Pat Saddler: moving up from post as principal of Longfellow Middle School. Photo: BUSD Berkeley Unified School District is promoting two of its school principals to new district-level director positions. Longfellow principal Pat Saddler will be the director of special projects and programs, and Jefferson principal Maggie Riddle will be the director of schools, both […]
Longfellow Middle School
Posted inArts
Berkeley teen photographer takes aim at New Orleans
A stiltwalker joins the Big Easy marching band in New Orleans in April. Photo: Andrei Crandall Longfellow eighth-grader Andrei Crandall is already making headway in the photo world, despite his young age. Crandall, who is 14, was invited to join the San Diego Museum of Art’s artist guild when he was just 12, after contributing his […]
Posted inCommunity
Berkeley offers free summer lunches, snacks for youth
Photo: Reed Sandridge Berkeley is facilitating free lunches and snacks for under-18-year-olds this summer at locations across the city. In the Berkeley Unified School District, 42 percent of students receive free or reduced lunch during the school year, which is easily accessible when school is in session but can become difficult to find during the summer. […]
Posted inSchools
Berkeley school recycling gets back on track
Students at John Muir Elementary sort for composting and recycling. Photo: Green Schools Initiative Berkeley schools are making a renewed commitment to recycling and composting after efforts slacked off over the past five years. This year, a local non-profit, Green Schools Initiative, has worked with eight Berkeley schools, revitalizing recycling and composting programs. Green Schools […]
Posted inSchools
Learning to write, one edit at a time
Coaches from WriterCoach Connection help more than 2,000 students in 12 schools throughout the East Bay. Photo: WriterCoach Connection By Mollie Hart Andrea didn’t make eye contact with her writing coach right away. The 8th grader from Berkeley’s King Middle School brought out her rough draft of “An Open Letter to the Adults of our […]
Posted inCrime
Sacramento Street neighbors reel from latest shooting
Yellow police tape marks the spot where a woman was shot and killed while riding her bicycle on Tuesday night. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel Update, 6:44 p.m.: The Berkeley Police Department has confirmed the identity of shooting victim Pamela Mullins, 50, of Berkeley. Mullins was killed in the 2700 block of Sacramento Street. According to a written statement […]
Posted inSchools
Longfellow holds Hoodie Day in honor of Trayvon Martin
A class at Longfellow Middle School takes part in Hoodie Day in memory of Trayvon Martin Today was Hoodie Day at Longfellow School in Berkeley. Students and teachers at the middle school wore hoodies in memory of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, in Sanford, Fla. on […]
Posted inCity
City Council looks for new Berkeley meeting space
The City Council currently meets in the Maudelle Shirek building but is looking for new meeting space. After looking at 11 possible locations to hold future City Council meetings, Berkeley city staff is recommending that the council select between the auditorium at Berkeley City College, the multipurpose room at the North Berkeley Senior Center, and […]
Posted inSchools
Berkeley school bands perform at Giants game
On Thursday this week, Berkeley Unified School District’s high-school and middle-school bands joined forces to perform the Star Spangled Banner at the San Francisco Giants baseball game. The excitement was more than palpable — holler and shouting alert. Watch the musicians in action at the 1.55-minute point in the video above (which comes courtesy of BUSD’s Mark […]
Posted inSchools
Sell-out at Yoshi’s raises funds for BUSD jazz programs
Longfellow Middle School jazz band plays at a sold-out Yoshi's. Photos: Alex Chiappetta Yoshi’s in Oakland, a legendary venue for the best in jazz, was packed on Monday night. The boisterous, enthusiastic crowd had come to hear the jazz bands from Longfellow and Willard middle schools. Fan — and mother of a baritone sax player […]
Posted inSchools
Longfellow students practice tolerance, compassion
A Longfellow school band plays a song to honor National Day of Silence When students at Longfellow Magnet Middle School go to school today, they will spend their first two hours in silence. While they will be studying, they will not be talking. But they will be learning. The students will be participating in National […]
Posted inNosh
Berkeley’s school lunch program is flawed, say insiders
“If They Cook It, They Will Eat It,” one of the short films in the Lunch Love Community series. Photo: Sophie Constantinou “If They Cook It, They Will Eat It,” one of the short films in the Lunch Love Community series. Photo: Sophie Constantinou The successes — and shortcomings — of the Berkeley Unified School […]
