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

Dear Emerson Families,

We wanted to share some important news with our community.

Many of you may have seen or heard about the heartbreaking incident involving a cyclist (and two other pedestrians) and a reckless driver earlier this week. We’ve since confirmed that the cyclist was our very own beloved volunteer, Mr. Bob.

Thankfully, Mr. Bob is currently in the hospital and is recovering. His strength and spirit remain unwavering—even in this difficult time. In true Mr. Bob fashion, he sent his daughter, an Emerson alum, to volunteer in his place. It’s just another example of the kindness and commitment that runs deep in their family.

To show our appreciation and support, we are inviting families to drop off cards and well-wishes for Mr. Bob. A collection box was placed by the front entrance after school yesterday and will be there again this morning. The PTA will be delivering all the cards along with a bouquet to brighten his day.

Thank you for helping us lift Mr. Bob with the love and gratitude he’s given so freely to all of us over the years.

Warmly,
Emerson PTA

UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Monday, September 15: Berkeley Food Network, 1:30 - 3:00 pm (Malcolm X Elementary)

Monday, September 15 to Wednesday, September 24: School Site Council Ballots Open (Vote HERE )

Wednesday, September 24: Equity Shelf Book Club - First Meeting, 5:30 - 7:30 pm (Emerson Library) (RSVP HERE)

Friday, September 26: School Site Council Roster Posted

Tuesday, September 30, 2025: LatinX Storytelling Night, 6:00 - 7:00 pm (Multi-purpose Room)

Friday, October 3: All School Meeting, 8:30 am (Multi-purpose Room)

Monday, October 6: NO SCHOOL, Staff Professional Development Day

Thursday, October 9: District Committee Training followed by School Site Council, 6:00 - 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 24: Picture Day

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

Thursday, October 30: Halloween Parade, 8:30 am

Friday, October 31: 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.

COMPLETE Free/Reduced Lunch Form!

Dear Emerson Families,

Please help us secure the federal and state funding we need!

Even if you think you do not qualify, we ask that EVERYONE complete the Free/Reduced Lunch form before September 30.
You can return the paper copy sent home in your child's Look Folder at the beginning of the school year or use this link: https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ApplicationScreen.aspx

September is Attendance Awareness Month!

Each month, we compete among grade levels for the best attendance.
Last month, Kindergarten won with a 97.7% attendance rate.
So far, in September, Kindergarten and Second Grade are tied at 97%.

The grade that wins will receive extra recess time—let's do our best to attend every day and be on time at 8:00 am!

Go Bear Cubs!

Latine/x Heritage Month

The Berkeley Unified School District celebrates Latine/x Heritage Month to recognize and honor the contributions of generations of Latine/x Americans who have enriched and inspired our nation.

Visit the district’s Latine/x Heritage Month Resources web page for reading lists by grade level, family guides, teaching resources, event information, and much more.

Black to School Cookout - Sept. 20

BUSD's 4th Annual Black to School Cookout will feature games, prizes, and hands-on activities. There will also be a school spirit competition, so attendees are encouraged to wear their school colors. Supplies and lunch will be available as long as they last. Families can RSVP via the QR code.

Date: Saturday, September 20

Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Where: Willard Middle School at 2425 Stuart St.

EQUITY CIRCLE

Be Part of the Change—Join Equity Shelf!

Join us for the launch of our PTA-sponsored book club, Equity Shelf on 9/24, Wednesday, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm! We’ll read and discuss books that spark conversation about equity and community.

Our first read is Be a Revolution by Ijeoma Oluo, a powerful and practical guide to building change in our daily lives, our communities, and beyond. Whether you’re new to these conversations or have been on this journey for a while, this is a space to learn, share, and connect with other parents.

Join us for our first meeting on 9/24, childcare will be provided for Emerson students. RSVP here to let us know if you need a book copy: https://tinyurl.com/EquityShelf

Save the Date for the other Fall Equity Shelf Meetings:

11/5 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm
12/10 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm

FAMILY DIRECTORY UPDATE!

ADD YOUR CONTACT INFO TO OUR ONLINE FAMILY DIRECTORY

To submit or update information, visit:

https://tinyurl.com/EMERSONFamilyDirectory

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 organized by the Emerson Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The Family Directory will include the child's name, caregiver’s name, grade and teacher’s name. You can choose to include additional basic contact information (caregiver’s e-mail address and phone number) for inclusion in the directory. Our goal is 100% participation for all Emerson students.

Note: The Family Directory is not used by Emerson Elementary School administration to contact families; School Administration communications are sent using the Remind Application. To join remind: text @7f6hb to 81010; or go to - http://www.remind.com/join/7f6h.

Questions? email communications@emersonelementary.org

FOOTBALL PARKING - Volunteer Sign Up!

Our annual football parking fundraiser is a *great* deal. Each hour you volunteer translates into a roughly $150 donation for the PTA to fund school supplies, field trips, etc.

Fill out this form to sign up to be a captain or simply volunteer for a 3 hour slot: https://tinyurl.com/EMERSONparkingvolunteer

Fill out this form to be contacted about volunteering for future games: https://forms.gle/u76ThfkBoMJbkQHy7

Shout out to the parent volunteers who helped out last weekend. Robert L., Nan, Carolyn and Robert D., as well as Will Barton! We appreciate you.

OTHER PTA VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Treasurer’s helpers - Assist the treasurer’s team with teacher reimbursements and other budgetary tasks. Contact treasurer@emersonelementary.org.

Volunteer Coordinator - Make Sign-Up Genius pages for PTA Events, and encourage caregivers to volunteer. Contact info@emersonelementary.org.

Read-A-Thon - Our experienced event chairs could use extra sets of hands for this fundraiser that celebrates reading. Contact readathon@emersonelementary.org.

Movie Night Coordinators - We want to host a movie night / parent’s night out in the Spring! Volunteer to help us coordinate! contact president@emersonelementary.org.

See full list of event chairs here:https://emersonelementary.org/event-chairs

JOIN THE BEARFACTS NEWSLETTER TEAM!

Have you read through this entire newsletter? Do you want to get involved and help folks stay informed? If so, 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 this year!

Interested? Please contact Vanessa and Lizzie at communications@emersonelementary.org

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.

BearFacts News - 9.18.2025