Korematsu

The WCCUSD Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to rename Portola Middle School after Japanese American civil rights icon Fred T. Korematsu. The District has not yet clarified when the name change takes effect. When we have information regarding the transition plan and timeline we will post it here.

During World War II, Japanese-American citizens were ordered to internment camps despite the lack of cause for the detentions. Korematsu was arrested and convicted for defying the internment order. On appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld his conviction. In 1983, the case was overturned in U.S. District Court and President Bill Clinton later awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After 9/11, Korematsu spoke out to protect the civil rights of Muslim inmates and U.S. citizens.

Thank you to Marcus Hibser of HY Architects and district officials for providing a community update on the progress of the new campus build. The official “move in” date according to the district contract is March/April 2016, but so far the project is running ahead of schedule and the move in date could be as soon as Jan/Feb 2016. The timeline is depicted below. The presentation Marcus shared can be found here. Have a look — it will be a beautiful school. The second half of the presentation is an update and plans on the rebuilding of Fairmont Elementary School, which will commence as soon as Fairmont students are able to move in to the temporary campus currently occupied by our Portola students.

WCCSD Facilities Subcommittee will present a neighborhood update on Portola rebuilding Saturday, May 31^st, 11 a.m. at Castro Clubhouse, 1420 Norvell Street, El Cerrito (@ Donal). Marcus Hibser, Architect, will be there along with other WCCUSD notables involved in the new construction.

Please sign up at  http://vols.pt/EteFeS

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

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.