Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel coming directly to you to highlight some April BUSD events.

Links

Arab American and SSWANA Heritage Webpage

District Website

Elementary-level performers pose with the judges of BUSD's 2024 Black History Oratorical Fest

March 24 was the annual Black History Oratorical Fest where winners from each BUSD school site oratorical contest competed for the district title. This year's theme, "Black Artists: Art for Change, Art for Joy," drove a variety of inspiring spoken word submissions from original pieces to recitations of classics from elementary, middle, and high school students. Winning students took home cash prizes, made possible by Berkeley Juneteenth Cultural Celebrations.

A 5th-grade trio from Malcolm X won first place for the elementary division at the Oratorical Fest, with Washington Elementary fourth graders taking second place, and Oxford Elementary 5th Grader Lara Brysk winning third.

Willard's Teddy Moore won first place for the secondary division, with Berkeley Independent Study's Alaysha Thomson winning second, and Longfellow's Naveah Babitt winning third.

The evening also included an energizing performance by Young Gifted and Black, a professional performance ensemble focused on teaching Black students Black history through poetry, liberation raps, and freedom songs.

Longfellow Middle Schoolers Talk College with Charles Houston Bar Association

Attorney Melvin Hodges, who was one of the first Black Lawyers to graduate from UC Berkeley, shared his inspiring story with students. 

On Monday, March 11, Longfellow Middle School 7th and 8th-grade UMOJA students, as well as AVID students, were visited by lawyers from the Charles Houston Bar Association, a California network of Black lawyers, judges, and law students. The UMOJA program uniquely positions Black/African American history and shared experiences as a central cornerstone for classroom learning. The AVID program, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, serves to prepare students for academic success by providing them with a special course focused on a nationally recognized set of research-based strategies. The representatives spoke with students about the importance of college and their experience practicing law.

Students opened the session by writing a reflection surrounding “When I think about going to college, I think…”

Several high-ranking military officers attended the ceremony to honor BHS senior Drew Henderson.

On March 14, Berkeley High School senior Drew Henderson was awarded a $250,000 ROTC Scholarship to attend the university of his choosing for his exemplary work as a student leader and athlete and his academic success. 

Drew, who will attend Harvard before entering the military, credited BUSD teachers, administrators and his football coaches for playing an important role in shaping him to be the person he is today. He plans to major in government, focusing on public policy and then serve in the United States Army as an Infantry officer.

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army and Professor of Military Science at the University of California, Berkeley Ezekiel Moreno, who attended the award ceremony, was impressed by Drew's desire to lead. "Hundreds of outstanding scholar-athletes apply for the ROTC scholarship but what sets Drew apart is his desire to lead in hopes of making others better. With young adults like Drew, I know that our nation has a bright future."

The production included inspiring dance and musical numbers to tell the story of overcoming anxiety.

On March 21 and March 22, Carla Innis's fifth-grade Oxford Elementary School students performed in the school's annual production Grandma's Hands. This year's iteration, Grandma's Hands: Just Breathe, followed the journey of a young student Zola, who was experiencing nightmares due to the multiple stresses of school, violence/war in the world, and the future due to climate change. Together, with the wisdom of her elders, Zola learned how to breathe through these challenges by developing the tools to live with hope and act with resilience.

Throughout the play, Zola learned to overcome her stress, represented by the "stress bug", through breathing techniques.

Members of the Reparations Task Force led community members in a discussion of the survey data.

On March 25, BUSD's Reparations Task Force held an event to review the results of their Community Engagement Survey on reparations for Berkeley Unified students who are descendants of enslaved persons. With an impressive turnout, community and task force members engaged in dialogue surrounding the results of the survey which garnered over 2,000 responses. Community members were able to voice their reactions to the data in a round table and written response format. The survey results indicated an overwhelmingly positive regard for some form of reparations for BUSD students and families who are descendants of chattel slaves.

Save The Date

Hybrid School Board Meetings

School Board meeting agendas are posted at least 72 hours before meetings.

The next School Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 10, followed by a meeting on April 17. All details for upcoming School Board meetings can be found at this BUSD webpage.

Click here for contact information for School Board Directors.

Recent School Board Meetings

March 20, 2024

February 21, 2024

January 24, 2024

View the full BUSD calendar here.

Berkeley Unified School District | 2020 Bonar Street | 510.644. 6150 | www.berkeleyschools.net

Notification of Non-Discrimination Policy

The Berkeley Unified School District is committed to providing equal opportunity for all individuals in district programs and activities. Accordingly, BUSD programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression; nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. The Board shall promote programs which ensure that discriminatory practices are eliminated in all district activities. (Board Policy 0410, Board Policy 1311, Board Policy 4030, Board Policy 5145.3, Board Policy 5145.7)

The Board also prohibits retaliation against any district employee or job applicant who complains, testifies or in any way participates in the district's complaint procedures instituted pursuant to this policy. (Board Policy 4030)

Complaint forms are available at school sites and on the district webpage at www.berkeleyschools.net/complaints.

For inquiries or concerns regarding BUSD nondiscrimination policy 5145.3 or the filing of discrimination complaints please contact:

Jasmina Viteskic, Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer

2020 Bonar Street Room 116, Berkeley, CA 94702

Phone: 510.486.9338  Email: jasminaviteskic@berkeley.net

More information is available at www.berkeleyschools.net/non-discrimination/