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

January All School Meeting

If you missed the January All School Meeting you can check it out here. Enjoy the student performances and student shout outs! https://youtu.be/YMoQbEGwTIw

Thank you to Mr. Phil (Emerson Volunteer) for the video!

Disability Awareness and History Month

On December 6, 2023, the Board of Education adopted a resolution to combat the marginalization of those with disabilities in our school community by establishing January as Disability Awareness and History Month in BUSD. This month is an opportunity to recognize and honor the contributions of those with disabilities who have enriched and inspired our nation and generate learning around the experiences of those with disabilities.
Visit the BUSD website to learn more about the Disability Pride Flag, view the Reading Lists by Grade Level, and enjoy BUSD’s Family Guides for celebrating Disability Awareness and History Month in January. CLICK HERE

Message for Emerson Families

Dear Emerson families,

We are deaf parents of a hearing kindergartener at Emerson. In honor of Disability Awareness month, this is a good opportunity for us to share more about deaf and disability history and culture. The disability rights movement in the US was inspired by the civil rights movement and the women’s liberation movement (CripCamp is a great documentary about this). This year will be the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

We encourage you to view disability not simply as an isolated, individual medical issue but instead as a key defining social category on a par with race, class, and gender. (And for those of you interested in intersectional identities, during segregation Black students developed their own sign language (video of deaf black history here).

Many of you are interested in American Sign language. Less well-known is the fact there are 200-300 documented sign languages around the world. We’ve had the opportunity to learn some Nicaraguan Sign Language, Kenyan Sign Language, German Sign Language and British Sign Language. (Side note: many in and outside of the deaf community find “baby sign language” to be cultural and linguistic appropriation, not to mention that it perpetuates the stereotype that sign languages are somehow just words without a grammar, or are translated from an existing spoken language. Babies born deaf are (still, routinely, with the advice of medical professionals) denied access to sign language (see article here)

Reverend Jesse Jackson famously said at a protest for the rights of deaf people in the late 1980s: "The problem is not that deaf people can't hear, the problem is that hearing people don't listen." Indeed, deaf and hard of hearing people have historically faced oppression and marginalization of their language, culture and community.

How could you use your #HearingPrivilege to improve access for deaf and hard of hearing people? View the #HearingPrivilege tweets and consider ways to be part of the change.

Resources including phone apps:

The ASL App
ASL Nook – a deaf family teaching ASL

https://aslnook.com/attherestaurant2/

Free ASL lessons from Bill Vicars

https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/lessons/lesson01.htm?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2kUNBbQ2z_y1J-v098NmpnV3K2DRc9HKhG0orF_YnK_QDK442mtlZ-yXE_aem_iuMqALLrnV1JskJHffQQLQ

Black Deaf History:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grpyswPABa8

Signing Black in America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiLltM1tJ9M

Best wishes,

Engelman-Tranovich family

UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

January 1 - January 31: Disability Awareness and History Month

Thursday, January 16, 6:00 pm: TK/Kindergarten Info Night (Emerson Library)

Friday, January 17, 8:30 am: MLK Jr. Celebration and March (Emerson Library and off-campus)

Monday, January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (NO SCHOOL)

Thursday, January 23, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: PTA Association Meeting with special talk, “Supporting Student Anxiety” (Emerson Library)

Monday, January 27: Staff Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)

Friday, Jan. 31, 8:30 am: English Learner Advisory Committee Meeting (Emerson Library)

Friday, Jan. 31, 6 - 8:00 pm: PTA Movie Night, Kinder - 2nd Graders only

Saturday, February 1: Winter Equity Circle Kick Off

Friday, February 7, 8:30 am: All School Meeting and Emerson Oratorical Contest

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.

January Student Shout Outs!

PTA Association Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 23rd

La Peña Cultural Center and East Bay Sanctuary Covenant Workshop

BUSD Reading Lists by Grade Level

These reading lists, organized by grade level, were curated by our library staff from the Schneider Book Awards, an award presented yearly by the American Library Association that honors artistic expression for the disability experience. Every school library will receive copies of some of the newest books on the lists in both English and Spanish.

UPCOMING BUSD EVENTS

LOCAL FILM PREMIERE OF "COUNTED OUT" AT OXFORD ELEMENTARY

As a part BUSD’s Meeting of Math Minds initiative, BUSD is hosting a free community screening & discussion of the film “Counted Out” on Thursday, January 30th, 5:30-8:30 pm in the Oxford Elementary auditorium (2020 Bonar Street, Berkeley). The film shines a light on math as the foundation of democracy and economic opportunity.

Watch the trailer and register for your free spot here. Flyer can be viewed here.

BUSD can’t wait to see you at the Oxford Auditorium on January 30th!

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.

BearFacts News - 1.16.2025