Berkeley School Enrollment Season Begins
November marks the beginning of the enrollment season in the Berkeley Unified School District. Upcoming dates of import for families with students moving to a new school: Berkeley High School Information Night: November 14th, 7-8pm in the BHs Community Theater See the BHS enrollment information webpage for more information on high school enrollment. Kindergarten and New BUSD Families Information Fair: December 10th, 10am - 1pm at Rosa Parks Elementary See the Berkeley School Admissions webpages for elementary steps to enrollment, FAQs, required documentation, and more. Middle School Information Nights are held in January. Dates will soon be posted on our website. |
2020 Vision: Kindergarten Readiness
Starting kindergarten is a big step in the life of every child and all of the 2020 Vision partners want Berkeley's children to start kindergarten off on the right foot. "Kindergarten Readiness" is a term used to capture this. It refers to social and emotional, cognitive and language development as well as self-care skills that children can gain in the years before Kindergarten that provide a strong foundation for their education to come. Studies show that a student's readiness level at kindergarten entry is a predictor of later success in school. Several district and 2020 Vision initiatives are underway to support getting children and families ready including:
- A Universal Kindergarten Assessment Tool used by all BUSD kindergarten teachers in the first weeks of school that gives direction on how best to meet students needs in the transition;
- Students turning five between September 1 and December 2 may participate in "High Fives," a transitional kindergarten program giving students an extra year to get ready;
- BUSD holds the Annual Kindergarten and New Family Information Fair: December 10th, 10am-1pm at Rosa Parks; and
- The 2020 Vision partners with early childhood education providers, Kindergarten teachers, and City and community health educators to share strategies and materials to help families get their preschoolers ready for kindergarten.
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Safety: Emergency Preparedness
The safety and welfare of our students and staff are our highest priority. The District received a Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) grant to improve and strengthen our emergency management plans. The plans include all four phases of emergency management: Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. Various district staff have been trained to fill critical roles in the District Emergency Operations Center (EOC), in the case of a disaster or emergency like an earthquake.
The culmination of the two years of preparedness work is taking place on November 15th when the EOC will participate in an emergency simulation at Cragmont Elementary. Every district school has a disaster preparedness plan in place and holds regular drills and trainings with students and staff. Being prepared protects students and reduces injuries.
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Superintendent's Two Way Immersion (TWI) Task Force At the most recent meeting of the TWI Task Force, the group heard reports on facilties, transportation, and enrollment considerations from District staff. The TWI Task Force voted to remove Thousand Oaks and Cragmont from consideration as possible school locations for the planned TWI School. The earliest timeline for a consolidated TWI School opening is Fall of 2013. More information from the presentations and discussion is available by viewing the meeting minutes posted here.
Next Meeting: Dec. 6th at 6:30 p.m.
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LGBTQ Inclusive Elementary Schools Forum
Our Family Coalition helped bring the Welcoming Schools curriculum into our elementary schools.
Now Our Family Coalition is offering an East Bay forum bringing parents, teachers, and administrators from the area together to talk about LGBTQ inclusion in schools.
November 17, 5:30 - 8:30 pm
See the flyer with details here.
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 The Alameda County Office of Education is hosting a Digital Technology EXPO on Sat. Nov. 19th from 10am-3pm. Students, parents, and educators are welcome to join free education, sustainability, and digital technology booths and workshops-including video and animation production, Mouse Squad (computer in a box), cyber-bullying, and much, much more. Meet Oscar nominated, Pixar Animator, Jim Capobianco and enjoy a free screening and discussion. More information here. |
