Si tiene alguna duda sobre esta nota debido a la traduccion,
por favor comuniquese con Rafael Friedmann via email: rfriedmann@aol.com
UPCOMING KEY DATES
Friday, October 2, 8:00am: PTA Coffee on the Yard
Friday, October 2, 8:30 - 9:30am: All-School Meeting, featuring student performances and shout-out awards (Multi-purpose Room)
Monday, October 5: NO SCHOOL, Staff Professional Development Day
Wednesday, October 7, 8:00 - 8:10am: International Walk and Roll to School Day
Thursday, October 8, 6:00 - 8:00pm: District Committee Training and Emerson School Site Council Meeting
Saturday, October 10: Cal Football Parking Fundraiser (sign up!)
Monday, October 12: NO SCHOOL, Indigenous Peoples' Day
Tuesday, October 13, 7:00pm: PTA Board Meeting (Emerson Library)
Saturday, October 17: Cal Football Parking Fundraiser (sign up!)
Friday, October 21, 5:30 - 6:30pm: 5th Grade Puberty Education Parent Meeting (Emerson Library)
Friday, October 23: Picture Day
October 26 - October 29: Parent Teacher Conferences and Minimum Day ALL WEEK TK/Kinder release at 12:30pm, Grade 1-5 release at 1:10pm
Thursday, October 29, 8:30am: Halloween Parade
Thursday, October 29, 5:15 - 6:00pm: English Learner Advisory Committee Meeting (Emerson Library)
Thursday, October 29, 6:00 - 7:00pm: Latinx Storytelling Night! (Emerson Library)
Friday, October 30: 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.
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Emerson Families,
Welcome to Fall 2026! We have a wonderful lineup of community events and important updates for the coming month:
All-School Meeting – Friday, October 2: Featuring student performances and shout-out awards.
Hispanic Heritage Month Annual Ofrenda: Hosted in the Library. Families are invited to bring a photo of a loved one to contribute to the display.
Walk and Roll to School Day – Wednesday, October 7: Join us as we participate in the Alameda County Safe Routes to School initiative.
Halloween Parade – Thursday, October 29, 8:30 am
English Learner Advisory Committee Meeting, Thursday, Oct 29, 5:15- 6:00 pm
Latinx Storytelling Night – Thursday, October 29th, 6:00- 7:00 pm: Hosted by Ms. M and Ms. Medina. We hope to see you there!
Halloween Guidelines
To ensure the success of our annual Halloween parade, please follow these community expectations. Caregivers are welcome to gather on the blacktop and join us as we march down College Avenue.
Students should arrive at school wearing their costumes. Extra donated costumes will be available in the main office for any student who needs one.
Please avoid costumes that depict violence, blood, or weapons, as these can be frightening for our four-year-old students.
Please refrain from costumes that copy or represent specific cultural attire. If you have questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher.
Heart of Emerson Campaign
It is time for our annual Heart of Emerson fundraiser! Your contributions directly fund essential academic and social-emotional programs across our school, including:
Physical Education instruction for all grade levels
Fully stocked classroom supplies and hands-on field trips
An Office Attendance Clerk to assist students and staff daily
Staff professional development and parent education workshops
We suggest a donation of $600 per family, though any amount above or below is deeply appreciated. You can make your contribution online here: https://emersonelementary.org/heart-of-emerson.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
If you have not already done so, please contact your child's classroom teacher to schedule your Parent-Teacher Conference. Partnering with you is key to your child's success, so please take advantage of this vital opportunity!
With gratitude,
Principal Holmes
INTERNATIONAL WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY, WEDNESDAY 10/7/2025
Join Emerson for #WalkAndRoll26 on Wednesday, October 7, 2025! Participate by:
Taking a walk, or riding a bike, skateboard, or scooter
Biking with your child on their own or with a trail-a-bike
Taking the bus with your child and walking to and from the bus stop
Joining our Bike Train (from Grove Park):
Craig (4th grade parent) will run a bike train from Grove Park (7:20am), with a stop at Sylvia Mendez on the way (7:40am).
We'll have (small) prizes for students when they arrive at school in the morning. Volunteers are needed to help greet students, distribute prizes, and collect data - please contact saferoutes@emersonelementary.org
CAL FOOTBALL PARKING FUNDRAISER
Emerson is in the unique position that we can open our blacktop and charge cars to park for Cal Football games!
We have a dedicated list of annual patrons who give back to our school by parking here, instead of elsewhere.
Our football parking fundraiser should earn $15,000+ for the school, which goes toward field trips, materials and supplies, and much more. We need volunteers to work the fundraiser on game days.
Please sign up for a block of time, and you will receive directions before the event.
If you have questions, you can direct them to: anna.thanukos@emersonelementary.org
We need your help to make this happen!
Sign up here: bit.ly/EmersonParkingFun
We need help on Saturday October 10, as well as other days throughout the fall.
CELEBRATE LATINE/X HERITAGE MONTH
BUSD EVENT
Voces Latinxs: Padres de BUSD (BUSD’s Latinx Parent Leaders Group) is hosting a Cafecito and meeting for Spanish speaking families.
Cafecito Details
Date: Friday, October 2, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Multicultural Institute - 1920 Seventh Street
Meeting Details
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Google Meet
TEA COLLECTION FUNDRAISER FOR EMERSON
Support a small business and Emerson at the same time! Shop Tea Collection on 4th Street THIS WEEKEND and a portion of qualifying purchases made will be donated back to Emerson.
PTA CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS!
We are still looking for volunteers for:
Finance Team
Volunteer Coordinator
Safe Routes to School Liaison (for Spring events)
Hour of Code Coordinator (for December event)
Movie Night
Many hands make light work! If you are interested in Volunteering with the PTA, fill out: Our Back to School Questionnaire or just get in touch.
Rachel Terp: president@emersonelementary.org
Update your student's emergency information in the district Infinite Campus Portal
Each year we ask all parents to complete the Annual Update process in IC to ensure that we have the most up-to-date emergency contact and health information.
We also distribute important notices and collect important documents through this process.
While we have been sending weekly reminders to all parents who have not yet completed it, as of today, only about 60% of parents districtwide have started or completed this process.
Here are the directions to update your information: bit.ly/4y6W7g6
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/
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