[BHS Etree] ADMIN: Unity Week Message to Parents & Students

[BHS Etree]

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

Hello Parents, Guardians & Students,

Unity Week begins Monday, October 26th with a series of dress-up days 
and school spirit activities 
<http://berkeleyschools.net/leadership/?p=259>. I want to shout out the 
hard work of Leadership Teacher Coordinator Mr. John Villavicencio and 
our Student Leaders, who have worked hard to ensure students are able to 
show school spirit in safe and positive ways.

During Unity Week, there will be lunch activities for students and 
staff. These activities will vary each day and include table tennis, 
dodge-ball, basketball, trivia, chess matches, iron chef, karaoke and a 
dance-off, among others. Students can sign up in the leadership office 
with Mr. V.

I want to clearly communicate my expectations for student behavior 
during Unity Week. We are working hard to contain any non-sanctioned and 
unsafe activities that students may be planning for Friday, October 
30th, the same day designated as Uni-Team Day.

I hope that parent and guardians discourage students from participating 
in unsafe behaviors such as alcohol and drug use at school. I also hope 
that we all discourage students from engaging in the unsafe behavior we 
characterize as “class warfare.” When large groups of students yell 
profane epithets about other graduating classes, it does not demonstrate 
positive school spirit; it creates the conditions for fights and 
violence and harms the school community.

*Behaviors we /don't/ want to see next week: *

--Standing in halls, stairwells, and open spaces during passing period 
and shouting your class year at each other

--pushing or shoving in a crowd that leads to hurting someone else or 
yourself

--getting in the way of others going to class

--drinking or drug-use before you come to school, or at lunch, or on 
campus, or in bathrooms

*Behaviors we /do/ want to see next week: *

--being on time to class.

--participating in dress up days

--participating in lunch-time activities

--engaging in learning in class

--kindness

While I generally do not implement zero-tolerance policies, _students 
who use--or are in possession of--drugs or alcohol on October 30th will 
receive 5-day suspensions._ Unsafe, violent behavior will also result in 
student suspensions. I have heard from at least one teacher that letters 
of recommendation will be withheld if the teacher learns that any of 
their students receive suspensions for the above behaviors.

Parents and guardians, please reinforce this policy with students, and 
encourage students to demonstrate their good judgment on October 30th, 
in advance of the two whole-school spirit events we are planning for the 
upcoming winter and spring.

At the end of the school day on Friday, we will be clearing the campus 
immediately. All after-school activities are cancelled on Friday, as 
well, with the exception of the evening football games and any Period 7 
classes. Students will not be required to dress for Period 6 PE and, 
because student lockers will be off limits after school, students are 
required to access their lockers in advance of period 6.

/*Parent/Guardian volunteers are being recruited for help on Friday 
October 30th. We are still looking for a total of 100 parent/guardian 
ushers -- and would appreciate anyone who can help the flow of thousands 
of excited students.*/

//

//

/*There are two shifts, mid-day 11:00 to 1:30, or in the afternoon 
1:30-4:00.  If you can help with either of these shifts, please click on 
this link */

//

www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4dadaa2fa6fb6-oct30volunteers 
<http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4dadaa2fa6fb6-oct30volunteers>./*Thank 
you!*/

Parents will not be disciplinarians, but will be ushers, as well as 
extra eyes and ears and those here at the early shift will lend a hand 
with the lunchtime activities. This will be a fun day and it is nice to 
have a reason to be on campus. If your child is hesitant about having 
their parent on campus, please assure them you can be assigned a spot 
far away.

Students, I want to end this communication on a positive note. I am very 
impressed by the maturity, intelligence and agency of you all. I hear 
you, students, loud and clear about wanting to have outlets to show 
school spirit, and Unity Week as well as two whole-school assemblies 
have been planned with this in mind. The Class of 2016, I look to you to 
please set a positive tone for your peers and I thank you for taking the 
time to read my message.

Have a great weekend and GO JACKETS!



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 <mailto:bhs-owner at lmi.net>bhs-owner at lmi.net.

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