[BHS Etree] ADMIN: School Notes/Attendance, Free Breakfast, Prospective Parent Info

[BHS etree]

Contact: Janet Huseby jhuseby at pacbell.net

Below you will find information on Attendance, Free Breakfast, Touring and
the Fall Information Night for incoming families

1. Attendance Phone Calls. This week the Berkeley High Attendance Office
will begin making automatic telephone calls to the homes of all students who
are absent. The number called will be the one listed under Home Phone in
PowerSchool.  If you have changed this number since registering your child,
please  make sure the school has your updated main telephone number.   

2. How to Clear an Absence. There are three ways to clear an absence within
five days of returning to school:  Students or parents may deliver a note
between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to the Attendance Office located in the Admin
Building (Students may not come during class time). Parents may call the
Attendance Office at 510 644-6209 night or day and leave a detailed message.
Parents may email bhsattendance at berkeley.k12.ca.us.  Be sure to include your
child's name, year, periods missed, date and reason.  Unexcused absences
will affect grades.  Five unexcused absences during one report card period
will result in a lowered grade. Three tardies equal one unexcused absence.

3. Free Breakfast. Families may not be aware that Berkeley High serves a
universal free breakfast to all students the hour before first period
starting at 7:30 every day. 

4. Touring. The Berkeley High School "touring season" for prospective
students runs from October to March. The small group tours leave the Front
Desk at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday - Friday. Monday tours start at 10:30 a.m. All
tours are by reservation only and run for approximately an hour and 20
minutes.   The tours walk by classrooms--many of which have open doors --but
they do not go into rooms for observation.  The tours are not "student
orientation tours." There are wonderful student-led tours for our incoming
students in August. The fall and early spring tours are directed towards
parents who are deciding if Berkeley High is the appropriate school for
their child. Prospective students are welcome but only if accompanied by
their own parent or guardian.  To make a reservation, please contact Janet
Huseby, BHS Volunteer Coordinator at jhuseby at pacbell.net. Let her know how
many people are in your party and what days you are available. 

5. Fall Information Night for Prospective families is scheduled for Monday,
November 15 at 7 p.m. in the Berkeley Community Theater.  This event is an
introduction to the school for parents and students.  In the past, the
evening has featured a panel discussion of current students, one of the
College Advisors and Q and A with the principal. While everyone is welcome
to attend, the evening will be of particular interest to families not
familiar with the Berkeley Unified School District.  Families attending
should be aware that nearby street parking is extremely limited and the
event will start promptly! 

6. All incoming families should also plan on attending Curriculum Night
which will take place in January.  Curriculum Night is the first step in the
process of actually signing up for classes. The date for this separate and
very different night has not yet been set.  Berkeley High will advertise as
soon as the date is set.  

7. Finally, many people have asked if they could visit Berkeley High on
their own or if their student could "shadow" a current student. This is not
possible. The school is focused on the education and security of our
currently enrolled students. We are simply too large a school to accommodate
unsupervised underage visitors. 

Janet Huseby
BHS Volunteer Coordinator
jhuseby at pacbell.net