October 2, 2017
A+ News

In this Edition:
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  • Attendance Awareness
  • Why 9th Grade Matters Night
  • Educator Recognition
  • School & District Committee Orientation
  • Schools Fund & Berkeley Half Marathon
  • Special Board Meeting: Oct 4
  • Upcoming Events/Meetings, and more
Watch Aiesha performing for students as she has been doing throughout the school district as part of Attendance Awareness activities.
Boosting Attendance Awareness with Rap

Aiesha Lockett of the Office of Student Services powered up Rosa Park’s Friday morning on Sept. 22 with a rap song that raises awareness among students and families about the importance of attending school all day, every day.

Dressed as “Attendance Hero” with a cape made by students at Jefferson Elementary, Lockett toured her rap song performance at BUSD schools as part of the district’s Attendance Awareness Month events. The lyrics , co-authored by Lockett and Student Services counselor Sophina Jones, use rap to capture the students’ imagination and attention.

Lockett said the rap performance was added this year in conjunction with the Office of Student Services’ goal of engaging with students about attendance in innovative ways that encourage student initiative. From elementary schools to high schools, students made banners, participated in games and raffles, and held attendance contests in celebration of the month.

Story continues on our webpage .
School & Committee Orientation: October 19
The annual orientation for members of school and district committees will take place on  Thursday, October 19  at  Longfellow Middle   School, 1500 Derby St.  The optional dinner is at 5:30, followed by the  orientation and mini-meetings from 6:00-8:00 pm .

Recommended for new and returning members alike, the evening will include the answers to Frequently Asked Questions about site committee purposes and processes, as well as time for committees to have mini-meetings to launch some of the work for the year.

Be part of the conversations happening at your school and across the District! Join your school’s Site Council, English Learner Committee, or the District Planning and Oversight Committee to provide and gain new perspectives.  Read about the role of the various committees here.
"Why 9th Grade Matters"
Parent Evening at BHS
Ninth grade families were warmly welcomed to the Berkeley High School community at a reception and workshop on September 19. Organized by BHS Parent Outreach Staff Irma Parker and Leticia Amezcua, the event featured a number of BHS administrators and specialized staff who shared resources and information that will support students to navigate and succeed at Berkeley High.

Principal Schweng shared the importance of freshmen starting high school off on the right foot stating that "9th grade matters because it is the critical period when students figure out their friends and adult advocates at the school, and Berkeley High School’s goal is to increase the percentage of students who agree that 'there is an adult on campus who knows them well' to 100%." 
More details of the event are in the extended story on the district website .
BUSD Educators Recognized for Service
Congratulations to the 12 BUSD employees and one school volunteer honored yesterday, Sun. Sept. 24, in the annual education awards sponsored by Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Berkeley.

The awards were initiated in 1997 by Pastor Marvis Peoples. They reflect the church’s educational mission and desire to recognize those individuals who’ve made outstanding contributions toward promoting the well-being and educational opportunities of Berkeley youth.
Holding their certificates at the Sept. 24 Education Recognition Sunday at Liberty Hill Missionary Baptist Church are BUSD employees (left to right) Michele Ferrell, Steve Saunders and Dave Stevens. 


Upcoming Meetings and Events
Is This Your Year for the Berkeley 5K, 10K or Half Marathon?
The Berkeley Public Schools Fund is partnering again this year with the Berkeley Half Marathon to raise funds for their grant programs for Berkeley teachers. They're looking for team members to run the 5k, 10k or Half Marathon. Free registration is available!  Just click "Get Started" on the  Fundraising/Team Page  and get ready to run on November 19!
Save the Date: November 30

Dine Out Fundraiser for Gardening & Cooking Program in the Schools
All the details, and a growing list of participating restaurants, are on our webpage .
You will find some of our Garden & Cooking Program educators at the city-sponsored Harvest Festival on October 14! Come on out !
School Board Meetings
October 4, 6-8pm

October 11, 7:30 pm

Board Meetings are held in the Board Room, 1231 Addison St, unless otherwise noted.

School board meeting agendas/materials are posted at least 72 hours before meetings on the School Board Meeting Information page of our website.
In case you missed it
Board President's Statement on Vile Social Media Account
The Sept. 27 School Board meeting included many comments by students, Board members and Superintendent Evans reflecting the emotional turmoil at Berkeley High and in the District caused by a social media account generated by a small group of BHS students that contained deeply offensive and discriminatory content.

The day after the meeting, Board President Ty Alper issued a statement to BUSD families that incorporated his comments from the meeting. The statement was accompanied by an introduction from Superintendent Donald Evans. BHS Principal Erin Schweng also sent a letter to BHS families on Tuesday evening last week.
Two New Posts Up on the DigitechTeach Blog
The DigiTechTeach blog has two new posts up about how technology is being used to expand teaching tools and learning opportunities for Berkeley public school students.

You can read about the classroom applications our middle and high school math teachers have found with the Desmos software.

There's also a piece about teachers' efforts over the summer to explore and develop the use of Google and other online tools that make learning engaging and differentiated to meet the needs of students.
Berkeley Unified School District | 2020 Bonar Street | 510-644-8764 | www.berkeleyschools.net