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Berkeley High School Kicked Off Unity Week with All Student Assembly

A "Show of Unity" All Student Assembly was held at Berkeley High School on Friday afternoon -  a first for current students. Amber Lee, a Senior active on leadership, led the entire school community in a positive show of unity in her role as emcee. Many students were involved in planning the show, which included dance performances by students in each grade, recognition of the many fall season student athletes, and a lively game to remind students about the food drive and upcoming annual holiday meal. 

Two acts brought the entire Community Theater audience to its feet: A sing-along to
Lean on Me performed by students  William Lundquist and
Aponi O'Keefe  - caught here on video by a parent chaperone, and a surprise dance performance by Berkeley High teachers and staff.
Notice about State Testing Results:
Score reports for students who participated in the Smarter Balanced Assessment this past spring have been mailed. More information about our assessment program is available here.


Free and Reduced Lunch Form
Please help us qualify for state and federal funds available to serve our students. We need every family to complete a Free and Reduced Lunch Form.
District Meetings & Events

Google Calendar
Brown Act Committees Open to the Public:
Wednesdays: 
Oct. 19 (7:15pm)
Nov.  2 (7:30pm)
School Board Meetings are held in the Board Room at 1231 Addison Street.
All School Board meetings are viewable live on local cable channel 33 and on  the BUSD YouTube channel .
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What Happens on Staff Development Day? 
Ever wonder what the teachers and staff do on Staff Development Days?  Of course, a staff development day means students don't go to school, but have you ever wondered what school and district staff members do? Well,  they go to school!

In classrooms, school libraries and meeting rooms across the District, the seats where students usually sit are filled with teachers, principals, secretaries, custodians and the many other BUSD employees -- all learning how they can improve the educational and school experience for the students.
The huge variety of presentations and trainings at our most recent Staff Professional Development Day, on Oct. 10, made for a full and interesting day of learning.  An unofficial count showed more than 100 different sessions throughout the day. Read more about the learning opportunities provided for our teachers and staff

Asked her reaction to the activities she experienced, new Berkeley High math teacher Jasmin Mumford said, "It was very well organized, prepared and professional. It was very informative and educational for me!"
School & District Committee Orientation: October 18 
The annual district-wide orientation for members of school and district committees will take place on  Tuesday, October 18th at Longfellow Middle School ( optional dinner at  5:30 , followed by the meeting from  6-8:00). The evening will include an update on the BSEP measure (on the ballot this November), an orientation to committee essentials ("the toolbox"), and an opportunity for committees to have a mini-meeting at which to launch some of the work for the year. The  draft agenda for the evening is here. 

This evening is for members of:  School Governance Councils (SGCs), the BHS School Site Council and BSEP Site Committee, English Learner Advisory Committees (ELAC) and District English Learner Advisory Committees (DELAC) as well as anyone who wants to learn more about how these committees function.  

We'd appreciate knowing you are coming! If possible, please  RSVP here.

Childcare and Spanish interpretation are available.  
Do you know about Readers Workshop?
Readers Workshop is a central component of the school literacy program used in every BUSD elementary school. The workshop follows a predictable format that always begins with a lesson on a specific reading strategy followed by independent reading time during which students practice the new strategy. This structure allows students to build a repertoire of reading skills that they can call upon, and just in case they need a refresher, there are reference charts around the room as a reminder of all of the skills they can use to engage with the text.

Classroom libraries are used to allow students to go "book shopping." Students know where to "shop" to select the texts within their reading level. Students have dedicated time during the workshop to read, while teachers meet with different small groups of students and provide targeted instruction or meet individually with kids to directly coach them in their reading. The Readers Workshop closes with students gathering for a quick share out related to the strategy taught that day in the lesson.

Vital to our literacy program is the home reading component. Students should be bringing home books to read, and our 3rd-5th grade students use a reading log to keep track of their reading. Students are encouraged to finish books they've started in Readers Workshop that night at home, while younger students may be re-reading books that are familiar to them from the school day.

Families are encouraged make reading at home a regular family activity. Here are five top tips to encourage reading at home!
Noted Writer/Artist Grace Lin Brings Chinese Fairy Tale to Life
Dragons and other mythic Chinese creatures captivated young imaginations at Rosa Parks Elementary School on October 5th when award-winning author/illustrator  Grace Lin provided an illustrated journey through the fabulous tale in her newly published book, When the Sea Turned to Silver .

Eager hands went up as soon as the author asked for Readers Theater volunteers among the third, fourth and fifth graders gathered in the school Cafetorium. Four students donned costumes to portray various characters, while Lin narrated the story with projected slides of the book's illustrations. To top it off, Lin taught the entire audience how to draw a mythical Chinese dragon - right on the spot. 

"Grace Lin's work is imaginative, inspiring and incredibly beautiful," said BUSD Library Coordinator Becca Todd, who organized the visit. Lin's appearance was an ideal complement to two reading-focused initiatives launched by BUSD this school year: the  Mock Newbery Book Club and The Year of the Reader Read more