Dear Cerrito Creek Families,

Greetings and well wishes! We hope your summer months have so far been restorative and peaceful. We write to share our excitement for the 2018-19 school year, and to give you some sense of what to expect.

For those of you new to the class this year, my name is Mike Sinclaire, and this will be my eleventh year at The Berkeley School as lead teacher of Cerrito. I have two children at TBS named Milo, in Temescal Creek, and Ruby, in Laurel. We spent the majority of our summer in San Diego, where we enjoyed playing with our new golden retriever puppy, making homemade ice cream, and swimming every day. I am a passionate musician, outdoor person, and writer, and I love sharing my passion through teaching. I will again be working with the wonderful Hannah Sippl as my assistant (aka “resident teacher”) and she will introduce herself below.

Hello, and welcome to Cerrito Creek! My name is Hannah Sippl and I am honored to begin this wonderful year of learning with you. I feel fortunate to be returning to TBS for my third year, and for my final year as a BATTI student. I was born and raised in Nevada City, California and received my BA in research psychology from Mills College. I am grateful for my home and community here in Berkeley where I enjoy the great music, food, and outdoor adventures. I also love working in my garden and venturing to my mom’s goat farm in the foothills for some rural rejuvenation.

Expect an academic year focused on American history, including Native Americans’ early contact with European explorers, Constitutional times, slavery, and exploration of the West. We will delve right into science in the first days of school,  investigating four different ways to make light with a bulb, a wire, and a battery. This will begin an extended unit on electricity and magnetism that will have us tinkering and completing design challenges. This will be a year full of field trips, including the local parks, the Exploratorium, the Museum of the African Diaspora, and a big overnight at the end of the year to Donner Pass near Lake Tahoe. 

Classroom Supply List
Please be sure your child has the following items for the first day of school. Teachers will guide students to implement organizational systems in fourth and fifth grade that will support them throughout their academic careers and personal lives. The tools below will help them begin to establish sound organizational habits.

Item: One 2-inch, 3-ring binder with zipper closure. Mead makes a good one. If you bought one last year that is still in good shape, please reuse it. They range from 8 to 20 dollars. The zipper is important so papers do not fall out.

Item: One folder that comes 3-hole punched and snaps into the binder. The more durable, the better, as this will house your homework for the year. Make sure you have a backpack big enough for the binder.

Nutrition
Students are responsible for bringing their own snacks and lunches each day. Those who sign up for hot lunch should still bring their own snacks, as snacks is not provided in 4/5. Water cups will be provided by teachers. Please note, the University Avenue Campus is now a nut-free campus.

Upcoming Important Dates
4/5 Potluck – Sunday 8/26, 12:00-2:00p
We will have lunch together in Codornices Park (picnic site 1) before the school year gets started. This is a good chance for new families to meet the teachers and for returning families to reconnect. Bring a lunch dish. Teachers will provide drinks and all the utensils.

Classroom Sneak Peek – Tuesday 8/28, 10:45-11:45a
Drop off your binder and folders, find your cubby, and say hello to your teachers before school starts the next day.

First Day of School – Wednesday, August 29
School begins at 8:30a, which means students should plan to arrive by 8:20a. The gong will ring at 8:27, the front gate will close at 8:30. Students are late if they’re not in their classrooms at 8:30a — no more grace time. Students may come up to the breezeway and inside classrooms at 8:10. Middle School dismissal at the curb begins at 3:35. More info will be coming soon about drop-off, pick-up and extended care options.

Back to School Night – Thursday, September 13, 6:00-8:00p
Families are invited to campus to learn more about what we have in store for your children this year. There is no childcare for this event so please be sure to make other arrangements for your children. Light refreshments will be available and meters are free beginning at 6:00p.

Photo Day – Tuesday, October 23
Our school photographer will be on campus to take school photos for all K-8 students.

Digital Safety Family Ed Event, Wednesday, October 24, 7:00-8:30p
Parenting adults of all aged students are encouraged to join us for a Family Education event around our crucial partnership in your children’s mental and physical health, specifically around Digital Safety. Mark your calendar to join us and learn the reasons behind our expectations for student use of technology and internet access, and ways you can best support your student and family’s health.

Homework for you!
Please fill out this parent questionnaire before the first day of school so we can learn more about your child and family.

Here it comes! Hannah and I are looking forward to challenging real-life math problems and fun games, daily singing and songwriting, publishing your writing in the classroom literary magazine, reading more than you ever thought you could, embarking on a multitude of field trips in the city and the countryside to deepen our classroom learning, and helping create a community of peers that support you as you take risks as a learner. This will be a year to remember.

Warmly,
Mike Sinclaire and Hannah Sippl