Spring Concerts

 

Wednesday, 5/2, 6:30 pm:  Orchestras, Orff Ensembles 

Thursday, 5/3 6:30 pm: Panther Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Jazz Band

 

Come hear the culminating musical event of the year!  These ensembles have learned so much and worked very hard for these performances.  Come and share in the joy of their music making!

Refreshments for sale 

Zack Pitt-Smith

Chaperones Still Needed for Trip to Monterey Aquarium

 

The 7th grade Legends Family field trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium is on Thursday, April 26 from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. If you can volunteer, please contact Michelle Fitzhugh by email at mfitzhugh@sbcglobal.net.  

Our New Panther Arrives Wednesday afternoon!

Did you know the Pit will become the Panther’s Lair this week? It’s the Panther made by Brewer Panthers at the Crucible. We need help installing our Panther at 3 p.m. after school at the Pit. If you want to help out, sign up at the main office, or, call Jeff White at (510) 928-5559. OnEarth Day, next Saturday April 21st, we’ll be making a nest so our Panther can rest comfortably. Come help out from 9 a.m. to noon.

Help With ACT Ticket Prize Sales During Most Fridays at Lunch

Our teachers are working to build positive school culture by awarding students with ACT tickets when they display Panther PRIDE. Students can then use their tickets to buy prizes at lunch (11:08am – 12:04pm) on most Fridays. We’ve currently got a crew of 4 parents who have done a wonderful job of rotating in to volunteer for this activity and we are looking to find another 2-3 parents who would be willing to join the pool of volunteers. Can you help on a Friday from 10:45am – 12:04pm in February, March, April, or May? If so, please email lwlange@hotmail.com

Annual Parent Survey

Dear Edna Brewer Parents:

>

> As part of the annual California Healthy Kids Survey, we are asking

> you to use your voice and complete the parent portion of the survey.

> The survey is an important opportunity for you to help identify ways

> that our school and school district can serve all of our children better.

>

> On Wednesday, February 22, your student should have come home with a

> paper copy of the survey. Please take a moment to complete it and send

> it back in with your child, or if you prefer, complete it online by

> directing your web browser to http://www.wested.org/parent and entering the following information:

>

> Login: 6057061

> Password: ctxgttb

>

> The survey is available in English and Spanish. WestEd will keep the

> link open until the March 2, 2012.

>

> Thank you for your continued work at making Edna Brewer Middle School

> an excellent place for our children!

>

>

> Sincerely,

>

>

>

> ==================================

> Mr. Darius Mensah

> Assistant Principal

> Edna Brewer Middle School

> Oakland, CA 94578

> phone: 510-531-6600

> email: darius.mensah@ousd.k12.ca.us

> ==================================

7th Grade Field Trip is in the Works!

The PTSA is working with the 7th Grade Family Heads to plan a field trip to the Monterey Bay Acquarium for this spring. Stay tuned for more information about this great trip for both Transformers and Legends!

Edna Brewer’s Orchestra Benefit Concert!

Please join us Monday, Feburary 13th at 7 pm. for our first Orchestra Benefit Concert benefiting Edna Brewer’s award wining music program and the PTSA. 

We are proud to host our first Orchestra benefit concert at one of Oakland’s top venues, Oakland Metro Opera House at 630 3rd street near Jack London Square. 

Tickets are limited so please purchase your tickets early.

Tickets for the concert can be purchased through students in the music program or by sending an email to music@ednabrewer.net 

Plenty of volunteers opportunities are available please contact Lisa Terrazas at music@ednabrewer.net or rjtmd@hotmail.com if you can help.

The MLK Jr. Oratorical Festival is Coming!

The 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical festival is coming soon. There are four categories for oral presentation: original poem or essay, individual poetry (one student reciting a poem written by someone else), individual speech or essay (one student reciting a speech or essay by someone else), and choral or skit (2+ students reciting a piece, either original or written by someone else).
Sixth, seventh and eighth graders are welcome to participate in the category of their choice. Only 4 submissions (individual or group) are allowed from Brewer, and we can only have two choral entries. There is also an essay contest for seventh and eighth graders only, with first place in the district getting $1,000 cash!

The topic is an expository essay about a person who improved the world we live in, and the judges are expecting essays to show research into the person’s background and accomplishments. No citations are necessary, however, so the intensity of the research is low.
Students should have their choices ready by January 25. The due date for submissions is January 27. Aly Jones will work with students and help them practice at least twice a week before the competition.  don’t have to be performance ready by January 25th as we’ll practice at least twice a week before the competition. The first round of competition will be February 24th at Acts Full Gospel Church.
For more information on the competition as a whole, visit tapestryleps.com. Thank you for your support!
—Aly Jones

School News

Exciting Staff Additions to Brewer!
Please help welcome several additional staff-members to our terrific staff!
First of all, our school has a new part-time nurse!
OUSD Nurse Misha Gregory works a two-day shift at Edna Brewer, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her office is located adjacent to the back door of the Panther Playhouse, also near the entry to the Pilots Hallway. Nurse Gregory’s email is misha.gregory@ousd.k12.ca.us and her cell phone is 510-773-1760.

Second, Mr. Aquino is back!
Mr. Aquino returned to Brewer on Friday, January 20th! Mr. Aquino is supporting the sixth grade during Ms. Travaille’s maternity leave as a substitute administrator. He will work until mid- to late-March. 
Mr. Pasarow will continue to work in tandem with Mr. Aquino and then be the lone sixth grade administrator in April before Ms. Travaille’s return in May.

Our Transformers have an interim science teacher!
Ms. Jeri Schneider will teach life science to the Transformers for the balance of the school year. Please introduce yourself and welcome her to our team. We all have valuable things to share with Ms. Schneider, like student knowledge, teaching materials, positive reinforcement methods, operating the scan tron, laminating machine, to name a few.

Finally, Safe Passages and Edna Brewer are working on hiring an interim After School Program Coordinator. We are making progress and believe that a new coordinator will be in place by January 27th, 2012. Ms. Danielle has done a great job of being the Coordinator until an interim is hired. Great communities, like ours, deal well with challenges like mid-year turnover. I’m thankful to Ms. Danielle and to all of our teachers and students for making this the positive learning community that it is. Goooooooo Panthers!!

Principal Pasarow

It’s Bee Season, so Bee There!

The OUSD annual district-wide Spelling Bee will be held on Thursday, February 9th.  Edna Brewer will be holding a school-wide spelling be on Tuesday, January 31st to determine who will represent the mighty Panthers at the District event.  The school competition is open to all students in all grades.  All students are welcome to participate. 

 

 A practice bee will be held Tuesday, January 24th at lunch.  The final bee will be held after school 1/31 in the gym.  Participation in practice bee is not required to compete in final bee.  Interested students can contact their ELA (English) teacher for more details and word lists.