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

Thursday, October 29: Last day of Parent Teacher Conferences, Minimum Day TK/Kinder release at 12:30pm, Grade 1-5 release at 1:10pm

Thursday, October 29, 8:30am: Halloween Parade (meet on the blacktop)

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

Friday, October 30, 8am: Report Cards available via Infinite Campus

Tuesday, November 3: ELECTION DAY!

Wednesday, November 4, 5:30 - 7:30pm: Equity Shelf Book Club (Emerson Library) - RSVP HERE

Happening Now Through Friday, November 6: Día de los Muertos Ofrenda (Emerson Library) - NEW!

Friday, November 6, 8:00am: Coffee On The Yard

Friday, November 6, 8:30am: All School Meeting (Multipurpose Room)

Tuesday, November 10, 5:30pm: Emerson PTA Meeting (Emerson Library)

Wednesday, November 11: NO SCHOOL (Veteran’s Day Holiday)

Saturday, November 14, 10am: 🍂 Fall Festival! 🍁

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.

IMPORTANT MORNING AND AFTERNOON PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF REMINDERS

Morning Entrances (open at 8:00 AM):

Lower Forest Avenue Sliding Gate: Principal Holmes and school staff supervise. Students may walk their bicycles onto campus from here and secure them under the breezeway.
Forest Avenue Front Doors: Chaperoned by Ms. Michelle, Attendance Clerk.

Drop-Off & Traffic Guidelines:

Rolling Drop-Offs: Designated for Piedmont Avenue, assisted by our long-time volunteer, Mr. Bob.
Intersection Crossing: Our crossing guard will guide families safely across Forest and Piedmont Avenues.
School Bus Zone: Buses drop off students on Piedmont Avenue at 8:00 AM.

Safety & Courtesy: Please adhere to posted speed limits and traffic signs.

Avoid double parking or making illegal U-turns, and extend courtesy to others during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up.

Report Cards Available on October 30th

Report Cards will be available on Infinite Campus on Friday, October 30th at 8 am. However, please make EVERY effort to attend your child's parent-teacher conference the week of October 26- 29 to review your child's report and progress.

This is a quick how-to: Access your child's digital report card:

How to access your digital report card on Infinite Campus 2026- 2027

HOLIDAY GIFT CARD FUND: SUPPORT BUSD FAMILIES

Holiday Gift Card Fund: Support BUSD Families

BUSD's Office of Family Engagement & Equity (OFEE) asks for your support of our annual Holiday Gift Card Campaign. Help us raise $25,000 to provide $50 gift cards to district families facing added financial strain and the loss of school meals during winter break. Every dollar directly supports BUSD students and their families. Thank you for considering!

"The holiday gift card program brings me a tremendous sense of relief and comfort during some of the most challenging times of the year. Knowing that my family is valued and included reminds me that we truly belong to a community built on compassion and generosity."

- BUSD Parent & Holiday Gift Card Recipient

We ask for your generous support of this year's Gift Card fund. Donations can be made HERE.

The Berkeley Public Schools Fund is proud to be the fiscal sponsor for this program.

LATINX STORYTELLING NIGHT

Join us for our annual Latinx Storytelling Night as we celebrate Día de Muertos!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE EMERSON PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION MEETING ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10!

When: 5:30- 7:00 pm

Where: Emerson Library

Join us to hear about the plans for Fall/ Winter, Vote on Important Budget Items, and more!

Featured special Guests:

Kim Shevelson, Intervention Teacher & Coach

Lauren Quock, Literacy Teacher & Coach

Jana Holmes, School Principal

Presentation & Discussion: Guide to Your Child’s School Assessments (STAR & DIBELS) and Latest Report Card Updates

Dinner and Childcare for Emerson students will be provided- hope to see you there!

EQUITY SHELF - WEDNESDAY, NOV 4TH!

Join us on Wednesday, November 4 for the next meeting of Equity Shelf, Emerson’s PTA-sponsored book club!

We’re mixing things up for our second session and reading a New York Times article: “In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own?” by Nikole Hannah-Jones.

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 members of the Emerson community.

Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Time: 5:30–7:30 PM; Dinner at 5:30 PM; discussion begins at 6:00 PM
Location: Emerson Elementary, Library Room
Dinner and childcare will be provided!

Please RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/NovEquityShelf

Access to the article is available through the RSVP form.

This event is open to parents, caregivers, educators, and staff. Childcare is limited to Emerson students. Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly.

Save the Date: Our next Fall Equity Shelf meeting is Wednesday, December 2, from 5:30–7:30 PM.

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

Thank you, and please let us know if you have any questions!

Lauren & Henriette

HEART OF EMERSON FUNDRAISER

We are 32% of the way there with $58,007 raised toward our Heart of Emerson goal. Let’s keep it going!

Every dollar funds the things that make Emerson great:

🧷 Essential office and campus supervision support

🎪 School-wide events for students and their families at no cost (like the upcoming Latinx Storytelling Night on 10/29)

☕️ Coffee and treats at every All School Meeting (next one on 11/6)

📚 Books and programming for Emerson’s awesome library

A gift of $650 covers the cost for one student. Give today and watch our progress thermometer climb: emersonelementary.org/heart-of-emerson

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 17, as well as other days throughout the fall.

THE EMERSON OFRENDA IS HERE UNTIL NOV 6!

BERKELEY SYMPHONY FREE FAMILY CONCERTS!

Saturday, November 7, 2026

10 AM and 11:30 AM

Oxford Elementary Auditorium

1222 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702

Join Berkeley Symphony and Education Director Ming Luke for a fun-filled orchestral adventure for the whole family! Berkeley Symphony's award-winning Music in the Schools program is now open to everyone, regardless of age or school district.

Bring along a percussion instrument – or even a noisemaking toy – to play along! This concert is FREE for everyone, though we encourage you to RSVP at this link.

EMERSON FUNDRAISER - Shop at Five Little Monkeys November 1-15!

The Five Little Monkeys fundraiser kicks off next week! Shop between November 1-15 and they will donate 15% of the pre-tax total back to Emerson. Shop in person or online using EMERSON2026.

Take advantage of free delivery over $100 and free in-store pick-up when shopping online.

Five Little Monkeys offers free gift wrapping and a unique selection of educational toys, games and books for children. Stock up on birthday gifts, holiday gifts, and more!

Support Emerson and a local business at the same time - see flier for details:

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.

BearFacts News - 10.29.2026