MX Morning Sing!

Join the students, teachers, and families of the Malcolm X community for a fun and inspirational sing-along.  If you have a few extra minutes at drop-off time, come and help create school spirit by sharing our voices and creating a culture of harmony and participation.

Grades TK, K, 2, 4:  Second Friday of each month (subject to change)

Grades 1, 3, 5:  Third Friday of each month (subject to change)

We’ll meet at the amphitheater at the 8:10 bell to sing some simple songs together. It’s fun, and kids love it when parents are there to sing along.

Here’s the schedule for the coming year:

January 8         TK    K    2    4
January 15       1    3    5
February 19      TK    K    2    4
February 26      1    3    5
March 11          TK    K    2    4
March 18          1    3    5
April 8              TK    K    2    4
April 15             1    3    5
May 13             TK    K    2    4
May 20             1    3    5

All the best in 2016!

Mr. Ryk

Thank You For Your Contributions to the Holiday Food Drive

THANK YOU for making the Holiday Food Drive possible.  Thanks to the families who contributed, and thanks to the families who volunteered to organize and pass out bags. Together we were able to serve 64 families.  The collaborative effort was met with a sea of gratitude from needy families.  We will be doing two more food drives: Spring Break and a Summer Send Off.

This past summer I applied for and received a grant through Alameda County's Food Bank for a School Pantry, to serve the needs of all district families. However, there is now the issue of space.  Having this pantry is a vital piece to support the sustainability of many families within this district.  This pantry would have the potential to be a hub to engage parents through targeted workshops in areas where access is a barrier.  I envision workshops about learning languages, culture, technology, understanding Common Core, medical access (for those without insurance), in addition to information about ways to participate as a parent to affect change for children and families within this district.  Together we can create ways to manage this space and serve families where they are, to produce equitable outcomes for all students.

Please stop by, let's talk!  If you feel like finding a space for this pantry would be an important addition to our community, please make your voice heard! Organization is the key!

Together WE CAN!

Ms. Jocelyn

Jocelyn Foreman
Malcolm X/John Muir
Site Coordinator for Family Engagement and Equity
(510) 684-4100

Walk & Roll Mode Chart Summary

We had another wonderful Walk & Roll celebration on Wednesday, December 2nd. We counted 123 students who stopped by the tables near the Ellis Street gate to document how they got to school (and pick up a sticker). Here's the results:

  • 25% walked
  • 31% rolled (including TWO bike trains!)
  • 16% bussed
  • 7% carpooled
  • 21% drove

Join us again on WEDNESDAY January 6th! Visit www.malcolmxelementary.org/walknroll to learn more!

First Annual MX Craft Fair a Huge Success

The First Annual MX Craft Fair was a huge success!  Over 20 vendors -- including several Malcolm X parents, alumni, and even current students! -- sold beautiful handmade art, clothing and other sewn pieces, notecards, jewelry, delicious food, origami, and bath and beauty products.  Thank you to all of our bakers and chefs who made delicious savory and sweet treats for the Bake Sale; and our many volunteers who welcomed families to the Craft Fair, sold raffle tickets, wrapped beautiful packages, hung up signs, and set up/cleaned up the event.  We raised over $1200 for the PTA!

We hope that the Craft Fair becomes a sustainable, enjoyable event for many years to come!  Together We Can!

Reminder from Mr Hunt: How to excuse and absence

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear MX Families,

As the winter sets in and students start to get the sniffles, I would like to review how to excuse an absence. You can call, email, or come in person to the office to excuse an absence for illness within 5 days. The contact for email is our school secretary, Erin Holland (erinholland@berkeley,net). Please contact the office directly, rather than leaving this information with the teacher. It creates an additional step for our busy teachers to remember, and we may end up with crossed signals.

  • If your child is ill for more than 3 consecutive days, please provide the office with a doctor's note to excuse the absence.
  • Please remember that family vacations and trips are not excused absences, and remember to schedule them during school breaks.
  • If your child will be missing part of the day for an appointment, please still bring them to school for the remainder of the day, along with a note from the doctor or dentist.

Attend today, Achieve for a Lifetime!

Sincerely,

Alexander Marcos Hunt

Principal

Support BUSD Gardening and Cooking Programs at Dine Out 2016

The BUSD Gardening and Cooking Program engages all students in preschool through high school with hands-on instruction in science, language arts, environment, and nutrition education in 17 school gardens.  As part of the 2020 Vision for Berkeley Children and Youth, the program is woven into student life to help close the achievement gap by ensuring their academic, physical, emotional, and social development.  We're the only school district-wide garden-based learning program of this kind and we can only do it with community partnerships.  Each year we face a gap in funding, where our estimates don't meet our actuals.  This is mainly due to salary increases.  This year we have a $10K gap that we need to fill through fundraising.

We are planning a big fundraiser called Dine Out on Thursday, February 18, 2016.  Dine Out is when we partner with local businesses and restaurants in support of our schools, particularly the Gardening and Cooking Program.  We do a big push inviting folks to come and dine out with us that whole day and night, and a percentage of sales from each participating restaurant goes to supporting the BUSD Gardening and Cooking Program, which we really need!

Dine Out is a win-win for local restaurants, the community, and the schools.  This year, we are seeking ambassadors for each restaurant corner or location to help welcome folks; hand out postcards out about our program and the district (particularly BSEP); and sell raffle tickets to big prizes.  Please contact Jezra Thompson at jezrathompson@berkeley.net or Mia Villenueva at miavillenueva@berkeley.net for more information.

“Dreaming Big: Public Education in Berkeley” Community Event

"Dreaming Big: Public Education in Berkeley," sponsored by the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, will be held on Thursday, December 10th, from 6:00pm-7:30pm in the Berkeley Technology Academy multipurpose room, 2701 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

Pizza will be served starting at 5:30, and at 6:00 we'll begin with a panel discussion framed around two big questions:

  • What is working in public education today?
  • In thinking about how to improve public education, what should we strive for?

The panel will include BUSD Board President Judy Appel, both student BUSD School Board Directors, a LeConte parent, a Longfellow teacher, and education scholar Peter Ross, Chief of Staff at the Learning Policy Institute at Stanford University.

After the panel, there will be significant time for table discussions about the same questions.  We expect a great turnout of teachers, staff, parents, students, and elected officials.  There's a lot to talk about in BUSD this year, with BSEP renewal, Local Control Funding, and other important ballot measures coming up!  Our goal is to spark robust discussion in the community about the kinds of schools our children deserve.

Please direct any questions to BFT Vice President John Becker at johnbecker@berkeley.net.

Order Holiday Cards Through TinyPrints and Support MX

Ordering holiday cards and gifts online this year?  Support Malcolm X and use coupon code TPPH66C9A7 on Tiny Prints to receive 40% off!  (The code expires on December 31, 2015.)  Simply log on to http://malcolmxelementary.shutterflystorefront.com, and choose Tiny Prints from the storefront, and you can apply the 40%-off code at checkout.  The best part: Malcolm X gets a portion of the sale price!  MX earned over $500 last year using this storefront.

First Annual MX Craft Fair Coming Up on December 12th!

Come to the MX Craft Fair to do some winter holiday shopping and connect with our communities within Malcolm X as well as our larger Berkeley/East Bay neighborhoods!  Bring your friends, family, and neighbors.  In addition to shopping for locally handmade goods and services, we're planning crafts for the kids, a raffle of goods donated by the vendors, a bake sale, and a gift wrap table.

Date: Saturday, December 12, 2015
Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Location: the MX Auditorium

Want to help or get involved?  We'll need a hand with set up, break down, gift-wrapping – and at the bake sale and kids' craft activities tables.  We can also use some help with organizing donations of home baked goodies!  If you're interested in volunteering, please email Erin Jurnove at mx@jurnove.com.

All proceeds from vendor table fees, the bake sale table, volunteer gift wrap services, raffle ticket sales, sales of any donated student artwork, etc. will go directly to the MX PTA to support the students and teachers at Malcolm X.

Middle School Information Night for MX Families

Come and hear from parents and students from Longfellow, Williard, OSA, King, and REALM!  The event will be held on Wednesday, December 9th at 7:00pm in the MX Auditorium.

Open to all families who are interested in learning more about public school options for their students!  Childcare will be available; no dinner, but a few snacks will be provided if you are coming from work.

Know a current middle school parent or student who might want to be on the panel?  If you know any former MX students and/or their parents who would like to be on the panel, they can provide their info in this spreadsheet and they will be contacted: http://tinyurl.com/o72wtsv

Office of Family Engagement Wish List

General Items

  • Backpacks which are new and gently used
  • Socks: Sizes 4-10
  • Shoes: Sizes 7 children to size 7 for men/women
  • Rain Coats
  • Shoe Laces
  • Sweaters
  • Coats
  • Underwear
  • Belts

Toiletries

  • Toothpaste
  • Face Towels
  • Bar Soap/Body Wash
  • Deodorant

Snacks

  • Cheese crackers
  • Canned soup
  • Raisins/ Trail mix
  • Top Ramen
  • Bottle Water
  • Oatmeal Packs

First Annual MX Craft Fair

Put Saturday, December 12, 2015 on your calendar!

Come to the MX Craft Fair to do some winter holiday shopping and connect with our communities within Malcolm X, as well as our larger Berkeley/East Bay neighborhoods! Bring your friends, family, and neighbors.  In addition to selling locally handmade goods and services, we're planning crafts for the kids, a raffle of goods donated by the vendors, a bake sale, and a gift-wrapping table.

Date: Saturday, December 12, 2015
Time: 10 am to 2 pm (set up starts at 8:30 am)
Location: the Auditorium at Malcolm X Elementary

Interested in vending?
We’re still looking within our Malcolm X community for makers and small businesses to sell their wares.  A moderate/reasonable table fee will apply and vendors will be chosen by application.  For more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/1jxrnjp

For any questions about vending or applying, email Angel Huntington-Ortega (mom to 1st grader, Amalia and MX alum, Paloma) at angelhasemail@gmail.com.

Want to help or get involved?  We'll need a hand with set up, break down, gift wrapping, and at the bake sale table.  We can also use some help with organizing donations of home baked goodies, coordinating the raffle and student art sales, and coordinating kids' craft activities.

If you're interested in volunteering (whether it's a specific task or you just want to help/learn more/be involved), email Erin Jurnove (mom to 2nd grader, Isaac) at mx@jurnove.com.

All proceeds from vendor table fees, the bake sale table, volunteer gift wrap services, raffle ticket sales, sales of any donated student artwork, etc. will go directly to the MX PTA to support the students and teachers at Malcolm X.

Volunteer Opportunity: Kindergarten Tours

Volunteer to lead a school tour for prospective families.

It's time again to share our amazing school with prospective Kindergarten families for the 2016 - 2017 school year!

Are you interested in volunteering to be a Parent Tour Guide? We are looking for a few more volunteers to help lead tours. This is a terrific way to volunteer and support MX school.

It takes minimal training. Most of the incoming families are Kindergarten parents, so parents of K and 1st- graders are excellent guides, giving their first-hand knowledge of the process. Parents of upper-grade
students are also excellent for sharing their experiences throughout the years at the
school.

Tours will be given on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, starting November 17 and running through January 28. Tours begin at 8:30am and end at 9:30am. Occasionally, parents stay a little longer, asking questions or touring upper-grade classrooms. There are 17 morning slots to fill, with two tour guides each.

If you who would like to “train” as a guide, you are welcome to accompany the Tuesday, November 17, Thursday, November 19 or Tuesday, November 24 tours.

Please contact Pam Waller at radiantpam@aol.com if you would like to volunteer or want to learn more.

Thank you!

Thank You, Malcolm X Farmigo Customers!

Thank you all Farmigo customers for your amazing support.  We are a community of 142 strong!  In order to keep this amazing program alive at Malcolm X, delivery of Farmigo will be any time after 1:30pm on Wednesdays at the organizer’s home on Ellis Street, just four houses south of MX.  (If you drive to school, you probably park further than her house!)  So continue to eat well, continue to raise money for your school!  So far we've raised $6363.15 in the two years Farmigo has been going!

Farmigo offers fresh, local, and organic food through its online marketplace.  You place your order, and pick it up after school on Wednesdays -- and 10% of the weekly proceeds go directly to the Malcolm X PTA!

Some great things about Farmigo:

  • You only order what – and how much – you want.  No sign-up fees, no ongoing commitments, no minimum orders.
  • Farmigo offers fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, frozen meats, breads, fresh pastas, and other items.  

Check it out: https://www.farmigo.com/malcolmxelementary

For more information, contact Becky Matthews at rebecca.a.matthews@gmail.com or 510-499-1975.

International Walk & Roll to School Day a Big Success!

What a great way to kick off the year!  Our first Walk & Roll Wednesday was a smash success, with over 200 students stopping by the mode chart at the picnic tables and recording how they got to school.

Here’s the results:

  • Walk - 29%
  • Roll - 23%
  • Carpool - 11%
  • Bus - 14%
  • Car - 23%

There was also a strong group of bikers who joined the inaugural bike train down Russell.  Email Sofia Zander at szander@gmail.com if you’re interested in starting your own (or want to know more about how that bike train went)!

Join us again on these 2015-16 Wednesdays:

  • November 4
  • December 2
  • January 6
  • February 3
  • March 2nd (Golden Sneaker Contest!)
  • April 6th
  • and Thursday, May 12th (Bike to School Day)!

And there's more!  You can help!  Adults are needed to help hand out goodies on the morning of these events.  Even if you only can stay for a few minutes, many hands help keep everything running smoothly. Just show up, or email Sofia if you have questions or ideas!

Together we can!

Garden Work Party, Saturday October 24, 2015

Hello MX Families!  Saturday, October 24 is Berkeley Project Day, a day of community volunteer service for UC Berkeley students and community members.  The work day is from 10:00am-3:00pm.

Ms. Rivka will have a team of students working with her on a range of projects in the MX school garden. She is looking for an adult with CARPENTRY SKILLS to work with a few students to repair a garden bed.  If you can help, please contact Rivka at rivka77@cs.com, or swing by the garden to talk to her in person.

In addition to carpenters, any MX families interested in volunteering are welcome!  For more information, contact the Malcolm X Garden liaisons: Bridget, at bhughesmanda@gmail.com or Louise, at louiseceleste@hotmail.com.

First Annual Malcolm X Craft Fair - December 12, 2015

Put Saturday, December 12, 2015 on your calendar!

Come to the first annual Malcolm X Craft Fair to do some winter holiday shopping and connect with our communities within Malcolm X as well as our larger Berkeley/East Bay neighborhoods!  Bring your friends, family, and neighbors.  In addition to shopping for locally handmade goods and services, we're planning crafts for the kids, a raffle of goods donated by the vendors, a bake sale, and a gift wrap table.

The Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2015 from 10:00am-2:00pm in the MX Auditorium.

All proceeds from vendor table fees, the bake sale table, volunteer gift wrap services, raffle ticket sales, sales of any donated student artwork, etc. will go directly to the MX PTA to support the students and teachers at Malcolm X.

Interested in vending?  We’re looking within our Malcolm X community for makers and small businesses to sell their wares.  A moderate/reasonable table fee will apply and vendors will be chosen by application.  Keep your eye on your E-Tree for applications in October!

For questions about vending or applying, email Angel Huntington-Ortega at angelhasemail@gmail.com.

Want to help or get involved?  We'll need a hand with set up, break down, gift wrapping, and at the bake sale table.  We can also use some help organizing donations of home-baked goodies; coordinating the raffle; coordinating student art sales; coordinating kids’ craft activities; and are seeking a graphic designer to put together an awesome flyer (for use in print and social media); and a promotions coordinator (put up flyers, update MX Facebook, etc).

If you’re interested in volunteering, please email Erin Jurnove at mx@jurnove.com.

Order Your Thanksgiving Turkey Through Farmigo and Support MX

If you’ve been wondering if Farmigo will be offering locally raised turkeys for Thanksgiving, I’m happy to announce that the answer is YES!!  Four different turkey options, ranging in size to feed 5-11 people, are now available to pre-order.  They will be delivered frozen on Wednesday, November 18.  Farmigo uses a pre-order system because the small local farm providing these turkeys relies on Thanksgiving as a main source of income and has a limited supply, so it’s especially important to estimate demand among our Farmigo members.  Best of all, 10% of the purchase price will go to Malcolm X.

You can pick your turkey up at 3112A Ellis Street (4 houses south of MX) anytime after 1:30pm on November 18, 2015.

Turkeys are local, coming from BN Ranch in Merced County, as well as pasture-raised in the fresh outdoors and fed non-GMO vegetarian feed, with corn to supplement their natural diet.  You can search for “Thanksgiving” in the Farmigo marketplace to see all four options!

To pre-order a turkey, you’ll be asked to pay a $30 deposit up front, and the remainder of the price is charged when turkeys are delivered.  Price estimates are listed in the marketplace, but you’ll be charged based on the actual weight of the turkey.  If you have any more questions about the ordering process, visit

Visit https://www.farmigo.com/market/malcolmxelementary-berkeley (and click on “Meats & Seafood”).

Phil's Sliders Fundraiser for Malcolm X - Nov 3 & 4, 2015

Join us on November 3 and 4, 2015 at Phil's Sliders (2024 Shattuck Avenue) AND raise money for the MX PTA! 

Phil's Sliders donates 10% of the entire day's revenue to MX PTA!  Phil's will also give 10% of delivery orders (through Trycaviar.com) and call in orders for curbside pick-up.  Also, if anyone places catering orders on their website (www.philssliders.com) and notes the MX fundraiser, Phil’s will give 10% of those orders as well.  Catering is great for birthday parties, etc.  Phil's also has gift cards for sale.

Phil's is making sure to be heavily staffed to avoid any delays in service.  SO... Grab your family and friends and head to downtown Berkeley for lunch or dinner at Phil's Sliders.

Phil's serves delicious beef sliders made from Marin Sun Farms grass-fed beef, portabella mushroom sliders, homemade potato tots, milkshakes made with homemade organic ice cream, fresh coleslaw made with organic veggies, and daily baked desserts.  They also serve beer on tap and seasonal, house-made sangria.

Phil's is family-friendly and features a giant chalk wall, outdoor seating, and kid combo meals – so bring the whole family!  

Mention you are with the MX PTA when placing your order.  See you there!

For more information, visit http://www.philssliders.com or email Erika Pollak at ErikaY_@Hotmail.com.