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MONTHLY LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Emerson Families,

You are invited to participate in the March Madness Attendance Challenge! Our enthusiastic 5th Grade Student Advisory Committee will lead this year's contest. Students who arrive on time, before 8:10 a.m., will have the chance to win small prizes and take part in fun, student-led activities before school. This year, we will be competing against early-start elementary schools, including Malcolm X, Oxford, Sylvia Mendez, Thousand Oaks, and Washington. Last year, we finished in fifth place—let's strive for first place this year!

We are pleased to report that Emerson's truancy rate is improving. A student is considered truant if they accumulate three or more unexcused absences or have three late arrivals of 30 minutes or more. Thanks to initiatives such as Independent Study contracts, Grade Level Attendance Challenges, and Intervention Team meetings with families, our truancy rate has decreased from 14% in January 2025 to 8% in January 2026. Please remember to inform our friendly Attendance Clerk at Leahlopez@berkeley.net if your child stays home due to illness, has a medical appointment, or has another excused absence. Independent Study contracts can be requested from our front office staff at least five days in advance of a prolonged absence. You can read more about district policy here: https://www.berkeleyschools.net/handbook/ (see section 3).

Research shows that consistent school attendance is crucial for elementary students. When children do not attend school regularly, they miss out on essential reading and math skills. Studies in California indicate that children who are chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are far less likely to read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.

Let’s prioritize attendance for the remainder of the school year and finish strong! If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas on how we can support your family with attendance, please reach out to our Family Engagement and Equity Coordinator at Lilyhowell@berkeley.net.

Take good care,

Principal Holmes

ANNOUNCEMENTS

LEARNS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM SURVEY

Please take the opportunity to fill out the district-wide survey about the Berkeley LEARNS After School Program. Your feedback helps the district understand what is working well and what can be improved: https://tinyurl.com/LEARNS-survey

UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Friday, March 6: PTA Coffee on the Yard, 8:00 am

Friday, March 6: All School Meeting, 8:30 am (Multi-purpose Room)

Wednesday, March 11: Equity Circle, 6:00- 8:00 pm (Emerson Library)

Wednesday, March 11 - Friday, March 21: Read-A-Thon!

Monday, March 16: NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, March 17: School Site Council Meet, 6:30 pm (via meet.google.com/kvt-ftug-dqw)

Wednesday, March 18: Read and Relax Spirit Day

Friday, March 20: Family Art Night, 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Saturday, March 21: Sip, Snack, and Socialize, Emerson Family Hangout at Donkey & Goat Winery, 2- 5 pm (1340 5th Street, Berkeley)

Wednesday, March 25: Equity Circle, 6:00- 8:00 pm (Emerson Library)

Thursday, March 26: Rainbow Family Night- 6:00- 7:00 pm (Emerson Library)

Monday, March 30 -Friday, April 3: Spring Break, 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.

PTA ANNOUNCEMENTS

JOIN US FOR EMERSON’S FIRST OFF-CAMPUS COMMUNITY EVENT! 🍷✨

poster for a snack and socialize night event

We’re so excited to invite you to our very first Emerson community gathering off campus!

📍 Donkey & Goat Winery

📅 Saturday, March 21

⏰ 2:00–5:00 PM

Come connect, relax, and celebrate our amazing Emerson community in a fun and family-friendly setting. Yes — kids are absolutely welcome! There will be space to gather, play, and enjoy time together with friends old and new.

Even better? 20% of all food and drink purchases during the event will be donated back to Emerson! 🙌 So every bite and sip helps support our school.

Whether you stay for a quick hello or the full afternoon, we’d love to see you there.

Bring your family, invite your Emerson friends, and let’s make this first off-campus event a huge success!

Mark your calendars — we can’t wait to celebrate with you! 💛

Winter/SPRING Equity Circle: March 11 - April 8, 2026

The PTA Equity Team is excited to invite you to be part of the 2026 Equity Circle! This is a warm, welcoming space where Emerson families, caregivers, and staff come together every two weeks to learn, discuss, listen, and take action toward equity in education.

With guidance from Ms. Pamela Harrison-Small, Racial Justice and Educational Equity Strategist, we’ll explore identity, talk about academic gaps by race at our school and in the district, and build community-driven solutions that help every student thrive.

Next Sessions: Mar 11, Mar 25, Apr 8 (from 6 - 8 pm)
Dinner and childcare (for Emerson students) will be provided.

We’d love for you to come to all the sessions—but even if you can only make a few, we’d be thrilled to have you!

Please RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/EquityCircle2026 so we can plan food and childcare.

Read-A-Thon is Coming

Get ready for Emerson’s Annual Read-A-Thon!

For ten days in March (March 11–20), we encourage all students to read as much as they can while raising money for Emerson. Our goal is full participation—meaning we hope every student finds time to read at home!

During the first week of March, Read-A-Thon packets will be sent home with each student. These packets will include instructions on how to participate and tips for caregivers on how to encourage reading at home. Stay tuned!

Art Corner

SAVE THE DATE!

Family Art Night is happening Friday, March 20th at 6 pm. We have all new projects for our "Glow Room". Please plan on coming and look out for volunteer opportunities coming soon!

BHS JAZZGIRLS+ DAY HAPPENING THIS SATURDAY!

Saturday, March 7 | 1:00 - 4:30pm (doors open 12:30pm) | FREE
Berkeley High School, A Building (Allston Way @ Milvia)

The 15th annual JazzGirls+ Day is open to all female-identifying or non-binary musicians ages 10-14 who want to explore jazz! Play with professional musicians, enjoy a concert, get a free t-shirt, and enter to win scholarships to Bay Area summer jazz camps. No pre-registration required - just walk in with your instrument (or voice!) and a water bottle.

https://www.bhsjazz.org/jazz-girls-day

Learn more | Questions: berkeleyhighjazz@gmail.com

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.

BearFacts News -3.05.2026