There will be a garden work party on Saturday, August 17th 2-5 pm to spiff up the campus before the students arrive for their first day of school. No green thumb required!
The final first period bell rings at 8:10am. The first day of school is a minimum day, so school lets out at 1:25pm.
A map of the campus can be found below: 
Did you lose your registration forms? Didn’t get a packet? Below are fillable PDF files from the registration packet that was mailed home:
LOCATION
1021 Navellier Street
El Cerrito, CA 94806
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
9:00 am – 7th Grade (Last Names A-H)
10:00 am – 7th Grade (Last Names I-Q)
11:00 am – 7th Grade (Last Names R-Z)
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
9:00 am – 8th Grade (Last Names A-H)
10:00 am – 8th Grade (Last Names I-Q)
11:00 am – 8th Grade ( Last Names R-Z)
Thursday August 8, 2013
9:00 am – Noon – Make Up Day – Both Grades
Parents and Guardians will fill out forms, get necessary materials, textbooks, and pick class schedules. Students are encouraged, but not required to come.
COME MEET YOUR PTSA!
Your PTSA will be on hand (with coffee) to discuss volunteer opportunities. You can join the PTSA, make a contribution to the Direct Appeal and buy Spirit Wear! Come learn about after school chess and French classes. We will also host a backpack drive. Buy a backpack for someone that does not have one. Credit cards accepted!
FINGERPRINTING SESSION
School volunteers are required to obtain a volunteer badge from the school district. There are three parts to the volunteer requirement: Fingerprinting, a clean tuberculosis test, and the volunteer form. We will hold a fingerprinting session on Tuesday, August 6, 9:00 am – 12:30 p.m. if we have interest from the community. We need 10 (ten) people registered to hold this session. Fingerprinting costs $26 if you have been a California resident for 10 years and $41 for fewer years. You can either get the TB test from your doctor before or after the fingerprinting session. If you are interested in fingerprinting, please email portolaptsa@gmail.com to reserve a spot.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING
Bag or backpack for textbooks
$22 for Portola Physical Education Uniform (optional, but recommended. CASH ONLY FOR THIS TRANSACTION).
STUDENT ID
All students are issued a student ID and lanyard on the day of registration. Students are required to wear these at all times.
AND MORE!
Registration will take approximately 1.5 hours. It will go faster if you fill out the packet that was mailed home before you show up. If you cannot come at the designated time, try to come at one of the other times. If you will be away, please contact the school office (510-524-0405 ) after August 12th between 8:30 am – 3:30 pm to make arrangements to register at school. Our goal is to have all students registered by the first day of school.
For further information, contact Portola PTSA, portolaptsa@gmail.com
See you there! Read More
Reminder that there are still jobs open for the following school year. Please consider signing up for one of the jobs listed on this page:
http://portolanews.com/open-ptsa-jobs/.
To get involved, email Leslie Reckler at lesmac@sbcglobal.net.
Wine and Cheese in a Fabulous Garden
A Portola Middle School Fundraiser
Please join us Saturday, June 1, 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Enjoy perfectly matched wines and cheeses in a fabulous garden setting. If you went to Portola, go to Portola, or are interested in learning more, please join us for this fun, community-building event.
Live salsa music by Little Spike…and maybe we’ll play a little Limbo!
Wine not your thing? Not to worry. We’ll be serving beers and British cheeses as well.
$20 per person. Pay at the door. Or click on the buy now button below.
Email lesmac@sbcglobal.net to be put on the evite. It would be a tragedy if we did not have a wine glass for you!!
100% of all proceeds benefit the Portola PTSA.
Your Go Portola! Hosts, Bobbie Dowling, Leslie Reckler, Susan Riggle, Alonn Ilan
Ms. Anja Strand, our textbook coordinator needs to take inventory of all the textbooks. Students are asked to return the home set of textbooks next week. Students are requested to bring textbooks following this schedule to allow for orderly returns:
Monday – Math
Tuesday – History
Wednesday – Spanish or ELD
Thursday – Science
Friday – English
Parents may return the entire set at any time between 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.
New PTSA Leadership
The PTSA elected new leadership for the 2013-2014 school year. Thank you to the following people for volunteering to lead the charge and thank you to the outgoing board for all of their hard work.
President: Kathy Guarneri
VP for operations: Leslie Reckler
VP for fund raising: Negar Souza
Treasurer: Katherine Meurer
Financial secretary: Natalie Page
Secretary: Alonn Ilan
Many more positions are available! Check out the list of open positions at http://portolanews.com/open-ptsa-jobs/. To get involved, email Leslie Reckler at lesmac@sbcglobal.net.
Volunteers needed for End of Year Celebrations
Help our 8th graders enjoy their last days of middle school. Volunteers are needed for 3 events:
1) The 8th grade lunch/dance will be held on Tuesday, June 4 from 11:45 a.m.-2:25 p.m. at the El Cerrito Community Center (next door to Portola)
2) The 8th grade picnic following the promotional rehearsal will be on Wednesday, June 5 from 11:15 a.m.-1:25 p.m. at Cerrito Vista Park (across street from Portola)
3) The 8th grade promotion ceremony is set for Thursday, June 6 at 7 p.m. at the El Cerrito High School Gym.
To get involved, visit http://vols.pt/FpHoGi to sign up to volunteer. You need to provide your email address but you don’t need to register.
Any questions, contact Rula Adranly at radranly@quest-world.com or 237-6049
Grown-up Fun
Enjoy wine perfectly paired with cheese in a fabulous garden in Kensington while helping raise funds for the PTSA from 4pm-7pm on June 1. Only $20 per person, with checks made out to Portola PTSA. For more information, email Leslie Reckler at lesmac@sbcglobal.net.
New Middle School
A groundbreaking for the new middle school at the site of the closed Castro elementary is set for June 2. Trying to get together a student band to provide music at the groundbreaking. If your student has their own instrument or rents an instrument outside of school and would like to participate, please contact Leslie Reckler at lesmac@sbcglobal.net.
Spring Fever
Some students have caught Spring Fever now that testing is over. Please encourage your student to continue to behave and perform in class.
Congrats!
Congratulations to Erich Fenczik Warnock for winning the iPod Touch raffle for the Cookie Dough Sales.
Everyone is Invited
The PTSA will hold its next meeting in Room 8 at 7 pm on Tuesday, May 14, to close out the year and elect a new executive board. 8th grade parents to meet afterwards to finalize end-of-year activities.
*Band families will meet on Monday, May 13, at 6 pm in the band room to elect new leadership.
*The English Language Advisory Committee will have its next meeting on Friday, May 17, at 4 pm in Room 8.
Career Day is Coming
Career Day will be held during 2nd and 3rd periods on Wednesday, May 15. If you are available to speak to students about your career, please contact Ms. Lodge or Mr. Fulumirani through the main office at 524-0405.
Progress Reports
Keep an eye out for Progress Reports, which are scheduled to be sent around May 10.
Yearbook orders
Yearbooks may be ordered at www.jostens.com or through the school office. They are $40 each. Checks will be accepted until Friday, May 10, after which only cash will be accepted. Yearbooks will be distributed the first week of June. To check if you have already ordered one, email pmsyearbook@yahoo.com
Support Student Athletes
The Portola track team will compete in a track meet at Benecia Middle School on Thursday, May 16.
End of Year Celebrations
Help our 8th graders enjoy their last days of middle school. The 8th grade dance will be held on Tuesday, June 4. The 8th grade promotional rehearsal followed by a picnic will be on Wednesday, June 5. Promotion ceremony for 8th graders is set for Thursday, June 6.
Bowling With Ms. Baldwin
Have fun bowling with Ms. Baldwin and support a good cause at the same time! Tickets are still available at $15 each, checks should be made out to Portola PTSA. The bowling session will be at Pinole Lanes on May 18th from 3-4pm. To participate, email emireland@yahoo.com.
Grown-up Fun
Enjoy wine perfectly paired with cheese in a fabulous garden in Kensington while helping raise funds for the PTSA from 4pm-7pm on June 1. Only $20 per person, with checks made out to Portola PTSA. For more information, email emireland@yahoo.com