[BHS Etree] ADMIN - General Strike Near BHS Tomorrow

[BHS etree]

Dear BHS Families:

 

I hope you all enjoyed a pleasant weekend. 

 

As most of you are aware, the occupation movements across the country
(Occupy Wall Street, etc.) have included very active groups here in the bay
area including participants here in the city of Berkeley and at the
university.

 

Information from local authorities and the occupy chapters themselves
(Occupy UC and Occupy Oakland) indicate that a general strike has been
called for the UC Berkeley campus tomorrow afternoon. One schedule we have
been made aware of indicates a plan for demonstrators to rally at 2 p.m. and
then march, at 2:30, past Berkeley High School and Berkeley City College en
route to a 5 p.m. gathering on the UC campus later in the afternoon.

 

We have no indication that what is being planned is anything other than a
peaceful, political demonstration, yet we are still making some preparations
for tomorrow afternoon in terms of dealing with potential traffic issues and
possible crowds around the campus.

 

As to traffic, I have conferred with a BPD representative and we agreed that
with the potential of a large pedestrian demonstration passing the campus
somewhere between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m. tomorrow we would recommend that
families consider arranging or designating alternative student pick-up
locations for after school tomorrow someplace west or south of the campus
and away from downtown. 

 

We do not know the exact route the movement will take so avoiding the
perimeter of the school and the downtown area between 2:30 and 4:00 p.m.
might be the smartest option. 

 

Elsewhere we would greatly appreciate your assistance in talking with your
kids this evening and reinforcing our expectations that students be in
school for the entire school day. We are responsible for the well-being of
all of our students during the school day and we need them to be on campus
for their complete class schedule tomorrow. Obviously we encourage and
support our teachers and students discussing and addressing the very
relevant and current content of the demonstrations in class, but we would
like to make it very clear that students are to remain on campus until
dismissal. 

 

If some families should decide that they want their students to attend
tomorrow afternoon's events at UC Berkeley then that is a decision that
should be made by families and we strongly encourage that such participation
happen after the school day. Our position, and our expectation, is that
students be in class for the entire day tomorrow. 

 

Our goal is to maintain the continuity of our learning environment. We in no
way want to deter discussion or consideration of the concerns being
expressed by these movements, but we do believe that the safest place for
students to do that is right here on the Berkeley High School campus.

 

Respectfully,

 

Pasquale Scuderi

Principal

Berkeley High School

 

 

________________

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