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MONTHLY MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Emerson Families,

Happy holidays! We started this week with an exciting visit from the Mobile Dairy Cow. During this assembly, students learned about agriculture and the importance of healthy eating. Later this month students will be inspired by a Berkeley High School Jazz Band performance - we hope that our current Emerson students will continue to study music and return to perform for us someday too.

This evening, you are invited to the Family Literacy Night from 6 - 7 pm. This event is hosted by Ms. Thomaes, our Literacy Coach, and the UC Berkeley BUILD tutors. They will serve hot cocoa and your child will be able to select a free book to enjoy over Winter Break. Come back in the morning for the December All School Meeting at 8:30 am, with PTA-hosted Coffee on the Yard at drop-off.

The PTA Board is pleased to present the last “Meeting on the Bridge” of the school year. Please join us on Thursday, December 12 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, for the topic of “Difficult Conversations with Kids”. We’ll share strategies to help caregivers navigate tough but essential discussions with children. Your insights, experiences, and voice is needed as we work together to create a more inclusive environment for all our students and families. This session will be led by our own Ms. Henriette Ako-Asare, Emerson parent of three children, who is currently pursuing a doctorate in Education. Click HERE for more information and to register for childcare and dinner

The TK/Kindergarten Fair is this Saturday, December 7, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm at the District Office. Big Smile to Ms. Rachel Terp, PTA Vice President, who will host the Emerson table. This event will provide information about all the BUSD elementary schools, please see HERE for details. Registration for the 2025-26 elementary and middle school year begins on January 6, 2025; make sure to meet the enrollment deadlines. Check out the BUSD Admissions page for the information you will need at: https://www.berkeleyschools.net/admissions/.

A special thank you to Anna Thanukos and Will Barton for taking the lead for our Cal Football Parking Fundraiser! With their help, and that of a special group of parent volunteers, we were able to raise over $19,000 that will go towards our students and services that support them.

We still have a ways to go to meet our Heart of Emerson Fundraising campaign goals. As you plan for the holiday season, would you consider donating this month? The ask is $650 per family, but we are happy with any donation that you can provide. You can see our progress and donate at https://emersonelementary.org/heart-of-emerson.

With gratitude,

Principal Holmes

UPCOMING EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Thursday, December 5, 6 - 7pm: Family Literacy Night! (Multipurpose Room & Library)

Friday, December 6, 8:00am: PTA Coffee On The Yard (Emerson blacktop)

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

Saturday, December 7, 10am - 1pm: BUSD’s TK/Kinder Informational Fair (Berkeley District Offices, 2110 Browning St.)

December 9-13: Hour of Code (Sign up to volunteer HERE)

Thursday, December 12, 5:30pm - 7:30pm: PTA Meeting On The Bridge #3 talk, “Difficult Conversations with Kids” (Emerson Library).

December 23, 2024 - January 3, 2025: Winter break (NO SCHOOL)

Monday January 6, 2025: First day of school after winter break

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.

SPECIAL VOLUNTEER THANK YOU MESSAGE

Football fundraiser complete!

Our annual football parking fundraiser raised $19,195 this season, thanks to the parents and caretakers who generously gave their time to volunteer. The next time you see one of these folks, please let them know we appreciate their effort!

Parking captains: Will Barton, Lizzie Kendrick, James Henderson, Michael Walker, Anna Thanukos, Matt Gordon, Matt Kondolf, and Eric Max. The fundraiser would not happen without you. We are so grateful for your willingness to give up a day on the weekend!

Team volunteers: Ana-Maria Mahiri, Greg Cera, J Spagnolo, Fangchao Song, Jeremy Venegas, Ed Ahn, Bryant Baker, Robert Lewis, Emma Cott, Catherine Winarsky, Brittany Jones, Lidia Gaitan, Antonio Roman-Alcala, Lauren Markofsky, Matt Lesenyie, Mike Meighan, Mollie Lee, Felix Ratcliffe, Anna Serra-Llobet, Colleen Kantner, Matt Langner, Simon Leblanc, Jon Wilkening, Silvia Ahn, Chris Dames, Tom and Sara Tarshis, and Chris and Alyssa May

Will and Anna would like to give shout-outs for these special efforts:

MVPs: Robert Lewis, Antonio Roman-Alcala, and Ed Ahn - for stepping up *twice* to volunteer.
Late service award: Lizzie Kendrick, Ed Ahn, Mike Meighan, Michael Walker, and Jeremy Venegas for staying waaaaaay after dark for our late games.
The Golden Mop: Lizzie Kendrick - for tackling a toilet bowl that no one wants to see on their shift.
Tetris Team Champions: Eric Max, Chris Dames, Robert Lewis, Jon Wilkening, and Ed and Silvia Ahn - for getting 74 cars onto the yard at Big Game; AND Matt Gordon, Simon Leblanc, Anna Serra-Llobet, Felix Ratcliffe, Colleen Kantner, and Matt Langner - for getting 73 cars onto the yard at Oregon State.
Tetris Individual Gold: Lauren Markofsky and Matt Lesenyie - for saving the day when I chalked the lines in the wrong spots
Best Coach: Steven Wilson - for always answering our questions, even in the middle of a family trip to Disneyland!

Serving as a football volunteer brings in ~$150 for each hour you spend, so it really pays off, providing crucial funds to the PTA from outside the Emerson community. Please consider serving next year!

Just email anna.thanukos@emersonelementary.org to add yourself to the volunteer roster.

EQUITY CORNER

EQUITY MEETINGS ON THE BRIDGE AT EMERSON

The PTA's Equity Committee presents the 3rd and final Meeting on the Bridge for the 2024-2025 school year.

Join us in the library on Thursday, December 12, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm to learn tips on having Difficult Conversations with Kids.

This will be a timely and impactful session as we come together to strategize on how to foster understanding and have important conversations with our children. Don’t miss out—your voice and perspective are invaluable to these conversations! This event is open to parents, caregivers, educators, and staff.

Dinner and childcare provided. RSVP here:https://tinyurl.com/Meeting-on-the-Bridge-December

NOVEMBER STUDENT SHOUT OUTS!

HOUR OF CODE COMING DECEMBER 9-13!

Emerson will join thousands of schools worldwide during National Computer Science Week for Hour of Code, a global movement to introduce kids to coding while making it fun.

We need volunteers! Find your child's Hour of Code time slot and sign up at: https://bit.ly/EmersonHOC2023 (no coding experience needed).

Learn more about Hour of Code at http://hourofcode.com.

Contact hourofcode@emersonelementary.org with any questions.

PTA FUNDRAISING

HEART OF EMERSON

ONLY 2 WEEKS LEFT TO MEET OUR GOAL!

We are still $63,000 short of our goal. Please donate today to fund PE classes with Coach Robinson for all grades, school-wide events, supplies and software for classrooms, enriching field trips, and more.

ART CORNER

COW VISIT INSPIRES COW ART

Students in grades TK through 2nd created different forms of cow art. Pictured here we have drawings painted with watercolor by 2nd grade and cow collages by Kindergarten.

Aren't they moo-velous?!

BERKELEY COMMUNITY EVENT

AQUATIC PARK WINTER YOUTH FESTIVAL

Waterside Workshops is hosting a free community youth event this Saturday, December 7th. See flyer for details:

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 - 12.05.24