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

MONTHLY MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Emerson Families,

Welcome to the 2023- 2024 school year! We are glad you are here. As I begin my fifth year as School Principal, I am grateful to be a part of this vibrant community of exceptional students, dedicated staff, and caring parents. We hope you join us on Thursday, August 31st, from 5:30 - 7pm for Back to School Night. Meet us on the blacktop for the Principal and PTA Message, and then go to your child’s classroom to meet the teacher.

Many of the pandemic restrictions have been lifted. However, we anticipate that COVID-19 will still occur this school year. As in the past, please continue to monitor your child for symptoms and keep your child home if they are sick. If your child tests positive for COVID-19, do not send them to school and report to covidcase@berkeley.net and leahlopez@berkeley.net. When you report to both email addresses, we will clear your student’s absence and the District Nurse will send you directions regarding when your child can return to school. For more COVID-19 information, please read the updated guidance, which is available on the district website: https://www.berkeleyschools.net/covid/campus-safety.

One of our goals this school year is improved attendance! Did you know that Emerson has a higher truancy rate than the district average? We are confident we can do better. Please plan your trips and vacations for times that school is not in session (Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Break). Please partner with us to ensure that your child is on time each day. Emerson is an early start school. The gate on the blacktop opens at 8:00 am each morning, which is the start of the staff duty day. We ask that you say goodbye to your child at the gate and let them go directly to their classroom. At 8:10 am, the blacktop gate will close. After that, students need to enter the school through the main office on Forest Avenue. At 8:15 am students will be tardy. At 8:40 am students will be considered late. After three late arrivals, students will be considered truant and receive a notification from the office. Let’s do our best to have students on time each day – every instructional minute counts toward a child’s future success.

Please complete the Free/Reduced Lunch Form which was sent home in last week’s look folder. Emerson was able to receive Federal and State funding for this school year, which helps support our intervention programs. We are asking every family to complete the free/reduced form (even if you don’t think you qualify or plan to eat the school breakfast/ lunch): https://secure.ezmealapp.com. The deadline for this form is October 1st, 2023 but we hope you will complete it today.

Finally, please do not hesitate to reach out with your questions or concerns. Most mornings I can be found at the Blacktop Gate at the start of school. You can also reach out via email to janaholmes@berkeley.net. Let’s keep in touch and have a great school year!

Take care,

Jana Holmes

Graphic describing BUSD Covid isolation policies and requirements for returning to work and school.

Flyer encouraging attendance and punctuality with sunshine graphics. Let's Rise and Shine, Strive to arrive by 8:08.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Wednesday, August 30: Registration opens for PTA After School Enrichment classes

Thursday, August 31: Back To School Night, 5:30pm-7:00pm (Emerson blacktop)

Friday, September 1: Coffee on the Yard, 8:00am (Emerson blacktop)

Friday, September 1: All School Meeting, 8:30am (Emerson blacktop)

Monday, September 4: No School (Labor Day)

Tuesday, September 5: Registration for PTA After School Classes closes

Monday, September 11: First Day of PTA After School Classes

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 AT EMERSON

Every student at Emerson will come to art once a week. Here is the approximate schedule below: please try not to send your child to school in their best clothes on art day - Thank you!

TK: Wednesdays 8:20-9:05

K: Mondays 10:35-11:15 and 11:55-12:35

1st: Wednesdays 11:55-12:40 and 12:45-1:30

2nd: Tuesdays 12:20-1:05 and 1:30-2:15

3rd: Wednesdays 9:15-10:00 and 10:15-11:00

4th: Mondays 12:50-1:35 and 1:35-2:20

5th: Mondays 8:40-9:25 and 9:30-10:15

I will hold onto almost all of the art so that it can get safely home in their portfolio in May. Sometimes I send seasonal art home during the year, but generally it is either on display at school or stored by class. If you ever want to see it, let me know.

If you are interested in volunteering in your child's art class, please let me know -- I love to have more helping hands in the art room. lucyames@berkeley.net

I am looking forward to another creative year with Emerson's artists!

Ms. Lucy Ames

PTA AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT CLASSES

Hi! We're Rana, Jenny and Chelle, the Emerson PTA Enrichment and School Support Team that programs PTA After School Classes. Our goal is to provide EVERYONE at Emerson with after school on-site care options.

In addition to enrichment, PTA After School Classes provide an unmet need for part-time after school care for up to one third of our Emerson families. Our team prioritized providing classes everyday for Kindergarten/TK, classes everyday for all grades after dismissal, and two class subjects each day.

Families can sign up for PTA After School Classes even if they are already enrolled in LEARNS/Kids World, and they can request scholarships as well.

Registration for PTA After School Classes opens at noon on Wednesday August 30. We have a robust roster of returning classes like Chess, Robotics, Ukulele and some new ones, including Mandarin and Coding. Spanish with Maestra Medina will return for Spring 2024.

Instructions for how to register and class descriptions will be sent home in Look Folders before August 30th, and also sent through Remind.

Scholarships are available; please email requests to: enrichment@emersonelementary.org

We suggest you create your profile at Homeroom.com (if you haven't already) before August 30th.

PTA After School Classes for Fall 2023 run from September 11 through December 22, excluding BUSD holidays.

URGENT NEED for our Enrichment Team: boots-on-the-ground Class Managers who can manage the first two weeks of parent volunteers (affectionately "cat herders"!) and emergencies as they arise. This is a recurring role, separate from one-time volunteers for the 15-minute shifts during the first two weeks. Ideal volunteers for Class Managers: lives near school, flexible afternoon schedule (at least one day of the week). We need you to launch this program! Please help out, especially if you sign up for After School Classes! Email: enrichment@emersonelementary.org

PTA ANNOUNCEMENTS

FIRST FRIDAY COFFEE ON THE YARD

Meet your fellow Emerson parents and get your morning Joe. Please join us on the black top for Coffee On The Yard before the All School Meeting, Friday September 1st starting at 8am. All are welcome!

WHERE’S WALDO SCHOOL DIRECTORY

The “Where’s Waldo” secure online directory is a great resource to connect with other Emerson families. To have your family’s information included, please fill out your info at:

emersonberkeleypta.membershiptoolkit.com

CALL FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS FOR 2023-24!

LOOKING FOR A NEW YEARBOOK EDITOR

Hello Emerson Community! We currently have no one handling the 2023-24 Emerson Yearbook. It can be a solo project, or you can assemble a team of contributors. Online yearbook platforms are available to streamline designing and printing the book, and handle orders—we are happy to share what we've used recently. The bulk of putting Emerson's yearbook together happens January to April, though it's nice to start capturing photos now. If you're interested in taking this on, reach out to Michelle Falise (mfalise@gmail.com). The kids love the book, and it's a nice send off at the end of the school year!

BECOME A GRADE PARENT

Calling all COMMUNITY-BUILDERS, CONNECTORS, and those looking to get involved –

The Emerson PTA and your grade cohort NEED you! Grade Parents are critical connectors between the PTA, classroom families, and teachers. Please consider signing up.

You can find out more about what it means to be a Grade Parent here: https://bit.ly/GradeParents

Sign up by email/text: Krysten Curtis, PTA Executive Vice President

krysten.curtis@emersonelementary.org 415-694-3479

Thank you for considering this important role!

BEARFACTS EDITORS WANTED

Enjoying this newsletter? Want to get involved and help folks stay informed? The Emerson communications team is looking for a few good editors for the weekly BearFacts newsletter. All work can be done from home. No experience necessary, we’ll train you! The more volunteers we have, the easier the workload. We would love to see some new faces!

Interested? Please contact Carol (carol.wang@emersonelementary.org) to learn more.

Sports Basement Fundraiser and discount

Shop at Sports Basement between Friday, August 18 and Sunday, August 27 and Emerson will get 20% back! If you can't go to the store, you can also shop online.

See flier below for details and thank you for supporting Emerson!

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.