The Phoenix, January 19, 2017

CELEBRATE KOREMATSU

celebrate-korematsu-2015SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, ALBANY VETERANS’ MEMORIAL BUILDING, 1325 PORTLAND AVE, ALBANY, CA
5:30 TO 9:30 PM
Get Your Tickets NOW — ONLY AROUND 50 TICKETS LEFT!

Please join us for Celebrate Korematsu, a fundraiser for our school, our community and our fabulous bands. Enjoy great food, a silent and live auction, and music performed by our great, young musicians, as well as the talented Ms. Sarah La Due.

Celebrate Korematsu is a community wide event and everyone — not just band folks — is welcome!

Adults $25, Youths under 18 $15 until Friday, January 27

Adults $30, Youths under 18 $20 after Friday, January 27

Tickets may be ordered in one of three ways:

  1. E-mail celebratekorematsu@gmail.com . Please indicate your name, # of adults, and # of youths. An e-mail reply will confirm your order and include payment details.
  2. Order online at http://korematsumiddleschool.org/bands/. Pay by clicking “I Heart Music.” Please indicate in comment section “Celebrate Korematsu,” your name, and # of tickets.
  3. Return stub on the flyer attached with payment in envelope addressed to “Celebrate Korematsu Tickets.” Turn in to Ms. Carrico in the Band Room.

CK Flyer 2017.pdf

All proceeds support our music and PTSA programs, including math tutoring, teacher and classroom grants, and so much more!

Questions? Contact us! celebratekorematsu@gmail.com

CELEBRATE KOREMATSU: CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

It takes a village to put on a big fundraiser like this so please volunteer to help out if you can. Click on this link

CELEBRATE KOREMATSU: CALL FOR DONATIONS

Do you have a special talent, service, own a business or a vacation rental? Consider donating to the Celebrate Korematsu event to help raise money to ensure key programs such as the music, writing coaches, disaster preparedness supplies, classroom supplies, library books, as well as reading and math tutoring programs continue to be funded!

Are you a professional chef? Donate a cooking lesson or a gourmet dinner.

Do you like to host events or parties? Host a barbecue, garden or cocktail party.

Do you have a business to promote? Donate a gift certificate.

Please contact Rula Craner at rula_craner@yahoo.com or 415.297.8380 for ideas or any questions about your donation. Or complete a Donor Form (attached) and leave in the office.

Celebrate Korematsu Donation Form 2017.docx
CELEBRATE KOREMATSU: DESSERTS, ANYONE?
Want to do something small that makes a big impact for our school auction? Contribute one dessert in the coming year to the Dessert of the Month auction item! The winner gets a dessert every month delivered to their door. Each contributor makes just one dessert, but the winner of the item gets 12 desserts!! Click here to access the sign up sheet. Email Alonn at alonnilan@gmail.com with questions.

 

PTSA WORKS GOLDEN GATE FIELDS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12

This is a fun-raiser! Mark off a few hours for us on that day and come down to Golden Gate Fields and work Dollar Days. We serve hot dogs and beer, (and sneak off to place a few bets). Your PTSA earns $1,000 + tips. It is fun! Really!

Details

 

2016-2017 YEARBOOK — ORDER NOW!

Lowest Price in History for 2016-2017 Yearbooks! 64+ colored pages! $30 until Feb. 26, 2017. Prices are scheduled to go up midnight Feb 27, 2017.

Online orders only accepted now.

Orders can be placed via cash/check in the school office after January 19th until February 26th for $30. Forms will be available in the office.

IMPORTANT INFO ON PSAT 8/9 SCORE AND MORE!

college-board-logoEvery October, students in 8th and 9th grades take the PSAT 8/9. This is a standardized test that measures students’ college and career readiness as they enter high school. The test is taken at school.

The PSAT 8/9 serves as a warm-up to the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) taken at high school. The PSAT/NQSMT itself is a precursor to the SAT, a college-entrance exam that measures student aptitude in reading, writing and math, and optional subjects of science, history and languages.

At Korematsu, every 8th grade student will be able to view his or her PSAT 8/9 score with the assigned 8th grade counselor during the counselor classroom visit, which this year will take place in the last week of January during Math class.

During this visit students will:
a) Receive an Individual Score Report booklet that will provide a personal access code that is required to retrieve the PSAT scores online through the College Board website;
b) Be shown how to create a Khan Academy account at https://www.khanacademy.org/sat . This resource can also be used to prepare for PSAT/NSQMT, a warm-up to the SAT, which will be administered in high school;
c) Guided to visit bigfuture.org to learn more about careers and college majors.

How to Access the PSAT 8/9 Scores Online
1. Go to collegeboard.org
2. Click on “Sign Up” to create a College Board account

college-board-1
* However, the College Board currently does not collect personal information for students under the age of 13. PSAT 8/9 test takers under 13 can review their results on the paper score report or can review their scores in school with their counselor (see above).
3. Once you have created an account, log in with your username and password.
4. If you don’t see your scores on your dashboard after logging in, click the Add Score(s) button and use the access code that is shared with you by your counselor during the counselor classroom visit.
5. Click on PSAT 8/9
6. Click on “Get Your Scores.” Once your account is linked to your scores, it will look something like this:

college-board-2

If you run into problems accessing the test scores, please read more here:
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/about/scores/score-report-help#troubleshoot-missing-scores

How to Understand the Scores
The online score report shows students how they performed on the test, which will give them an idea on what to improve on as they prepare for the SAT. The report score contains scores, percentiles, and benchmarks. Students will also see the questions they have got wrong and which skills were tested.

college-board-3

For more tips, watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzCSIilL3WQ&feature=youtu.be

Ways to Use Your PSAT Score Report
a. Your score results will indicate the areas you need to focus on as you prepare for the SAT.
b. Your score results will allow you to create a free, personalized SAT practice plan by linking your College Board and Khan Academy accounts to access SAT practice recommendations based on your performance on the PSAT.

college-board-4

BRIGHTBYTES AND WCCUSD

brightbytes

Dear WCCUSD Parent/Guardian,

During the 2014-15 school year, our district started a partnership with BrightBytes, an educational software company in order to learn more about our technology use for student learning. Our goal is to gather data on a continuing basis regarding technology access and skills, and on our district’s technology environment, in order to understand the connection between technology use and student achievement.

To gain these insights, we provide BrightBytes with a complete picture of technology use at school and at home within our district. Students, teach ers, and parents are asked to complete an online questionnaire twice a year to help us gather this data.

Your participation and support is important to us and will give us a more complete understanding of our district’s technology use. Our first step is to gather data from you, the members of our parent community.

Below is a link to the parent survey, as well as a QR code which can be scanned with a mobile device running a QR code reader. This will allow you to access the survey on your smartphone or another mobile device (such as a tablet). Please note that the survey is short and should only take about 5 to 8 minutes of your time.

Korematsu Middle School

Take the survey in English: www.BByt.es/XH2UP

Encuesta para los padres en español URL: http://goo.gl/pQRIFQ

 

OPEN ENROLLMENT INTRA-DISTRICT TRANSFER

JANUARY 31 TO FEBRUARY 4, 2017

If you wish for your child to be considered for a transfer to a school that is not your resident school, please read the guidelines stated in the attached flyer, complete the Open Enrollment Transfer Application form, and provide one current utility bill as address verification.

Transfer applications may be obtained starting on January 31st through February 14th, 2017 from the office of any school, the Transfer Office, or the district’s website at wccusd.net. Transfer Office hours during the Open Enrollment Transfer Period is Monday thru Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Applications can be submitted in the following ways:

• Mail or in person: 1108 Bissell Ave, Room 108. Richmond, CA 94801

• Fax: (510) 620-2085 – received applications by fax will not be confirmed

• Email: transferoffice@wccusd.net

Open Enrollment Flyer 2017-2018.pdf
FRED KOREMATSU SPEAKS UP BOOK LAUNCH

screen-shot-2017-01-04-at-11-06-17-pm

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2 TO 4 PM

J-SEI, 1285 66TH STREET, EMERYVILLE, CA

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Fred Korematsu challenged the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans when few others did. A new children’s book, Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, explores this civil rights hero’s life and its relevance today. Join authors Laura Atkins and Stan Yogi; illustrator Yutaka Houlette; and Director of the Korematsu Institute, Karen Korematsu, Fred’s daughter, to learn about Fred’s lifelong fight for justice. This event is for children, families, teachers, librarians, and anyone who wants to join. We’ll have activities for kids and short presentations by the authors, the illustrator, and Karen Korematsu. Light food and drinks, plus the sale of the books.

To find out more and to RSVP, please go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fred-korematsu-speaks-up-book-launch-tickets-30106809277

ED TALKS: DOES ADDRESSING BIAS DISRUPT BULLYING?

screen-shot-2017-01-18-at-9-32-02-pmThe Ed Fund is a nonprofit organization focused on developing collaborative groups that provide resources and support to aid students with college readiness, access, and completion. Come learn about our current work and activities while engaging in a lively conversation around different education topics at the Ed Talks information session. This month’s guest collaborative partner is the Anti-Defamation League. Held on the second Wednesday of every month from 7:00-8:00pm at the Ed Fund offices at 217C West Richmond Avenue in Point Richmond. Register for the February 8th Ed Talk at www.edfundwest.org/event.