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Kensington Elementary School

Sunday, May 13, 2012

New Activities a Hit at Kensington Carnival

New offerings like the marshmallow launchers joined old favorites at the popular annual carnival Saturday at Kensington Elementary School. Patch extends a special thanks to fifth-grader Aaron Moore for this report.

  • SCHOOLS
  • Sunday, May 13

By Aaron Moore Some of the longest lines at Saturday’s Kensington Elementary School carnival were at new booths and activities like the root beer floats, hair weaving and decorating, and the marshmallow launchers. But old favorites like the cakewalk, cotton candy, and snow cones remained popular, too. The annual event is a fundraiser for PTA but also a way to get parents and kids to have fun together, said PTA president Felicia Robertson.  Robertson said she has come to the carnival since she was 10 and not much has changed. She did note the absence of the zip line that the Boy Scouts riggged on the hill behind the kindergarten building years ago. She said her favorite booth is the cakewalk. Kensington principal Judy Sanders said her …

In this Article:

New Portola Principal Tackles Challenges with Collaboration

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Changes Await Students As Classes Resume Tuesday

New principals will welcome students at three El Cerrito schools, another school will add a grade level, and all are at risk because of the state's financial uncertainty.

El Cerrito campuses will see a few changes as the school year begins Tuesday. El Cerrito High, Portola Middle, and Harding Elementary schools all have new principals. Madera Elementary School sports two new portable classrooms to accommodate its expansion to include sixth grade, leaving Portola with only seventh and eighth grades. And finances are even shakier than usual as schools watch to see the outcome of a state budget many believe is built on wishful thinking. Taking over at El Cerrito High is David Luongo who is joined by two new assistant principals, Nancy Ivey and Sharon Baltazar.  At Portola, Matthew Burnham moves from vice principal to principal. Linda Takimoto is the new principal of Harding Elementary. At Fairmont, the …

In this Article:

Making Room for Sixth Graders at Madera, West County Schools Budget Protects Primary Class Size, Police, Adult Ed, New El Cerrito High Principal Pledges Academic Push, and 2 more ›

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Lady Gogo

3:06 pm on Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Betty - are you a school teacher or a traffic engineer?   more ›

Saturday, August 6, 2011

"Go Portola!" Group Created To Bolster City's Middle School

A new group that is seeking to increase attendance at El Cerrito's Portola Middle School through information and improvements has quickly drawn interest.

As El Cerrito and Kensington public school students approach the upper elementary school years, Portola Middle School becomes a popular topic of discussion. Ultimately, each family will decide whether to send its children to Portola or a private school, or try to get into a middle school in a neighboring district. The numbers can vary greatly from year to year. Nerissa Wu, a Madera Elementary School parent, said many parents like her are committed to the public schools. But, she said, when families start choosing other options for middle school, it can have a snowball effect. As more families decide to transfer out, that seems to prompt more to follow. Conversely, as more of a child’s peer group commit to Portola, the more appealing that …

In this Article:

Portola Middle School, Harding Elementary School, Fairmont Elementary School, and 5 more ›

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Betty Buginas

9:52 am on Saturday, August 6, 2011

Thank you for the update. You guys are moving so fast! El Cerrito and Kensington have an awesome cadre of parents that can make this happen. Please list the meetings on Patch, too, at http://elcerrito.patch.com/events/new , so new people continue to have the opportunity to get involved.   more ›

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