Students and Educator Thelette Bennett Recognized on MLK Jr. Day

Berkeley's 4th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast filled the room at HS Lordships January 19th, as people from throughout the community came together to celebrate King's legacy. "Next Generation Awards" were presented to leaders in our student community, and a "Lifetime Achievement Award" was bestowed on retired BHS Vice Principal Thelette Bennett. The theme for the day was "Beyond the Dream... Working Together," a clear call to action for all those in attendance to make a difference.  More here.

Schools throughout the district celebrated Dr. King with classroom and school-wide activities.

For example, Oxford Elementary held a Friday morning Oratorical Fest during which full classes, small groups, and individual students sang and spoke. 

Recent Health & Safety Notices
 

Statewide Measles Outbreak with cases in Alameda County prompted this Berkeley Public Health message. Please read.

Sexual Harassment Prevention
Superintendent Evans and Board President Appel sent a letter out to middle and high school parents regarding efforts to work on developing a school culture focused on sexual harassment prevention. Read the letter and policy overview here.
Friday, February 6, 2015 TK-8 New Student Enrollment Deadline for 2015-16

More about admissions process here:
 Elementary Schools
 Middle Schools
 Berkeley High School

Note: BHS holds its Winter Information Night for  Incoming 9th grade students and parents: Wed., Feb. 11 (7-9pm)
BUSD Meetings and Events Google Calendar

Note: Berkeley High Open House is Feb. 5th at 7pm.

Schools Closed for President's Day, Fri. Feb. 13 & Mon., Feb. 16
Google Calendar
meets Wednesdays, Jan. 28th & Feb. 11, 7:30pm
1231 Addison (at Bonar)
meets Tuesdays, Jan. 27th & Feb. 10, 7:00pm
2020 Bonar St., Rm. 126

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Professional Development Day Focuses on Health, Safety, Full Inclusion, and Equity
New classified employees were introduced and welcomed.

While students enjoyed a long weekend with no school this past Monday, all elementary school teachers and staff were participating in an array of professional workshops and training. Classified staff include those who work as school secretaries, safety officers, payroll technicians, custodians, nutrition staff, program assistants, instructional assistants, bus drivers, and those in other positions which support the success of our schools. Topics included CPR, Health & Safety, Full Inclusion Practices, Sexual Harassment Prevention, Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and more. 
 
In the morning, elementary teachers, occupational therapists,
Professional Development Coordinator Michelle Sinclair and Director of Schools Maggie Riddle discuss workshops.
instructional assistants, and other program staff focused on learning more about full inclusion practices that serve students who struggle with ADHD, trauma, autism, and other social-emotional and learning challenges. There was a special afternoon session for instructional assistants, "How to support students with exceptional needs in the inclusive setting." Other sessions focused on cultural competency, using students' life experiences to enrich learning, and other equity-driven strategies.
LCAP Town Hall Meeting: February 19, 7pm
Please join Superintendent Evans, district leaders, and members of the Parent Advisory and District English Learner Advisory Committees for a Town Hall on Thursday, February 19th at Longfellow Middle School in the Theater at 7:00pm (please note new date).

This is a chance for those in the larger school community to receive an update on the first six months of implementation of Berkeley's LCAP, and to ask questions and offer thoughts for moving forward. You can learn more about our plan by starting here.
Locally-developed Academic Support Index (ASI) Recognized
The California Educational Research Association's 2014 Outstanding Paper was awarded to Dave Stevens, Teacher on Special Assignment for the Berkeley Research Evaluation and Assessment department, for his work on developing the Academic Support Index (ASI). One application of the ASI is to identify students who might benefit from academic and/or other available supports. Having been used at Berkeley High over the past three years to connect students with programs and services, the ASI is now being considered for use district-wide.

Dave Stevens will be sharing a brief overview of how the tool is being used as part of the LCAP Town Hall on Feb. 19th. To better understand the ASI, you can read his award-winning paper that outlines the research and thinking behind the benefits.
Berkeley High School Permanent Principal Search BHS Community Theater
Thank you to those who gave of their time to provide input to members of the executive search team working with district leaders to recruit qualified candidates to apply for the permanent principal position at Berkeley High School. The timeline for the principal search and hire process is outlined here. 
Gourmet Ghetto Wine Walk Benefits Cooking and Gardening Program! 
Join us on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 for a leisurely love-filled evening of treats, sweets, and wine in full Berkeley spirit. The Gardening & Cooking Program is partnering with the North Berkeley Gourmet Ghetto and many generous wineries, restaurants, eateries, and boutiques along Shattuck and Vine in for a taste-sational stroll from 4-8 pm. Get your commemorative wine glass and event tickets.
Watch Berkeley High's Winter Dance Performance Online
If you missed the recent BHS Winter Dance Performance in early January, or if you were so enthralled  you would like to see it again, you can catch a video of each performance here.
Friends & Family - Programming and Robotics
As we kick off the second semester, you can support teachers' classroom projects by donating to the Schools Fund's Friends & Family Grants! 

Check out the two district-wide STEM projects led by Instructional Technology Teacher Allison Krasnow:  Computer Programming for All and  Inspire with STEM and Robotics. The first grant will pay for a district-wide site license for Code Monkey, a self-paced, differentiated program to teach computer programming in grades 4-8. The second grant will pay for classroom robotics kits and Arduino programming boards to be used in elementary classrooms throughout the district. Friends & Family allows teachers to apply for funding year-round, and community donors can choose exactly where their contribution goes. Friends & Family is only available to Berkeley public school teachers, and the site is searchable by school, teacher, and subject area.

 

Take a look and donate today!