Join your "CAS-mates" for a memorable evening. No, you don't have to bring an artifact. Yes, bring food (if you remember to). Definitely come, even if you don't have food.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Home of Rick Ayers & Ilene Abrams in Oakland

23 Randwick Ave.

Oakland, CA 94611 (Yahoo-map it if you don’t know where it is).

Parents: We love you but in fact parents are NOT supposed to come (we don’t have room!). This is for students and teachers.

Pass the word. See you Saturday!

Best wishes,

Rick Ayers rayers@berkeley.edu

Phil Halpern

Amy Crawford

Welcome Picnic

This past Sunday, about forty CAS families and members of the CAS staff assembled at BHS for our annual "Welcome to CAS" potluck, organized by members of the Parent Coordinating Committee. We all had a good time meeting one another, breaking bread and talking about the coming year.
Much of what we discussed at the picnic is described in this letter.

CAS Leadership Council

This year, Amy Crawford and I (Phil Halpern) intend to build upon past successes of the Leadership Council. On Friday, September 14 from 4:30-7:00, I'll be hosting a potluck bbq for parents/guardians who are considering serving on this important body. The event will take place at my house, 3037 Fulton St., Berkeley, 94705. The bbq will give us a chance to get to know one another better and to discuss our objectives for the year. I hope you will be able to attend.

Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly.

CAS Staff ---------------

We are sorry to have said goodbye to several staff members. Last year's counselor, Elisabeth Sandberg, has taken a leave of absence, Bill Pratt, our long-time history teacher, is on sabbatical, Spanish teacher Alexander Klose has gone to teach elementary school in Tanzania, and Maggie Heredia-Peltz, last year's administrator, is now working with the World Languages department and Academic Choice.

New to our staff this year are Ana-Luisa Delgado, CAS Spanish teacher, Amy Frey, the administrator assigned to small schools within BHS, Hasmig Minnassian, US History, and our new CAS PE teacher, Michael McEvoy. We are thrilled to have these fine people join the CAS community. To contact one of your student's teachers, consult the email directory, below. (At back to school night, teachers may provide other ways to reach them.)

Name/Email

Appel, Dan -- dappel@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Crawford, Amy -- acrawford@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Delgado, Ana-Luisa -- analuisa_delgado@yahoo.com

Eisen-Martin, Biko -- em_biko@yahoo.com or Biko_Eisen-Martin@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Frey, Amy --afrey@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Halpern, Phil -- philiphalpern@mac.com

Katz, Leah -- leahkatz@earthlink.net

McEvoy, Michael -- Michael_McEvoy@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Martinez, Ingrid -- bookworm@troublemaker.com

Minassian, Hasmig -- hminassian@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Moran, Dana -- dana_moran@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Murphy, Mary -- mmurphy@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Quindel, Jessica -- jquindel@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Rasiah, Dharini -- drasiah@berkeley.k12.ca.us

Regrettably, CAS still doesn't have a counselor. Over the course of the last month, we have interviewed several applicants with whom we've been eager to work but in each case credentialing issues have prevented them from being hired. The process has been long and frustrating and we are really looking forward to working with BHS and BUSD administration to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, we have no choice but to rely on the generosity of the BHS counselors who have been incredibly generous with their time and energy. They've helped CAS with a variety of critical scheduling issues, often working eighteen-hour days to serve their students and CAS students as well. Because the time they can give CAS is limited, we are requesting their help with the most critical issues and asking students and families to wait if their issue is less pressing.

Starting Tuesday next week, 9/4/07, CAS will begin our after school support program. The Academic Support Center, ASC, is designed to give CAS students a place to work after school. Tutors and certain teachers are available during this time to help students (especially in Math and Science). Students can come on a "drop-in" basis, unless they are enrolled in Mary Murphy's 7th period class. The ASC is held in Mary Murphy's room, G216, at the following times:

Monday: 3:15-4:30
Tuesday: 3:15-4:30
Thursday: 3:15-4:30

We are currently looking for volunteers who would be willing to help tutor students during these times. Also, CAS will provide a Wednesday morning ASC session that runs from 8:30am-10:30am. If you are interested in volunteering as a tutor during any of these times, please email me at dappel@berkeley.k12.ca.us. Also, if you are able to donate any healthy snacks for the ASC students they will be much appreciated. Finally, if you have any questions or need more information don't hesitate to contact me.

Dan Appel
CAS Math Teacher/ASC Coordinator
Berkeley High School
1980 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
dappel@berkeley.k12.ca.us
mr_appel@yahoo.com

Dear dear friends,

We are writing to thank so many of you who contributed to the “graduation from CAS” party Rick had last June and to the gift you gave. As you recall, the donations went to the CAS media program and to the tickets to send us on a trip to Vietnam. We just got back from Vietnam and we are still in the thrall of the experience.

In many ways, of course, the original CAS trip to Vietnam in 2002 was a pilgrimage for me (Rick) – revisiting and thinking about powerful experiences of my generation and the heroism and sacrifice of the Vietnamese people. The whole time I was there, I kept thinking, “Ilene should see this. . . Ilene would love to see that.” So for us to be able to go back for a few weeks, to take our own time and poke around at our own pace, was just perfect.

A few highlights we should mention in this “group e-mail” might give you some of the flavor of it:

We went in the spring rather than the hot, hot summer – that was an excellent call.
We were able to meet up with wonderful Nhu Miller – CAS mom who is now living in Hanoi. She is always a whirlwind of energy and while we were there she was involved with setting up ecotourism in Vietnam and Laos, working in Dien Bien Phu with her daughter Nathalie on a micro-lending project, helping promote and develop Vietnamese artists, establishing a literary café (all titles concerning Vietnam) named Gloria in honor of Gloria Emerson, and caring for an array of guests and visitors (including us!) who trooped through her home.
Mostly while in Hanoi we stayed in the Old Quarter at the Heart Hotel – near Hoan Kiem Lake (“Restored Sword Lake” -- famous because Le Loi retrieved the magic sword there to drive out the Chinese in the 15th Century). We made a practice of getting up early and walking around the lake – watching the people do exercises (everything from slow Tai Chi to jumpy aerobics done to boom boxes and fan dances, as well as badminton).
For a few days we stayed in Nhu’s house, up near the Citadel. This was by Truc Bach Lake – the one John McCain parachuted into when his airplane was shot down during his bombing of Hanoi’s civilians.
It was down the street from Nhu’s that we found a Pho stand we really bonded with. The morning ritual is for folks to crowd around a Pho (noodle soup) shop, sit on little (12” high) plastic chairs, and eat this delightful breakfast. I (Ilene) got them to understand that I am vegetarian (in sign language – we spoke no Vietnamese and, though we found many who spoke English, we often had to get by with the phrasebook and charade skills).
We also connected with Prof. Lan (Le Van Lan), the wonderful history professor from Hanoi University. Amazing, wonderful man. He is slightly famous in Vietnam because he has a television quiz show on Vietnamese history – so wherever you go with him, people smile, say “Good morning Teacher Lan” or “Hello Uncle Lan.”
Lan took us to the Citadel in Hanoi – built by Gia Long in 1805 and largely destroyed by US bombing. It was also bombarded and partly destroyed by the French in 1882. By the north gate are two huge indentations – made by French cannons as they lobbed shells from their boats on the Red River a few kilometers away. The French had put up a brass plaque that read: 25 Avril 1882, Bombardet de la Citadel, Par les Canonnieres, “Surprise et Fanfare” – in other words “shock and awe.” The French were pretty sure that the superiority of military hardware would intimidate the Vietnamese into submission. It took 72 years but eventually they were forced to pack up and leave.
Lan took us to the basement of the Citadel where few visit (I noticed it’s not in the guidebooks). Here, three stories down (he jumped up and down the stairs with ease at his 74 years; we were a bit slower), was a bomb shelter where the leadership met during the 70’s. We had to pass through steel doors (“Soviet submarine doors,” he said). We came to the room where the leadership finalized many of the strategies of the war – and where the meeting table still bore the names of Pham Van Dong, Le Duan, and Vo Nguyen Giap. Wow!
The next evening, Lan and his grand-daughter Trieu Van picked us up on their motor scooters! We had barely learned to get across the crowded streets as pedestrians and now we were part of the zooming river. We made it OK, though, and had a delightful dinner.
Ah, so much more but this is getting too long. We’ll try to shorten it: We did go to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It was so moving to see the long lines of veterans, old people, and hundreds of school kids, as well as people from around the world, who walk reverently past the body of this great world leader. We also went to the museum of Ho’s life and the little house on stilts he lived in during the 60’s.
We went to the Military Museum in Hanoi which has incredible artifacts from the war. And we went to the Temple of Literature, a Confucian pagoda to learning founded by Ly Thanh Tong in 1070. It was a very early university, basically, where many of the scholars were trained.
OK, then we took an overnight train to Lao Cai and a little bus from there to Sa Pa. Long story. Overnight trains are an adventure (especially getting through the train station w/o speaking the language). This is up in the mountains very close to China. Amazing, just amazing, experience. Sa Pa is a market town and sort of tourist attraction because indigenous people from all around come there – to trade crafts and foods; and now to sell to tourists.
The indigenous cultures of Vietnam, as in most countries, are huge and are largely invisible in the world geography of consciousness. We met Dzao and Hmong people especially (there are sub-tribes, like Red Dzao, Flower Hmong, Black Hmong, etc). We hired a guide and, armed with a permit (only a few can go each day), we hiked over terraced hills (rice paddies set into steep sides) to a Red Dzao village. Life is pretty subsistence, with rice and other crops, homemade clothing, and some trading. But they also have cell phones and a few motor scooters!
We hesitate to make large political pronouncements after so short a trip – as to the impact of the globalization (we saw 6 or 7 large new factories on our way in from the airport), the degree of communism or capitalism, corruption or new morality, diversity with the indigenous people or patronizing, etc. But I (Ilene) felt that it was just safe – people were helpful, respectful, self-assured. Women seemed strong and objectification/sexualization was nearly non-existent. And life in general felt much more communal than here in the U.S., and based on public space, with people eating together outside, exercising together, talking on the street to each other and to us. A real nice feeling after a life in the US.
There is more, much more, but we’re trying not to bore you. We did return to Hanoi from Sa Pa. Then we flew down to Hue (in the middle of the country) and spent a few days at a luxury resort – La Residence. This was our time to get over coughs, rest, and chill in the holy central part before heading home.
In Hue, we visited the Citadel, built by the Nguyen lords in the 17th century. It was largely destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968 but is being restored. We also visited a Buddhist pagoda and met with the lovely head monk there, Nguyen Dat. He gave Ilene some Xi Mieu (salt plum with ginger) for her cold and fed us a lovely vegetarian meal.
On our last day in Hanoi, we finally felt we knew our way around, the streets we wanted to visit, the cool shops, the best cappuccino, etc. Nhu took us on a brisk walk where we encountered: an amazing photographer whose work is internationally known (we got one incredible, huge photo of peasants working in rice paddies), an art gallery, a store-museum on the 54 cultures of Vietnam, the cinemateque, a reception by the Italian ambassador, and an incredible dinner at a restaurant sponsored by a center for disabled children.
By the time we boarded Air Vietnam/Cathay Pacific flight for Hong Kong and then home, we were excited and exhausted; we were both homesick and reluctant to leave so soon. And we were amazed at how much happened in those 13 days.

So there it is. A brief account. And it barely scratches the surface. We thought of so many of you every day – things we wished you could see, you could share with us. I (Rick) told so many stories of the reactions of students on the last trip, the memories of Meleia in Vietnam, the laughter of Rosy with Prof. Lan, the time we dove off the boat into Halong Bay, the meeting with Madame Binh. You were in our hearts for the whole time. And we are particularly thankful to Victoria Parraga, Kalima Rose, Alexis Adorador and all of the wonderful parents who organized the retirement party and this lovely gift. I felt afterwards that, as Kalima pointed out, so many of you should also have such a party, such a testament, to your good work, to our great community.

So again, thank you, thank you, thank you. And we keep on struggling . ..

Love,

Rick Ayers

Ilene Abrams

p.s. CAS is again raising money for the CAS scholarship this year. If you want to make a tax-deductible donation, send it directly to the Development Group, with the check made out to BHSDG/CAS and “CAS Scholarship” in the memo line.

The address is:

BHS Development Group
P.O. Box 519
Berkeley, CA 94701-0519

May 8th 2007 7PM to 8:45PM
At the Library and Career Center.
Main Building, 2nd Floor.

Parents and guardians of students from all four grades are invited to attend the last general meeting of CAS families of 2007.

Agenda outline:

Plans and upcoming events for all four grades
(including graduation for Seniors)
Feedback from parents from their experiences over this year.
CAS staff will share with us their vision and plans.
Opportunities for CAS parents to help our students. (See the summary on the Parents link on this website.)

For more information please look at the CAS website at http://www.cas.bhs.berkeleypta.org/
Or contact the communication committee via e-mail to Don at dmacleay@earthlink.net
Or call Don and leave a message at 510 645-1800

Dear Parents of Graduating CAS Seniors,

Our children have had the wonderful and unique opportunity to be part of the small
school, CAS, at Berkeley High School. Through this experience, they have bonded closely
with the CAS teachers as well as other CAS students. To honor their graduation, CAS students
will have their own graduation at the end of the school year in addition to the larger all-
BHS graduation at the Greek Theatre on the UC Campus.
The CAS graduation is a special event for these students. It will be held at the Roda
Theatre at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre on Monday, May 28, 2007 at noon. During the
graduation, there will be short speeches from each of the graduates, performances by students,
and praise from the CAS staff.
Tickets are $7 each. You may buy up to six tickets per family by May 1. (Graduating
students do not need a ticket.) Any remaining tickets will become available for purchase after
May 15. If this cost is a hardship for your family, please order your tickets and include a note.
No one will be turned away.
Because the total cost of the graduation comes to about $100 per student, part of which
is paid by the ticket sales, we are asking each family, if able, to donate the remainder. Gifts
for the teachers, as well as keepsakes for the graduates, are a part, but not all, of this expense.
Committees have been formed to organize food, ushers, volunteers, gifts, and various
other responsibilities that are necessary to make this a wonderful event for our children.
Please review the attached list and let us know if you are willing to help. Traditionally, the
senior parents do the planning, and then the Junior and Sophomore families provide the food
and staff the event so the senior parents may enjoy the graduation.
Please mark your calendar with the following dates:
Tuesday, May 1: First round of Graduation Tickets are purchased
Tuesday, May 15: Additional Graduation Tickets go on sale, if available
Friday, May 25, 1:30-4PM: Dress rehearsal for students,
Berkeley Repertory Roda Theatre
Monday, May 28, Noon-6PM: CAS Graduation, Berkeley Repertory Roda Theatre
Friday, June 15, 5PM: BHS Graduation, Greek Theatre

Looking forward to a wonderful celebration for all of our children…
CAS Graduation Committee Co-Chairs:
Ellen Schnur 525-7590
Lisa Bullwinkel 548-5335

Enclosed: Ticket Order Form
Committee List

CAS GRADUATION
TICKETS
Order Form

Tickets are $7 each. You may buy up to six tickets per family by May 1 by mail. Graduating students do not need a ticket. Any remaining tickets will become available for purchase after May 15 at school from Elizabeth Sandberg, CAS senior guidance counselor. If this is a hardship for your family, please order your tickets and include a note. No one will be turned away.

Graduating Student’s Name: ________________________________

# Tickets (up to 6): _____

@ $7 each equals: $ _____

Additional donation: $ _____

Total Enclosed: $ _____

Please make your check payable to: Ellen Schnur, (with "CAS Grad" in memo line)

Please enclose a stamped, self-addressed, return envelope so we can mail your tickets back to you.

I would like to volunteer on this committee: _______________________

My name:

My phone day and evening:

My email:

Send to: CAS Grads 2007, c/o Ellen Schnur
1017 Villa Nueva Dr., El Cerrito, CA 94530

Enclose:
This Order Form
Your Check
Self-addressed, Stamped Envelope

CAS Graduation Outline
Co-Chairs: Ellen Schnur and Lisa Bullwinkel

Communications
Claudia Wilken
Etree postings, web page postings, staff liaison
Susan Quinlan
Mailings to parents (general notification, request for donations & $$)
Needs 2 people to do:
Visit classrooms to explain graduation ceremony with students

Budget & Timeline
Lisa Bullwinkel

Berkeley Rep
Claudia Wilken
Secure site and pay rent
Rent screen and projector
Determine availability of tables, equipment from Rep (see contract)
Get insurance & payment check

Publications
Bob Laird
Design tickets, announcements, program, student award certificates
Facilitate printing

Food
Steve Sutcher (Chair), Donna Capps, Don Oppenheim, Vera, Luz Navarro, Karen Shain, Karen Soelai
Facilitate donations of food items
Contact junior parents and students to provide and serve food
Contact senior parents to provide desserts

Day of Production
Needs a person
Assign random student seating and mark seats
Organize stage event
Contact Stephanie Berger to be Stage Manager
Assign tech person

Dana Moran
Select student groups for intermediary performances

Ellen Schnur, Lisa Bullwinkel, Yumi Yuan
Set up day of the event
Decorations, flowers
Purchase red & yellow tablecloths

Stephanie Berger??
Stage Manager

Need a Junior Parent
Organize and oversee the parent volunteers on the day of the event
Dharini will help solicit junior student volunteers
Ushers/greeters/ticket takers, servers are all done by juniors & their parents

Judi Ehrlich
Organize sophomore parents and students to do the clean up

Student Photo/Music Choices and Teacher Speeches
Dana Moran and Dharini Rasaiah

Ticket Sales
Ellen Schnur – early sales
Elizabeth Sandberg – late sales

Staff Group Gift
Maria Joseph
Choose and solicit $ from students/parents for thank you gift to teachers

Sashes
Vera
Design, order, and organize distribution

Student Gift
Ellen Schnur
Design and produce small item for each student

Who: ALL CAS Juniors and their teachers!!!

What: Community-building

Where: Marin Headlands

When: December 14th and 15th, 2006 (Thursday/Friday)
[Leave Thursday morning, return to school by
the end of the school day Friday]

How: Bus

Cost: $50.00 (Scholarships available)
Please make checks payable to:
Berkeley High Development Group/CAS
Memo line: CAS Junior Retreat
Ms. Murphy will be collecting all money (room G216).

In order for ALL students to be able to attend the retreat, we need some families to donate money towards Retreat Scholarships. If you are able to pay your child’s fee + donate a FULL or PARTIAL scholarship amount, it would be GREATLY appreciated.

Students who need scholarships: please speak to one of your teachers so that we can put you on the list!

Payment Due Date: MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2006*
We realize this is a very quick turnaround but the retreat is coming soon and we need to buy the food! If you need more time, please contact Mary Murphy and let her know when you will remit payment [mmurphy@berkeley.k12.ca.us]

Contract: All students MUST have a Retreat Contract on file in order to attend the retreat.

WHAT TO BRING:

A pen!!!!!
Artifact for sharing in the evening (you will get an instruction sheet for this activity)
Towel
Pajamas
Change of clothes
Coat or jacket [please be aware that it might rain so pack accordingly]
Boots or good shoes for walking in what may be muddy areas
Toiletries
Sun block
Bottle of water or canteen
Lunch and snack stuff for first day
Snacks if desired
Cards, games
Frisbees, footballs, basketballs and shoes, hackey-sacks
The hostel has told us that we CANNOT bring sleeping bags this year. The Marin Headlands will provide all bedding.

We are counting on everyone having a positive and safe experience. For the security of all and so that we may continue to have such retreats, please DO NOT BRING any drugs or alcohol to the Marin Headlands.

Directions to Marin Headlands:

Go north on 80 to 580/Richmond exit, head through Richmond to San Rafael – Richmond bridge. When you get to Marin side of bridge, take 101 South to last Sausalito exit (it is just before you would be getting on Golden Gate bridge). There is also a sign at this exit that says: Marin Headlands.

When you exit, bear right and curve under the freeway. After you have gone under freeway, immediately turn left and into long tunnel to headlands area. You may have to wait up to 5 minutes for the tunnel red light to change. (In the past, we used to turn Left after exiting the freeway, curve up the shore side of the big hill, and take a right at the Y. That ends you up the same road as I am describing below).
After going through the tunnel, proceed about 2 miles until there are signs at a Y to cut left into the Headlands Youth Hostel. Follow road all the way up, past Art Center, to Hostel.
The Hostel phone number is: 415-331-2777

Communication Arts and Sciences
Retreat Contract

Rationale:
CAS organizes field trips and retreats so that students can build community, commit to service work, and care about their education. The staff puts a huge amount of work into organizing these retreats and must jump through many hoops to get them approved. We count on every student to act in a responsible way, a way that builds the community and builds trust. Students who seek to subvert the rules or “get away” with behavior they know is wrong are endangering the others on the trip and are making it likely that your class and future classes will not get to go on such trips. Therefore, to attend you must sign the following contract.

Contract agreements—I pledge to:
refrain from use of alcohol, drugs, or any illegal substances.
refrain from any speech or acts that constitute sexual harassment.
stick with the group and follow directions for group activities.
help with clean-up and perform general acts of good citizenship.
keep the noise down, turn off music when asked to, and go to bed when told.
be aware of safety issues, stay out of dangerous surf, cliff edges, etc.
take care that others around you are safe and following rules.

Consequences for breaking the contract:
Violation of any of the above provisions will result in you being sent home from the retreat. Staff will determine whether a student should be sent home from the field trip/retreat. By signing this contract, parents & guardians agree to abide by this decision and support the actions the staff deems necessary to maintain security and order.
A parent or guardian will have to pick up the student from the retreat/field trip site.
The student will be ineligible for retreats for at least one year.
The student will need to make up the infraction by performing CAS community service, beginning within a month of the field trip.

Name: ________________________________

Student Signature: ________________________________

Parent/guardian Signature: ________________________________

Date: ________________________________