[BHS etree] ETREE: Last week at BHS summarized/rumors dispelled

[bhs at idiom.com]

Contact: Janet Huseby [mailto:jhuseby at pacbell.net]
 
A lot happened at Berkeley High last week--summarized below for your
information and to put any rumors to rest which might be circulating. 
 
1. On Tuesday there was a raid by the immigration service (ICE
formerly known as the INS) in Berkeley. A family was arrested. Within
a very short time the news was broadcast on Spanish language radio.
Many students at Berkeley High were very upset. That night our
superintendent telephoned all BUSD families in both English and
Spanish to reassure them that no government agents will be allowed on
any BUSD campus. 
 
2. On Wednesday just before school started a group of students in the
park across from Berkeley High  were threatened by a boy who claimed
to have a gun.  One of the students promptly reported the threat to
the police and our security officers who responded rapidly. It was
decided the safest place for our students was in class until the
situation was clarified. Within an hour the boy was apprehended and
school was back to normal. No gun was found at the time, although it
has been reported that an air gun was discovered on Thursday inside a
backpack in the boys' locker room of the Old Gym.
 
3. On Thursday there was an altercation between one of our students
and a homeless man off campus. The homeless man chased our student
onto campus.  He was carrying a knife which he dropped (before he came
on campus) when he spotted our security officers who surrounded him.
The homeless man was arrested.  The student was taken to the hospital
because he was hyperventilating. 
 
4. On Friday a teacher in the C building decided to cook wontons on
some hotplates. She set the fire alarm off and the entire school had
to be evacuated for 15 minuets. 
 
Through it all, Berkeley High students remained calm and the
administration and staff competently handled the situations.