Author: Matt Burnham

Spring is Here and so is Spring Faire
Spring Faire is scheduled for 11:00 am-3:00 pm on Saturday, April 20, and features games, crafts, food, music and other fun carnival-type activities.  We need your help to organize the event and also to volunteer on the day of the Spring Faire– please contact Sally Foster-Wagner at ksalkev@aol.com. We are also using Volunteer Spot for sign ups. Click the button:

Thank you!
Thanks to all the volunteers for supporting the recent PTSA fundraiser at Golden Gate Fields. Volunteers included Meg McHugh, Pamela Gilbert-Snyder, Matt Willis, Tre Curran, Romy Douglas, Mike S., Mary Schmida, Mike Gest, Nancy Donovan, Yvonne Noble, James Phalen, Lee Hamilton, Nick Adranly and Leslie Reckler. Thank you to RulaAdranly for helping to coordinate this fundraiser.

Congrats!
Congratulations to Portola’s Battle of the Books team, which finished in a tie for second in competition against the other middle schools from WCCUSD. The team consisted of Mohamed Arsalan, Raqeeb Chang, Marcelo Monsalve, Joonun Park and Isaac Sloan. Thanks to Portola librarian Ms. Bogie for supporting the team.

Portola Dance Party
Students are invited to attend the Portola Dance Party at the Arlington Café at 269 Arlington Ave. in Kensington, on Saturday, April 20, from 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, please pay by check made out to Portola PTSA. The venue can accommodate up to 30 students and the entry ticket include sodas, finger foods and desserts. For more information, contact: Trish McDermott at trishmcdermott@ix.netcom.com

Volunteer Opportunities
California STAR tests are scheduled to be held on April 30-May 9. We need your help to organize snacks for the students on Monday, April 29. Please contact Evangeline Ireland at emireland@yahoo.com to get involved.

Help is needed for supervision while students are changing clothes for PE. Volunteers are needed to supervise students who have already finished dressing and gone outside, so that the teacher can be free to supervise inside the locker room. The need for help is greatest between 12:30 p.m.-12:50 p.m. and 1:25 p.m.-1:45 p.m. To get involved, please contact Mr. Burnham at mburnhma@wccusd.net or call the school office.

We need a few volunteers to help coordinate Teacher Treat Day.  During Teacher Treat Day, which is held once a month, families provide food for teachers and staff to enjoy during their lunch break. Coordinating Teacher Treat Day is straightforward and we are fortunate to have a generous community that comes together month after month to show their gratitude to the hardworking Portola teachers/staff.  If you would be willing to help, please let Tre know at trecurran88@gmail.com.  You will receive lots of support and info to make this an easy, enjoyable way to add to a positive school culture.

8th Grade Hoodies Re-Order
If you missed your chance at ordering the 8th grade Hoodie, here’s your chance!  Sign ups are in the school office or email to emireland@yahoo.com with your name, size (s,m,l, xl) and phone number. Re-orders will be done only if there are 20 new orders. You will be contacted with payment information if re-order will be done.  Last day to re-order is April 26th. No extras will be ordered.

PTSA will meet at 7:00 pm. 8th grade parents will meet at 8:00.
Band parents will NOT meet this April, but will meet Tuesday May 14th.

Up for discussion will be:
-the upcoming Spring Faire
-the future of Celebrate Portola
-nominations for the 2013-2014 Portola PTSA Executive Board.

Hope to see some 6th grade parents at this meeting as this meeting affects you!

Mr. Burnham tweets! Follow Mr. Burnham on Twitter @bhambytes. His tweets will also appear o in the column on the right side of the Portola News site.

Thanks to the Spanish 3 class, Portola News is now in Spanish! Check it out. Click on Spanish Portola News for the El Toro Weekly, and other Portola News pages in Spanish.  The class also translates the El Toro Weekly for the PTSA. Thanks for organizing, Ms. Baldwin!

Great concert last night at the 1st Annual District Jazz Festival.  Helms Middle, Pinole Valley Middle, Portola, Pinole Valley High, and El Cerrito High put on a good show.  Good job band students and music directors!

Easy and Free Way to Help Portola
Clip and turn in to the school office “BoxTops for Education” vouchers located on the packaging of many consumer products, ranging from Cheerios to Kleenex. Each voucher is worth 10 cents for Portola, and the free money can add up fast. It costs you nothing to participate, just pick up a pair of scissors and start clipping – you may find that you have many of these products in your pantry. For more information on which products participate in BoxTops for Education see: http://tinyurl.com/c5388pq

Portola Dance Party
Students are invited to attend the Portola Dance Party at the Arlington Café at 269 Arlington Ave. in Kensington, on Saturday, April 20, from 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, please pay by check made out to Portola PTSA. The venue can accommodate up to 30 students and the entry ticket include sodas, finger foods and desserts. For more information, contact Trish McDermott at trishmcdermott@ix.netcom.com.

Congrats!
Congratulations to Julia Walker for placing 2nd at the Bay Area Science Fair, and Erich Fenczik-Warnock for receiving a Special Recognition Award.

Join the Track Team
Students are invited to join the Portola Track Team. Meet on Mondays and Thursdays at 2:35 p.m. in Ms. Baldwin’s room.

Volunteer Opportunities
Golden Gate Fields fundraiser on April 7: We could use two more volunteers to help man the concession stand from 12pm-4:30pm.  This is a fun and easy way to raise money by serving hot dogs, beer and sodas.  If you can help, please email Rula Adranly at radranly@quest-world.com or call 237-6049. Band parents are also needed to man the other concession stand from 11:30am-4:30pm. Shifts may be split so any amount of time you can spare will be welcome. Please contact Julie Yamashita at jag1999@yahoo.com to help at the band concession stand.

California STAR tests are scheduled to be held on April 30-May 9. We need your help to organize snacks for the students on Monday, April 29. Please contact Evangeline Ireland at emireland@yahoo.com to get involved
Spring Faire is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, and features games, crafts, food, music and other fun carnival-type activities.  We need your help to organize the event and also to volunteer on the day of the Spring Faire– please contact Evangeline Ireland at emireland@yahoo.com to get involved.
Help is needed for supervision while students are changing clothes for PE. Volunteers are needed to supervise students who have already finished dressing and gone outside, so that the teacher can be free to supervise inside the locker room. The need for help is greatest between 12:30 p.m.-12:50 p.m. and 1:25 p.m.-1:45 p.m. To get involved, please contact Mr. Burnham at mburnhma@wccusd.net or call the school office.
We need a few volunteers to help coordinate Teacher Treat Day.
During Teacher Treat Day, which is held once a month, families provide food for teachers and staff to enjoy during their lunch break. Coordinating Teacher Treat Day is straightforward and we are fortunate to have a generous community that comes together month after month to show their gratitude to the hardworking Portola teachers/staff.  If you would be willing to help, please let Tre know at trecurran88@gmail.com.

Community News
Harding Elementary free Used Bicycle Sale and Bicycle Festival is set for Saturday, May 11, from 10am to 1 pm. If you have a bike to donate, please contact zavestoski@gmail.com. Any bikes welcome except rusty or frame damaged bikes.

48^th Annual WCCUSD Student Art Exhibition
Art show will be at Richmond Art Center at 2540 Barrett Ave. from March 23-April 27. (Open Tues-Sat. 11am-5pm)
Reception will be Friday, April 18 from 5:30pm-7:30 pm.

Tweets by bhambytes

Third Quarter Date Change
Portola’s third quarter is now scheduled to end on Friday, March 29, one week later than previously announced. Please check PowerSchool to make sure there are no missing assignments which may affect final grades.

Upcoming Meeting
Everyone is invited to the next meeting of the English Learner Advisory Committee on Thursday, March 28, at 4 p.m. in Room 7

Cookie Dough
Thanks to everyone who supported the cookie dough fundraiser. Please remember to have your order picked up at the end of the school day on Tuesday, March 26, in Room 7.

Join the Track Team
Students are welcome to join the Portola Track Team. Meet on Mondays and Thursdays at 2:35 p.m. in Ms. Baldwin’s room.
Spring Break

A reminder that school will be closed for Spring Break from April 1-April 5.

Volunteer Opportunities
Spring Faire is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, and features games, crafts, food, music and other fun carnival-type activities.  We need your help to organize the event and also to volunteer on the day of the Spring Faire– please contact Evangeline Ireland at emireland@yahoo.com to get involved.

PE: Help is needed for supervision while students are changing clothes for PE. Volunteers are needed to supervise students who have already finished dressing and gone outside, so that the teacher can be free to supervise inside the locker room. The need for help is greatest between 12:30 p.m.-12:50 p.m. and 1:25 p.m.-1:45 p.m. To get involved, please contact Mr. Burnham at mburnhma@wccusd.net or call the school office.

We need a few volunteers to help coordinate Teacher Treat Day.  During Teacher Treat Day, which is held once a month, families provide food for teachers and staff to enjoy during their lunch break. Coordinating Teacher Treat Day is  straightforward and we are fortunate to have a generous community that comes together month after month to show their gratitude to the hardworking Portola teachers/staff.  If you would be willing to help, please let Tre know at trecurran88@gmail.com.  You will receive lots of support and info to make this an easy, enjoyable way to add to a positive school culture. 

Third Quarter Ending Soon
Portola’s third quarter is scheduled to end on Friday, March 22. Please check PowerSchool to make sure there are no missing assignments which may affect final grades.

Expanding Horizons
Female students at Portola are scheduled to attend the Expanding Your Horizons conference at Contra Costa College on Friday, March 15. The program is designed to motivate young women in science and mathematics. It features hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities led by professional women scientists and engineers.

Spring Faire is Coming Up!
Spring Faire is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, and features games, crafts, food, music and other fun carnival-type activities.  We need your help to organize the event and also to volunteer on the day of the Spring Faire– please contact Evangeline Ireland at emireland@yahoo.com to get involved.

Tree Planting
Thanks to students in Mr. Kunz’s 6^th and 7^th period classes for helping to plant trees at Cerrito Vista Park.

Spring Break
A reminder that school will be closed for Spring Break from April 1-April 5.

Bay Area Science Fair
Students planning to submit science fair projects for the Bay Area Science Fair should please turn in their projects to Mr. Kunz by Monday, March 18. The Bay Area Science Fair is scheduled for Thursday, March 21.

Portola PTSA is raising money to purchase emergency kits for our classrooms by selling gourmet cookies, coffee cakes, cake rolls, cheesecakes, brownies & cinnamon rolls.

Purchases can be made by going to www.funds4all.org/Portola or by downloading the order form here and return to the school main office in an envelope marked Cookie Dough and your student’s name

All orders must be submitted by Monday March 18th. Orders may be picked up at the end of the school day in Room 7 on Tuesday March 26.

Mr. Kunz’s 6th and 7th period classes put on some work gloves and picked up shovels to help the city of El Cerrito plant oak trees in Cerrito Vista park yesterday in honor of Arbor Day.

Visit Portola
Please plan to attend the Portola Open House on Thursday, March 14 from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. to visit your student’s classrooms and meet with teachers. Students will have a minimum day on March 14.

Get Involved
Everyone is invited to attend the next PTSA meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12 in Room 7. We will be discussing items including the Spring Faire.

*Band parents will meet at 6 p.m. on March 12, while 8^th grade parents will meet at 8 p.m.

Spring Faire is Coming Up!
Spring Faire is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, and features games, crafts, food, music and other fun carnival-type activities.  We need your help to organize the event and also to volunteer on the day of the Spring Faire– please contact Evangeline Ireland at emireland@yahoo.com to get involved.

Fitness Tests
Fitnessgram physical fitness tests for 7^th graders begin on Monday, March 11 and will be conducted over two weeks.Areas such as aerobic capacity, abdominal/upper body strength and flexibility will be tested.
Volunteer Opportunity
Volunteers are needed to help with a fundraiser by working the concession stands at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday, April 7, anytime between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Please contact RulaAdranly at radranly@quest-world.com to get involved.

Help Keep Teacher Treat Day Going
We need a few volunteers to step up and take on the role of Teacher Treat Day coordinators for next year.  During Teacher Treat Day, which is held once a month, families provide food for teachers and staff to enjoy during their lunch. Coordinating Teacher Treat Day is pretty straightforward and we are fortunate to have a generous community that comes together month after month to show their gratitude to the hardworking Portola teachers/staff.  If you would be willing to take a coordinator position, please let Tre know at trecurran88@gmail.com.  You will receive lots of support and info to make this an easy, enjoyable way to add to a positive school culture. 

*On Friday, March 8, Teacher Treat Day will feature a “Potato Bar” — we are seeking contributions of toppings for baked potatoes, such as cheese, bacon, green onions, chili, broccoli or anything else you can think of. Salads and desserts are also welcome. Please contact Tre to get involved at trecurran88@gmail.com

Book Battles Coming Up
The Portola Battle of the Books will take place on Monday, March 11. The winning team will go on to compete at the district Battle of the Books, which will be held after school on March 28 at Pinole Middle School. The books for this year’s competition:
The Skin I’m In by Sharon Draper; The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time by Mark Haddon; Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain; Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Congrats to Math Contest Participants
Portola’s team at the MathCounts competition held at U.C. Berkeley finished fourth out of 19 schools. 8^th grader Gwennie Gilbert-Snyder finished in the top 5 of all 135 students competing individually and will represent Portola at the state competition in March.
*Thanks to Math Club volunteers, in particular Todd Groves but also Kazue Nakahara, Evangeline Ireland, Chie Haflich and Pamela Gilbert-Snyder.
*Students participating in the competition also included: Athena Lynch, Abdul Mohiz, Raqeeb Chang, Marcelo Monsalve, Nicholas Adion, Muhammad Arsalan, Helen Gilbert-Snyder, Katrina Ireland and Ramon Verdin.