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Emerson News Archive — Emerson Elementary, Berkeley

Read-A-Thon 2025 - March 12th through March 21st

BearFacts News - 03.30.23

 
 

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 wish you a safe and happy spring break.  We will return to school on Monday, April 10 for the last two months of school.  Weather permitting, we are planning to hold the April All School Meeting outside on the blacktop on Friday, April 14th. We hope you can join us for the student performance, shout outs and a fun time.  Prior to your return after spring break, we are encouraging that you administer a COVID test to your child - we are sending tests home with your students this week. 

The Family Art Night was a huge success. Special thanks to Lucy Ames, Ariel Clute and Michelle Falise for all their hard work to plan such a creative and inspiring hands-on event for our community. We also appreciate the many families and school staff who came early to set up and stayed late to clean up afterward. It was great to see all the families and the smiling faces.  

This week students have been learning about the activities and social justice work of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. Each class had an opportunity to plan a service learning project.  The first grade classes walked over to Willard Park to clean up. The third grade classes raised money for the Winter 2023 flood victims in the central valley town of Pajaro, California. The fourth grade classes volunteered to tidy up the Emerson campus. We are proud that Emerson students had an opportunity to do something to serve in our local community. 

It is time to register for Summer School. The elementary age summer program is offered from June 5- August 11. You can see the attached link for information regarding the Summer LEARNS program here: Oxford Summer Learns Program.  

To register click here: https://berkeleylearns.asapconnected.com/#ProgramID=7488

We are recruiting for the 2023- 2024 PTA Board.  The PTA provides the behind the scenes work that takes our school to the next level of amazing! Would you consider joining us for the next school year?  For more information about the positions and what they do, see this document and then fill out the Board Interest Form HERE! We hope to elect the new board at the April Association meeting. 

Thank you for your support,

Jana Holmes 


UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

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

Thursday, March 30: BUSD Middle School Open House (times may vary by site)

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

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

Wednesday, April 26: PTA Association Meeting #3 evening - Board Election (Zoom, in-person TBD)

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.


PTA UPDATE

Thank you everyone who came out Friday and participated in Family Art Night! We’re thrilled to resume this evening of celebrating art at Emerson supported by the PTA. Thank you to all the families who volunteered to make this night happen. We could not have done it without you: Bruk Abebe, Terry Albury, Somala Albury, Emma Cott, Jocelyn Cooper, Will Caygil- Knapp, Rana Cho, Amy Fire, Eleanor Hollander, Elise Kneram, Meg Kunchai, David Lehrer, Rachel Manadhar, Dimpal Pariyar, Ginny Prince, Matt Small, Anne-Sophie Seret, Gaganpreet Thind, and Lauren Zeller all helped throughout the night.  A special thank you to Lucy Ames, Ariel Clute, and Michelle Falise for sharing your amazing creativity with our community.  Thank you to Jana Holmes and all Emerson staff for helping support and set up the evening, and to the PTA and Emerson parents who worked hard to fundraise and support the Heart of Emerson allowing for events like Art Night. Below are photos from the event and here is a link to a Time-lapse video of our own “Dots Obsession” à la Yayoi Kusama.

JOIN THE PTA

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. Fill out the Board Interest Form HERE!

SPRING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

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)

Contact: Ariel Clute, cluteariel@gmail.com

Moveathon - May 6

Contact: Elise Kneram, kneram.elise@gmail.com

Tech Talk Series - Digital citizenship, games, online best practices with kids!

Contact: Matt Small, smaulio@gmail.com

PTA Association Meeting

PTA Association Meeting #3 - 6p Wednesday April 26 via Zoom (in-person TBD). This is our Election Meeting, with a presentation by the Nominating Committee.


BUSD Reparations Task Force

BUSD has just announced the creation of a Reparations Task Force to establish a program of true reparations for BUSD students with ancestors who were enslaved in the US; to do this, two key questions of implementation need to be answered: how to pay for such a program and how to structure and implement it.  BUSD is seeking 15-20 members of our community to serve and fully participate in this important work and is holding an informational webinar on Thursday, March 30th from 6-7pm.  To join, please follow this link and read more about this important work being led by our School Board President, Laura Babitt and Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel here.


Another Fun FAMILY ART NIGHT

It was so great to be making art together as families once again! To those of you who were able to come, thank you for sharing your Friday night with us.  And a HUGE thank you to Michelle Falise and Ariel Clute who were with me every step of the way with planning and prepping for the big night. Thank you, too, to all of the volunteers and the PTA who so generously funds this event.  I had a great time and I hope many of you did too! 

Ms. Ames


ART CORNER

2nd Grade Quilted Artworks inspired by Lorenzo Pace

As part of their unit on the Underground Railroad, 2nd Graders read a book called Harriet Tubman and My Grandmother's Quilts.  Written and illustrated by Lorenzo Pace, the book included old drawings and photographs of Pace's ancestors and of Harriet Tubman.  He also used his grandmother's quilts in the illustrations, digitally overlapping the colors of the quilts over the black and white images.  For our project, second graders chose images of Harriet Tubman and various fabric pieces to combine.  They added areas of color over the black and white images with markers and watercolor pencils.  We were so inspired by Harriet Tubman's life and Lorenzo Pace's art.


BAMPFA Second Saturday

Second Saturday is coming up right after Spring Break on Saturday, April 8.

Gallery+Studio: Torn Paper Portraits with artist Raphael Noz  |  11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Gallery+Studio integrates art on view at BAMPFA with a related art project. Sign up at the Art Lab 10 minutes ahead of the session. For ages 6 - 12 and their grown-ups

Frank Moore’s exuberant paintings were part of the late artist’s wide-ranging practice exploring our capacity to connect with one another as people. Even his landscape paintings feel like portraits. Taking his soft-edged paintings as inspiration, use torn tissue paper to “paint” a portrait or another scene. Use your drawing made on acetate as a base, then add layers of colored tissue paper, using the pigment that bleeds from the dampened paper to complete your image.

Roundtable Reading: Clean Getaway by Nic Stone  |  2:00 PM 

At Roundtable Reading, young readers read aloud to one another from the opening pages of a good book for about an hour. Children who participate at the event will receive a copy of the book to continue reading at home. No advance sign-up needed; just show up promptly at 2 o’clock, ready to read. For ages 8 and up (younger kids welcome as listeners)

Reading led by Adoria Williams, librarian, formerly a Berkeley Unified School District librarian.

How to go on an unplanned road trip with Grandma, a.k.a. G’ma: Grab your suitcase. Fasten your seatbelt! Bring the Green Book–G’mas’s most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most importantly, the way home. Don’t bring your cell phone. Avoid contact with Dad, even if G’ma acts stranger than usual. G’ma’s never been conventional, so this trip won’t be either! Scoob escapes tensions at home and school as he learns more about the world on an unforgettable RV road trip with his beloved G’ma.


Eggspedition Around the World - Come explore culture and diversity with UC Berkeley students!

Every year, Eggster holds the largest annual egg hunt and learning festival in the Bay Area. It is a fun, free educational event that consists of activities booths, performances, and egg hunts to inspire the young children to the benefits of pursuing higher education.

This year, the event is called “Eggspedition Around the World”, and the theme is dedicated to develop the idea of strengthening one’s own community and the exploration of new ones. The event will be held on April 15th from 10 am to 5pm on the UC Berkeley campus.

More information is available here: https://eggster.org


Find Emerson Online

Websitehttps://emersonelementary.org/

Remind: Text @7f6hb to 81010; or go to www.remind.com/join/7f6hb

Facebookwww.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.

Copyright © 2022. Emerson Elementary PTA. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
2800 Forest Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705

BearFacts News - 03.23.23

 
 

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,

After three years of abbreviated family events, we are thrilled to bring back the popular Family Art Night!  This fun event is a time for families to come together to enjoy creative hands-on activities that celebrate the arts.  Big Smile to our talented Art Teacher, Ms. Ames, who partnered with dedicated parents, Ms. Michelle Falise and Ms. Ariel Clute, to plan this event.  To be safe, we will spread out between the Multi-Purpose Room and the Library. Please stay and supervise your children during this event, which is meant to be enjoyed as a community.  Family Art Night is TOMORROW, Friday, March 24 from 6:00- 7:30 pm.  Parent volunteers are still needed to help run art activities (sign up here). Come dressed ready to make a mess.  Please eat ahead of time: food will not be served.

This spring we will be recruiting members for the PTA.  A hallmark of a strong school community is a healthy partnership between the staff and parents, which in turn supports student programs, events, and academics.  With the help of the PTA, Emerson is able to enhance its academic and social programs, offering a comprehensive plan.  We are proud to offer art and physical education classes for all K- 5 students.  Student studies are enhanced through the purchase of math and reading computer software programs, which are district approved, but funded by the PTA.  Students and parent volunteers also enjoy memorable and educational field trips.  We demonstrate our commitment to equity through our staff and parent workshops, which have proven to build a strong community that promotes inclusion for all.  To keep our school strong, we need more parents to get involved.  Would you consider joining us?  Stay tuned for more information regarding the 2023- 2024 PTA Board.   

Due to the storm this week, the 5th Grade students’ field trip has been rescheduled to May.  We are happy to resume this Emerson tradition when the weather clears.  Big Shout out to Ms. Campbell Lewis and Ms. Weddle for pivoting and securing a new field trip date so quickly. We appreciate the student and parent’s flexibility as we respond to the challenges we face due to this intense winter season. 

Thank you for your support,

Jana Holmes


UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Friday, March 24: Last day to turn in Read-A-Thon Reading Logs

Friday, March 24: Family Art Night, 6-7:30pm, at Emerson. Note: food will not be served.

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

Thursday, March 30: BUSD Middle School Open House (times may vary by site)

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

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

Wednesday, April 26: PTA Association Meeting #3 evening - Board Election (Zoom, in-person TBD)

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.


PTA UPDATE

HEART OF EMERSON

We did it! We are the Heart of Emerson! To celebrate and commemorate our community’s generosity, the PTA gifts every Emerson student and staff a Heart of Emerson T-shirt designed by Michelle Falise. Thank you to Stephanie Boys and Elizabeth Valley for your fundraising work and our Heart of Emerson shirts (with every student’s name on it).

SPECIAL EVENTS

Family Art Night - is TOMORROW! March 24 from 6-7:30pm we will all create art thanks to Emerson’s art teacher Lucy Ames and many volunteers led by Ariel Clute, visual artist and parent of twins, Daza and Fermina.

We still need caregiver volunteers to help run art activities! Please sign up to help, especially if you’re an Art Night veteran. This will be the first Art Night for our younger grades! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444abad2fa5f94-volunteer#/

Please eat ahead of time, as food will not be served.

Math Festival - Thank you to the volunteers for helping with this PTA-sponsored event on Thursday March 16. This is one the STEAM events the PTA supports with the initiative of Principal Holmes.

Black Oratorical Festival - We are so proud of Emerson fourth graders Soleyana Derebe and Hasset Wube for representing Emerson at the Black Oratorical Festival on Monday March 20 at Oxford Elementary.  Here is a picture of all our participants:

The Spring Equity Circle continues! By the time you read this, only two of the six sessions have occurred, so there’s still time to join by signing up here. Childcare and food provided. Questions, access requests: equity@emersonelementary.org

JOIN THE PTA

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. Fill out the Board Interest Form HERE!

SPRING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

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)

Contact: Ariel Clute, cluteariel@gmail.com

Moveathon - May 6

Contact: Elise Kneram, kneram.elise@gmail.com

Tech Talk Series - Digital citizenship, games, online best practices with kids!

Contact: Matt Small, smaulio@gmail.com


READ-A-THON

Read-a-Thon Reading Logs Due Tomorrow!

Thank you, Emerson students, for participating in this year’s Read-a-Thon. Don’t forget to use the Reading Log to record your minutes - adults, don't forget to initial! Please turn in your reading log to your classroom teacher by TOMORROW (Friday), March 24th, to be eligible for the prizes.

Questions: contact Ms. Jeannie at jeanniewang@berkeley.net or Ashleigh Kanat at ashleigh.kanat@gmail.com. We’ll announce prize winners during the April All-School Meeting.


FAMILY ART NIGHT

I hope that you are planning to come to Family Art Night!

This Friday, 6-7:30pm, volunteer sign-up HERE

In case you didn't know, the whole family is invited, and everyone can make some art!

We will have clay. We will be painting with fun scraping techniques. We'll make some cool laminated bookmarks using washi tape.  We will be doing my favorite thing-- gel plate printing (also known as gelli printing). You won't want to miss all the fun!

In addition, we are creating two walls inspired by Yayoi Kusama. Kusama is an amazing artist, still working in her 90s.  Here is a presentation with a couple of short videos I'm showing Emerson's artists this week. If you are curious, take a look! We will be covering the white walls with thousands and thousands of dot stickers. At the end of each art class this week, we started putting up dots, but we'll have many more to put up on Friday night. (And there will be some great photo ops too!)

Here's what it looked like very early in the process:

Images of Emerson students placing colorful circular stickers on large posters hung in the hallway.

I hope you will join us for the fun!

Ms. Ames


ART CORNER

4th Grade Paintbrush Art

Before creating these observational drawings of paint brushes, the artists honed their observation skills by doing what is called a "blind contour" --- they were not allowed to look at their paper, but instead had to look closely at the brush or other objects they were drawing and then let their pens follow the same journey that their eyes took.  

With the brushes, they could look at both the brush and the paper. ;-) After drawing these in pencil, they traced with a sharpie and added some cross hatching and pencil rubbing to create a more 3-dimensional effect. Finally, they added watercolor paint.


Find Emerson Online

Websitehttps://emersonelementary.org/

Remind: Text @7f6hb to 81010; or go to www.remind.com/join/7f6hb

Facebookwww.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.

Copyright © 2022. Emerson Elementary PTA. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
2800 Forest Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705

BearFacts News - 03.16.23

 
 

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,

This rain just keeps coming and coming!  That means we have lots of flowers to look forward to.  Here at Emerson we are doing our best to stay dry and safe.  We are grateful for the overhead fans that were installed into each classroom earlier this fall.  These fans keep our circulation moving when we need to close windows due to extreme wind or cold.  We also continue to utilize our air purifiers.  The stairwell that was damaged due to the car accident has also been partly restored.  The area has been cleaned up and the interior doors have been made accessible.  This means that students and staff may safely use the stairwell to access the blacktop in case of need or emergency.  We keep these doors propped open during the day, which also increases our indoor air quality and ventilation.  We still anticipate the complete repair, in which we reestablish access to Garber Street, this summer. 

The Read-a-Thon has kicked off!  We hope that your child is participating and logging their minutes. This is a contest and a fundraiser that comes with individual and school wide prizes.  Our school wide goal is to read 300,000 minutes.  You can count the minutes that you spend reading to your child, and the minutes they read on their own.  The last day of the Read-a-Thon is Sunday, March 19.  The contest winners will be announced at the April All School Meeting.  Shout out to Ms. Jeannie, literacy coach, Ms. Rachel, librarian, Ms. Kanat and Ms. Paine, parent volunteers, for coordinating our school-wide event.  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! 

Every student participated in the California Math Council’s School wide Math Festival today.  We are thankful for the PTA sponsorship of this opportunity, which brings a fun, self exploratory festival that exposes students to key math concepts that are linked to Common Core and age appropriate standards.  Big Smile to the Grade Level/Room Parents who volunteered today to make this event a success!   We encourage you to ask your students about some of the challenges and activities they explored during today’s Math Festival. 

Thank you for your support,

Jana Holmes


UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

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

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

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

Friday, March 24: Last day to turn in Read-A-Thon Reading Logs

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 UPDATE

Emerson students, you rock! You’re challenging yourselves and discovering new types of books to read. Keep up the great work - you have a few more days left to read, read, read. The Read-a-Thon ends at the end of the day on March 19th. Don’t forget to use the Reading Log to record your minutes and, adults, don’t forget to initial each day. Your classroom teacher will let you know how to turn in your reading log. Please make sure it’s turned in by March 24th to be eligible for the prizes. Questions: contact Ms. Jeannie at  jeanniewang@berkeley.net or Ashleigh Kanat at ashleigh.kanat@gmail.com.


Art Night Returns

We are so excited to welcome back Art Night. Please, save the date: Friday March 24th, 6pm – 7:30pm.

In order to bring back this beloved event, we need caregiver volunteers to help run art activities. Please use the link below to sign up for a shift! 

Volunteer sign up link- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444ABAD2FA5F94-volunteer

Excited to see you there!


Behind the bearfacts

Behind the Bearfacts is a group of parent volunteers serving as editors producing our school newsletter each week to keep the Emerson community informed and connected. This dedicated rotating crew of editors includes Ashleigh Kanat, Nathan Fisher, Robert Lewis, Jennifer Petrucelli, Carol Wang, and Amy Fire. Special thanks to our regular contributors: Principal Holmes, Rana Cho with PTA news, Ms. Ames in the Art Corner, Cielo Rios in the Equity Corner, and Ms. Rachel for sharing our Student Shout Outs and Library News. Are you interested in working on the BearFacts next year? Email communications@emersonelementary.org. We are looking for a new crew to fill the shoes of our graduating parent editors. Thank you Bearfacts Team for your critical support these last 8 months and for several of you for many Emerson years!


Find Emerson Online

Websitehttps://emersonelementary.org/

Remind: Text @7f6hb to 81010; or go to www.remind.com/join/7f6hb

Facebookwww.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.

Copyright © 2022. Emerson Elementary PTA. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
2800 Forest Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705

BearFacts News - 03.09.23

 
 

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,

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

Websitehttps://emersonelementary.org/

Remind: Text @7f6hb to 81010; or go to www.remind.com/join/7f6hb

Facebookwww.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.

Copyright © 2022. Emerson Elementary PTA. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
2800 Forest Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705

BearFacts News - 03.02.23

 
 

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,

It’s time for the 2023-2024 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 10th, to Sunday, March 19th, 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 earlier this week in student’s backpacks. If you would like more information watch this fun video (preferably with your student) created by Elephant and Piggie: Read-a-Thon Information Video

We are so excited that we have 11 student groups auditioning for the 2023-2024 Berkeley Unified School District’s Oratorical Fest. This year’s theme is “Black Joy”. Big smile to Lily Howell, Office of Equity and Family Engagement, who coached students during their lunch recess. Students will present during the March 3rd All School Meeting which will be held inside due to inclement weather. Parents of students who are participating are invited to attend. Families who do not have a student participating in the Oratorical will be able to watch the recording sent out via Remind after the meeting. 

The PTA Equity Team’s “Meeting on the Bridge” series with Educational Consultant Ms. Pam concluded last week. We enjoyed an inspiring and thought provoking presentation regarding Micro-aggressions and how families/adults can combat them. We had over a dozen staff and parents in attendance for our last session. If you were not able to join us for the Meetings on the Bridge this Winter, it’s not too late to join us in this important work. You are invited to join the Spring Equity Circle, which begins this Spring. 

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

What: This is a six part series where we will create space together to study and discuss race, ethnicity, equity, identity--in service of our community, our children, and their future! We highly encourage that you participate in-person in all 6 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 at Emerson! 

When (times have changed slightly from the initial Remind):

  1. Saturday, March 11 (Kick-Off) 9:15 am - 1:15 pm @ Emerson Elementary 

  2. Thurs, March 16; 6 - 8:15 pm 

  3. Thurs, March 23; 6 - 8:15 pm 

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

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

  6. Final date is determined by the group

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

Take care and thank you for your support,

Jana Holmes 


UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Thursday, February 23: ‘Meeting on the Bridge’ equity workshop, 5:30pm-7:30pm

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

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

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.


Art Corner: Choice Time in Art

This year I have been offering 3rd through 5th graders the opportunity to earn a "Free Choice Art Period". I put out some different supplies, a bunch of Step-by-Step drawing books, games, and more. It is so much fun to see what the kids choose to do. Some love to play games the whole time, while another might paint the same feather/leaf shape over and over and over again. Some draw from their imaginations, others using the step-by-step or idea books, and as you can see in this photo, even from observation. I love how one student captured her friends, paying attention to what they were wearing. Having this open-ended time to play creatively is so valuable. It's hard to do regularly in a school setting due to time constraints, but I hope you are able to encourage your artistically inclined children to spend some time exploring the themes and materials that delight them.

Lucy Ames, Art Teacher (she/her)


Read-a-Thon Packets Sent Home

Emerson Read-A-Thon packets are being sent home with each student 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: https://app.99pledges.com/fund/emersonreads23.

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


Art Show by our Art Teacher Ms. Ames!

Special Emerson Reception Date 3/5/23

Share your love of our Emerson art program with a visit to a gallery show by our very own Ms. Ames! BEAUTY IN THE BRANCHES is at the Annex by the El Cerrito Natural Grocery (10387 San Pablo Ave in El Cerrito) from January 17 - April 17, 2023.

Join other Emerson families and students on March 5th from 2 to 4pm for a special viewing session and visit with the artist. RSVP encouraged but not required. 

There are postcards with details in the Office and the Art Room if you'd like one.


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


Berkeley E-Bike Equity Project

Income qualified Berkeley residents can apply (by March 8!) to get a free electric bike— 50 awardees also get a helmet, locks, lights, safe riding training, and free maintenance for a year from Waterside Workshops! Learn more from the City of Berkeley here and apply here before the March 8th deadline!


Find Emerson Online

Websitehttps://emersonelementary.org/

Remind: Text @7f6hb to 81010; or go to www.remind.com/join/7f6hb

Facebookwww.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.

Copyright © 2022. Emerson Elementary PTA. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
2800 Forest Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705