Montera Middle School eBulletin
October 11, 2021
Important Dates
(scroll down for more information)
Wednesday, October 13 - Round Table Pizza Montera Girls Volleyball team fundraiser
Saturday, October 16 - Montera at Oakland Roots (professional soccer), 7:00 PM
Wednesday, October 20 - High School Info Night (virtual), 6:00-7:30 PM.
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Campus Cleanup Day
Twenty-five hardy souls – parents, students, and siblings – turned out for Campus Beautification Day on Saturday and filled three dumpsters with pressure-treated lumber and soil from the demolition of raised beds and debris from other areas of campus. Lots of heavy lifting by Dads Club members! We salvaged what was salvageable – like the potato tree and lime tree by P-9 – for replanting later. We planted, pruned, and uprooted dead shrubs, and we began the renovation of the memorial circle. We even cleaned some food stained walls and blue picnic tables. Next steps include a further clean-up day for the campus and new raised beds. Building back better, if you wish. Hmmm, that sounds familiar.
Thanks to everyone who turned out on Saturday – for your hard work, good humor, and resilience in hour 5! If you weren’t able to join us, we’d love to see you out there next time. We need your help to create the environment that our kiddos deserve and in which they can thrive. Now, where’s the ibuprofen…?
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Montera School Events and Activities - This Week
Support the Montera Middle School Girls Volleyball Team!
Where: Round Table Pizza, Oakland-Mountain Blvd.
- Dine-In, Carry-Out, Delivery & Curbside Pickup
- Excludes all coupons &/or discounts & 3rd party delivery sites
20% of you purchase price will go to the Montera School Girls Volleyball Team. Thank you!
Montera Night with the Oakland Roots!
Where: Laney College Stadium, 900 Fallon Street
Purchase tickets for Montera family and community to attend the Oakland Roots soccer game on Saturday, October 16, 2021. Tickets are reduced to $20/person. Oakland Roots will give back to Montera $2.50 for each ticket sale from now until 2 hours before the game.
Save the Date!
Montera's High School Info Night, which will be virtual again this year.
When: Wednesday, October 20th from 6:00-7:30 PM
Zoom link will be sent on ParentSquare and Schoology.
Leadership Opportunity!! Troop 305 Girls
Are you interested in Leadership Development and Community Involvement? We're looking for YOU!
Scouting is now open to females, and we are looking for founding members of Troop 305-G. We're looking for ambitious, community-oriented girls, ages 11 - 17, to join this inaugural female troop and step up to be leaders in the community!
The young women in the troop will be responsible for the activities and leadership roles within the troop. Adults train youth members to assume leadership roles, and with those skills, the Scouts plan the programs and carry them out, all focused on achieving the aims of Scouting: character development, citizenship training, personal fitness, and leadership.
Scouting programs are designed to give young kids and young adults the skills they need to unlock their full potential and live life outside. Come try something new while building confidence, creating friendships, achieving personal merits and learning to work in a team environment.
Each month, Troop 305 participates in different character-building adventures, like white water rafting on the American River or zip lining at Sonoma Canopy tours! Join us backpacking in Yosemite & climbing Half Dome, or snow camping at Lake Alpine! Try archery or sleep on a REAL submarine! Help plan your own adventures, gain merit badges for skills YOU choose, or even become a prestigious Eagle Scout! Come on Girls, it’s our time to shine! #GirlPower
If interested, please reach out to: cindy.gatiss.murphy@gmail.com
Calling all 7th and 8th Graders Interested in STEM!
Holy Names High School in collaboration with Girl Powered, presents STEM Day in honor of International Day of the Girl! STEM Day is designed to inspire 7th and 8th grade girls who are interested in exploring STEM fields.This event will kick- off with a special guest speaker followed by a hands-on project. Participants will create their very own soft-circuit using conductive thread, LED lights and felt.
The first 50 to register will receive a Girl Powered kit, available for pickup on October 16.
Date: Tuesday, October 19
Time: 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Location: Online
Who: Engineering Department & Girl Powered
RSVP by October 12
Discover how our partnership with Girl Powered has paved the way for our students.
P-EBT Cards
A second mailing of P-EBT cards in your student's name should be arriving to your home before December 1, 2021. This card covers about $300 to purchase groceries. If families do not use the benefits, then the money will go to waste.
Please consider using the P-EBT card to buy food at a local grocery store an/or donating the card t our Montera Families In Need Program
Here is the link to find a store that accepts P-EBT: https://usda-fns.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e1f3028b217344d78b324193b10375e4
Contact Dunia Wilder at creolelala@gmail.com for card or grocery donation.
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Montera Sports & After-School Activities Updates
New Classes Being Offered in the Afterschool Program
Two new classes are starting in our Afterschool Program. Students who are interested should have heard the pitches for these programs last Monday. Classes start this week. These classes are offered through Envisioneering Apprenticeships.
In Pencil Code, students take on self-directed coding challenges to build skill (and earn badges) in that varied roles needed for successful game design, including artist, designer and engineer. Students learn the basics of coding using Pencil Code, learn how to code a variety of basic animated video games, and will decide on a type of video game they will create for the WOW! Students innovate on their favorite projects to improve upon their basic design and build a web-based portfolio of their games for guests at the WOW! to play.
Spoken Word - Wednesdays from 2:30-4 PM
Students learn about how practicing spoken word poets write, rehearse, and perform their work. Builds students’ communication skills holistically: reading, writing, and performance are interwoven in a challenging, collaborative and supportive environment. In each lesson, students read and discuss a mentor text that models particular skills or elements of poetry, then use it as a springboard to write or revise their own texts designed to engage, entertain, and affect an audience.
Coming soon - Fiber Arts Club with Ms. Shogbesan!
Do you have excess yarn and crocheting/knitting needles from all those projects you started (and possibly did not finish)? Please consider donating them to Ms. Shogbesan and the new fiber arts club -- embroidery, cross stitch, knitting, and crocheting -- she will be launching soon. She'd love a parent co-sponsor for the club too.
Interested in helping out? Contact Ms. Shogbesan at holly.shogbesan@ousd.org.
Afterschool Theater Classes Coming in January!
Oakland Theater Project is coming to Montera ASP. Topics include an introduction to scenes, character analysis, partner work, and theater games. These components will come together to mount a full production. For more information, contact Christy Bradshaw at bradshawceo@gmail.com
Fall Sports Schedule
Winter Sports are Around the Corner!
Winter Sports (Girls & Boys Basketball and Girls & Boys Soccer) are around the corner.
Conditioning practices will start in mid-late October. If you're student is interested in trying out for these teams, please register and upload your forms here as soon as possible. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8wkN7zpV8GXdENeHLlBB4DrLLbM_DlmlF-K_JFQCBpniKyg/viewform).
Please note it can take 1-2 weeks for your registration to be processed and conditioning practices will start in mid-late October.
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Fundraising Events
Donate to Montera's Annual Giving Fund
We have raised $21,000, with 55 families donating so far! This means we are able to provide $400 stipends for all of our teachers! Thank you! Let's keep the momentum going to fund our sports and afterschool programs and reach our goal of $35,000. Montera PTO's budget for the 2021-2022 school year is $90,000. We are asking families to make a gift of at least $300 per student for this school year, or $30 a month for 10 months. Donations are ranging between $10-$2,000. Any amount that you can give is appreciated. Make your tax-deductible gift here: is.gd/give2monteraPTO
Montera Relief Fund is Back to Help Toro Families in Need
Last year the pandemic prompted the Montera community to create the Montera Relief Fund to help Toro families in need. Last year we were able to raise almost $20,000 for groceries, small cash grants distributed confidentially by administrators to families, and a holiday gift drive.
Once again, we have families of students who have been hit hard by COVID and need your help. Trusted Montera staff find out what the families need and personally deliver it. The Coordination of Services Team confidentially handles requests from families.
Can you donate now to help Montera families in need?
If you are a student or family in need of support, reach out to any teacher or staff, Ms. Harambe at tina.harambe@ousd.org, or Coach D or Mr. Latimore at sports@monterapto.com. All support is confidential.
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Other Announcements and Upcoming Events
In-person Campus Tours for Prospective Parents -- Volunteers Needed
School options season is almost upon us. Montera will host virtual information sessions and several in-person tours.
The first virtual information night will take place on Wednesday, November 10.
- Wednesday, November 17
- Friday, December 10
- Wednesday, December 17
- Friday, January 7
- Friday, January 21
Sign up to lead or attend tours:
Montera Safety Bargaining Team Survey
Ms. Ranahan (7th Grade Math) and Mr. Pettengill (6th Gr. Humanities) have joined the OEA Safety Bargaining Team and are seeking YOUR input into our upcoming negotiating sessions.
Fighting for safety in our schools is going to take all of us working together. Please ensure the bargaining team hears as many voices and perspectives as possible by completing this feedback form: https://tinyurl.com/SeptSafetySurvey
Thank you for your time and consideration!
Volunteering on Campus
Email president@monterapto.com once you are cleared.
Email volunteers@monterapto.com with any questions.
Supplies Request
First Aid
- Latex free band-aids (NOT with antibiotic medication in it) in assorted sizes. EVERY teacher needs at least one box and the front office and nurse's office also need a supply.
- Tweezers for splinters (not the plastic ones)
- Ice packs for PE and front office
- Vomit bucket for front office and pick up waiting area
Feminine supplies
- Cleansing wipes
- Assorted pads
- Tampons
- Assorted sizes back-up underwear (S/M/L/full-figured)
Add whatever you can think of... Thank you!
Bored with your board games?
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Other Important Montera News and Information
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Support Montera All Year Round
Toro Store
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COVID
If your student is feeling ill
Returning to school:
- Get medically cleared (doctor's note or negative PCR test, AND symptoms have improved and student is fever-free for 24 hours - OR -
- 10 days have passed since onset of symptoms and student is no longer feeling ill
If your student tests positive for Covid-19
- Plan on staying home at least 10 days
- Notify the school of the results
- Work with the Contact Tracing Team
COVID Information from the District
- OUSD is required to report every single positive case to the ACPHD.
- A response team conducts contact tracing for each positive case and notifies families of students with prolonged close contact.
- If you are not notified, then your student was not determined to have prolonged close contact with the person who tested positive, so there is not a need to get tested unless your student develops symptoms.
- Vaccinated students do not need to quarantine as long as they are asymptomatic.
- Unvaccinated students who are asymptomatic can do a modified quarantine, continuing to attend school but testing twice a week for two weeks following exposure and not participating in any extracurricular activities.
- Exposed unvaccinated students may choose to stay home for 10 days with an excused absence. If so, they should contact their teachers for assignments during that time.
COVID Testing Information
COVID TESTING: Covid testing is available at multiple OUSD sites throughout Oakland. Find locations and times here.
TESTING PRE-REGISTRATION: Before attending an OUSD Covid testing site for the first time, you must register here. This is a one time only registration and can be done at any time. Families are encouraged to pre-register so they are ready to go should they need to get tested.
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Montera Middle School
This eBulletin is produced on a weekly basis by the Montera Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) except on holidays. It sometimes contains paid advertisements. These advertisements do not imply endorsement of any product or service by OUSD or Montera Middle School.
If you have news you'd like to include, please send it to eBulletin@monterapto.com by noon on Sundays. Submissions may be edited for spelling, grammar, brevity and clarity. In addition, while we strive for accuracy, being human sometimes gets in the way. If you spot something so off the mark we should hang our heads in embarrassment, please bring it to our attention. Thanks!
Be Safe. Be Kind. Be Responsible.
Email: eBulletin@monterapto.com
Website: https://www.ousd.org/montera
Location: 5555 Ascot Drive, Oakland, CA, USA
Phone: (510) 531-6070
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monterapto