Si tiene alguna duda sobre esta nota debido a la traduccion,
por favor comuniquese con Rafael Friedmann via email: rfriedmann@aol.com
UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES
Friday, May 1, 8:00am - 8:30am: PTA Coffee on the Yard
Friday, May 1, 8:30am: All School Meeting and Retirement Celebration for Ms. Ames, Ms. Carter, and Mrs. Hampton (Multi-purpose Room). Caregivers Welcome!
Saturday, May 2, 10:00am- 1:00pm: Emerson Spring Festival
Monday, May 4 - Friday, May 8: Teacher Staff Appreciation Week - Show your love for Emerson Staff!
Wednesday, May 6, 6:00pm - 8:00pm: Night Market at Willard Middle School
Thursday, May 7, 5:30pm - 7:00pm: Emerson Open House
Thursday, May 14: Bike to School Day
Friday, May 15: NO SCHOOL, Malcolm X Birthday Observed
Tuesday, May 19, 6:30pm: School Site Council Meeting
Monday, May 25: NO SCHOOL, Memorial Day Observed
Monday, June 1, 8:30am: Pride March and School Unity Picture
Thursday, June 4, 8:30am: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony (Emerson Blacktop)
Thursday, June 4: Last Day of School, Minimum Day, 1:30 pm dismissal
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.
MONTHLY LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Emerson Families,
As the school year rapidly nears its end, I want to take a moment to express my appreciation for our entire Emerson community. The dedicated partnership among our staff, students, and parents creates an environment where every child is valued and supported both academically and emotionally. We have some wonderful events planned for our final month. Please mark your calendars and join us to celebrate our accomplishments and our community!
Upcoming Key Dates & Events:
Friday, May 1st: All School Meeting and Retirement Celebration
Join us for a PTA-sponsored Coffee on the Yard at 8:30am, followed by a special All School Meeting dedicated to celebrating our three retirees: Ms. Ames, Ms. Carter, and Mrs. Hampton. Please take a moment to sign the electronic retirement cards to thank them for their many outstanding years of service!
Saturday, May 2nd: Spring Festival
Join us at our annual Spring Festival! Enjoy a water slide, a petting zoo, pizza, traditional food from our Emerson families, and much more! A big thank you to our amazing PTA Community Building Team: Elise Kneram, Stephanie Yolish, and Daisy Holman.
Thursday, May 7th: Open House (5:30 – 7:00 pm)
This is an exciting opportunity to visit your student's classroom for a guided exploration of their accomplishments. Don't forget to stop by the Art Room to collect their beautiful projects!
Monday, June 1st: Annual Pride March (8:30 am)
Show your support for our LGBTQ community! Meet on the blacktop at 8:30 am and join the march in Elmwood. Don't forget to wear your rainbow colors!
Thursday, June 4th: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony & Last Day of School
We are so proud of our 5th Grade Class of 2026! The Promotion Ceremony will be held on campus from 8:30-10:30 am. This is the last day of school and is a minimum day. Go bear cubs!
With gratitude,
Principal Holmes
SPRING FESTIVAL
🎉 Emerson PTA presents our most exciting event of the year... THE SPRING FESTIVAL!!! 🎉
📅 Saturday, May 2, 10AM – 1 PM
👉 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED- sign up HERE!! Spring Festival would not be possible without the help of our volunteers.
THANK YOU 💓
Here's a sneak peek of what we have in store.....
💦 THREE super fun water activity stations including a DUNK TANK (!!!), plus Pitch Burst, and the Down Pour Derby water game! (If your child wants to participate, please send them in clothes that can get wet and bring a towel/change of clothes)
🐷 Petting Zoo
🍕 Pizza & Hot Dogs
🍭 Cotton Candy
🖍️ Fun Crafts
🎤 DJ James on the mic to keep the party going all day long!! You will not want to miss out!!
We can't wait to party with you on May 2nd!!! 🎉🥳
TEACHER & STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK- MAY 4 to May 8
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is coming soon! Your help is needed to make the week extra special for our Emerson educators. Please show your support through time and/or resources. There are many ways to show your appreciation: a breakfast treat, flowers, or a simple note of thanks to someone at Emerson who has made a difference in your child’s life. Sign up to bring breakfast goodies for Monday, May 4 or lunch items for Friday, May 8. Cash donations (any amount) can be sent to Vanessa via Venmo (@Vanessa-Leonardo, last four digits of phone # 5128) & include note “Emerson Appreciation Week”.
Visit the links below to learn more and to make your plan for showering our Emerson teachers and staff with love and gratitude!
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week-At-A-Glance: A schedule for the week’s activitiesVolunteer/Donation Sign Up: Ways to support through your time and/or resources.
Questions/contact: Carol carol.wang@gmail.com, 510-415-3167 or Vanessa vanessaleonardo@gmail.com, 510-334-5128
EMERSON OPEN HOUSE - THURSDAY, MAY 7th
TEACHER RETIREMENT
3 Beloved Emerson Teachers are Retiring this June 2026!
Show Ms. Ames, Ms. Carter, and Mrs. Hampton how much we love and appreciate them!
Come to the May 1st All School Meeting & Sign their Electronic Cards below:
Mrs. Hampton's Retirement Card: https://tinyurl.com/MrsHamptonRetirementCard
Ms. Ame's Retirement Card: https://tinyurl.com/MsAmesRetirementCard
Ms. Karen Carter's Retirement Card: https://tinyurl.com/MsCarterRetirementCard
SAVE THE DATE for WILLARD NIGHT MARKET
BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY - THURSDAY, MAY 14
Bike to School Day 5/14/2026 -- Help Needed!
Join Emerson for #BikeToSchoolDay on Thursday 5/14/2026! All active modes — including scooters, skateboards, roller skates, and walking — are encouraged.
Email saferoutes@emersonelementary.org if you can help out with a bike train!
April 23, 2026, PTA Association Meeting Recap
Jessica Lee, District Library Coordinator, and Andrea Kneeland, TSA, presented an informative and eye-opening presentation titled “Raising Young Humans in an AI World”.
Link to the presentation: Emerson PTA - AI for Parents - April 2026 (shared)
Link to Research and Statistics (stats like “29% of children aged 8 or under have used AI”)
check out our new EMERSON FAMILY DIRECTORY!
You can access the new ONLINE Family Directory at: https://emersonelementary.org/directory
Anyone who is in the directory can log in via Google or Yahoo to access. Note that anyone, not just Gmail users, can create a Google account with their existing email address to access.
Families can submit their information or updates via the "Update Your Information" link. Responses are manually reviewed by our webmaster before access is provided.
This is a new platform and a work in progress. Please email us with any questions or concerns at communications@emersonelementary.org
The Family Directory is organized by the Emerson Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The Emerson Elementary Family Directory is a tool for families to coordinate and communicate. For example, families have used the Family Directory to coordinate carpools and playdates outside of school hours.
The Family Directory is not used by Emerson Elementary School administration to contact families; School Administration communications are sent using the Remind Application
FIND EMERSON ONLINE
Website: https://emersonelementary.org/
Remind: Text @7f6hb to 81010; or go to www.remind.com/join/7f6hb
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.
Copyright © 2026. Emerson Elementary PTA. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
2800 Forest Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705