Montera Middle School eBulletin
September 26, 2021
Important Dates
(scroll down for more information)
Monday, September 27 - Community Conversation on Vaccine Concerns (Spanish), 5 - 6:30 PM
Tuesday, September 28 - Community Conversation on Vaccine Concerns (English), 5:30 - 7 PM
Saturday, October 2 - Philomena Pizza fundraiser
Wednesday, October 6 - PTO Board Meeting, 6 - 7 PM
Saturday, October 9 - Campus Beautification Day
Monday, October 11 - NO SCHOOL: Indigenous Peoples' Day
Saturday, October 16 - Montera at Oakland Roots (professional soccer), 7 PM
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Montera School Events and Activities - This Week
Teacher-Family Buddy Program
As we begin the school year, we are continuing a family-driven effort to support our Montera teachers and staff. The Teacher-Family Buddy Program is an adopt-a-teacher program—linking each teacher and staff member with individual families who can help teachers with stuff they just don’t have time to manage, like supplies and technology challenges, fiscal and event opportunities, communications (and occasional moral support!).
Philomena Pizza fundraiser!
When: October 2, 2021
Where: 1801 14th Avenue at E18th Street
Dine in: inform the server that you're dining for Montera
Online Order code: monteragr
Cannot be combined with any other promotions.
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.
SWE Science Saturdays & Scholars - Registration Open!
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at UC Berkeley invites you to register your future scientists and engineers for this coming SWE Science event on Saturday, October 9th!
What: SWE Science is a monthly, hands-on engineering experience. During these Saturday morning sessions, students will engage in collaborative engineering challenges, designed to allow students to not only practice foundational STEM principles but also to develop their intellectual curiosities and creativity in an interactive, but most importantly, fun setting! Our team of Berkeley engineering students will help these future engineers learn about a variety STEM careers, including those lesser-known ones in order to cater to every student's particular interests.
Who: SWE Science is divided into two sections: SWE Science Saturdays for 4th-5th and SWE Science Scholars for 6th-8th grade students. We welcome students of all genders and backgrounds to attend.
When: This October's SWE Science event will take place on Saturday, October 9th from 10AM – 12PM on the UC Berkeley campus. Can't make it to our October event? Please invite any interested parents and teachers to sign up for our mailing list to stay updated: https://tinyurl.com/sweoutreachlist
How do I sign up? Just fill out this google form!
(https://tinyurl.com/swescience-oct21)
Equity School Choice Forum
Gather with other equity-minded parents to hear about the OUSD Options Process. Meet parents from a number of local schools to hear about their day-to-day experiences and ask questions.
bit.ly/schoolequity to RSVP
When: 6:30 PM
- Monday 10/4 - Elementary
- Tuesday 10/5 - Middle
- Wednesday 10/6 - High
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Fundraising Events
Donate to Montera's Annual Giving Fund
We have raised $19,000, with 50 families donating so far! Thank you so much for your support!
Let's keep the momentum going to reach our goal of $35,000 Montera PTO's budget for the 2021-2022 school year is $90,000. Your donation funds $400 teacher stipends, student supplies, and technology support/upgrades. 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.
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.
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Other Announcements and Upcoming Events
PTO Board Meeting
Where: Zoom link to be sent via Parent Square
Campus Beautification Day
When: Saturday, October 9
Garden space improvement workday (replacing raised beds, fixing drip systems, sweeping, pruning, and weeding, etc.)
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
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!
Volunteers Needed!!
- Lunchtime Volunteers
- Co-Yearbook Coordinators - Meets once a week during lunchtime clubs
- Outreach Volunteers - Help with student-led tours for prospective Montera families
Registration and clearance is required to volunteer onsite at Oakland public schools. Once you complete the registration, you will receive an immediate email with clearance options and instructions from osv@oaklandedfund.org.
For more details about registrations requirements for OUSD: https://www.oaklandedfund.org/programs/volunteer/parent-volunteers
Email volunteers@monterapto.com to sign up for any of these positions.
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?
Music Boosters Needed!
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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