[BHS Etree] FRESHMEN: SPARK Assembly, Oct 14 (Wed)

[BHS Etree]

PLEASE do not reply to this email, contact Sam Pasarow sampasarow at berkeley.net<mailto:sampasarow at berkeley.net>

Dear Families of Ninth Graders at Berkeley High:

It is with sincere enthusiasm that we present our plans for the all ninth grade SPARK (Student Power Actualized through Respect and Kinship) assembly being held on Wednesday October 14th from 10 am -12:20 pm on campus at Berkeley High. Working to build a positive school culture is one of the goals of our year and so staff, parents, and students have been planning for weeks to bring our students this informative and empowering presentation. On that day, all freshmen will arrive on campus by 9:55 am and proceed to the Community Theater (last names A-L) or the Little Theater (last names M-Z). They will spend one hour in the theater presentation and an additional hour in break out sessions with 25 freshmen and one teacher, discussing next steps for Berkeley High around some critical issues. Below is a general outline of the all-group assembly

I. Introduction: Why are you here? Where is your power? How can we make Berkeley High a better place?

II. Ableism, Homophobia, Racism, Religious Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Sexual Harassment: Definitions, examples, consequences, and UPstanders: Students who have made a difference and ways to empower the community

III. Sexual Harassment: Affirmative Consent Law in California

IV. Help and Support at Berkeley High

V.  Where is our power?  Where do we go from here?

During the second hour, students will be broken up into small groups and a classroom teacher will be facilitating a conversation that includes:

I. Introductions and anonymous question cards

II. Defining what it means to be an UPstander

III. Scenarios from the halls of Berkeley High and how to be an UPstander

IV. Commitment Handprint: What is a commitment you can make and a hope you have for Berkeley High (will be displayed in the library)

At the beginning of the assembly we will speak clearly about trauma and the possibility that some of what we talk about might trigger a response in students who are survivors of any of the violations we discuss. Student safety is our number one priority and so we ask that if you are worried or believe this assembly might trigger a traumatic response from your student, we ask that you reach out to her/his counselor ahead of time or Vice Principals Jorge Melgoza or Felicia Phillips.

Students will be dismissed for lunch at 12:20 pm and will attend periods 4,5,6 like a normal Monday (abbreviated) schedule. They will have a chance to debrief their experience in their own 9th grade humanities classes the following day. We strongly encourage families to continue the conversation at home, asking students what they got out of the morning and how, if at all, this has changed their perceptions of Berkeley High.

If you would like additional resources as a family, we suggest looking at www.equalrights.org<http://www.equalrights.org/> and their article on "Wins and Losses in the Fight Against Sexual Harassment" along with http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/, an organization which has been instrumental in this work. We also encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with California's new Affirmative Consent Laws here: http://affirmativeconsent.com/affirmative-consent-laws-state-by-state/

Presentation materials will be available on the website soon after the assembly.

Schedules will be delivered to students in classrooms before Wednesday to let them know where they'll be for the break-out sessions. They can also check lists outside of the leadership office to find out this information. Make sure your student knows their room number by Wednesday morning as this will expedite the transition to the break-out sessions. Students with last name A-L should start in the Community Theater while students with the last names M-Z should start in the Little Theater. We respectfully ask that students not arrive on campus before 9:55 am since Sophomores and some Juniors will be taking the PSAT.

Moving forward, we will use the momentum from this assembly and encourage students to get more involved at Berkeley High, stand up against any form of harassment or violence, and connect this to other events throughout the year (UNITY week, Days of Service, etc.). We look forward to this important work and thank you for your support.

With Respect and Kinship,

Sam Pasarow

_____________________________
Marguerite Fa-Kaji, Catherine Ference and Dylan Kaufman are the parent-volunteer facilitators of the Etree; please direct any questions about the Etree to them at bhs-owner at lmi.net<mailto:bhs-owner at lmi.net>.

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BHS website: http://bhs.berkeleyschools.net/

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