The Week Ahead - Week of August 11, 2025

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12 minutes ago
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from your principal, Michael Tison Yee (via the E-Tree)

Good Afternoon King Families,

My name is Michael Tison Yee, principal of Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. I’m so excited to go on this journey through the 25-26 school year with you! For those of you who are new to our community, The Week Ahead is a weekly preview and robocall of things that are happening at school. Families have felt it helpful to digest things in weeklong sizes and calming to have reminders and previews of the week.

So let’s dive into it! Here’s what to expect in our first week of school:

Tuesday, August 12, is our Welcome Fair, happening from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. In our July mailer, we sent families a schedule of last name time slots to come (new families, mostly 6th Grade in the morning; returning students in the afternoon). Attendance is mandatory to receive student schedules, and programming is in the gymnasium, which can be accessed via the gate on Grant Street. Before arriving, be sure to complete the Infinite Campus OLR update, which is necessary before your student(s) will be able to receive their schedule and attend classes on Wednesday. There will also be representatives from the Edible Schoolyard, AC Transit, our District Music programs, LEARNS, and more! If you need any support, please reach out to your grade level vice principal, who has also sent reminders prior to this message.
- 6th Grade - Ruby Ortega (rubyortega@berkeley.net)
- 7th Grade - Jen Mahmood (jenmahmood@berkeley.net)
- 8th Grade - Jess Mould (jessicamould@berkeley.net)
Wednesday, August 13 is the first day of school! As a reminder, first period starts at 8:40 AM this year, with a Wednesday dismissal of 2:09 PM. All other days, dismissal will be at 3:00 PM. If a registered parent/guardian does not attend Welcome Fair on Tuesday, do not drop your student off at school without confirming the OLR has been completed! You will need to come into the office to check updates prior to them starting classes on Wednesday.
This week, 6th Graders will participate in Orientation Week, where they will get a chance to meet many of the 6th Grade faculty, while building community and providing a soft landing in middle school. Orientation group assignments will be given by Ms. Ortega and Ms. McCarthy at the Welcome Fair, after OLR updates have been confirmed.
Want to volunteer at the Welcome Fair? The PTA needs you! Sign up using this link! Your help will make sure the event runs smoothly and supports our newest families! If you are new to King, don’t forget to sign up for the E-Tree–PTA’s special newsletter.