MLA Bulletin
August 25, 2020
A Message from Bri and Daniel
Thanks for a great first two weeks of school! We are so grateful for all of the hard work you and your children are doing to participate in your Zoom calls, take your beginning of year assessments, and submit your work. We know this year's distance learning schedule is a big change for everyone and that it can feel overwhelming for some. Please reach out to your child's teacher if your student needs support with this big transition.
Many families have inquired about the frequency with which bulletins will be sent. Last year, we sent one or two per month. This summer, given the sharp increase in information we needed to share with families virtually, we sent bulletins every weekend. Now that the year has begun, we aim to share a bulletin twice per month. Please understand that we are both navigating complex systems in which information changes rapidly and we are doing our best to ensure the information we share with our community is accurate and timely.
We are excited that the OEA Teachers' Union and OUSD have agreed to an MOU. We believe this agreement will bring much needed clarity and predictability to teachers, families and students alike moving forward. We will share your students' new schedules with you through both Family Orientations and the MLA Distance Learning Website once schedules have been finalized.
In this bulletin you will find the following:
- Materials Pick-Up
- Family Orientations
- A note from the PTSA and Padres Unidos
Thank you for reading. As always, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!
With love,
Daniel: daniel.pastrana@ousd.org
Upcoming Events
Materials Pick-Up
Friday, August 28: 3rd through 5th grade materials distribution
- Where? Maxwell Campus -- line up on the front ramp
- When? Staggered windows (3rd grade @11am, 4th grade at 12pm, 5th grade @1pm)
- What else? If you are a 3rd-5th grade family that has completed the tech check survey and qualifies for a free computer or hotspot through the Oakland Undivided campaign, we will distribute your new chromebooks on Friday! You will receive an email with further details if this applies to you.
Wednesday, September 2: TK-2nd grade materials distribution
- Where? Sherman Campus -- line up in front of the auditorium
- When? Staggered windows (TK @10am, K @11am, 1st @12pm, 2nd @1pm)
- What else? If you are a TK-2nd grade family that has completed the tech check survey and qualifies for a free computer or hotspot through the Oakland Undivided campaign, we will distribute your new chromebooks on Wednesday! You will receive an email with further details if this applies to you.
Why the change in date?
- We had to postpone the materials distribution for TK-2 because our math books did not arrive in time from the publisher to make it into boxes by Friday. Thank you for your patience! We are trying to get everything in one place to avoid families having to make multiple trips to campus for your safety and convenience.
What if I can't make it to campus during my window?
- That's ok! We will hang onto your child's materials for you to pick them up at another time (campuses are open 9am-2pm Monday through Friday).
Family Orientations
THIS WEEK:
- TK-1 SDC with Maestra Lopez: Thursday, 8/27 @9am
- 4th Grade: Thursday, 8/27 @5:30pm
- 5th Grade: Thursday, 8/27 @ 6pm
NEXT WEEK:
- 1st Grade: Thursday, 9/3 @ rolling times by class
- TK: Next week, TBD
- Kinder: Next week, TBD
- 2nd Grade: Next week, TBD
MLA Title 1 Meeting
Please join us for our annual Title 1 meeting. As a school that has 40% or more families that qualify for free or reduced lunch, we receive significant funds from the government to support our low-income students. The purpose of this annual meeting is to share information about how our Title 1 funds are being spent and the goals we hope to achieve through these expenditures. All are welcome to come and learn with us.
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Password: 273326
Monday, Aug 31, 2020, 05:00 PM
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PTSA Update
We hope the first couple weeks of distance learning have gone well for your families. While not without its challenges, we are extremely grateful for all the work our teachers and leaders have been doing to keep us informed and build community with our children.
As we transition our new board and volunteer leads, we are planning for the year and trying to think creatively about how to stay connected. For now please save the dates for our General PTSA Meetings via Zoom from 7:00-8:00 PM.
September 10
November 12
February 11
April 8
May 13
New 2020-21 MLA Shirts
Last week we began distributing special MLA Distance Learning shirts at materials pick-up. Designed by our new art teacher Ms. Paige. We want to make sure every student gets one! Donations of $10 per shirt can be made to MLA PTSA by cash, check, credit card or PayPal. They will also be available this Friday at both campuses.
Padres Unidos
We want to welcome all the new families who have just joined our great MLA family. This group was created to provide information and support as well as encourage the participation of our Spanish-speaking families. If you have specific questions, you can contact Alma Ortega (yiltzin@gmail.com or 510-593-6355), Mary Ramos (maryramospena@hotmail.com or 510-566-1313) or Elena Perez (elena_881@hotmail.com or 510-927-6778).
Social Justice Committee
As you may know, a bond measure to support Oakland schools will be our November ballot. Please join Kimi Lee (kimiandjanko@gmail.com) and the Social Justice Committee before our next PTSA meeting for a Zoom “house party” to learn more about this bond and Schools and Community First statewide initiative: Thursday, September 10th from 6:30-7:00 PM.
In community,
Úrsula Aldana, PTSA President
Melrose Leadership Academy
Email: mlaschoolquestions@gmail.com
Website: www.melroseleadershipacademy.org
Location: 4730 Fleming Avenue, Oakland, CA, USA
Phone: (510)535-3832
Facebook: facebook.com/melroseleadershipacademy