Welcome to Berkeley High!

Swine Flu update from City of Berkeley 6/9

Parent Comments Wanted Re College Application process

SGC Matrix and SGC Report from 6/9

Students watch live the swearing in of President Barack Obama at the community auditorium Photo by Mark Coplan

Swine Flu Update from City of Berkeley Public Health

H1N1 (Swine) Flu Information for Berkeley Parents

Updated June 5, 2009
Current Status of H1N1 in the Berkeley Community

H1N1 is now widespread in the Bay Area community, including Berkeley.

While there is no a reason for alarm, the Berkeley Public Health Division stresses the need for parents to pay close attention for influenza-like illness (fever with cough or fever with a sore throat) in children. During the recent H1N1 flu outbreak, the Public Health Division worked closely with the school district, and in the early weeks of the outbreak, we identified suspected cases of the flu at Malcolm X elementary school.  We took the cautious approach recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and dismissed classes at the school, in order to slow the spread of this new flu.  Fortunately, this flu has been relatively mild and we were able to resume classes after two days.

This new H1N1 virus has spread without regard for borders, race, or ethnicity.  We are concerned about the possible return of the virus in the fall, possibly causing more severe illness.  As we learn more about the H1N1 flu virus, we will adapt our response to best protect our community.

BUSD and the City Public Health Division will continue working together to keep students, staff, and families healthy and informed.  Please check the Public Health website regularly for up-to-date information.

We have all been saddened to hear of the recent death of a Contra Costa County child with H1N1 infection ( http://cchealth.org/topics/ swine_flu/ ).

Even seasonal flu causes deaths every year, including deaths in children.

Because H1N1 is so widespread, closing schools at this time would not be an effective strategy to prevent the spread of virus.  Everyone is urged to continue following the usual precautions to reduce the spread of flu germs, stay home when sick, and get the seasonal flu vaccine when it is available. There is no vaccine for H1N1 at this time, but we will provide updated information when one becomes available.

All BUSD students should attend school and school functions as usual, unless they are sick.

Children should be taken for emergency medical care right away if they have these warning signs:

1) Fast or troubled breathing; 2) bluish skin color; 3) not drinking enough fluids; 4)  not waking up or not interacting; 5) being so irritable that the child does not want to be held; 6) Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough; 7) Fever with a rash

Adults should get emergency medical care right away if they have:

1) trouble breathing or shortness of breath; 2) pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen; 3) sudden dizziness; 4) confusion; 5) severe or continuing vomiting

For more information:

* Call the city at 510-981-CITY (2489) or 510-981-5300, or Swine Flu (H1N1)
Hotline for the Public (1-888-865-0564).  This is a toll-free H1N1 hotline
in English and Spanish. Assistance in other languages is also available.
The hotline is operational Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and
on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

* See the following websites:
City of Berkeley Health and Human Services:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ Home.aspx
California Department of Public Health:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/ HealthInfo/news/Pages/ SwineFluLndingPg042409.aspx
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/ investigation.htm

BHS Registration Schedule

The first day of school for the 2009-2010 school year is Wednesday, September 2.  Registration will be held the preceding week:

Freshmen, Monday, August 24 (Freshmen registration also includes an orientation, see below)

Sophomores, Tuesday, August 25

Juniors, Wednesday, August 26

Seniors, Thursday, August 27

Makeup day, Friday, August 28


Several parts of registration will be different this year as a result the state budget cuts which will result in two to three fewer counselors, one less vice principal, and the loss of two clerical workers:  There will be no makeup on August 31 or September 1.  Students who miss registration August 24 to 28 will report to school on Wednesday, September 2 starting at 7:30 to
receive their schedule.  And, in a change,  students may only submit schedule changes DURING registration.  (In the past students had up to ten days to submit change requests. ) As in the past,  schedule changes are only made in cases in which the school has made a mistake placing a student in a wrong level or in a class which was not requested.  Counselors will be
available during registration to talk with students.


For students who are new to Berkeley High, a lot happens during registration.  Picture IDs are taken, forms turned in, free and reduced lunch forms handed out, student organizers sold, lockers assigned, and class schedules distributed.  In addition, freshmen will meet with administrators and be taken on school tours by upperclassmen.  In the summer mailing, which
is scheduled to be compiled by VOLUNTEERS Tuesday and Wednesday July 28 and 29 and mailed home on the 30th, students will find the times they are scheduled to report for registration.


Janet Huseby

BHS Volunteer Coordinator

jhuseby@pacbell.net

(510) 527-1130

BHS Safety Committee Forum

You are invited to join a yahoo group providing an easy system to communicate with parent volunteers serving on the BHS Safety Committee. To join send an email to: bhssafetyforum-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and follow the instructions.

This forum provides school community members a way to interact online with the BHS Safety committee's parent/student members. The secretary will post the agendas/ minutes in an effort to make the safe school planning process transparent, accessible, and as relevant as possible. Please share your concerns, successes, problems, and topics you would like the committee to consider. You will find relevant information in the file section such as: CHKS survey results, pertinent Ed Code sections, resources and AOD (Alcohol and other Drugs) public health
reports.

Read Memoirs by Seniors

We are proud to present the engaging, controversial, and honest memoirs written by seniors enrolled in Reading and Writing the Short Story, an elective course taught by Mr. Bye and Ms. Wilson-Scott in the Academic Choice Program.  Juniors, you may want to take this course to fulfill your English requirement next year if you are interested in creative writing.  To read the memoirs, click on:www.bhsenglish.com.

Parent Comments Wanted!

The college application process is coming to a close, hopefully with successful choices for your students.  Meanwhile, the College Handbook Committee is currently revising the College Application Handbook for Seniors and their Families, for next year's class,  We are wondering if any parents of seniors would like to contribute a "tip" for next year's handbook--an important piece of advice or experience that we haven't covered in our current handbook and that you feel other parents would like to know.  We will keep all "tips" anonymous and will disguise any possibly identifying information.

If so, please send it to Frances Cohen at frances.cohen@ucsf.edu .

We'd also appreciate any other feedback on the handbook, including other information you'd like to see included if possible.

Thanks, and good luck in making those final decisions about college.

GIVE SCRIP A TRY IN 2009!!

Do you know about the BHS Development Group's scrip program?  Have you been meaning to support BHS with a purchase of scrip?  Well, now's the time!   Scrip sales are much lower than last year, to date.  We lost many families of graduating seniors and only a few families have joined this year.

We offer Berkeley Bowl, Natural Grocery Company (good at Berkeley and El Cerrito stores), Peet's cards, Five Star Video, and Solano Avenue Association gift certificates.  We deliver to your Berkeley address.  You set up a monthly subscription or contact us on an "as needed" basis.

Scrip is a coupon from local merchants who give the Development Group a discount when we buy in bulk.  We make a small percentage when we sell the scrip to you at face value.  So, you don't pay any extra cost for using scrip, the money earned from the scrip program comes from these local businesses that want to support public education!

Here are the details:

Berkeley Bowl comes in $20 denominations and we earn 4%

Natural Grocery Company comes in $10's and we earn 6%

Peet's cards come in $20's and $50's and we earn 10%

Five Star Video comes in $20's and we earn 20%

Solano Avenue Association comes in $10's and we earn 8%.  For a complete list of participating merchants visit www.solanoavenue.org .  Here is a sample of the stores: A G Ferrari Foods, Andronicos, Boran, By Hand, Cactus, Cugini, Domino's, Flower Power, Gordo's, Jodies, Hannah's Resale, Ideas for Elements, I Song Orthodontics, Khana Peena, Knitting the World Together, Matsu Fine Gifts, Pegasus, Sarbers, Shoes on Solano, Solano Cleaning Center, Sweet Potatoes, Tangerine Food Bar, Vara Healing Arts, and others

If you are a regular at any of these businesses, please consider supporting your child's school when you shop there by using scrip.

Becoming a Writer Coach

Looking for an opportunity to volunteer at BHS? WriterCoach Connection (WCC) is a rewarding experience working with students one-on-one during class time on their writing assignments. Writer coaches help students strengthen their writing and thinking skills by giving them constructive feedback and building their confidence as writers.

The time commitment is twice per month, Friday mornings during 1st and 2nd periods, with 9th and 10th graders in Community Partnerships Academy.

You do not have to be a writer to be a writer coach - WCC provides hands-on training to give you all you'll need to be a terrific coach. Community members of all backgrounds, ethnicities and walks of life are welcomed.

Training sessions are beginning in September. For the complete schedule or more information, go to www.writercoachconnection.org (click on "Volunteer"). Or contact Sahib-Amar Khalsa, site coordinator at sakk@mindspring.com or 510-237-6963.

Explanation of the proposed Advisory Program (pdf)

Sign up for EScrip!

BHS Athletics gets 25% of the funds raised by eScrip through the BHS Development Group.  The more people we get to sign up for eScrip the more money BHSDG and BHS Athletics will be able to give back to BHS groups.

We will throw a pizza party and give BHS wearable t-shirts to the students of the team that signs up most new people to eScrip. The deadline for new sign ups October 31st. Signing up is easy. All they need to do is to:

Log on to www.escrip.com       
Clink on "Welcome" and then on "sign up"
Choose group "ID" which is 137646958     
Just follow the directions from there     

Donations are made directly to the BHSDG when you used your registered cards at the participating merchants

Upcoming Events and meetings

6/9 Final Exams

Next week is Final Exam week.  Monday will be a regular scheduled day. On Tuesday through Thursday, two exams will be held each day. At the end of the second exam, students are free to leave campus. Teachers, however, will be in their classrooms and available to students. There are no regularly scheduled classes on Friday. Students should plan on bringing their textbooks to their final exam unless their teacher has made other arrangements.

Tuesday - 6/9/09

8:30-10:30   FINAL EXAM PER. 1
10:30-10:40  Passing Period
10:40-12:40  FINAL EXAM PER. 2
12:40-12:46  Passing Period
12:46-1:28   Lunch
1:28-3:15    MAKE UP PERIOD or REVIEW (Teachers should be in their rooms)

Wednesday - 6/10/09

8:30-10:30   FINAL EXAM PER. 3
10:30-10:40  Passing Period
10:40-12:40  FINAL EXAM PER. 4
12:40-12:46  Passing Period
12:46-1:28   Lunch
1:28-3:15    MAKE UP PERIOD or REVIEW (Teachers should be in their rooms)

Thursday - 6/11/09

8:30-10:30   FINAL EXAM PER. 5
10:30-10:40  Passing Period
10:40-12:40  FINAL EXAM PER. 6
12:40-12:46  Passing Period
12:46-1:28   Lunch

Safety Committee Meeting

The Berkeley High School Safety Committee will have its final meeting of the year on June 10 at 4:00 p.m.. All that would like to come are invited. Public testimony will be available. The agenda will be:

1. Call to order
2. Roll Call
3. Public comment (3 min. each) -- 30 minutes total (if needed)
4. Approval of previous meeting minutes
5. Board comments (3 minutes each)
6. Chair updates
7. Brainstorm process for next year's committee
  A. Organization of committee
  B. Possible timeline of mandated duties of committee
  C. Set a schedule for presentations of: BUSD/BHS Truancy and Attendance Policy and practices, Students on Probation.
8. Good of order
9. Adjournment

Have an upcoming BHS event? Contact Matthew Wong for posting.