Hello Blackberry Parenting Adults,

Readathon (click for pictures!!!) has been a very exciting week. We had two visiting authors named Marie Chan and Mượn Thị Văn. Marie was such an amazing presenter who taught us so much about local history and even showed us where Mamie Tape lived in Berkeley. At the end of her presentation we were all given the opportunity to practice calligraphy and work on different Mandarin characters. Mượn shared with us the many books she wrote throughout her career and the many languages they have been printed in. She read her story to us and brought her caterpillars to share.

Throughout the week we had opportunities to read with 7th grade, we got to see Temescal perform a Reader’s Theater, and buddy read with Cerrito, grab three new books during the book swap, clean the park for Earth Day, and built a fort for Readathon. The highlight of the week, though there were many, was going to Strawberry Creek park and cleaning up our favorite space in the community. We took tongs, gloves, and three different bags to collect recyclables and landfilled waste. We all took the task so seriously and got many compliments from community members thanking us for our work.

On a more serious note, there has been an uptick in violent language in Blackberry. As a community we have serious discussions about “playing” violence and how it isn’t something we do or make light of. My hope is that as a team we can all talk about the seriousness of violence and how choosing to play in that way isn’t something we do or condone.

I really hope to see you all at the Block Party tomorrow 4/26. I will be enjoying the art installation by Helia and Julianne, eating amazing tacos, and hanging out with my friends! Please RSVP HERE!