2241 Russell St.

The
Berkeley, CA 94705
www.leconteonline.com
(510) 644-6290 Lamppost DON’T MISS OUR SPRING FAIR &
June 4, 2010
JUNETEETH CELEBRATION
Cheryl Wilson – Principal
TOMORROW, JUNE 5TH!!!
Jill Wang – PTA President
It is for us to pray...for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a
great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward
Important dates our distant goal. – Helen Keller
SAT., JUNE 5
Together, we have achieved a great deal this year. I am grateful to all the
Spring Fair
11:00AM – 3:00PM volunteers who have helped in our classrooms, organized special events,
chaperoned field trips, attended meetings, and supported our school and children in
WED., JUNE 9 so many ways. Thanks to your enthusiastic support of the PTA fundraisers, we
School Governance Council have raised the dollars needed to continue several services and special events next
Meeting, 6:30PM, Library year. Happily, we now have funding for additional noon supervisors, tutors, field
trips, and curriculum materials. Our English Language Advisory Committee helped
THURS., JUNE 10
shape the culture of our school by supporting the importance of learning two
After School Performances
Circus & Afro-Peruvian Dance
languages and sponsoring the Annual Day of the Child event, which included a
5:15PM, Auditorium colorful and entertaining theatrical performance by ELAC members. Our School
Governance Committee took responsibility for preparing and tabulating results from
FRI., JUNE 11 our LeConte Family Survey. They also completed our 2010-2011 School Site Plan,
LeConte Talent Show which addresses survey comments related to discipline, homework, and
12:30PM, Auditorium instructional methods.
SAT., JUNE 12 You will receive your child’s report card on June 18th. Please note that if
Kindergarten Potluck Party you are concerned about your child’s lack of academic growth, you can obtain
11:30AM-2:00PM, Kindgergarten Yard reading and mathematics materials from me to use over the summer. I will be at
12 Noon, Second Grade Potluck Picnic, school until June 30th. To request materials, you can call me (510)644-6290 or send
Codornices Park an email to cheryl_wilson@berkeley.k12.ca.us. To those of you who applied for
summer school, be aware that the number of available openings has been decreased
MON., JUNE 14 because of potential budget cuts; therefore, please take advantage of my offer. We
Two Way Immersion Meeting have several literature books and workbooks available for the asking.
Rosa Parks School
Most importantly, it is vitally important that you make sure your child
6:00PM
reads during the summer. Students need to PRACTICE fluency, comprehension and
TUES., JUNE 15 vocabulary development skills throughout the summer in order to be prepared for
Fifth Grade Promotion the next grade level.
6:30PM, Auditorium
Finally, I hope you had time to cherish your family this past Memorial Day
FRI., JUNE 18 as you honored those who have passed away. To all of you who have relatives and
Last day of school friends who are soldiers, may the desire that beats at the door of our hearts be
Report cards sent home powerful enough to end all wars. I hope that this goal is not too distant so that our
children’s lives do not have to be sacrificed before they reach the age of 50. I hope
ENJOY YOUR SUMMER and you have a great summer!
please make sure your child
READS as much as possible! -Principal Cheryl Wilson

Please see the Calendar for the full list of

LeConte events.

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 NOTICES: SPRING FAIR & JUNETEETH CELEBRATION, JUNE 5TH
FIFTH GRADE PROMOTION, JUNE 15TH
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, JUNE 18TH

EVENTS
Spring Fair and Juneteeth Celebration, June 5th, 11:00AM to 3:00PM
This year’s Spring Fair will not only include a yummy breakfast of pancakes and sausage but also food
items reminiscent of Juneteeth, a holiday celebrated by African-Americans throughout the United States
in recognition of the end of slavery. Though the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January
1, 1863, a quarter million slaves living in Texas had no idea of their freedom until it was announced by
Union soldiers on June 19, 1865, two and a half years later. For the convenience of our families and to
share expenses, this year our event combines our Community Kidz end-of-school celebration and our
annual spring fair. The day will include a Walk-a-Thon, student performances, games, books, and other
family fun activities for all. This is our final community event for the year so please attend and enjoy!
Thank you to the following people for making this event possible: Iain Boltin, Stacey Kaufman, Chris
Martin, Cathlene Richmond, Basia Lubicz, Cata Negrin and the Panda Challenge crew, Darby Schouten,
Charity DaMarto, Miss Khaledah, Miss Brazil & all the LeConte Community Kidz crew, Jiyun Lee,
Karen Meckstroth, Mike Linn, and all the volunteers who will be helping on the day of the event.

Classroom Updates
There will be several changes in regard to teaching assignments next year. Ms. Gee, one of our
kindergarten teachers, and Mr. Gopez, our literacy coach, will be retiring, and we have open
positions in both our Two Way Immersion and English programs. We will be hiring someone to
fill the literacy coach position and we are seeking two to three TWI teachers for second, third,
and fourth grades and a part-time teacher who will be working in the upper grades in the
afternoon. Ms. Gee’s position will be filled by one of our current teachers. We will be asking
candidates to demonstrate lessons and holding interviews the week of June 7th. If you have any
specific questions or would like to provide any suggestions about the interview process, please
contact Principal Wilson.

LECONTE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEES

English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC)
Thanks again to this committee for their outstanding performance in honor of the Day of the Child. The
attached photos show the time and effort families put into developing costumes and stage props to make
the story of Thelma the Little Ant come alive. During the May meeting, participants had a chance to view
a DVD developed by families enrolled in our Two Way Immersion and bilingual programs and produced
by our district English Language Development coordinator, Allison Kelly. The purpose of this video is to
provide families with information about immersion and bilingual education and the goals and benefits of
the two programs. The plan is to distribute this DVD to as many families as possible so that they can
make a more informed decision when enrolling their child in school. There was also a lot of discussion
about the misconceptions of both programs and lack of clear information about how to enroll, outreach,
and district support of the programs. For further information about these issues and more related to TWI,
you can attend a meeting at 6:00PM on Tuesday, June 14th at Rosa Parks Elementary School. See attached
flyer.

School Governance Council (SGC): Wednesday, June 9

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 LeConte Calendar

The next meeting will be Wednesday, June 9, in our school library at 6:30PM. The May meeting was
devoted to discussing and finalizing our 2010-2011 School Site Plan. The entire plan will be posted on
our website. The purpose of the final SGC meeting is to evaluate this year’s work and to discuss ways to
recruit officers and members for next year.

SCHOOL-WIDE NEWS
Class News
Writing Assessments: All students, K-5, are required to complete a final writing assessment. Attached
you will find a brief personal narrative written by one of our first grade students, Alexis Robinson,
because it shows so much passion and voice, and has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Congratulations
Alexis’s mother, Nancy, for inspiring such a well-written and detailed story.

Second grade Field Trip to Lawrence Berkeley Lab: Our second graders visited LBL last week for a
hands-on computer class. They learned that the CPU is like a brain, networking works a lot like the Post
Office, and when computers do a lot of work they get hot, just like people do. A video capturing the visit
has been posted on the Lab’s home page, http://www.lbl.gov.

Steps to Improve Achievement

Our students and teachers managed to get through the weeks of standardized testing smoothly. Students
did their best, there weren’t any tears, and everyone endured the lengthy reading selections. Before we
can be released from the Program Improvement status, over 50% of each subgroup totaling 50-plus
students (socioeconomic disadvantaged, ethnic groups, and English language learners) must obtain a
proficiency score in reading and mathematics. This remains a lofty goal for our school, which is why the
next teachers we hire must have the skills to engage and motivate all students, we must begin intervention
early, and provide all students with standards based instruction. After all, the standardized tests questions
are based on the California Standards. Our Leadership Team and Principal Wilson will be developing
teaching guidelines that outline key standards that must be taught for mastery at each grade level. This
type of instructional reference should better prepare students with the knowledge needed to improve their
confidence and skill level on the California Standards Tests. It is unfortunate that our sole mark of
achievement is based on tests; however, the ability to pass tests is a skill that our students must have for
high school, college, and their several careers throughout their lives.

Mosaic Project
Thanks to the tenacious efforts of LeConte parent Hannah Bastienne and Ms. Blanchard, one of our fifth
grade teachers, our fifth grade students may still have the opportunity to attend the Mosaic Project
Outdoor School next year. Previously, we announced that we were planning to end our participation
because of the cost, which is over $9,000 for admission and transportation, in order to use these funds for
school improvement goals. However, Ms. Bastienne has actively been seeking funds with the assistance
of Ms. Blanchard and it appears that they may be able to obtain grants to help pay for this trip.
Meanwhile, all families will be required to pay something and those families that can afford to pay the
full amount should do so. We hope to be able to confirm this trip before the end of this school year; we
are still waiting to hear from the Director of Mosaic as to whether or not there is still a space for our
students.

Willard Pool Threatened With Closure – June 8 Election on Measure C

In the June 8 election, Berkeley voters will be asked to vote on Measure C, the Berkeley Public Pools
Bond. LeConte’s PTA voted to endorse Measure C, which will provide the funds needed to renovate City
pools and keep Willard Pool open. Willard Pool, our neighborhood public pool, is slated to be closed
forever on July 1 because the City of Berkeley no longer has funds to perform needed repairs and pay for
staff. Through our afterschool programs, some of our students take swimming lessons at Willard, and
many LeConte families swim at the pool throughout the summer. You can find out more about Measure

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 C and the effort to save Willard Pool at www.berkeleypools.org or read the ballot measure at
ww.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=50932.

LeConte’s New Website Launched!

Thanks to the dedicated work of our website gurus Grant Faulkner and Roberto Riutort, with assistance
from Sian Shumway, Chris Shumway, and Heather Mackey, our beautiful new school website is up and
running! You will now find all of the latest LeConte news at a slightly different address:
www.leconteonline.com.

Free Online Multiplication Game – Timez Attack

We introduced Timez Attack, an online multiplication game by Big Brains, to our second through fifth
grade students at school. We encourage you to download the program (for free!) and have your children
play the game at home too, because the practice really helps. The directions for downloading the system
follow. If you encounter a problem accessing the website from home, please contact the Timez Attack
company at 877-356-7040. If you encounter a problem with your password or game directions, please
contact your child’s teacher.
1) Go to the website: www.bigbrains.com/Teachers.php.
2) In very small type under “Base Version Free,” under the green chili pepper marked “Free,” you
should see “Win” (Windows) and “Mac.” Please select the version you would like to download.
3) Then you must select a series of words to find our school: Country = United States; State =
California; District = Berkeley Unified; Elementary School = LeConte.
4) The students’ password is mfacts. Then select your Homeroom teacher’s name and your
child’s name. Click “Play.”

Online Learning Available for Students Throughout Summer

Compass Learning, the free, online educational software used by many of our students throughout the
year, will be available to your children all summer – and it can make a difference to their learning. We
encourage you to help your child use this system. It is easy to access from home or school. The software
is aligned with state and national standards and provides a customized learning environment for each
child. You can find Compass Learning at www.childu.com. To get your child started, you will need your
child’s user name and password. Most user names and passwords follow the following standard format:
User Name: LeCFirstNameLastInitial
Password: FirstInitialLastInitial
School: BUSD
For example, John Smith has a user name of LeCJohnS and a password of js. Contact August Fern at
august.fern@gmail.com if you are having difficulties logging in or would like to set up a parent account
to monitor your student's progress.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Ms. Gee Honored With Berkeley Proclamation
On June 1st Ms. Gee, our esteemed, retiring kindergarten teacher, received a proclamation from the City
of Berkeley, signed by Mayor Tom Bates, recognizing her 34 years of service. Thank you to LeConte
parent Alan Wang for arranging this honor. Ms. Gee requested that we not host a formal retirement event
because this is a difficult transition for her and because she is very humble when it comes to hearing
praise about her exemplary work. Now that the news is out, please feel free to “quietly” give Ms. Gee
your appreciation for her phenomenal commitment toward providing the highest quality of education
possible to every student she taught.

Additonal LeConte Teacher Nominated to receive the Prudential Achievement Award

Ms Lorna Cross was also nominated to receive Prudential California Realty’s Education Foundation
award this year. Prudential’s teacher award program honors public school teachers in Alameda County

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 LeConte Calendar

who provide outstanding service to their students and community. Ms. Cross sincerely appreciates this
acknowledgement and would like to personally thank the person who nominated her. If you submitted the
application for Ms. Cross, please contact her or Principal Wilson.

Thank You for Teacher Appreciation Week

The entire LeConte staff truly appreciated the hot, tasty coffee, plentiful and beautifully arranged pastries,
lunch, homemade dishes, and fruit, and the table cloth, flowers, cards, notices, and words of support
during Teacher Appreciation week. You are all so wonderful for feeding the staff with acts of love and
gratitude. We salute you for being the best group of families that a staff could ever have the pleasure of
working with. Special thanks to Darby Schouten for coordinating the bountiful offerings and Jill Wang
for her generous assistance.

Thank you to the Spring Auction Committee and the participants

The committee outdid themselves again. This year’s auction was outstandingly amazing and exciting.
Nearly 170 guests attended, raising over $26,000 to fund programs for our school. The number and
selection of items was superb, something for everyone: artwork, weekend trips, a place to Rome, etc. The
food was never ending. If you like delectable pizza that is juicy, has a perfect crust with fresh herbs and
cheese, you have to visit Pizzaiola (owned by a LeConte family)! The band featured one of our parents,
Ben Buettner, who played the stand up bass. The music was perfect because the melodies and songs made
you want to dance and sing along. Thanks so much to our coordinators: Anna Goldstein and Sarah Linvill
for another flawless auction and to their committee members and volunteers: Iain Boltin, Ben Buettner,
Enedina Diaz, August Fern, Jessica Fiedler, Suzanne Fraser, Arden Fredman, Jiyun Lee, Chris Martin,
Cata Negrin, Penny Peak, Cathlene Richmond, Halley Roberts, Melissa Saavedra, Cary Sanders, Carly
Strouse, and Elena Topete (for facilitating the kindergarden art projects), and Gazel Valdez. Note: The
auction team is missing a handmade baby blanket and World Blues CD, in case anyone accidentally
gathered those items up with your other winnings.

Fifth Graders Earn Pizza Party

Congratulations to our fifth graders for winning the LeConte Family Survey challenge to return the most
surveys. For their efforts, the fifth grade students received a pizza party on Friday, May 14, helping them
celebrate the end of testing this year. The School Governance Council is very grateful to every LeConte
family who took the time to complete a survey. More information about the results and how our school is
addressing parent suggestions will be shared next year.

Recognition of our Classified Staff

On Thursday, May 27th, the following LeConte staff members were recognized for their years of service
to BUSD. Thanks to all you for your help and support toward improving the lives of our children for so
many days and so many years! Five years of service: Mushin Abdul-Musawwir and Miles Valentino, ten
years of service: Ben Goff, Victor Thomas, and Ahlam Younis, twenty years of service: Romila Khanna,
and twenty-five years of service: Cheri Dutiel and Earl Jenkins

KIDS & FAMILY FUN TIPS

LeConte Mother Selling Yummy Tamales
Alicia Villanueva is a LeConte mom (her son Pedro is in Ms. Louie's 2nd grade class). She has started a
business, for now out of her kitchen, and occasionally when needed out of a SF commercial kitchen
making tamales. In the fall she will have a taco truck at UC Berkeley. Please help Alicia get her business
off the ground by indulging in her delicious food. Her Tamales are yummy & big! She is making 4 kinds
for now: Pork in red sauce, Chicken with veggies (peas, carrots, squash); Cheese; and Strawberry (has a
little food coloring). Prices: $2 per Tamal; $11 - 1/2 dozen; $22 – dozen. If you would like to place an

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 order please contact Alicia by phone or e-mail. Orders must be made by Friday for a Saturday or Sunday
delivery. Alicia: c. 510-684-9613, aliciavica@yahoo.com.

LGBTQ Separation, Divorce Workshops: Saturday, June 5

Our Family Coalition is presenting a Saturday workshop on June 5 on separation and divorce in lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer families, titled Separating with Hearts and Smarts: LGBTQ
Separation, Divorce, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. For more information, visit the coalition’s
website at www.ourfamily.org.

BUSD Welcoming Schools Celebration Picnic – Sun., June 13, 11:00AM-2:00PM

The Berkeley Unified Family Diversity Task Force and Our Family Coalition is hosting an LGBTQ
Family - End of the Year - Picnic/Potluck on Sunday, June 13, 11am - 2 pm, at King Park (Hopkins Street
at Colusa, between the tennis courts, King Swim Center and the track). Everybody is welcome. For
more information about what to bring or to help, contact Susanne at slugbugs@mac.com, 510-541-9030.

Mosaic Project Reunion – Sat., June 26; Benefit Concert – Sun., June 27
The Mosaic Project invites all current and former Mosaic students, youth leaders, interns, staff, parents,
teachers, administrators, board members, volunteers, and friends to its 10th Birthday Mosaic Community
Reunion on Saturday, June 26th, 12-4 pm in Snow Park, Oakland. Bring your whole family and join us
for Mosaic games, fun, food, and of course, music! RSVP and get more information on the Mosaic
website, www.mosaicproject.org. In addition, Mosaic songwriter Brett Dennen will be performing at a
Mosaic birthday benefit concert on Sunday, June 27th, 3:30-5:30 pm.

Flyers Attached
• Student performances, Thursday, June 9th
• Two Way Immersion meeting, Tuesday, June 14, Rosa Parks

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 LeConte Calendar

LeCONTE CALENDAR
MAY 31 – JUNE 18
Updated LeConte News & Calendar: www.leconteonline.com (our great new website!)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
30 31 June 1 2 3 4 5
Memorial Day Asian American Second Fifth Grade LeConte Spring Fair &
Holiday Heritage Assembly Grade field Bash Juneteenth Celebration
12:30PM trip 11:00AM – 3:00PM
overnight

Fifth
graders
visit
Middle
Schools
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Election Day School After LeConte Kindergarten Potluck Party
(LeConte Governance School Talent Show 11:30AM-2:00PM,
auditorium is a Council Class 12:30PM Kindgergarten Yard
polling location) Meeting Perfor- (contact Jocelyn Bale-Glickman,
6:30PM, mance: Kindergarten jbaleglickman@yahoo.com)
Library Circus & field trip
Afro- -Beach Second Grade Potluck Picnic
Peruvian 12 Noon, Codornices Park
Dance (contact Cynthia Dambach, 510-
5:15PM, 457-6938, cdambach@gmail.com
Auditorium
13 14` 15 16 17 18
Two Way Fifth Grade Last day of
Immersion Promotion school
Meeting, 6:30PM
Rosa Parks Auditorium REPORT
Elementary CARDS
6:00PM – see SENT
flyer attached HOME

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