We need you for the Walk-a-thon

The Walk-a-thon is just a few days away and Malcolm X Elementary needs your help!

In years past we've raised over $1,000 from the sale of baked goods. The bakesale is one of the simplest and most effective ways to raise money for the school. Cakes, cookies, brownies, bars - it doesn't matter what you make, hungry walkers will eat it up!

To volunteer to bake something for the sale, email April Lee ASAP or call her at (510) 508-5333.

And don't forget to get pledges for this crucial fundraising event!

Together We Can!

Also, we still need volunteer helpers for the Walk-a-Thon this Saturday Oct. 18th, now we are begging! Please go to this link to sign up to make the day great and help our school!

http://www.wejoinin.com/sheets/urhno

Or contact Jessica Bohn.

PTA Meeting Wednesday Night

PTA Member Meeting: Wednesday October 15 @ 7:00pm, Malcolm X Library

Join us for the first PTA member meeting this year! Babysitting and light snacks provided.

• Come meet your PTA Board Members and other Malcolm X families. Find out how much membership dues and the One More Month campaign has raised so far this year.
• Discuss what is being done about student population growth at MX, with updates from the BUSD board meeting.
• Share what topics/workshops you’d like to see the PTA cover this year.
• Learn about how you can help at the Walk-a-thon (Saturday, Oct. 18).
• The Silent Auction (Feb. 28th) is starting to gather donations.  Do you have a special skill or own a business with something you’d like to donate? Get the word out about your business!
• Interested in joining or starting an MX Affinity Group? - An affinity group is a group formed around a shared interest or common goal. For example, UNITY/PCAD, Rainbow/LGBT, Friends and Families of Children with Special Needs, BALSA. Come help build this great MX community!

Sample Walk-a-Thon Letter

If you haven't already, please consider sending an email out to your friends, family, and co-workers today to support this Saturday's Walk-A-Thon from 10 am to 1 pm.  Below is a sample letter that you may copy.  Just change the names.  Remember if you can't make it, designate someone to walk for you and you can still collect your pledges and turn them in. This participation still counts for the class parties.

You should have received a packet (envelope) with the pledge sheet.  If you have any questions or are willing to be one of the much-needed volunteers please, contact Walk-A-Thon coordinator Jessica Bohn.

To donate to the bake sale, contact April Swartz.

Thanks for efforts!

Julie Cowles, MX PTA Fundraising Chair

SAMPLE WALK-A-THON LETTER

Dear Friends and Family,

Please consider supporting Serene and her fabulous public school, Malcolm X Elementary, by making a pledge to this Saturday's Walk-a-Thon.  The students will walk laps, hula hoop, read books, and run sprints to raise money for many important programs.

Donations will support classroom supplies, drama, dance, music, gardening and other enrichment programs for all the children at Malcolm X Elementary. These programs would not exist as they do without PTA support. Last year's Walk-a-Thon raised $25,000 for the school.

You can pledge either a flat amount or make a per-lap pledge. Classes with the most pledges will win prizes.  Please let me know as soon as possible if you are willing to donate. Funds need to be turned in by Monday, November 3th.

Serene is excited to be walking laps for her school. I hope you’ll support her efforts.

Love,

Fundraising with Farmigo (news and referral program)

This new year with Farmigo has started off wonderfully! Thank you to all of its supporters.  So far this school year we've raised close to $800 just by eating healthy local foods. It's good for the Farmers, it's good for MX PTA and it's good for your belly! 10% of weekly sales is deposited directly into the MX PTAs bank account.

Farmigo is all local and organic.  You can purchase a Farmer's Veggie box or just items you want. They offer Fruits, Veggies, Dairy- cheese, eggs, milk, Pasta and sauces, Meat, Breads and pantry items! Check it out if you haven't had a chance. Place your order by Sunday at midnight and pick up your order on Wednesdays at 1:30 at the tables near the garden. Can't make it then? You are welcome to pick up after work at my house just 4 houses down from Malcolm X. There is absolutely no commitment and no sign up cost.

Link to our MX site:  https://www.farmigo.com/malcolmxelementary

1. Farmigo and Malcolm X were recently written in the magazine Fast Company up about our progressiveness and change from the old standard bake sale and candy bar fundraising to a healthy, community conscious model for raising funds.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3036171/second-shift/move-over-bake-sales-the-new-school-fundraising-model-sells-local-organic-groce

2. Farmigo is offering a great Evan is so damn cute. Right before I left referral program.  If you know someone who is a Farmigo customer, they can refer you and you'll both get $20 off your first order. If you need a referral, let me know!

3. If you haven't already used your coupon code from the beginning of the year, enter SCHOOLSBACK at check out. It will save you $10 on any order over $20.

Happy to answer any questions and hope to see you all next Wednesday!

Becky Matthews rebecca.a.matthews@gmail.com

The WALK-A-THON is almost here!

The Malcolm X Walk-a-Thon is one week away, on Saturday, October 18! We really need more volunteers! It is easy and fun. You can help track kids laps, time sprints, jumprope or hoola hoops, hang in the garden to keep track of reading, help with set up or clean up. If you can't do a whole shift, even 30 minutes is helpful! Contact Jessica Bohn.

We need more bakesale items!!! To donate to the bakesale contact April Lee.

Keep gathering sponsors! Can't make it? Designate someone to walk for you and you can still collect your pledges and turn them in. This participation still counts for the class parties.

We look forward too seeing you at a fun-filled community event.

BUSD Toolbox Training

Toolbox Parent Education Nights!

Childcare provided

Berkeley Unified will be holding two more “Toolbox Parent Education Nights” as listed below. At this event, you will receive more information about the Social-Emotional Learning curriculum being taught at school, the “Tools” and how they work, and tips on how to use them in parenting.

The Tools are simple, but they are not easy. They require practice, practice, and more practice. We invite you to support your child in learning and practicing these Tools at home and talking with them about what they are learning about the Tools in school.

You might also think about how you could use the Tools to make parenting easier.  You are your child’s most important teacher. By learning together about the Toolbox Tools at home, you are helping your son/daughter, and us, create a happier, healthier school community together. Please join us for more information!

When: October 15th 6:30-7:30pm (Spanish Translation Provided)

Where: 2020 Bonar St., Berkeley CA District Office Technology Lab room 126

When: November 19th 6:00-7:00pm (Spanish Translation Provided)

Where: 2020 Bonar St., Berkeley CA District Office Technology Lab room 126

Any questions or concerns should be addressed to your school’s principal. We look forward to seeing you there!

Noches de Educación para Padres del Proyecto de Herramientas

Childcare provided

Berkeley Unified va a tener tres noches de educación del proyecto de herramientas para los padres. Este evento es para recibir mas información del currículo de aprendizaje de herramientas sociales y emocionales que se esta enseñando en la escuela, cuales son las “herramientas” y como trabajan e ideas como se pueden utilizar estas herramientas en el ser padre.

Las herramientas son simples, pero no son fáciles. Requieren practica, practica y mas practica. Los invitamos a apoyar su hijo/a en su aprendizaje, en practicar estas herramientas en casa y en hablar con sus hijos/as de lo que están aprendiendo en la escuela. También los invitamos a pensar como usted puede utilizar estas herramientas para hacer ser padre mas fácil.

Usted es el maestro/a mas importante de su hijo/a. En aprender las herramientas juntos en casa, usted esta ayudando su hijo/a, y esta ayudándonos a nosotros, crear una comunidad mas feliz y saludable. Por favor venga para recibir mas información!

Cuando: Octubre 15th 6:30-7:30pm (Habra Traduccion) Lugar: 2020 Bonar St. Berkeley CA District Office Technology Lab room 126

Cuando: Noviembre 19th 6:00-7:00pm (Habra Traduccion) Lugar: 2020 Bonar St. Berkeley CA District Office Technology Lab room 126

Save the Date: Berkeley PTA Council Hosts School Board Candidate Night, October 28, 2014

Berkeley PTA Council Hosts School Board Candidate Night October 28, 2014 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School

The Berkeley PTA Council, the representative body for the Berkeley School PTAs, is pleased to announce a special opportunity to hear candidates for the Berkeley School Boards address issues of concern to the PTA community. With active units in every BUSD school, the PTA is a major representative organization for our students and their community and is uniquely situated to understand the challenges and opportunities of the District. This special event is designed to provide an opportunity for candidates to address concerns of the community they hope to represent.

Questions for the candidates will be generated by the PTA membership and provided to the candidates before the event for written responses. Responses will be published on the Berkeley PTA Council website http://www.BerkeleyPTA.org and the candidates will provide their answers to selected questions at the event. Time will also be reserved for audience questions at the event.

This is the first time in recent elections that the Berkeley PTA Council will host a candidates event. The community, the PTA represents, is directly impacted by actions of the Berkeley School Board. We hope that this event will be both meaningful and informative to the Berkeley community and invite everyone to join us.

Event Details:

What: Berkeley PTA School Board Candidates Night

Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School Theater, 1781 Rose Street, Berkeley, CA

When: Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Berkeley PTA Council Executive Board

Tracy Hollander, President http://www.BerkeleyPTA.org

School Board Meeting Tonight

PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TONIGHT.  YOU CAN BRING YOUR KIDS.  IT'S FUN!  BRING SIGNS!  WEAR MALCOLM X CLOTHING!  BE VISIBLE!  BE COUNTED!

(The School Board members have openly admitted that they respond to numbers, so we need to show up in force to get our message across.)

School Board meetings are held in the District building at 2020 Bonar Street. (Enter on the side off of Addison)

Please try to get there early, between 7:00 and 7:15, and sign up for Public Comment.  Please mark "Yes" to the question about your comment relating to an agenda item ("Student Population") and submit your Public Comment card to the clerk.  YOU DO NOT ACTUALLY HAVE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT, IF YOU ARE NOT A PUBLIC SPEAKER.  You can give your time to somebody else.  But it's important that we "stuff the ballot box" with requests for Public Comment.  And if you do have a personal story to share about how "density" is impacting your family, all the better.

If you have any questions about attending, need a ride, or want to discuss this topic, please contact:

Joshua Room (joshua.room@doj.ca.gov) Anna Brock (annabrock@mac.com) Michelle Oram (michelle@planetoram.com)

We need to be present and heard at that meeting.  In this author's opinion, there are at least three "talking points" that we should emphasize in public comments to the Board:

(1)  We are grateful for the addition of an Assistant Principal, but we still need more staff, particularly in the vital categories mentioned above.  We have the same number of literacy coaches and special education staff as schools with half our student populations (and presumably half our caseloads).

(2)  The loss of our "flex spaces" (rooms not dedicated to classroom or other full-time use) isú having real consequences, including but not limited to the difficulty we are currently experiencing finding space to house our very popular and important Math Circles and Chess Tournament programs (run by Henri Ducharme, and funded by the PTA). similarly our PTA Afterschool classes were all over enrolled this past fall and limited space makes expanding the offerings to accommodate an increased student population difficult.

(3)  At least some School Board members seem to be seriously considering increasing class sizes as a realistic response to the population increase.  (This author's understanding is that under BSEP they could relatively immediately increase class size targets to an average of 26:1 across the district, with a State limit of 24:1 at K-2.)  This may be in part a result of the reality that some of the options to accommodate increased population (new construction and even installation of new portables) have a time horizon that may make them infeasible as solutions for next year.  So this may leave opening up the Adult School (or other site) or increasing class sizes as the only realistic options.

In addition to its potential impacts on individual classrooms, increasing class sizes might get us a flex space back (as it might reduce the total number of classrooms at Malcolm X), but it would not solve, and may very well increase, the "density" issues of our population (crowded auditorium, cafeteria, bathrooms, not enough space in Afterschool programs, etc.).  (I also think it would possibly spell political suicide for the reauthorization of the BSEP measure, which is scheduled for the ballot in 2016.)  So my view is that we need to help steer the School Board AWAY from increasing class sizes, and let them know that this is not (at least politically) an acceptable solution.  The best way to do that might be to ask (in our public comments) that the School Board members commit to not increasing class sizes as a solution, even temporarily.

Thanks for listening.  Together We Can!

Josh

Walk & Roll to School Day is Wednesday 10/8

Join the fun on Walk and Roll to School Day Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 - 7:45-8:10 @ the picnic tables

Bonus: If you're able to help cheer families on before school on Wednesday, contact Sofia (szander@gmail.com).

The students, parents, and teachers at Malcolm X will celebrate International Walk & Roll to School Day this year on Wednesday, October 8th. This is a great opportunity to celebrate our health, the environment, and our school spirit.  We’re encouraging every student to participate.

What’s going on? Stop by the picnic tables for:

*A school-wide mode chart to see how we get to school

*Giveaways for kids

*and more!

If you live nearby: Meet up with neighbors and friends to walk or ride to school together. Allow plenty of time for walking and enjoying the morning festivities. Or just walk or bike with your child on your own schedule.

If you live farther away:

*Bike with your child.

*Take the bus with your child and walk from the bus stop.

*Carpool with another family. Spare the environment and reduce morning stress for yourself: connect with other families who live in your neighborhood.

*Park and walk

Thank you for eating at Phil's Sliders!

Thank you for joining us on Monday, September 29 at Phil's Sliders. 

It was our best fundraiser at Phil's yet.  Together we raised $412.26!

Register for afterschool enrichment classes!

Check out our new PTA afterschool enrichment website and sign up for classes today

Our fall session of PTA enrichment classes is almost upon us - registration lottery deadline is September 17, with classes starting on September 29.

Go to our new afterschool enrichment website to explore the course catalog, view detailed class descriptions and instructor bios, and register for classes. 

Email Vicki Davis with any questions or register now!

Supporting our bellies and our school with Farmigo

Order fresh, local, organic food online through Farmigo and pick it up on the MX playground each Wednesday.

Farmigo is a flexible CSA, which allows you to order only what you want (fruit, veggies, milk, eggs, cheese, meat, bread, pantry items) or you can get a traditional CSA produce box. There's no ongoing commitment, or sign up fee, which makes it great for busy schedules, and makes it fun for our kids to try different and hard to find produce like Kohlrabi. 

Best of all, ten percent of weekly proceeds go directly to the MX PTA, and last year we raised $2,500 for MX! This year we hope to go bigger!

Email MX parent Becky Matthews to sign up or learn more.

Welcome Back!

School will begin again on Wednesday, August 27. Welcome to all students, teachers, staff, and families!

The PTA will host a Welcome Reception from 8:00-10:00 am on the first day of school (Wednesday, August 27). Join us in the MX auditorium for coffee, pastries, and fruit, and a short message from Principal Hunt.

Find out what's going on at our school! Please sign up for the MX E-tree, by sending an e-mail to: mx.etree@gmail.com.