[BHS Etree] ADMIN: Being Safe & Positive During Unity Week

[BHS Etree]

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

Hello Parents, Guardians & Students,

Unity Week has begun! We gathered, all 3,000 of us, in the Berkeley 
Community Theater last Friday for a Show of Unity. Our school community 
rarely comes together for school spirit because it has been unsafe in 
the past. Last Friday was safe and fun for all.

We will continue to enjoy this week with a series of dress-up days and 
school-spirit activities 
<http://berkeleyschools.net/leadership/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/UNITY-POINTS-ONLY-copy.jpg>. 
I want to shout out the hard work of Director of Student Activities, Mr. 
John Villavicencio, and our Student Leaders, who have worked hard to 
ensure that students are able to show school spirit in safe and positive 
ways.

During Unity Week, there will be lunch-time and after-school activities 
for students and staff (see above link). Students can sign up in the 
leadership office with Mr. V.

I want to clearly communicate the administration’s 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 21st, the same day designated as Red & Gold Day.

My hope is that parents 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 degrades the positive school culture we’ve been 
working hard to build.

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

--Standing in halls, stairwells, and open spaces during passing periods 
and shouting your class year at one another

--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:*

--being on time to class

--participating in dress-up days

--participating in lunch-time activities

--engaging in learning in class

--kindness

While the BHS Administration generally does not implement zero-tolerance 
policies, _students who use--or are in possession of--drugs or alcohol 
on October 21st will receive 5-day suspensions._ Unsafe or violent 
behavior will also result in student suspensions. Teachers will have the 
administration’s support if they decline to write a college letter of 
recommendation for a student who is suspended during Unity Week. 
Teachers will also have the administration’s support if they take away 
the privilege of field trips or overnight retreats from students who are 
suspended during Unity Week.

Parents and guardians, please reinforce this policy with students and 
encourage students to demonstrate their good judgment on October 21st.

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. Students who 
park their bikes on campus will be allowed to retrieve their bikes once 
the campus is cleared. If bike-riding students are able to get to school 
in an otherwise fashion on Friday, we encourage that.

*/Parent/Guardian volunteers are being recruited for help on Friday 
October 21st. We are still looking for a total of 45 parent/guardian 
ushers -- and would appreciate anyone who can help the flow of thousands 
of excited students. There are two shifts, mid-day 11:20 to 1:30, or in 
the afternoon 1:30-3:45.  If you can help with either of these shifts, 
please click on this link /*

*//*

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4dadaa2fa6fb6-friday./*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 student 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. Our Show 
of Unity assembly last Friday was safe and student behavior was great. I 
am very impressed by the maturity, intelligence and agency of you all. 
To the awesome Class of 2017, 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 evening 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 bhs-owner at lmi.net <mailto:bhs-owner at lmi.net>.

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