Hello Everybody! It’s hard to believe that the school year is nearly over. The last day of school is May 26th. I’m sure every school-age kid in Round Rock knows this. You may be wondering why I promised a monthly newsletter and here I am 8 months later. I could give you all kinds of excuses. Let’s see, the dog ate my paper copy, but I don’t have a dog. My computer crashed; which it did, but that’s nothing new. I’ll just say that the months slipped by and I had great intentions in November, but before I knew it, it was May, and here I am writing an update at the end of the school year.

I just want you to know Joe and I have had a great year with Berkman Elementary. All is well between Berkman and Rotary. Not only do we have a good working relationship at this point in time, we enjoy Adelina, counselor extradinare, and the teachers. We had the opportunity to attend several special programs at Berkman, but the best was accidental. We happened to walk in on their school-wide lunch. Parents and teachers had brought in home made dishes. The tamales, enchiladas, and beans were the best. Sad to say for my waist line, that was one of the highlights of my April.

I hope you will enjoy the second and last edition of the Berkman Buzz for this school year. And a big thank you from Joe and me for a fun group of people. I’ve enjoyed the few meetings I have been able to get up early enough to attend. You make getting up early worth it!

AND THE WINNERS ARE: SUNRISE ROTARY CLUB Partners-in-Education, Volunteer of the Year Award

Congratlulations! Because of your generosity, Berkman Elementary students had supplies that teachers would otherwise had to have paid “out-of-pocket” - Particularly, kindergarten teachers were happy and celebrating this year. Joe and I had a lot of fun purchasing supplies. We had the fun part! We visited classes during the year several times, particularly kindergarten. The kindergarten teachers are phenomenal. They are young, enthusiastic, and energetic. Maybe it has something to do with working with spirited five and six year olds. I got so caught up talking with one little boy about the picture he was drawing that I didn’t notice that I was the only grownup left besides the teacher. Activities you helped fund include:

* Field Day
* Snacks for the TAKS tests breaks
* Parents Night Open House
* Halloween Party (drinks for fundraiser to pay for a Spanish play)
* general school supplies (folders, pencils, pens, staplers, paper, scissors, etc)
* materials for mother’s day gifts

* Valentines party supplies
* Thanksgiving and Christmas items
* Others as needed for teacher’s projects not supplied by the district (potting soil,
seed, etc)

Joe and I can assure all of you that every last penny of the $ 1,200 that Rotary donated was used very carefully. The teachers faces lit up when they saw us coming with an armload of supplies. Although I’m sure it’s no surprise to any of you, I am pleased to announce that the teachers I have met on my visits to Berkman and at meetings of the Berkman Site Advisory Committee truly care about the children they teach. Although the resources from the State of Texas have shrunk, they are working long hours that include many extra committees, training, and projects beyond just classroom teaching. I think they are terrific! They are asked to do more and more with less and less every year. People like you make it possible. Thank you!

RETIREMENT PARTY: Robert Carlin is retiring as Berkman principal after 35 years of devotion to the school. This is hard to believe and not just because it makes me feel old! Robert and I graduated from the Class of ‘65′ and unknown to me at the time, Dad provided a catalyst in a quiet way. When I visited with Robert again 25 years later, he told me that dad was his inspiration to become a school principal. As long as Robert was there, I knew that Berkman Elementary would reflect the values that were important to dad: respect for people, oneself, learning and community.

To dad education was about children and he did whatever it took to help children learn. If a child needed shoes, food, clothes, or help at home and dad knew about it, he would help or he would expect the teachers he worked with to care and to help. A child who is hungry or cold has a difficult time concentrating on learning. People make up a school from the tinest, youngest student to custodians and cafeteria workers, librarians, teachers and principal - all working together to make a successful school. I’ve seen the respect Berkman teachers have for Robert. He has the old fashioned values Dad valued and tried to pass on to his students sometimes with a talking-to that brooked no nonsense. Before he died, Dad told me that he knew Berkman was in good hands. Robert respected dad and always made him feel welcome and at home. He let the children know that their school had a living symbol. And for that I will always be grateful to Robert.

I hope you will attend Robert’s party Wednesday, May 26th from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the Berkman Cafeteria!

See you next Fall!

Jennie Berkman-Boatman, MSSW, LMSW, GC-C

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