Greetings Berkshire Families:

I hope that you all have had a great weekend! On Saturday morning, I had the opportunity to hang out at our annual Dads Club Fall Cleanup and several parent and student volunteers. Throughout the morning, we were able to assemble five new outdoor tables and three new benches that have now been placed in the courtyard and in front of our building. We were also able to spread woodchips in and around the Gaga Ball Pit and throughout the trails in our Environmental Study Area. All of the parents that I talked to were so impressed that Berkshire has these types of events that allow our community to come together to take care of our school.  Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers that made this day possible!

Have a great week and thank you for reading the following Berkshire Family Update!

Jason Clinkscale
Principal
Berkshire Middle School

Upcoming Dates

Saturday 10/16:

• Saturday School (9 – 11 am)
• Dads Club Garden & ESA Clean Up (9am – 12 pm)

Monday 10/18:

• Girls Tennis @ East Hills Middle School

Tuesday 10/19:

• Honors Orchestra (7 am)
• Girls Basketball @ East Hills Middle School

Wednesday 10/20:

• Girls Tennis @ Bloomfield Hills Middle School

Thursday 10/21:

• 7^th Grade Clue Field Trip
• Girls Basketball vs. Bloomfield Hills Middle School
• Cross Country @ Royal Oak Middle School

Friday 10/22:

• Fun Friday: Sports Day (Wear sports attire from your favorite team)

Saturday 10/23:

• Saturday School (9 – 11 am)

Notes from the Office

Parent NWEA reports went home on Friday (10/15) with students in their backpacks. Please take a moment to review these reports to learn more about your child’s progress in ELA and Math.
We kindly ask that families not text or call students on their cell phones during school hours 8:15 am – 3:14 pm. Students are not able to use their phones during this time and we are seeing more and more students using phones and telling staff that they are communicating with their parents. Families can certainly relay messages to students through the office. Thanks for helping our students focus on school during school hours.

Noon Aides Needed at Berkshire
We are still in need of several noon aides to help supervise our students during the lunch and rec hours here at Berkshire that usually run from about 11 am – 1 pm Monday through Friday. This is a great way to be a part of the school and to help support our students. If you or someone that you know is interested in serving in this role, please reach out to Principal Jason Clinkscale jclinkscale@birmingham.k12.mi.us

Saturday School
We are happy to announce that the BPS Saturday School is once again operating throughout the school year to offer academic support and tutoring for all BPS students grades K – 12.  BPS Saturday School takes place every Saturday (excluding holidays and breaks) throughout the school year. Saturday School operates virtually through Zoom from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. each Saturday on the following dates:
Oct. 23
Nov. 6, 13, 20
Dec. 4, 11, 18
Visit the  BPS Saturday School page for more information. 

Detroit Pistons Fundraiser for Berkshire
Berkshire students are selling Detroit Pistons tickets to the upcoming Golden State Warriors game that will take place at Little Caesars Arena on Friday (11/19) at 7 pm. Every ticket sold will generate $5 for Berkshire Middle School. Students can also earn cool Pistons prizes by selling tickets. Please click on the link at the bottom of this email for the flier with information on how to order discounted tickets.

Halloween Dance Ticket Sales and Volunteers (Thursday 10/28)
Our Halloween Dance is currently sold out! Thank you to all of the families that purchased tickets in advance for this fun event.

It’s Reflections time! 
PTA Reflections is a nationally acclaimed student recognition program to encourage artistic creativity in the classroom and at home. Students of all grades and abilities may participate. 
Each year, more than 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This 50+ year-old program helps them explore their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence, and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life.
The theme for the 2020-2021 program year is I Will Change The World By.... Students submit their completed works of art in one or all of the available arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature,
Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts.  Students can turn in submissions to the PTA mailbox. All entries are due on Wednesday, November 17. For more information, please contact Jennifer Rass rassjenn@gmail.com on how to enter, entry and consent forms:

How to Enter / Official Rules
Entry Form
Consent Form

Masks at School Board Meetings and Sessions
Please see the statement from BPS regarding wearing masks at Board meetings and sessions.