The Berkeley School » News

Ralph Cantor Speaks on Drugs, Alcohol

The Berkeley School — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:06:43 +0000

Ralph Cantor, a highly-regarded speaker on adolescence, drugs, and alcohol, spoke at a well-attended parent education event on April 24. During his lively and informative presentation, he talked about eye-opening recent research on the effects of drugs and alcohol on young people’s learning and emotional well-being. See a PDF of Ralph’s presentation here.

Paul Dresher Project Makes Headlines

The Berkeley School — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:45:42 +0000

On Thursday, March 8, 2012, The Berkeley School made the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bay Area section with a story about our nine-week collaboration with nationally-known musician and instrument-maker Paul Dresher. Students in our 4-5th grade classrooms worked with Dresher and his colleagues to learn about the physics and mechanics of sound by dreaming up, and then creating, their own musical instruments. Click here to read the Chronicle’s story.

TBS Auction Does the Job!

The Berkeley School — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:29:25 +0000

TBS’ fourth annual Auction, held at Berkeley’s beautiful Hotel Shattuck Plaza on April 16, 2011, was an elegant party and a huge success — our community came out in force for our school and our teachers, raising around $100,000 to support professional development opportunities and other key programs. Read more about it here — don’t miss the slide show!

Child Visit Days

The Berkeley School — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:34:02 +0000

February 12, 2011
4:00 pm

Students applying to TBS for the 2011-2012 school year will visit campus the week-end of February 12-13. K-1 and 6th grade applicants will visit the University Campus Saturday morning (entering K-1 students from 9:00-10:30 am, and 6th grade students from 9:00-11:30 am). Preschool applicants will visit the ECC by appointment between 9:00 am and noon on Sunday, February 13.

Peggy Orenstein Talks About “Cinderella”

The Berkeley School — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:03:26 +0000

On Monday, February 7, TBS parent and author Peggy Orenstein talked with Head of School Mitch Bostian about her latest bestseller, Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture. Before a full house at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, Peggy and Mitch had a wide-ranging discussion about the issues her book examines. Any audience members who had ever wondered what, really, is so wrong with the Disney Princesses certainly had their eyes opened by Peggy’s insightful, research-backed remarks.

Applications Due January 28!

The Berkeley School — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:25:01 +0000

Enrollment applications and financial aid applications for the 2011-2012 academic year are due from prospective families on Friday, January 28. Please contact Director of Admission Paula Farmer at pfarmer@theberkeleyschool with any questions.

TBS Mathematicians Take Top Honors

The Berkeley School — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:21:49 +0000

TBS is proud to announce that we recently received the results of the American Mathematics Competition 8 (see http://amc.maa.org), in which 11 students participated on November 16, 2010. The Mathematical Association of America says the goal of this contest is to “increase interest in mathematics and to develop problem-solving through a fun competition.” TBS says the goal is to have a great time while we show the world our stuff! This year, we had three third place winners, one second place winner, and two first place winners. Congratulations to these students, as well as all of the students who extended themselves to take this very challenging exam. And many thanks to Sima Misra, 7th grade math teacher and Math Club director, whose hard work and enthusiasm have done so much to increase everyone else’s interest in math!

In other math news, 14 members of the TBS Math Club have decided to compete in the next Math Olympiad for Elementary & Middle School exams (see www.moems.org), coming up January 12, February 9, and March 9, 2011. Good luck to all!

The TBS Middle School Math Club meets Mondays at lunchtime to play math games, and solve and discuss math puzzles and problems — all sixth to eighth grade students are warmly invited to join us!

Peggy Orenstein in Conversation with Mitch Bostian, February 7, 2011

The Berkeley School — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:48:27 +0000

February 7, 2011
6:30 pm	to	8:30 pm

Save the date! On Monday, February 7, 2011, 6:30 pm, N. Y. Times Magazine contributing writer and TBS parent Peggy Orenstein will discuss her new book, Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture, with TBS Head of School Mitch Bostian at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Avenue in Berkeley. Peggy, who’s been called “one of our most perceptive commentators on issues affecting girls and women,” is the bestselling author of Schoolgirls, Flux, and Waiting for Daisy. Her new book “reveals the dark side of pink and pretty, in this wake-up call to parents: the rise of the girlie-girl is not that innocent.” Tickets are free, but they’ll go fast; print out your free ticket here! Click here to see a map of St. John’s.

Gearing Up for Kindergarten

The Berkeley School — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:11:09 +0000

There are two events coming up especially for parents of ECC four-year-olds. “Parent2Parent,” on Tuesday, November 9, 9:00-11:00 am, is a round table discussion where you’ll hear first-hand from parents of our current Kindergarten/1st grade students about making the transition to kindergarten about what factors they considered while deciding on the right fit for their child’s elementary education, and what finally made them decide to continue at TBS. Even if you believe you’ve already made your decision, we hope at least one parent from each family can join us for this lively discussion about “stepping up.” Then on Wednesday, November 18, also 9:00-11:00 am, there will be a special Kindergarten Step-Up Tour of the University Campus, just for current ECC families. You’ll be able to meet with the K/1 teachers in their classrooms to discuss the K/1 program, the transition onto our “big campus,” and the ways that the K/1 classrooms echo and extend your child’s ECC experience. Please contact Director of Admission Paula Farmer at pfarmer@theberkeleyschool.org with questions.

“Eat Smart with Gregoire!” Off to a Great Start

The Berkeley School — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:01:16 +0000

Our new “Eat Smart with Gregoire!” program has been up and running for several weeks now, much to the delight of most of the K-8 students (and a fair number of staff!). Five days a week, TBS’ own Gregoire Jacquet, chef/owner of Gregoire Restaurant, provides nutritious, seasonal, and delicious lunches at a very affordable price. The enrollment period for this semester has closed, but the new semester is coming up quickly — if you haven’t yet signed your child up, and would like to, watch Newsnotes for information on signing up for the New Year! Click here for a sample menu. Questions? Contact eatsmart@theberkeleyschool.org.