MLA Bulletin
May 17, 2020
A Message From Bri
As our year begins to come to a close... as our minds race with more questions than answers and our hearts beat with a strange mixture of everything from triumph to fear to anxiety to relief to gratitude, I want to invite you to take a moment to just breathe. Breathe in, and breathe out.
I have to remind myself to do this regularly now, as the pressure of multiplying to-do lists, making challenging decisions, and planning for the unknown can truly take ones breath away. But I always come back to the realization that, while it is true that we are facing unprecedented challenges, it is also true that our beautiful and resilient MLA community rises to every challenge and only grows stronger through overcoming obstacles together.
Just last week, I witnessed over 50 families collaborating in our first Zoom PTSA meeting, 7th graders leading their own Zoom breakout chats about science, kindergarteners leading their classmates in song, and our teachers leading their own professional development inquiries and supporting each other through grappling with the complexities of distance learning. I want to honor that what we are experiencing right now is scary, painful, and also traumatic for many of us. I am grateful for how we have come together to hold and support each other through this, and very hopeful for what lies ahead for our MLA community.
As I hope you know by now, I am committed to sharing information transparently with you. In this bulletin, you will find many updates -- most of them technical updates about dates and procedures to close the year. Please read them carefully and reach out if you have any questions.
Other updates are less technical and harder to share, especially in a forum as detached as an online bulletin. It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that Ms. Ferrer Castro will not be returning to MLA as our Assistant Principal next year. While I cannot discuss the details of this decision, I can share with you that I am extremely grateful for Ms. Ferrer Castro's service to MLA this year. She dove right in to lead the 4th and 5th grade team at the Sherman site and worked tirelessly to support our teachers, students, and families through a challenging transition. She will always be a beloved member of our community, and I will always be grateful to her for her kindness, partnership, and friendship. Beatriz has written a letter to families, linked here and in the PDF below.
We will be sharing more information in the coming weeks about our plans for shared leadership of MLA moving forward. In the meantime, I hope you will take an opportunity to share your love and appreciation with Beatriz. She deserves it. Her contact information is in her linked letter.
With love,
Bri
8th Grade Portfolio Conferences
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Meeting ID: 364 021 369
Password: 278755
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Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 02:30 PM
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Important Dates
Helpful Documents:
- Friday, May 22: Final Day of Distance Learning
- Monday, May 25: Memorial Day
- Tuesday, May 26: Classroom goodbyes and closing
- Tuesday, May 26-Thursday, June 28: 8th Grade Conferences
- Wednesday, May 27: 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony @5:30pm via Zoom
- Thursday, May 28: 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony @1pm via Zoom
Key Dates: Returning School Materials and Collecting Belongings
- Monday, June 1 through Wednesday, June 3: 9am-1pm; ADULTS ONLY
- Pick-Up: ALL student belongings will be placed on the tables in the Maxwell cafeteria for families to pick up (this includes items from the Sherman campus).
- Return: ALL musical instruments, library books, text books, and class novels must be returned during this time. If students are NOT returning to MLA next year, chromebooks must be returned as well. Students who are returning to MLA in the fall may continue to use their borrowed chromebook over the summer for continued learning.
Key Dates: Registration (see below)
- By May 29: After School Program Registration
- By June 17: New Student Registration (in Schoolmint)
- By June 17: Returning Student Registration (in Aeries)
2020-2021 MLA Registration
- If you do not have an email address, we encourage you to create one at this time. It will help us stay informed with you.
- If you need help with registration, please send a text or email to MLA.Apoyo@gmail.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Aeries Registration (for returning students): by June 17
- Step 1: Create your Parent Portal account in Aeries -- VIDEO SUPPORT HERE
- Step 2: Link your child to your Parent Portal, using the information you will receive from your child's teacher this week via text, email or TalkingPoints
- Step 3: Complete the "Data Confirmation" online -- VIDEO SUPPORT HERE
Schoolmint Registration (for new students): by June 17
- Steps TBD: Families should be receiving an email with directions from Schoolmint this week
After School Program Registration
- Community Bridges After School Program (English)
- Community Bridges Programa para después de la escuela (Spanish)
- CLICK HERE to register online by May 29!
Note About Before Care:
- We plan to open both MLA campuses at 8am next year.
- If your child needs to be dropped off prior to 8am, please register for Before Care with Community Bridges. We will not have supervision prior to 8am.
COVID Survey
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