Montera Middle School eBulletin
October 12, 2025
This week's school schedule: AB -a- AB
Upcoming Events:
Monday, October 13: No School (Indigenous People's Day)
Tuesday, October 14: Coffee with Doc (9:30-10:15am, Room 303)
Tuesday, October 14: *Spirit Week* No Backpack Day
Tuesday, October 14 - Tuesday, October 21: Halloween Dance Ticket Sales (During Lunch)
Wednesday, October 15: *Spirit Week* Twin Day
Wednesday, October 15: Fall Wellness Day (11:00am-1:00pm, Parent Volunteers Needed)
Thursday, October 16: *Spirit Week* Pajama Day
Thursday, October 16: PTO Meeting (6:30-7:30pm via Zoom)
Friday, October 17: *Spirit Week* Celebrity Character Day
Monday, October 20 - Thursday, October 23: 7th Grade Field Trip to Rob Hill (Presidio SF)
Wednesday, October 22: Dine-out Fundraiser at Patty’s & Buns (Info Here)
Friday, October 24: Picture Day Retakes
Saturday, October 25: Montera's Fall Fest! (2:00-5:00pm)
Wednesday, October 29: Halloween Dance (5:00-7:30pm in the MUR)
Friday, October 31: Halloween Costume Contest
Saturday, November 8: Montera’s Fall Sweep: Garden Work Day!
Help Us Reach the Annual Fund Finish Line: Contribute Today!
When you contribute to Montera’s Annual Fund, you are doing more than covering programs and supplies, you are empowering Montera’s leadership team to strengthen our school and respond to student needs. The Annual Fund is also how we come together as a community to support our teachers who give countless hours and often spend their own money to create welcoming, well-equipped classrooms.
Now is the time: Help us finish strong. Whether you give $50, $450, or more, every dollar makes a difference and every student benefits. Consider a smaller monthly gift if $450 does not fit your budget. And if you can give more, we encourage your generosity. Give online today or return this form with a check.
Check with your employer to see if your contribution will be matched! It’s easy! Just submit your receipt through your employer’s matching gift portal or HR.
Montera PTO 501(c)3 Non Profit Tax ID#: 23-7266421
You’re invited to Fall Fest on Saturday, October 25 from 2:00-5:00 pm. Entry is FREE for the whole family!
Activity and food tickets will be available to buy at the event, or you can pre-purchase here. Tickets are $1 each and can be used at Fall Fest for food, activities, or booth offerings. We recommend purchasing about 20 tickets per person to cover food and activities. Please note, the Kona Ice Truck will accept cash or cards instead of tickets.
🎃 Brave the Haunted House (We need Volunteers to help set-up on Thursday 10/23, not Friday)
💦 Sink your teachers in the Dunk Tank
🌮 Enjoy food from Glenview Taqueria
🍧 Cool off with shaved ice from the Kona Ice Truck
🎶 Gather at the Main Stage for music and performances
👻 Wear your Halloween costume and enter the contest for prizes!
🚀The inflatable zone will feature a super-large obstacle course, giant slide, plus a special Kiddie Jump just for our littlest Toros, ages 6 and under.
🎟️Enter the raffle for your chance to win Warriors Tickets, Gift Baskets & Lunchtime front of the line Fast Passes! *Raffle tickets will also be available during Fall Fest
🚨URGENT – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
This event only happens with YOUR help. If we do not fill shifts, we cannot run all the activities. Please sign up today and be part of making Fall Fest an amazing community event for all our kids.
PTO Meeting
Join us for the PTO meeting on Thursday, October 16 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. We’ll share important updates, highlight upcoming events, and discuss ways families can get involved. A meeting reminder and the agenda will be sent out on Parent Square the day of the meeting.
Meeting ID: 816 9772 7172
Passcode: Toros!
Fall Wellness Day on Wednesday
When: Wednesday, October 15, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
We are seeking support from parent volunteers to lead/co-lead lunchtime booths. The time commitment would be ~11:00-1:00pm to allow time for set up and clean up. We are hoping to get 8-10 volunteers if possible.
Below are some booths/activities we have had in the past but we are open to more ideas/activities!
Wellness Wall
Puzzle station
Yoga/stretching: Peace Garden
Lawn Games
Music
Wellness Wheel
Affirmation Station
Blender Bike
Badminton in the Courtyard
Volleyball on the Blacktop
Please contact our counselors if you can volunteer:
Nico Ramos (nico.ramos@ousd.org)
Erica Saephan (erica.saephan@ousd.org)
This update is provided by Montera's new ELA Reading Coach, Shaina Patel:
Dear Families,
All Montera students will receive a copy of their Fall iReady Diagnostic Results during their English class on Thurs 10/17 or Fri 10/18. iReady reading testing happens 3 times per year - Fall, Winter and Spring. Students will reflect on their current reading scores in class and set goals to support their growth as readers. The iReady Diagnostic Report and Student Reflection handout will be sent home for families to see and sign. Please be sure to sign the iReady Student Reflection when it comes home this week, and have your student turn it in to their English teacher by Monday 10/20.
Thank you!
- Shaina Patel (she/hers)
ELA Instructional Coach
Note: You will also be getting a message soon on ParentSquare about how to access your student’s fall i-Ready Results through your child’s Clever portal.
Wednesday, October 22
Join Montera Middle School in raising money while enjoying breakfast from 8:00-11:30 am and lunch/dinner until 7:00pm. 15% of your purchase will benefit the Toro community!
Online: www.pattysandbunsburgers.com. Enter MONTERA in the extra information at checkout.
Dine-in or take-out: mention MONTERA when ordering.
**Delivery will not count towards fundraiser**
🎃Halloween Dance
Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | 5:00-7:30 pm
Get ready for a spooky good time at Montera’s Halloween Dance!
Dance tickets will be sold at school during both lunches, Tuesday, October 14 - Tuesday, October 21 ($10, cash only)
Students must have a signed permission slip in order to purchase a ticket
Permission slips will be handed out at school. If you would like to print from home, here is the link to the permission slip. Please read it carefully.
Students with excessive tardies, cuts, and/or discipline referrals will not be allowed to participate.
Parent Volunteers Needed: Check out the available slots here and sign up.
A huge shout-out to Georgia for designing this Halloween Dance flyer!
Saturday, November 8, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
Montera's garden space and raised beds are ready for a little TLC. Let’s pull weeds, tidy up the space, and get the soil ready for new plants. Bring your gloves & a water bottle!
Join the fun by signing up for a volunteer slot! Kids are welcome and encouraged to take part. They’ll get to decorate small pots, fill them with soil and seeds, and plant start seeds like perennials, small trees, and fall or winter plants.
From 12:30-1:00 we will have pizza and refreshments.
Please contact Christine Mirov at gardens@monterapto.com if you have questions.
California funds schools through Average Daily Attendance (ADA). This means that every day or period a student is absent or tardy, our school loses funding. Unexcused absences cost our school thousands of dollars each school year. Every minute counts!
Reminders:
Remember, school starts at 9:15! Please help your student arrive on time each day and reinforce the importance of showing up to 3rd & 7th period after lunch!
AVOID picking up students during lunch - loud speaker announcements during lunch disrupt classes in session.
AVOID picking up students 20-30 minutes before the dismissal bell. This allows students to finish their school day without disruption. Dismissal is at 1:50 pm on Wednesdays and 3:30 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Any absence not verified by phone or email is marked “Unverified” and is considered unexcused.
If you know that your student is going to be absent, please call the main office at 510-879-3211 x1.
If your family is experiencing challenges with daily attendance, we are here to support you. Contact your grade-level principal or Ms. Ida at the number above for assistance.
The informational zoom meeting about the Summer 2027 Korea trip for current 6th graders is being rescheduled for another night soon. Stay tuned for updates about the rescheduled meeting. We can't wait to tell you more!
Montera Travel Club
Place an order for your 2025-26 Montera yearbook before October 31st and save 10% off the regular price of $34.85 and cross a task off your back-to-school to-do list! Yearbooks will be delivered to the school in the middle of May. Scan this QR code or click HERE to order from Treering.
🚫 No Parking or Pick-Up in the Lower Parking Lots 🚫
Families, for the safety of our students, we need to remind everyone that there is no parking allowed on the blacktops (inside the fence where the basketball hoops are). Children are often walking, running, and playing in these areas, and even one moving car can put them at serious risk.
Coaches, parents, guardians, and visitors alike should use designated parking areas in the main back lot for sports parking and pick-up.
We appreciate your cooperation in keeping all of our Toros safe. Thank you for modeling community care and making student safety our top priority.
Essay Contest: Raise Awareness about E-Bike Safety!
Dear Montera Middle School Friends,
We are excited to invite students to participate in the Mineta Transportation Institute’s annual essay contest! This year’s theme, Ride On, Ride Safe—E-Bike Style!, encourages students to explore the growing popularity of electric bicycles (e-bikes) among teens and the important safety questions that come with this trend.
In recent years, more tweens and teens are riding e-bikes, bringing both big benefits and serious safety concerns. E-bikes offer kids independence, exercise, and a more sustainable, cheaper alternative to traveling by car. But hospitals are seeing more and more kids injured while riding e-bikes, and communities are asking whether there should be more limits on how kids ride and whether schools should teach safe riding skills.
Contest Details:
Who: Students in grades 6–12 (public, private, or homeschool) across the U.S.
Theme: Ride On, Ride Safe—E-Bike Style!
Prizes: $2,250 in total awards, with $1,000 for the 10th–12th grade 1st place winner and $500 for the 6th–9th grade 1st place winner.
Publication: Winning essays will be published on MTI’s website and in our newsletter, shared with over 2,000 readers!
How to Participate:
Learn more about the contest, review the rules and essay prompts, and access resources here: MTI Essay Contest.
The deadline to submit entries is February 2, 2026, so encourage your students to join us in shaping the future of safe and sustainable transportation!
Reach out to alverina.weinardy@sjsu.edu if you have any questions, including about getting assistance with procuring supplies for participation or bringing in a guest speaker to get students excited about the theme.
We look forward to your students’ inspiring ideas!
Mineta Transportation Institute
210 North 4th Street, 4th Floor
San José, CA 95112
(408) 924-7560
San Jose State University
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We Are Montera. We Are One.
Email: communications@monterapto.com | Website: https://montera.ousd.org/
Location: 5555 Ascot Drive, Oakland, CA, USA | Phone: (510) 531-6070