[BHS etree] ETREE: FAQ/Tips on How to Use

[bhs at idiom.com]

Contact:  BHS etree Moderators,  <mailto:bhs-owner at idiom.com>
bhs-owner at idiom.com

BHS ETREE: FAQ/Tips on How to Use

Now that the school year is underway, the BHS etree volunteers would like to
welcome our new subscribers and welcome back our long-time subscribers -- a
total of  2,811!  Please encourage all BHS families to subscribe to the
etree if they haven't already.  The etree, as you know, is a valuable source
of information for notices about important school events and activities.

Please read, use, and pass on these tips about the BHS etree...

1. RESPONDING:
If you wish to respond to an etree posting, please do not hit reply but
direct your message to the contact person who is listed at the top of the
postings.  This goes for Janet Huseby's volunteer postings as well.  While
she works closely with the etree as BHS Volunteer Coordinator, Janet is not
an etree moderator and does not directly receive replies to etree messages.

2. FORWARDING:
Please be careful when you intend to forward an etree message to your child
or someone else--oftentimes, our subscribers use REPLY instead of FORWARD,
and we then must write back to say that their message has not reached their
intended recipient.

3. POSTING ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The etree is moderated, so when you send your announcements for posting to
bhs at idiom.com, the etree moderators will check for accuracy and
appropriateness.  The etree is used for announcing club meetings, school
events, administrative notifications, and similar BHS- and BUSD-sponsored
activities.  It is not a discussion board or opinion forum.  You can email
bhs-owner at idiom.com to ask questions of the moderators prior to posting
notices.  Please read these additional important guidelines on postings:

    -- Use a descriptive subject line in your message (you don't need to say
"please post").  It should clearly state what the message is about. The line
may be edited by the moderators for brevity, and we will add a "tag"
(SPORTS, CLUBS, etc.).
    -- Always include contact information at the top of every message (e.g.,
Contact: Pilar Hernandez at phernandez at yahoo.com).
    -- Please check your message for accuracy of dates, names, spelling,
room numbers, etc. before sending.
    -- Send your message early!  Please note that it could take the
moderators 1 to 1-1/2 days to complete the final posting, so please allow
enough time for getting your notice out.  We are often able to post much
sooner, but we need to allow for variations in availability and any needed
clarifications.
    -- Due to the high volume of information we are requested to post on the
etree, we don't do daily event announcements.  For daily postings, you can
send your announcements to Belinda in the BHS office
(bmcdaniel at berkeley.k12.ca.us), who will post in the Student Daily Bulletin,
if appropriate. 
    -- The moderators do their best to limit postings to BHS- and
BUSD-sponsored events and notices.  If you have information you believe
would be of interest to the parent/student community at BHS, but is not
specifically a BHS item, we will suggest you submit your information to the
Parents of Teens newsletter, which can be found at:
          Website: http://parents.berkeley.edu
<http://parents.berkeley.edu/>
          Post a message: http://parents.berkeley.edu/post_teens.html
<http://parents.berkeley.edu/post_teens.html>

4. MANAGING THE HIGH VOLUME OF MESSAGES:
On a normal school day the etree sends up to five or six postings.  At the
beginning and end of the year it can be double that. We have several
suggestions for managing the high volume of email:
    a. Delete aggressively. The content of each posting is clearly stated in
the subject line.  If the item is not of interest to you, delete.
    b. Set up a separate folder for etree messages. Opening the folder on a
daily basis it is possible to quickly scan the postings and decide which
ones you want to open and read.
    c. Finally, a digest version is available.  The digest collects all
etree postings on a daily basis and sends them out in batches, usually once
a day, around 12 noon. This sounds better than it is. The digest messages
are strung together in one long posting.  To read the day's information it
is necessary to scroll down through everything. Often the messages are a day
late. And, occasionally this one long email is truncated which is even
worse. However, if you are still intrigued by the digest and if you did not
check the digest option when you subscribed to the etree, let us know at
bhs-owner at idiom.com  and we will help you switch over.

5. SUBSCRIBING:
It is easy to subscribe to the etree.  Directions are included at the bottom
of each posting.  However, every now and then a subscription does not
"take."  If this happens to someone you know, have them email us at
bhs-owner at idiom.com, and we will help.

6. ARCHIVES:
All etree postings are archived.  To find an old post, go to the etree
archives at http://mailman.idiom.com/public/bhs/   This address can be found
at the footer of each etree posting.  Also included in the footer is the BHS
PTSA website: http://www.bhs.berkeleypta.org/   The etree archives may also
be accessed through the PTSA website.

7. OTHER ETREES
We believe everyone at Berkeley High should subscribe to the BHS etree.  In
addition to the BHS etree, most of the small schools, programs and the PTSA
operate supplementary etrees featuring information of specific interest to
their constituents.  Below are PTSA and small learning community websites
where you can find more information:
    BHS PTSA: http://www.bhs.berkeleypta.org/  
    Academic Choice: http://bhsacademicchoice.com/ 
    BIHS: http://berkeleyihs.org/ 
    AHA: http://aha.bhs.berkeleypta.org/ 
    CAS:  http://cas.bhs.berkeleypta.org/ 
    CP Academy: http://www.bhscpa.org/
    SSJE:
http://bhs.berkeley.net/index.php?page=school-of-social-justice-and-ecology 
    BHS: http://bhs.berkeley.net/ 

8. WHO ARE WE?
Finally, we would like to introduce ourselves. The BHS etree is a parent-run
operation. Volunteering for the etree can be immensely satisfying but also
demanding.  We do our best-often late at night. Diane Douglas, in her fifth
year as etree moderator, has a daughter on her way to the University of
Oregon and a freshmen son in Academic Choice.  Marguerite Fa-Kaji on board
for her second year as a moderator, has a daughter on her way to Rice
University, a daughter who is a junior in Academic Choice, and daughters at
King and Thousand Oaks.  Pat Anderson, also a second year etree moderator,
has a son on his way to UC Santa Cruz and a daughter who is a sophomore in
BIHS.

We welcome your postings and your thoughts and comments on the etree.  Have
a great year at Berkeley High!



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