[BHS Etree] BHSDG: September Newsletter

[BHS Etree]

PLEASE do not reply to this email, contact Christine Staples christineannestaples at gmail.com<mailto:christineannestaples at gmail.com>


Happy New School Year from the Berkeley High School Development Group!


Berkeley High School Development Group (BHSDG) is an all-volunteer, non-profit foundation made up of parents and students, whose sole mission is to strengthen the educational experience of every Berkeley High School Student. We are equity driven. We fund grants which benefit our school community, and raise the funds to support this work. To learn more about us, please read on, past the updates on what we've voted to pay for so far for this school year!


Coming Soon: Each year, the Cheeseboard Collective generously donates the use of their lovely space, their labor and their love, as well as their delicious food to a fundraising event for Berkeley High. The party features music, wine, and of course - cheese and cheese-centric treats! This year's event will be scheduled for a Sunday in October - please stay tuned...


GRANTS FUNDED SO FAR THIS YEAR:


BHSDG held our annual retreat in August and voted to pay for an extensive list of items for the coming year; here are some highlights:


AP Chemistry Kindle Fire Textbook Pilot - $13,000 Teacher Aaron Glimme proposed an exciting and innovative idea: what if students were assigned a Kindle Fire with their textbook on it, instead of lugging around a heavy, expensive book? We were intrigued by the proposal - interactive, lightweight, reasonably priced, could be updated regularly, potentially holds additional textbooks for other courses - exciting! Our student board members were enthused, and wished they'd had one for their chemistry class.... And because Mr. Glimme has agreed to take over all of the AP Chemistry classes this year to cover for an emergency leave for another teacher, the pilot has been expanded to cover all of the sections of AP Chemistry - around 220 students.


Time Management: School Planners - $17,000 As they grow, the demands on our students' time and the need to manage it increases, leading to many parents' concern. Meanwhile, time management is a learned skill, and it can be a struggle to help our students master that skill. And of course, we have now learned that the part of the brain in charge of multi-tasking and strong decision-making isn't fully developed until the mid-twenties. We can all share stories about the homework assignments which are completed but don't get turned in; the sudden realization that a major paper is due tomorrow; the students who attempt to pull all-nighters; and the stress this puts on the whole family.


Did you know that BHSDG gives each and every student a FREE planner every year? Planners which include all school holidays and breaks, places to write in information on how to contact teachers, tons of helpful pages of information, packed with student artwork - this is seriously a great planner. They are given out at orientation to each and every student, from the main campus to Independent Studies and Berkeley Technology Academy - and there are spares if it gets lost. Be sure to ask your student to show you their planner - and ask them to show you how they use it! It could lead to some interesting conversations....


And here are just a few of the other grants the Board approved for the coming year:

After-school Tutoring Program - $70,000

Classroom Supply Grants @ $300 per teacher (BHS, BTA, IS) - $45,000

College Application and Testing Fees for Students in Need - $12,000

College Fair - $2,000


Who and What is Berkeley High School Development Group? The BHSDG is a group of parent and student volunteers; our mission is to strengthen the educational experience of every Berkeley High School student. We strive for equity. We meet on the first Monday of each month (rescheduled as needed to accommodate holidays and school breaks) from September through June, consider grant proposals and work on ways to raise the funds to support them. We are a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) organisation; all donations to the BHSDG are tax deductible. Our next board meeting will be: Monday, October 1st from 7:00-9:00 pm in the College Career Center. Visitors and new members are welcome!


In a typical year, BHSDG receives around $500,000 in donations; $250K in gifts to the general fund, and $250K in "restricted" funds (gifts specifically designated for a learning community or program - like Science, Universal 9th Grade, Band and Orchestra). Most donations come from BHS community members - like you!


The Development Group accepts grant proposals from all Berkeley High School (BHS), Berkeley Technology Academy (BTA), and Independent Studies (IS) teachers, students, and staff on a monthly basis. (Deadline: 15th of each month for consideration at the next Board meeting.) Students and Staff - if you have a great idea, submit a grant proposal!


To learn more about BHSDG, or to make a donation, please visit our webpage at http://bhsdg.org/wp/


This year's BHSDG Board: Rosa Luevano and Jessica Hilton, Co-Presidents. Jennifer Morgan, V.P. Colleen Burns and Nishat Sheikh, Student Reps. Lynne Yee, Treasurer. Christopher Cherney, Secretary. Catherine Betts; Robin Claire Barnes; Erin Branagan; Angel Ciangi; Laurel Coates; Lisa Craypo; Deb Durant; Edward Dua; Michelle Ferrari; Stephen Paik; Sarah Rose; Anne Schonfield; Christine Staples; Julie Weitz; and Orlando Williams.

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