1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2241 Russell St.

Berkeley, CA 94705
www.leconteonline.org
(510) 644-6290
June 1, 2011
Cheryl Wilson Principal
Jill Wang PTA President
Important dates


















The
Lamppost
THANK YOU PARENTS and GUARDIANS
for two very successful events:
Day of the Child/Da del Nio and
our Annual Spring Auction
It is in the shelter of each other that the people live. Irish Proverb
Thanks to several members of our English Learner Advisory
Committee (ELAC) and members of our PTA, we have and will continue to
serve most of the desires and needs of the whole child. On April 28
th
,
ELAC members organized five to six activities and purchased numerous
prizes for our students in honor of Day of the Child. As you may know, this
committee accepts donations for delicious homemade pastries and coffee
that they serve every Friday morning. They used these funds to purchase
goodies and prizes that were given to students as a part of the days
celebrations. Pictures of this event are attached. Thank you so much ELAC
members for sponsoring this cultural event and being so resourceful in
regard to funding the activities. Our students enjoyed every minute!
If you missed our Spring Auction, the photos will give you a
glimpse of the dancing, socializing, and fundraising good time had by all. As
always, Ben Buettner, a LeConte parent, energized the crowd with toe-
tapping rhythms and jazz. Charlie Hallowell, another LeConte parent and
owner of the Pizzaiola, indulged our taste buds with exquisite appetizers and
drinks. Jill Wang, our PTA president, used her humor and wit to coax all of
us to bid high for the sake of our children. Thanks to the hard work of our
organizers, Melissa Saavedra and Petronella Van Berry, and several LeConte
families, our school raised funds that are desperately needed to make up for
the thousands of dollars that have been cut from our 2011-2012 budget. This
was a Herculean effort for the benefit of all of LeContes students. The
words thank you will never sufficiently equal the gratitude we all owe you
for your time and effort to make this event so successful.
Finally, thanks to all of you, students, families, and staff for a year
of growth and overall improvement. Several teachers took on leadership
roles that led to extensive, professional collaboration designed to improve
student achievement. With the support of our librarian, four teachers
facilitated workshops for families. Families assisted classroom teachers by
volunteering daily as they supported the social and emotional needs of
several students. All school-wide committees managed to involve more
families as members and participants of our school wide events. Given this
leadership, next year promises to be better. We will have some new staff
members, some teachers will be team teaching, and of course, there will be
at least 60 new families. So that we do not overwhelm those of you who are
asked to volunteer for every event, I will be asking every parent/guardian to
contribute and help in some way. ------- Principal Wilson




THURS., June 2
Talent Show, Students 3-5
grade
12:30

MON., June 6
Talent Show, Students K-2
grades
12:30

WED., June 8
School Governance Council
Meeting, 6:30PM, Library

SAT., June 11
Volunteer Day Project Peace
9:00AM - 12:00noon

TUES., June 14
Fifth Grade Promotion
7:00PM

THURS., June 16
Coalition of Families for
African/Black American
Students Meeting, 6:00PM

FRI., June 17
Last day of school, report
cards sent home with students















Please see the Calendar for the full list
of LeConte events.

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NOTICES: FRIDAY, JUNE 17 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
HAVE A WONDERFUL SUMMER!!!

SCHOOL WIDE EVENTS

Community Kidz Outstanding Balances
Invoices will be sent home for any outstanding balances; please make your payments today if you have
not already done so.

Field Trip, Thursday, June 2, Ms. Louies second grade, Strawberry Creek
Please make sure your child has turned in her/his permission slip to Ms. Louie.

Talent Show, Thursday, June 2, 12:30, Auditorium
Third through fifth grade students will be given an opportunity to express themselves in any way that
shows their talent or special gift. The performances are open to all who want to participate; each skit or
performance will be no longer than three to five minutes.

Talent Show, Monday, June 6, 12:30, Auditorium
Kindergarten through second grade students will be given an opportunity to express themselves in any
way that shows their talent or special gift. The performances are open to all who want to participate; each
skit or performance will be no longer than three to five minutes.

Field Trip, Fourth and Fifth grades, Monday, June 6, Lawrence Hall of Science
Please make sure your child has turned in her/his permission slip to her/his teacher.

Field Trip, All Third grade students, Thursday, June 9-10, camping
Please make sure your child has turned in the permission slip and has all of the equipment necessary to
attend this event.

Volunteer Day, Saturday, June 11, Project Peace
Members of Project Peace will be helping teachers clean out their classrooms. If you are available
between the hours of 9:00AM and 12:00, please feel free to assist one of our teachers.

Fifth Grade BASH/Dance, Friday, June 10
Fifth grade teachers are coordinating this event. Your child must have prior permission to attend.
Please contact your childs teacher if you have any questions about the dance.

Fifth Grade Promotion, Tuesday, June 14
The program begins at 7:00PM in our auditorium. Students must arrive no later than 6:30PM to
participate in this event. Students must wear age appropriate attire. The event will last about 90 minutes.
All students who participate should have at least one family member present because family members are
provided with a medallion to place on the students. Students will not receive their promotion
certificates or yearbooks until Friday, June 17, the last day of school.

Friday, June 17, Last day of School
Please check with your childs teacher regarding any special arrangements for the last day of school.
Report cards will be given to students so please make sure your child attends school on the last day.
LeConte Calendar
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

LECONTE LEADERSHIP COMMITTEES

School Governance Council (SGC) next meeting: Wednesday, June 8
The 2011-2012 School Plan has been completed though it is a document that can always be amended or
modified. If you would like a copy of the plan, please ask our school secretary, Marie. While the plan has
several action steps to improve achievement and involve more families, several areas, such as funding for
the fourth and fifth grade overnight trips have not been allocated for next year because of the decrease in
State and Federal dollars. The amount budgeted covers the bare minimum of human resources and
supplies needed for next year. The committee may be recommending more cuts during the next meeting
to release funds for resources required to improve achievement for all students.

English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) next meeting: Thursday, June 16,
6:00PM to be confirmed
At our last ELAC meeting we reviewed the outcome of our day of the child event. Possible parent
workshops that help parents prepare for their children's college tuition, were also proposed and approved.
We also discussed summer program options.


Coalition of Families for African American Students next meeting: Thursday, June 16, 6:00PM
Members of the Coalition finalized plans to communicate with African/Black American families
about their concerns, suggestions, and experiences at LeConte: do they feel like they are a part of
the school community, what are their feelings about their childs academic progress, etc.
Though surveys were sent home, members of the group agreed to call families to make sure the
group obtains as much feedback as possible. This information will be used to promote more
involvement of African/Black American families by responding to their needs and suggestions.

DISTRICT NEWS
BUSD School Boards Community Forum on Bullying and Harassment
The Board Policy Committee is working to create a district policy on bullying and harassment. The
purpose of this forum is to receive input from the community regarding experiences with these issues and
ways to address bullying and harassment. The forum will be held Saturday, June 11, 10:00AM to
12:00PM at the PG&E Teen Center, 2111 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. See attached announcement

Outstanding Balances for the Cost of Lunch
If you received a letter or phone call stating that you owe for lunches your child received, please pay the
balance as soon as possible. Our food service workers have been instructed to deny a hot lunch to all
students who have outstanding balances. However, all students can have fruit and items from the salad bar
free of charge. If your financial circumstances have changed and you think you may qualify for free or
reduced cost lunch, please obtain and complete a meal application. Applications are available in our
office.

Online Payments for School Meals
BUSD is pleased to announce mySchoolBucks.com a new online Payment Center for families. You can
now make payments to your childs school lunch account any time of day throughout the year. You will
be able to pay for meals, view cafeteria purchases, track meal account balances, schedule recurring
payments, etc. Visit www.mySchoolBucks.com to create your account. You can call Marni Posey or Sara
Leon at (510) 644-6200 if you have any questions.



4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GENERAL INFORMATION

LeConte Students Enhance Learning with Free Educational Software---

PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SOFTWARE
DURING THE SUMMER VACATION.
Our district is going to continue funding our subscription to the Compass Learning educational software
program. All students enrolled in LeConte are able to access the program from home or school. This
software is aligned with state and national standards and provides a stimulating (and fun!), customized
learning environment for each child. Compass Learning is at www.childu.com. To get your child started,
you will need your childs user name and password. Most user names and passwords follow the following
standard format:

User Name: LeCFirstNameLastInitial
Password: FirstInitialLastInitial
School: BUSD.

For example, John Smith has a user name of LeCJohnS and a password of js. Contact August Fern at
august.fern@gmail.com if you are having difficulties logging in or would like to set up a parent account
to monitor your student's progress.



LeConte Calendar
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SPECIAL RECOGNITION

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO SUPPORTED THE SILENT AUCTION SEE
PRINCIPAL WILSO FOR A COPY OF YOUR PHOTO

KIDS & FAMILY FUN TIPS


Flyers Attached
Music Day Camps at Willard Middle School sign up NOW!
Berkeley Shakespeare Camps sign up NOW!
Saturday, June 4, Lets Sing with the famous Jos-Luis Orozco,
Saturday, June 4, Who am I? Family Journeys, in honor of Black History Month
Saturday, June 11, BUSD, School Boards Community Forum on Bullying and Harassment
June Lunch Menu
Photos: Ashley Trinhs baby girl: Annanelle, 7 pounds, 15 ounce!!!, Day of the Child, the LeConte
Silent Auction




























6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LeCONTE CALENDAR
MAY 29 JUNE 17
Updated LeConte News & Calendar: www.leconteonline.org
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
29 30 31 June 1 2 3 4

SCHOOL
CLOSED
Memorial
Day
Talent Show
3 5 grade
students, 12:30

Ms. Louies
Second Grade
Field Trip
See flyers:
two events
Lets Sing
with Jos-Luis
Orozco

Who am I?
Black History
Month



5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Talent Show
K-2 students
12:30

4
th
-5
th
Grade
Field Trip
School
Governance
Council
Meeting
6:30PM
Library
Third Grade
Field Trip
overnight
Third Grade
Field Trip
overnight

Fifth Grade
BASH
Project Peace
Volunteer Day
9:00AM -12:00

BUSD Forum
10:00AM
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Fifth Grade
Promotion
7:00PM
ELAC Meeting
6:00PM
Room 106

Coalition of
Families
Meeting
6:00PM,
Library

LAST DAY
OF SCHOOL

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
KEITH CARSON
SUPERVISOR, FIFTH DISTRICT
Cheryl Wilson
Principal
Leconte Elementary School
2241 Russell Street
Berkeley, CA 94705
Dear Cheryl Wilson:
The Great Migration of African Americans to the Bay Area is a vital and central aspect of our collective
history, yet many youth in Alameda County are not familiar with the story of their ancestors. Black
History Month provided an opportunity to bring a glimpse of those stories to youth and adults alike. Who
am I? Family Journeys: Alameda County Youth Testimonials is a youth-led panel discussion and a
multi-media project to allow youth to showcase their study of genealogy. Our goal is to spark a life-long
appreciation for Black History and Family.
This unique event will take place on Saturday, June 4,2011 from 10 AM to 1 PM at Malcolm X
Elementary School in Berkeley, CA. The event will feature an interactive panel with youth speakers
from McClymonds High School in West Oakland, Berkeley Technology Academy in South Berkeley, and
former foster youth from Alameda County's Beyond Emancipation program. The young people will share
their discoveries after spending the last few months interviewing relatives and researching their family
trees. The event will also feature Dr. Wade Nobles, an expert in the study of Black Families. In addition
to the youth panel, there will be a number of displays showcasing pictures and family trees of the young
people who participated in this project.
We are asking that you make an announcement about this event at your school this week and next
week. Please encourage students, teachers and staff to attend. A few flyers are enclosed for you to
post. You may contact our office if you would like more flyers to distribute in the school.
In addition to the discussion, our goal is to make certain that African Americans and all residents of
Alameda County receive the resources and information they need to create their own family tree.
Audience members will be given information about how to visit the Regional Family History Center and
how to research their own ancestry online, with genealogy software, at libraries and with County
resources.
I hope that you will support Who am I? by encouraging your school community to attend and participate.
Please contact Aisha Brown for more information at (510) 272-6686 or aisha.brown@acgov.m:g.
Sincerely,
Keith Carson
Supervisor, Fifth District
1221 OAK STREET SUITE 536' OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94612 510272-6695 FAX 510 271-5151
PRINTED BY UNIO;-'; LABOR
o Recycled Paper
C:\Users\_paz\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\9AR0UNKE\2011 Concert English Spanish Flyer-1.doc







Vamos A Cantar! Let's Sing!
With the famous
Jos-Luis Orozco!!

La Guitarra Mgica, or Magical Guitar, of the renowned
Jos-Luis Orzco will transport you on a musical journey. Your
children will clap their hands, shuffle their feet, and move to the
beat. And so will you! This is a multicultural sing-along,
clap-along, move-along show with folk songs and activities. Your
entire family will be singing for weeks!

Jos-Luis Orzco Children's Concert to Benefit
BAHIA Inc. Bilingual Childrens Program
Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 10:30 AM
@ Freight & Salvage
2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704

Tickets available on-line at http://www.freightandsalvage.org/ticket-information
$8.50 in advance - $10.50 at the door
Tickets will be available at the door, space permitting.
For information on how to buy tickets call 510-644-2020
C:\Users\_paz\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\9AR0UNKE\2011 Concert English Spanish Flyer-1.doc







Vamos A Cantar! Let's Sing!
Con el famoso
Jos-Luis Orzco!!

La Guitarra Mgica del renombrado Jos-Luis Orozco lo
transportar en un viaje musical. Sus pequeos palmearn con las
manos, seguirn el ritmo con sus pies y bailarn al comps de la
msica. !Y usted tambin se divertir! Este ser un espectculo
multicultural con actividades en el cual cantaremos a coro,
palmearemos juntos y bailaremos al ritmo de canciones populares.
!La familia entera seguir cantando por das!

Concierto de Jos-Luis Orozco
para beneficio de los programas bilinges de BAHIA Inc.
Sbado 4 de Junio 2011 a las 10:30 a.m.
Frieght & Salvage
2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704

Compre boletos por Internet en
http://www.freightandsalvage.org/ticket-information
$8.50 por adelantado - $10.50 en la puerta
Habr boletos disponibles en la puerta segn exista el espacio.
Para ms informes llame al (510) 644-2020
Learn how you too
can research your
ancestors!
Learn about h ow youth traced t heir ancestors
back many gener ations and found a deeper
s ense of who they are.
Family TrE: "
Come hear youth share their journeys
of personal discovery.
What would you find
In your
grandparents' attic?
Falnily trees and Family scrapbooks created by the youth will be on display.
ALLARE
WELCOME
KEITH CARSON

CounlY

F
or more
:: "J. \.) J Information, please
call (510) 272-6695
........... f \ .
SPONSORED BY SUPERVISOR KEITH CARSON, THE CALIFORNIA NAACP, THE OAKLAND BLACK FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION,
ALAMEDA COUNTY INTERAGENCY CHILDREN'S POLICY COUNCIL AND THE SOCI ALLY RESPONSIBLE NETWORK
Speci al than ks to tbe Afri ca n American Geneal ogical Soci ety of Nonhern Cal itornia, The Oakl and Regional Famil y Hist ory Center, Alternati ves in Act ion,
Beyond Emancipati on and Berkeley Technol ogy Academy,
BUSD School Board I s Community Forum on Bullying and Harassment
On behalf of the BUSD School Board, the Board Policy Committee is currently
working to create a district policy on bullying and harassment. The Board would like to
hold a community forum to receive input from the community regarding experiences with
these issues, as well as suggestions for concrete steps that the district should take to
comprehensively address bullying and harassment. The Board is interested in hearing
from parents and students, representing all of our schools, from preschool to high school,
as part of the community forum.
In preparation for the forum, the Board will distribute a brief on-line survey.
Please look for it on the website (www.berkeley.k12.ca.us) in the week preceding the
forum. We will send out a second announcement with a link to the survey.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to participate!

When: Saturday June 11th - 10 a.m. to12 p.m.

Where: PG&E Teen Center
2111 Martin Luther King Junior Way, Berkeley
www.ymca-cba.org
(510) 542-2120
Refreshments will be provided.

Consejo Escolar del Foro de la Comunidad sobre la intimidaci6n y Harrassmant

-De parte de la Mesa Directiva del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Berkeley; EI
Comite de P61izas de La Mesa Directiva esta trabajando en crear una p61iza contra
Intimidaci6n y Acosamiento. La Mesa Directiva desea tener un foro comunitario para
recibir aportaciones de la comunidad de sus experiencias en este aspecto, de igual manera
recibir sugerencias para que el Distrito tome pasos concretos y comprensibles y prevenir
la intimidaci6n y acosamiento. A La Mesa Directiva Ie interesa escuchar de los padres y
estudiantes como parte del foro comunitario al igual que: representantes escolares,
preescolares y preparatorios.

En preparaci6n de este foro, La Mesa Directiva distribuirc:i una breve encuesta via
Internet. Por favor este pendiente de ella saldrc:i la semana anterior al foro comunitario.

iLe agradecemos de antemano su disponibilidad a participar!

Cuimdo: Junio 11 - 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

D6nde: PG&E Teen Center
2111 Martin Luther King Junior Way, Berkeley
www.ymca-cba.org
(510) 542-2120
Habra refrigerios.

Berkeley Shakespeare Camps start June 20th!
~ Sessions for ages 7-13 and 12-18 ~


We're less than four weeks away from the start of Berkeley's Bay Area Shakespeare Camps!

Camps for ages 7-13 will be held:
- June 20-July 1 at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists, 1924 Cedar St
- July 25-Aug 5 at John Hinkel Park, Southampton Pl & Arlington Ave
- Aug 8-19 at John Hinkel Park, Southampton Pl & Arlington Ave
Camp for ages 12-18 will be held:
- July 11-22 at John Hinkel Park, Southampton Pl & Arlington Ave

Camps meet weekdays from 9 am-3 pm,with optional aftercare at the sessions for ages 7-13 available until 5:30 pm.

To ensure enrollment at the session of your choice call 415-558-0888 or download a registration form.
Campers at the Shakespeare Players sessions (for ages 7-13) are grouped with their own peers by age and will
perform the following productions:
- ages 7-8: The Witches Brew (a collection of spooky scenes from Macbeth)
- ages 9-10: The Tempest (our 2010-11 Shakespeare on Tour show)
- ages 11-13: Macbeth (our 2011-12 Shakespeare on Tour show)

Campers at the Upstart Crows session (for ages 12-18) will perform an abridged version of Cymbeline, a rarely
performed late romance - giving them a chance to expand their Shakespeare repertoire.

Experience is welcome but not required for camps! Have fun with your friends while learning all about the world of
theater, performance, and Shakespeare from trained teaching artists.

Enroll NOW by calling 415-558-0888 or download the registration form to fax or mail with payment.

See you at camp!
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?SanFranciscoShakespe/079f96e211/621d92902c/d147a15c42
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?SanFranciscoShakespe/079f96e211/621d92902c/d1736a50c8

415-558-0888 www.sfshakes.org
New This Summer -- Music Day Camps
at Willard Middle School

These brand new half-day summer camps will be led by BUSD
music teachers, and assisted by Berkeley High Students.

Activities include large ensemble and small ensemble playing, master
classes, listening sessions, group warm-ups, rehearsals, and fun outdoor
games. On the Friday at the end of each session there will be a concert
for families and friends.

Space is still available. Come join us!

BUSD students will be issued instruments for the week(s) they are in
camp.

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. daily

Cost: $175/week with some scholarships available for
BUSD students!

Session 1: June 20 - 24 BAND CAMP

Session 2: June 27 - July 1 JAZZ CAMP

Session 3: August 8 - 12 STRINGS CAMP

Session 4: August 15 - 19 BRASS CAMP

To register, please contact the Berkeley Parks and Recreation Department at
(510) 981-5150 or at
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=14242__,_._,___

- -----
Sunday
4 6
Pizza - Sausage
7
Cuban Style
or Cheese Chicken or Tofu
Salad 8ar Black Beans and Rice
Milk Salad Bar
F[p.sh Fruit Milk
resh Fruit
12 1113 14
CHEF'S CHEF'S
1
CHOICE CHOICE
onday
Pasta Marinara
with Cheese
Salad Bar
....
Friday
~
Pulled Turkey or
.4 Veg Patty on
WW Bun
I I
19
l't
fllO 21 22 2 ~
.-..
I - ~
26 27 29 30
~ ....
Milk Fresh Veg
Fresh FrUit Salad Bar
Milk
Fresh Fruit
, if
9
Honey Mustard o Mac and Cheese
Chicken or Veg Patty
Salad Bar
o FreshVeg
Corn Bread
Milk Salad Bar
Fresh Fruit Milk
Fresh Fruit
16
\15
CHEF'S CHEF'S
CHOICE CHOICE
~
Tacos - Chicken or
Veggie
4
Spanish Rice &Beans
Salad Bar
Milk
Fresh Fruit
i!' 1'.. 1"':''.1
1 0 Enchilada Pie
Chicken or Veggie 11
r
Spanish Rice & Beans
Salad Bar
"
Milk
Fresh Fruit
!
1,- ~ r", " " c ~ ".,1
1S 17
CHEF'S
CHOICE J
.1,,1
25 4
........
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