Unruly behavior at Berkeley High on Rally Day this year has prompted the district superintendent to concentrate on finding new leadership for the school. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel In response to unruly behavior on the Berkeley High campus Oct. 24, and the current absence of top leadership at the school, Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Donald Evans has asked […]
Rally Day
Posted inOpinion
Op-ed: Admin, students share blame for BHS Rally Day mob
I am a senior at Berkeley High School, I’ve been in school Leadership — a student government organization — for all four years, and I was present at Friday’s Rally Day mob scene. I know it got completely out of hand. It is 100% unacceptable for anyone to be physically hurt, and the firecracker that […]
Posted inSchools
Berkeley High staffer injured, 15 students suspended, due to 500-strong student mob involving bullying, drinking
Rally Day at Berkeley High in 2012, the last one to happen after it was canceled due to what the district said was rampant drinking among students, among other things. This year, an unsanctioned rally day mob sent a staffer to the hospital with a head injury. Photo: BUSD/Mark Coplan A Berkeley High staffer was […]
Posted inSchools
Truancy high, but improving, at Berkeley High School
Berkeley High School. Photo: Charlotte Wayne In the last two weeks, Berkeley High officials have sent out close to 2,000 letters telling students they have been truant, but they are regarding the number as an achievement. While it might seem worrisome that 60% of the school’s 3,300 students are routinely skipping class, the situation is […]
Posted inSchools
Photo gallery: A week of high spirits at Berkeley High
Monday of Spirit Week was "Nerd Day". All photos: Mark Coplan Spirit Week at Berkeley High was, well, as spirited as one would expect. Students put their all into the daily costume themes, and the red and gold hued Friday finale of Spirit Rally included performances at the community theater and two special tributes to […]
Posted inCommunity, Schools
Jackets’ Spirit Week includes 53-6 win over El Cerrito
Rally Day at BHS before the Jackets' homecoming win/Photo: BUSD At least two of Berkeley High’s teams are riding high in the wake of Spirit Week. The girls’ golf team won their league and last week placed 10th out of 33 teams in the Division I golf qualifier. That achievement gained them entry to the […]
Posted inSchools
Costumes and craziness at BHS’ Spirit Week
If you have driven by Berkeley High this week, you may have seen students wandering around in some crazy costumes. And on Friday, be prepared to see a mass of red and gold. It’s Spirit Week, the high school’s annual fall festival. Each year students dress up according to different themes. This year students were […]
Posted inArts, Schools
Berkeley High School teacher shows his soul power
Local band Soul Power is on the up: BHS teacher Scott Willson is front right. Scott Willson has been teaching math at Berkeley High for eleven years but he thinks he’s having his best year ever right now. That’s because he’s bringing his love of music into the classroom — he teaches a music club […]
Posted inSchools
Berkeley High students at risk because of pot use
Berkeley High School Students from Berkeley High are getting stoned in the park across the street from the school and in alleyways and other “out of the way” places in the downtown area, “morning, lunchtime, and mid-afternoon,” according to a new report which presents a plan to curb student drug and alcohol use. Drug and […]
Posted inSchools
The double meaning of Spirit Day at BHS
It’s Rally Day today at Berkeley High School. My freshman son has enjoyed his first Spirit Week at BHS, as he has enjoyed most of his BHS experience so far. But Spirit Week seems to have a different meaning for some students. Here’s the gist of a thoughtful email BHS parents and guardians received from […]