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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:red'>Do not reply to this email, contact Linda Carr</span></font><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>, <a href="mailto:lindacarr@berkeley.net">lindacarr@berkeley.net</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Dear Berkeley High School Parents and Community Members,<br><br>Berkeley High School <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Performing Arts Department</span></b> invites you to join us at the<b><span style='font-weight:bold'> BUSD School Board Meeting </span></b>next <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Wednesday, April 25 at 7:00pm. </span></b><br><br>We will be advocating for re-instating the position of Technical Theater Director at the High School. <br><br>Please read the letter below to understand our concerns.<br><br>It would be excellent to have a group of parents and students present to show support for the speakers, and to make clear to the Board how very important the theaters are to our school community. We all benefit from the Performing Arts Department at the high school -- let's voice our concerns and make the program thrive again!<br><br>If you plan on coming, please contact BHS Modern Dance Instructor Linda Carr (<a href="mailto:lindacarr@berkeley.net">lindacarr@berkeley.net</a>). We still need a few parents to speak during public comment. If you feel passionately and would like to voice your support of the program to the school board, please let us know.<br><br>Warmly,<br><br>BHS Performing Arts Department<br><br><br><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>BERKELEY HIGH NEEDS A TECHNICAL THEATER DIRECTOR AGAIN!</span></font></i></b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;font-style:italic'>A few years ago, due to BUSD <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>budget cuts the position of Tech Director for our two theaters was eliminated.</span></b> Since then, the BHS student productions have suffered. There has been no one to provide the level of technical expertise necessary to safely run both the <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Berkeley Community Theater and Florence Schwimley Little Theater .</span></b> </span></font></i><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-weight:medium'><b><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>We used to have a thriving technical theater program at this school</span></font></i></b><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;font-style:italic'> – with students expertly trained in lighting, sound, set design and theater upkeep. Many of our alumni have gone on to pursue technical theater as a career. <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>We now have only a few very devoted but under-trained students</span></b> trying to do everything with very little oversight. <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>These students deserve the supervision and mentorship a Technical Theater Director would provide. </span></b></span></font></i><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-weight:medium'><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;font-style:italic'>In order to keep these theaters running and keep the tech crews knowledgeable and safe,<b><span style='font-weight:bold'> we need your help</span></b>. </span></font></i><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Please also join our FACEBOOK GROUP</span></font></i></b><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;font-style:italic'> </span></font></i><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><u><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“<i><span style='font-style:italic'>You Know You're a FRIEND OF THE BERKELEY COMMUNITY THEATER When...”</span></i></span></font></u><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-weight:medium'><i><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black;font-style:italic'>We are unifying a group of concerned parents, students and alumni to be knowledgeable of the conditions affecting our BHS theaters.</span></font></i><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>We need to <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>bring our voices to the BUSD school board</span></b> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>telling</span></b> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>them how important adequate funding of a TECHNICAL THEATER DIRECTOR position is for the staffing and safe operation of our theaters</span></b>. An outstanding performing arts education is a Berkeley tradition the community supports and the BUSD commitment to sufficiently funding it is necessary. </span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal style='font-weight:medium'><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>______________<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>Pat Anderson, Diane Douglas, Marguerite Fa-Kaji and Lisa Sibony are the parent-volunteer facilitators of the etree; please direct any questions to them at </span></font><a href="mailto:bhs-owner@lmi.net" title="mailto:bhs-owner@lmi.net"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>bhs-owner@lmi.net</span></font></a><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>. </span></font><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>BHS etree archives: </span></font><a href="http://lists.lmi.net/pipermail/bhs/" title="http://lists.lmi.net/pipermail/bhs/"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>http://lists.lmi.net/pipermail/bhs/</span></font></a><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>; BHS PTSA website: </span></font><a href="http://www.bhs.berkeleypta.org/" title="http://www.bhs.berkeleypta.org/"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>http://www.bhs.berkeleypta.org/</span></font></a><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>. To unsubscribe from the etree, send an email to </span></font><a href="mailto:bhs-request@lmi.net" title="mailto:bhs-request@lmi.net"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>bhs-request@lmi.net</span></font></a><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'> with one word only in the subject line: 'unsubscribe'. To post a message, send to: </span></font><a href="mailto:bhs@lmi.net" title="mailto:bhs@lmi.net"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'>bhs@lmi.net</span></font></a><font size=2 color=navy face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#1f497d" face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p></div></body></html>