Your 2014-15 PTSA Needs You!

05/26/2014
PTSA Needs You!
Portola PTSA and Portola Parents Music Association 
With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer.  However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous, and we need you!  All the kids, our entire school community, and you will reap rewards!  We can help you to be more involved in your child’s life.  Study after study has shown that when parents are involved in school, kids do better!  You can learn new skills and share your own.  You’ll make friends too. And, it is fun!
 
Please consider signing up for something for our 2014-2105 school year.  We are recruiting now.  We are looking for chairs to head most committees and volunteers to staff!
 
Portola PTSA Board Positions
Need to attend PTSA Meetings the second Tuesday of Sept, Nov, Jan, March and May, 7:00-10:00 pm.
PTSA Exec. VP Year Round
PTSA Membership
Parliamentarian
PTSA Volunteer Opportunities
Registration and Orientation
Back to School Picnic
Garden Work Party/Back to School Beautification Day
El Cerrito Citywide Yard Sale Coordinator
Fright Write (Oct. 31 release date)
Fright Fest
Information Night
Jenny K Shopping Day Coordinator
PARC (Parent Academic Rigor Committee)
Celebrate Portola Auction, PTSA Representative
Grant Writers
El Toro Weekly Newsletter
Parent Librarian
Math Club
Golden Gate Fields Fundraising
8th Grade Committee
Teacher Treat Day Coordinator
Portola Music Parents Association
Meetings:  The Second Tuesday of the Month, 6:30 p.m.
Financial Secretary 
Bake Sale Coordinator 
Celebrate Portola Planners
 
To find out more, email us at: portolaptsa@gmail.com
View Volunteer Opportunities Here:

Textbook Collection Starts Monday 5/19

05/15/2014
It’s time to return the textbooks that the kids have been using at home this academic year.
How it works is this:  Kids will bring their books back one subject at a time, one day at a time. The schedule is below and attached here.  Each day has its own subject.  Monday is for English books, Tuesday for History, and so on.  The teacher, according to the time on the schedule, will bring their entire class to the textbook  room where the kids who have HOPEFULLY brought the right book with them will turn them in to the interim textbook clerk, Ms. DeArco, will check them back in.
FYI, this schedule covers the bulk of the students.  Those in smaller, more specialized classes have their own separate instructions, to be implemented by their teachers.
Please help your student bring the correct book to school on the correct day.  Have a wonderful summer and best of luck to your kids!
Textbook Returns_2013-14

Portola Night (Open House) Thursday, March 27 6-8pm

03/25/2014

The Portola Middle School students, teachers, and staff would like to invite you to the 1st annual “Portola Night”, which will be held on campus on Thursday, March 27th from 6 to 8pm. Instead of the usual Open House structure, the students and teachers have come together to organize a night of student projects and presentations, along with performances by the jazz band and drama class. Please join us in a fun-filled and informative evening to celebrate Portola Middle School!

1021 Navellier St., El Cerrito, CA 94530, (510) 524-0405

CA PTA Information on the Local Control Funding Formula

Below please find the latest resources from the California State PTA organization regarding the new LCFF law.

Get the facts!
The new school funding law called the LCFF (Local Control Funding Formula) and the LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan) offer a great opportunity to talk with parents, teachers and your school community about the importance of family engagement.

Take a look at this quick video to get the facts about LCFF. You can also share this at your next PTA meeting or post it on your PTA website or Facebook page.

Video is also available in Spanish.


Information fliers about the LCFF and LCAP are available in multiple languages online and can be easily downloaded, printed and shared. Plus, we’ve also provided a PowerPoint presentation highlighting what parents and PTAs can do to get engaged.

Be sure to also check out the PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships Assessment Guide. The comprehensive guide provides a great framework to support school districts and parents in the development of family engagement goals and activities as part of their newly required LCAPs. A summary version is also available.

Learn more – get engaged!
Visit the California State PTA website to download and share more videos, fliers and resources with parents, teachers and your school community to demonstrate the value of PTA.

Portola Science Fair

02/03/2014
Portola Science Fair
Wednesday February 12th, 2014
6pm – 7pm
Come support and celebrate our junior scientists here at Portola! Your attendance will make the school wide event a success!  All projects are to be taken home at the end of the night’s event, except those moving onto the district science fair.

The science fair  committee needs at least 15 judges and a few helping hands to help set up and take down the event. If you can help in ANY way please email Keith Meuller at kmueller@ccsf.edu.  You do not need a science background to judge, just a desire to support and validate our students creative work.
 

Free After-School Japanese Program

01/20/2014

A new Portola after-school class in Japanese Culture & Language is starting the end of January.
Class will meet the last Thursday of each month from 2:40-3:40 beginning Jan. 30

  • Learn what today’s Japan is like
  • Experience Japanese culture through Origami folding, foods and other activities
  • Learn some conversational Japanese
  • Instructor is a UC Berkeley student who just returned from a semester of research in Japan
  • Students from El Cerrito High’s Japanese program will be assisting with the class

To sign up, or for additional information, please send e-mail to japan-portola@leonardoslab.net 
Please include:

  • Name
  • Parent’s name(s)
  • Phone number
  • Email
  • Any Japanese experience
  • Other hobbies or interests

See the flyer for more information.

Portola basketball is here!

01/15/2014
Introducing the 2013-14 Portola Middle School Basketball Team:
  • Alvin Vilayngeun
  • Darylou Quiton
  • Javon Franklin
  • Jesse Perkins
  • Jonathan DeLaPaz
  • Joshua McCoy
  • Keith Samson
  • Kwesi Guss
  • Michael Soriano
  • Nile Harris
  • Tenzin Norsang
  • Vincent Nguyen
  • Will Sepe
Please feel free to support the team and join us for games.  Here is link to team calendar:
Here are game dates (subject to change):
  • THURSDAY, JAN 16 (5pm) at Helms Middle School – 2500 Road 20, San Pablo
  • WEDNESDAY, JAN 22 (4pm) at Helms Middle School – 2500 Road 20, San Pablo
  • THURSDAY, JAN 30 (4:30pm) at Carquinez Middle School – 1099 Pomona St, Crockett
  • SATURDAY, FEB 1 (11am) at Realm Middle School – 2023 8th St, Berkeley
  • THURSDAY, FEB 13 (6pm) at Orinda Intermediate School – 80 Ivy Drive, Orinda
  • WEDNESDAY, FEB 19 (4pm) at Dorris-Eaton School (Tice Valley Gym) – 2055 Tice Valley Blvd, Walnut Creek
  • TUESDAY, FEB 25 (5pm) at Piedmont Middle School – 740 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont
  • FRIDAY, FEB 28 (TBA) at Realm Middle School
  • SATURDAY, MAR 8 (TBA) League Tournament (location TBA)
Feel free to contact Chuck Harris with any questions:  510-323-4933