BearFacts News - 10.09.2025

 
 

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


INTERNATIONAL WALK AND ROLL DAY

17 kids standing together happily, with two signs in their hands.

Thank you for joining us for the International Walk and Roll to School Day! Special shout-out to Emerson Parent Coordinators Amy Fire, Natalie Malam, and Erin Little. We were inspired to see Mr. Bob join us!  In addition, Council Member Humbert, Assemblyperson Wicks, City of Berkeley Mayor’s Office Representative, Safe Schools Representatives Zach and Dave, and Superintendent Ford Morthel.  What an inspiring morning!

EMERSON SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL MEETING

Thursday, October 9, 2025

7:00 pm

Here is the Google Meet link:

https://meet.google.com/mrc-pbea-rhz?authuser=0&hs=122

This is our first meeting of the 2025- 2026 school year.

Only elected site members may vote; however, anyone can attend the meeting

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REMINDER:  Early Release Week 

Parent Teacher Conferences are Monday, October 27- Thursday, October 30

TK/ Kinder are released every day at 12:30 pm

Grades 1-5 are released every day at 1:10 pm

+++Kids World will be in Session

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HALLOWEEN PARADE

The annual Halloween Parade on College Avenue will be on Thursday, October 30th at 8:30 am

Students should wear their costumes to school

Free costumes will be available in the office for students who need / want one

Caregivers are welcome to join the parade 

++No scary costumes with weapons.  No costumes that portray a group's culture. 


UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Tues, October 7 - Fri October 10:  BIke Helmet Donation Drive (Front Office)

Thursday, October 9:  District Committee Training followed by School Site Council, 6 - 8:00 pm

Monday, October 13: NO SCHOOL, Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Thursday, October 16: Technology Pledge, 5:30 - 7:00 pm (Library)

Friday, October 17: End of First Trimester

Friday, October 17: Cal Football Parking Fundraiser (volunteer HERE)

Friday, October 24: Picture Day

Monday, October 27 - Thursday, October 30: Parent/Teacher Conferences 

Thursday, October 30: Halloween Parade, 8:30 am (meet on blacktop)

Friday, October 31: NO SCHOOL, Elementary Conference Day

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

Portraits inspired by Todd Parr 

After reading Todd Parr's book It's Okay to be Different, first graders created these colorful self-portraits. They used bingo daubers filled with India ink to draw the black outlines and then completed the colorful portraits with a wonderful art supply we call dot markers in the art room. This year we used both neon and regular colored dab-o-ink dot markers.

students' artwork and the process of creating that artworks

EQUITY SHELF BOOK CLUB 

Equity Shelf is our PTA-sponsored book club that explores books fostering conversations about equity, inclusion, and community. Whether you’re new to these topics or have been on this journey for a while, this is a space to learn, share, and connect with other caregivers and educators.

poster about a book club event

This month’s read: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
A national bestseller when it first appeared in 1963, The Fire Next Time galvanized the nation and gave passionate voice to the emerging civil rights movement.

What to read: If you can’t read the whole book, please read the essay “My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation.”

Details
Date: Wednesday, November 5th, 2025
Time: 5:30–7:30 PM (Dinner at 5:30 PM; Book Club begins at 6:00 PM)
Location: Emerson Elementary Library (Childcare provided for Emerson students)

New to the club? No problem! Everyone is welcome, whether or not you’ve attended a previous session.

Please RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/EquityShelf2
Need a copy of the book? Please RSVP as soon as possible so we can get you one.

Save the date: Our next fall Equity Shelf meeting will be on December 10, 5:30–7:30 PM.

Questions or comments? Email us at equ...@emersonelementary.org

group picture with grownups and students

Thank you for coming to our first Equity Book Club Meeting!  


FIFTH GRADE TEACHER STAFF APPRECIATION LUNCHEON

Thank you to our Fifth Grade parents for their generous spread for the monthly Teacher Staff Appreciation Luncheon. So many yummy treats. Teachers sent thanks last Friday for lunch and dinner.

three parents volunteers standing with the food they prepare for the teachers and staffs

3rd ANNUAL BLACK FAMILY DINNER

black families after-dinner group pictures

Thanks to all who turned out for a wonderful evening.  We enjoyed building our community through an interactive game and collaborative conversations.  We discussed strategies for making the most of the October Parent-Teacher Conferences.  We also learned about upcoming events and the district’s African American Advisory Committee. 


MULCH

Thank you to parent volunteers Sara Smith and Shu Zhang who brought a second round of mulch to Emerson's Garden this week. Ms. Jeanette reports: "The kids had a blast with another load of mulch delivered" preparing the garden for the rainy season. 

two parents volunteers and a group of students doing mulch work

BUSD’s FALL FIX-IT FEST!

Join us for BUSD’s Fall Fix-it Fest! A Free Community Repair Event brought to you by BUSD's Climate Literacy and Makerspace Programs!

Saturday, October 18, 1–3:30 pm 

Willard Middle School (in the cafeteria)

2425 Stuart Street, Berkeley, CA 94705

Learn to repair your broken items and help reduce waste in our community.  

We will provide a workspace, tools, and guidance from a volunteer “Repair Coach” to help you disassemble, troubleshoot, and hopefully fix your item.  

Categories include: clothing, electronics, bicycles, small appliances, small furniture, toys, sporting goods, jewelry, ceramics, shoes and more! 

Register your item in advance (recommended), volunteer, or find more info, go to: https://bit.ly/fixitfests

a poster about an community repair event with date and location

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.

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