Blog Posts

Our focus has been on zoology, including Amphibians and Reptiles, and Persian New Year, Nowruz these past two weeks. Amphibians We explored the fascinating world of amphibians, learning about their unique characteristics and the different animals in this group: Caecilians, Newts, Salamanders, Frogs, and Toads. The children were especially intrigued to discover that Caecilians are legless amphibians with sharp teeth!...

Thank you for the time spent together in conferences over these past 2 weeks. Thank you for the asides, the support, the pushback, the questions, the answers, the laughs, the offers to 'pick up something from the coffee shop', the concerns, the compliments (and the kitchen overflowing with sweet and savory treats). We really do have a good thing going over her, and talking about and delighting in this set of 5 and 6 year olds is a treat. They are such an interesting crew, so fun to teach, and I am grateful for and looking forward to all of the big stu...ff th

Math in the Real World 5th grade math students were treated to a guest educator today, Travis Brooks, dad to Cerritan Cedar. Travis, a product manager at Netflix and professional math enthusiast, led students through an engaging look behind the scenes at how data informs decision-making at Netflix, how data is collected, and through the scientific method with first-hand data collection to determine to answer the question, “How much data is enough?” with a penny flipping experiment. Students took full advantage of what is typically an MIT graduate student-facing lecture and rose to the occasion with curious questions, astute observations, and thoughtful conclusions. Through the whole thing, students were able to learn that larger sample sizes = more precise and accurate data and see that in many cases, data-informed decision-making be the difference of millions of dollars, as was the case for the Obama campaign of ‘08. ...

Hi Temescalian Families, Today you'll be seeing  A LOT of classwork coming back home in students' Friday Folders! Students were excited to empty out their "Finished Work" files and see the loads of work they’ve completed this year. We pulled two pages out to reflect on—please take a moment to read their reflection and respond below to them. The "Leave At Home" side of their folder contains completed work, and as a family, you can decide what to do with those pages. The "Return to School" side remains in their folder....

Hello Blackberry Parenting Adults,   This week we began prefixes. We talked about the re- and un-. We practiced defining the words and writing them in complete sentences. We also practiced the monster rule. Please ask your Blackberrian about it! Ask them how to to use the rules on these words....

We Got Brains on the Brain! Happy Spring! ...

Hello Magnolia Families! Can you believe we're almost to April? This month has flown by! We'd like to highlight our very special celebration of Nowruz in this month's bi-weekly blog. Each year, Mitra shares her culture's customs and traditions with us and there's always something new to learn. In fact, did you know that the Wednesday before Nowruz is called "Charshanbe Suri"? On this day, people participate in jumping over small bonfires to symbolize the act of letting go. While we won't be jumping over any *real* bonfires in Magnolia, we will certainly practice with some cardboard logs and orange scarves next week....

Spring has brought with it many musical visitors! Check out photos from the performances below. Updates/Reminders The weather is warming up! A reminder to sunscreen your children in the morning and pack a hat if so inclined. We will sunscreen children in the afternoon who stay for ExDay. Spontaneous walking trips are may be on the horizon on days group size is smaller. Check out the Parent Square message from this week for more info. Email us or comment on the post if you would like to opt your child out of spontaneous walking trips. Save the Date: Thursday, April 3rd 9:30a-10a- Spring Sing, more info to come in the ECC Bulletin  Spring Break- April 7-11: No School, Camp available with sign-up for ExDay eligible children...

Friendly reminders:  Spring Sing, Thursday: April 3rd, 9:30am-10:00am. Families are welcome. Kindness potluck: April 4th. Only for children. More details coming soon....

These past two weeks, our focus has been on exploring the continent of Europe. Thanks to parents for supporting our study of the continent of Europe. We reinforced the fact that there are many countries on a continent with different people speaking different languages and having unique cultural traditions that are often influenced by their environments. That said, we appreciate and respect the differences and uniqueness they bring to the world....

The past month, we have noticed the children showing an interest in "true stories" especially biographies. A rich learning environment has emerged between children bringing in books about famous people on sharing day, a sprinkling of biographies in our library, and Julianne focusing activities inspired by African American artists. Last week, the children colored geometrical shapes mimicking Rosie Lee Tompkins quilts. In honor of her life and passing, we read about Roberta Flack and played on a small keyboard that Safia brought in. The children were introduced to musicians like Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, and Ray Charles. We are compiling a playlist that will be shared with the Mariposa families toward the end of the of the year which includes these artists along with others requested by the children....

It has been a frenzied couple of weeks leading up to student-led conferences happening this week, and Mason and I have made the most of this time in math and advisory.  8th grade students had the opportunity to partner with one or two 6th grade students in preparing for conferences. Preparing for this event can be somewhat stressful for 6th graders who are doing this for the first time so the 8th graders were happy to support them. They collaborated to give feedback, help with editing, and practice. ...

  Friendly Reminders:  Movement class is offered every Friday. It’s optional. (Comfortable attire is required) Please kindly ensure that your child has a water bottle with them each day....

Hello Magnolia Families! February flew by and here we are in March! We've been enjoying the sunshine and Spring-ish days lately. As Rebecca shared in our ECC bulletin- the construction next door will complete it's main framing phase in April! It will be a lot less noisy from there and we are excited for that. Here are a few reminders- we hope you enjoy the blog!...

  Spring weather seems to have arrived early! Along with the springy weather, Roan joined Caterpillar class this week. Please say "Hi" to her and her parenting adults, Reed and Reanna. You may recognize them as Caterpillar alum and Live Oak student, Rami's family. Welcome!! 🙂 Updates/Reminders We are expecting rain next week! Please send your child with or in rain boots on days following rainy days, even if it's not raining. Puddles are fun! Save the Date: Thursday, April 3rd 9:30a-10a- Spring Sing, more info to come in the ECC Bulletin  Spring Break- April 7-11: No School, Camp available with sign-up for ExDay eligible children...

Hi Temescalian families, This week TBS celebrated our beautiful diverse brains! We kicked off each morning with brain themed discussions including talking about our dreams, the surprising things our brains do, and we also put our minds to the test with some brain teasers!...

Hi Blackberry Parenting Adults, This week we talked briefly about the brain. We were able to talk about autism, ADHD, and how the brain works.  It was so great to see some members talk about what it feels like to have either or both. They shared their experience, they learned about what its like to have a brain that functions differently, and other community members were able to grow their understanding....

February is one of my favorite months in kindergarten - spring is just around the corner and everyone is bubbling over with excitement about new skills, growth spurts and loose teeth; Black History Month brings a celebration of Black joy and excellence; Stone Soup is made and enjoyed, then delivered and shared with The Women's Daytime Drop in Center for their clients to enjoy; sweetness bubbles over on Valentine's Day with all the fuss and fun that it brings; the 100th Day and all the creative math activities and projects (a 'snowball' fight with 100 snowballs that we then turned into a snowperson) make oneof our favorite subject even better; we relish the excitement of the wildly windy and rainy days; and look forward to February Break (I love teaching kindergarten and I love the respite of a break!). We've finished the month strong  - we welcomed in a new teammate (we're a team of 12 now!); took a trip to The Women's Daytime Drop-in Center;  we loved working with and learning from visiting artist, Yasushi Matsui; learned a little a bit about Ramadan, tried a second go at growing crystal snowflakes (we think we figured out the problem - we'll give it one more try next week), took a trip down memory lane on the 100th day as we thought back over the last (6?!?!)  months together, we noted the official end of Black History Month and  watched some clips from the a few of the latest changemakers that we'd read about. We cheered as Wilma Rudolph beat the odds to win 3 gold medals at the Rome Olympics, and we counted up in delight as we watched Serena Williams' 23 Grand Slams.  'All that and reading, writing, science, math, and lots of kindergarten good times, too. ...

The Gadgets Have Lift-Off! This week, reinvigorated with energy from the mid-winter break and sunshine of this “Fool’s Spring” weather, Cerrito scientists set to work on the final project for our unit on electricity and magnetism-building gadgets! In teams of two and three, students brainstormed the types of gadgets they’d like to attempt by first agreeing on what evidence of energy they wanted to demonstrate (light, sound, motion - no heat for this project, please), what they’d like their gadget to do, and what creative elements they’d like to incorporate. Once the initial brainstorming was done, it was time to draw models, the most important of which was the model of the circuits they’d need to make their gadget functional. Once approved, students shopped for parts to build their first iterations of their circuits as a proof of concept. The next few weeks will have students shopping for other materials from our TBS Maker Space, building and testing iterations, and preparing their documentation and presentations. Check out the shots below to see the gadget building in action!...

Hello Temescalian families, After a refreshing February break, we were so excited to come back together and celebrate a special milestone—the 100th day of school! We started our morning by creating a list of 100 things we’re thankful for, reflecting on all the big and small joys in our lives. Then, in math, we put our creativity to the test! Students took 100 pattern blocks and tackled a series of challenges—building the number 100, an animal, and a flower out of their shapes. After constructing our designs, we recorded the different shapes we used, adding them up to ensure we had exactly 100. It was a fun way to revisit geometry, think critically, and collaborate together....

Hi Blackberry Parenting Adults, Sign ups for conferences have gone out. We allot one slot per child so plan accordingly. This will be a good time to bring any questions or wonderings you may have about how it is going. We've had a busy week back. We took a spelling inventory, practice our handwriting, and played a phonics game. We began a new informative writing project that is an all about me book about our friend. First we will interview them and then use that information to create a piece of writing, and then an all about book....

Happy Lunar New Year!!! We were so Lucky to have two parents participating during the New Lunar Year week. Kelly, Ruby G’s mom, began the week with a beautiful presentation on this celebration. She read a few books where we learned many different traditions and ways people celebrate the Lunar New Year around the world. Also, she shared a Leggo display that showed how people prepare to receive and celebrate the Lunar New year. She also handed the traditional red envelopes and fresh tangerines. Jill, Arlo's mom, lead the lantern project with our class....

Hello Magnolia Familes! We hope you enjoy our blog 🙂 Next week is February Break and there is no school, but childcare (registration required). We can't wait to welcome you back on the 24th! Happy Friendship Day, Magnolia Friends! No matter what you call it, Friendship Day is one of the happiest days at the ECC. This morning, the children were delighted to see their decorated bags all lined up and ready to receive cards. Big thanks to our parenting volunteers this morning who helped setup delicious snacks and help the children pass out their cards! We had a fun time enjoying treats and reflecting on what it means to be a friend....

20 Years of Radical Black Joy @ the MoAD As important as it is to learn the hard history of American Enslavement and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, we know that it was not the beginning nor it end of the Black experience around the world. It is equally, if not more important to center Black joy, excellence, and perspectives from throughout the African Diaspora. Cerrito and Strawberry classes spent Valentine’s Day celebrating the Museum of the African Diaspora’s 20th Anniversary with a look at several exhibits that made them ask questions like, “What’s the point of holding onto traditions that are racist?” and “Is that real gold on that basketball hoop?” We hope this trip has sparked a bit of curiosity, inspiration, and joy in all our students....

🌧☂️  Over the past couple weeks we have been having so much fun outside in the rain, puddles, and mud and had lots of opportunities to practice consent and turn taking.☂️🌧 Updates/Reminders February 17-21 Mid-Winter Break-No School; Childcare available for ExDay eligible children with sign-up Thank you for laundering and returning extra clothes! If you have older children who have outgrown their 4-5T pants, long sleeved shirts, and sweatshirts, we'd love to have them for the class. Rain boots sized 7-10 would be welcomed as well :)...

Hi Temescalian Families, Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️ This week, love was at the heart of many of our conversations—the kind of love we feel at home, at school, with our pets, for our hobbies, and in our friendships. Together, we brainstormed what love feels like, looks like, and can be and then the students wrote their own "Love is..." piece! We hope you enjoy the writing that your students bring home today! We also explored friendship—what we look for in a friend and what it takes to be a good one. We reflected on kindness, communication, shared interests, and how friendships can form quickly or grow over time. In celebration of Valentine's Day, we decorated and ate cookies and had time to share Valentines!...

Hi Blackberry Parenting Adults, Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy lives to be in community with us. Your children are so inspiring and work so hard every day! I hope you are as proud of them as I am! We will be back in school Monday 2/24. Conferences are March 13-14. As a reminder only one time slot if offered per child please coordinate accordingly!...

Dear TBS Community, The Norman Johnson Fund for the Arts Committee is delighted to announce the 2nd annual Visiting Artist Program at the Berkeley School. Through the generous support of the Norman Johnson Fund for the Arts, this initiative aims to open our doors to local artists, enriching our students' education by welcoming valuable artistic experiences to our community. By offering modest honorariums, mentorship opportunities in the field of art education, and continued collaboration, we express our gratitude to our visiting artists for their contribution to The Berkeley School....

February 7, 2025...

Hi Temescal Creek families, This week was filled with adventure, learning, and creativity! We had the pleasure of taking a field trip to SF MOMA, where 3rd and 8th graders experienced the joy of slow-looking at art. Despite the rainy weather (you can see just how soaked we got in the pictures below!), the excitement of exploring the museum made it all worthwhile. We focused on a small number of pieces, taking the time to observe closely, make noticings and wonderings, and share our thoughts. One of our favorite activities was choosing a piece of art, describing it with three adjectives, and then playing a guessing game to see if others could figure out which artwork we had picked. It was a fantastic way to hear different perspectives and see how art speaks to each of us in unique ways....

Hello Blackberry Parenting Adults, Lately we've pulling cards from our diversity and inclusions box. One of the cards we pulled was about bullying and ab0ut doing the right thing. We talked about how it would feel if only one person stood up for you? How would it feel if many people stood up for you? We talked about the importance of doing what is right even if we are a bit scared. We talked about Black History Month. We talked the importance of celebrating black joy, black excellence, black changemakers, and black disruptors. Black history is integral to our history....

This year, we are completely focused on increasing engagement and thinking in our classrooms. Students are becoming accustomed to working on vertical erasable spaces and engaging in more learning conversations with each other while we teachers prompt their thinking and give hints when necessary. Approaching teaching in this way helps students take on a more active role in their education. It is such a temptation to wait for a teacher to explain the new concept of the day before diving into sometimes uncomfortable "productive struggle". Our ultimate goal is to facilitate student learning, help them to improve their problem solving skills, and give students more opportunities to build their confidence in math class....

Over the past two weeks, our focus has been on exploring the continent of South America.   South America is represented as the pink continent on the Montessori map. We discussed how it is made up of many different countries, with Spanish being the primary language spoken in most of them. We explored traditional dolls, learning about the bright colors and intricate patterns used in their clothing, which reflect the region's rich cultural heritage....

Hello Strawberry families,

Hi Temescalian families, Here's to another joyful week! From diving into multiplication strategies to exploring the role of wildfires in nature, and celebrating Lunar New Year, there was lots we explored! Here's a little look at what we've been up to:  ...

❄️ ⛄Over the past couple weeks we have seen a rise in imaginative play and  desire for stories, both as read alouds from books and oral storytelling   ⛄❄️ Updates/Reminders Friday, 2/7 Japanese New Year mochi making at the UAC February 17-21 Mid-Winter Break-No School; Childcare available for ExDay eligible children with sign-up Please return any laundered Caterpillar underwear that your child may have borrowed, thank you!...

Hi Blackberry Parenting Adults, Friday, February 14th is going to be a busy day for the Blackberry community. We will begin the morning at an assembly where they will be performing with our music teacher Aaron. After our performances the 100th day projects will be on display for our parenting adults. We will begin in Blackberry Creek and then visit Sweet Briar's 100 day projects....

(this week's featured image brought to you by the delicious muffins that zohra baked and brought for us to share. thank you, z!)...

January 24, 2025 Despite the short week, science inspiration was all around us as Cerrito students gear up for their much-anticipated gizmo project! After last week’s foray into magnetism, in Tuesday’s science class, students teamed up to use what they’d learned about circuits and magnets to build an electromagnet strong enough to pick up 20 paperclips. They used the now-familiar materials of copper wire, D-cell batteries, and switches; the students were given an iron nail around which to construct a solenoid. Students experimented with coil placement, the number of coils, and additional power sources to adjust the strength of the magnetic field in order to accomplish their goal. ...

Welcome back from Winter Break Magnolia Families! During these last few weeks we've been settling back into our regular groove and enjoying lots of new opportunities to play and encounter new materials in the classroom. Please enjoy our blog and learn more about our learning here in Magnolia. Happy Birthday, Dr. King!...

Hello Blackberry Parenting Adults, Its seems that we are finally at the end of the Blackberry Plague 2025 (shoutout to a hilarious parent for coining it that). We finished up our Schwa sound this week and had a spelling test where almost everyone got a 10/10 and one 9/10. The words we practiced were panda, rocket, jacket, president, lemon, zebra, pencil, ribbon. Our vocabulary words this week were enormous, describe, restart, and champion. Ask your blackberrian what they mean....