOP) was developed and adopted by the Emerson PTA. This year, the Equity VP’s have worked with our school site leadership to update this plan, to continue the work, as well as update information based on our changing world and the school district’s African American Success Framework (AASF) and the 2021 Latinx resolution and other affinity based BUSD programs and partnerships.

The Equity Study circle is facilitated by Ms. Pamela Harrison-Small and each of our events is free, with childcare provided by Mr. John and food and snacks for all attendees. We recognize the importance of your time and attention and ask you to join our circle this year; this is the place to make connections and build community, in service of our students. Please check out this video of previous Equity Circle members to learn more about their experiences. If you have completed a circle previously, please consider rejoining as so much has changed in the past three years due to the pandemic and each attendee helps craft and shape our discussion and study.

RSVP here; please let us know if we can help with accommodations directly in your RSVP or email us directly at equity@emersonelementary.org

Shelter in the storm

Huge thanks to Chelle Putzer and family for sourcing and setting up the new canopy in the garden area (old ones were not safe in windy conditions!), and adding flaps to our existing canopies around campus. With the recent storms and the increased need for campus space for PTA after-school classes, these improvements keep our students sheltered in our alternative classroom spaces.

Find Emerson Online

Website: https://emersonelementary.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 emersonelementary.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 bearfacts@emersonelementary.org. 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 and include alt-text. The deadline is each Monday at 6 p.m.