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MONTHLY LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Emerson Families,

Let me be the first to say Happy Holidays! Now that we have enjoyed Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos, we anticipate a busy November and December. Stay tuned for upcoming school events, such as the monthly All School Meetings, musical assemblies, Family Literacy Night, and more! After the success of the PTA Fall Festival, we look forward to more opportunities to strengthen our community bonds.

Thank you for connecting with classroom teachers for the Parent/Teacher conferences. We hope these informative meetings helped you understand the school curriculum, expectations, and your child’s progress. You are always welcome to reach out to Emerson staff with your questions and concerns. The easiest way is via email and you can find the list of addresses at https://emersonelementary.org/teachers-staff.

TK and Kindergarten Tours are kicking off this month, beginning on Thursday, November 16th. If you are a parent of an incoming student or know of a parent, please direct them to https://emersonelementary.org/kindergarten-tour-signup/ to sign up for an in-person campus visit. Tours will conclude on Thursday, January 18th. Make sure you don’t miss the first enrollment round for elementary and middle school 2024 school year registration, which begins January 8, 2024. For more information check out the district website at https://www.berkeleyschools.net/admissions/.

Did you know that Emerson has a positive behavior incentive program? Staff are trained to use the Teacher Toolbox, which is a research based social and emotional program that develops resilience, self-mastery, and empathy for others. As a parent, you can partner with us by learning more about the program and reading the available children’s books at home. Here is a link to the Toolbox Booklist, which can be accessed online. In addition, students are rewarded for good behavior with “Caught Being Good” (a.k.a. “CBG”) tickets that are turned in at the main office. Every Friday, students’ names are randomly selected and announced over the intercom. Students then come to the Principal’s office to be rewarded with a small prize. We are proud of our programs that emphasize positivity at Emerson.

As you plan for the holidays, please keep our ‘Heart of Emerson’ fundraising campaign in mind. During my five years at Emerson, I have realized how important the community donations are for our school program. Will you help us maintain the excellent comprehensive program we have here, which includes Art and P.E. for all students, field trips, materials and supplies, and much more? We are asking each family to contribute $700 (more if you are able, or less according to need). Donate today at https://emersonelementary.org/heart-of-emerson, and write us off on your end of the year taxes. We thank you!

Take care,

Jana Holmes

HEART OF EMERSON FUNDRAISING

We launched this year's Heart of Emerson campaign at the beginning of October and a month in, we are at 42% of our goal - let's keep up the momentum!

It is vital that we meet our goal in the next 6 weeks, as critical budgeting and planning decisions for the 2024-25 school year will take place in January. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far and if you haven't donated yet or wish to do so again, here's the link: https://emersonelementary.org/heart-of-emerson. Be on the lookout for giveaways and matching challenges that we will announce in the next month leading up to Giving Tuesday (November 28th). Go Emerson Bear Cubs!

UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Wednesday, November 1 - Thursday, November 2: Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead

Friday, November 3: Coffee On the Yard, 8:00am (Emerson blacktop)

Friday, November 3: All School Meeting, Parents invited, 8:30am (Multi-Purpose Room)

Tuesday, November 7: Meet the Symphony Performance, 8:25am

Thursday, November 9: Hearing Test, Grades TK, K, 2nd, 5th, and new students

Friday, November 10: Veterans Day (NO SCHOOL)

Saturday, November 11: Cal Football Parking Fundraiser (Emerson blacktop)

Thursday, November 16: TK/Kinder Tours Begin, 8:30am (sign up to be a tour guide HERE)

November 20- November 24: Thanksgiving Break (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.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

COFFEE ON THE YARD

Join us TOMORROW, Friday November 3rd, for Coffee On The Yard, starting at 8:00am. We will also have new Emerson Fall shirts available for sale! Hope to see you then. Coffee will be followed by All School Meeting in the Multi-Purpose Room at 8:30am.

MORNING DROP-OFF AND AFTERNOON PICK-UP POLICY

Emerson is an early start school, with the gate open between 8:00 am and 8:10 am. There is no supervision prior to 8:00 am. If your child arrives at school before 8:00 a.m. please supervise your student. Some students are running in the street and sidewalk before school, which can be dangerous and unsafe. In addition, every day we have students in the office whose caregivers are late to pick them up. The office staff are not responsible for supervising students after school and often have other tasks to attend to.

Please help us by watching your children before and after school and arriving for the school start and dismissal on time. We appreciate your cooperation!

EMERSON K (& TK!) TOURS - VOLUNTEER TOUR GUIDES NEEDED 12/7, 12/21, 1/11, and 1/18

Share your love of Emerson with prospective Kindergarten and TK families - be a tour guide! Tours will take place for prospective families at Emerson Thursdays from 8:15am to ~ 9:45am, November 16th - January 25th.

We will have two leaders per tour this year, and are eager to welcome new tour guides, especially those families that have just joined us at Emerson this year. We’ll provide you with talking points, answers to FAQ’s, and other information to make the job easy and fun.

Sign up to co-lead a tour here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444ABAD2FA5F94-help

Please email tours@emersonelementary.org with questions.

Know someone that might be interested in Emerson? Encourage future Emerson families to register for a tour here: https://emersonelementary.org/kindergarten-tour-signup

ART CORNER WITH MS. AMES

Third graders celebrate Dia de los Muertos in art class by drawing, coloring and decorating their own calaveras.

Photos of some Emerson 3rd graders in art class holding up colorful paper calaveras (skulls) on colored paper backgrounds, made to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.

EQUITY CORNER

CELEBRATING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ HERITAGE MONTH

BUSD graphic banner, featuring a colorful textile-inspired pattern behind the text "BUSD Celebrates Indigenous Peoples' Heritage Month November 2023"

November is Indigenous Peoples’ Heritage Month, also known as Native American Heritage Month, which is an important time of year for our community to reflect on the vital role of the first and original stewards of these lands we now call the United States. Our schools reside on xučyun (Huichin), the ancestral lands of the Lisjan Ohlone (Leeshawn) and Muwekma Ohlone tribes. We acknowledge and celebrate their ongoing role in Berkeley and their current day activism to preserve sacred shellmound sites, revitalize Indigenous practices and the Chochenyo language, and to rematriate land back to Indigenous stewardship. We recognize and affirm that globally, Indigenous peoples continue to be impacted by the legacies of colonization and we uplift their collective resilience.

BUSD Ethnic Studies November newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RdBMMT9jlxabtnaiPO0sCmQT9tJ9uAtl/view

WHERE’S WALDO SCHOOL DIRECTORY - LAST CALL!

Emerson Where's Waldo directory graphic of Emerson bear cub wearing glasses and red and white striped beanie in the style of the Where's Waldo books. Below is an illustrated “Where's Waldo” stamp atop a pair of binoculars.

The “Where’s Waldo” secure online school directory is a great resource to connect with other Emerson families.

To have your family’s information included, please fill out your info by November 9th at: https://emersonberkeleypta.membershiptoolkit.com

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 submission deadline is each Monday at 6 p.m.