Montera Middle School eBulletin
February 8, 2026
This week's school schedule: AB -b- AB
Upcoming Events:
Monday, February 9: Last day to buy early bird tickets for the Montera Benefit;
ALSO: Black History Month Planning Meeting (6:00pm on Zoom)
Tuesday, February 10: Coffee with the Principal (Room 303, 9:30-10:15am)
Wednesday, February 11: Valentine's Dance (5:00-7:00pm in the MUR, Sign up to volunteer)
Monday, February 16: President's Day (No School)
Wednesday, February 18 & Thursday, February 19: Parent/Teacher Conferences (more details to come)
Thursday, February 19: Minimum Day (Dismissal at 1:50pm)
Thursday, February 19: PTO Meeting (6:30pm via Zoom)
Friday, February 20: AAMA Fathers Breakfast (9am)
Monday, February 23- Friday, February 27: Black History Spirit Week
Thursday, February 26: Lunar New Year Celebration (Sign up to volunteer)
Saturday, March 14: Montera's 2026 Benefit (Adults Only, Buy Early Bird Tickets Here)
Montera Jazz Club Starts this Week
Join the Montera Jazz Club starting this Monday, Feb 9th! This ensemble will be open to 7th and 8th graders, as well as 6th graders in Intermediate Band. We will meet Mondays after school from 3:40-5:00pm in Room 101. Please bring your instrument to the first rehearsal.
In Jazz Club, students will play charts of jazz standards and explore a variety of styles, including bebop, swing, blues, rock, funk and bossa nova. This ensemble will prepare a short set to perform at the Spring Music Concert in April!
Please contact Mr. Anzaldo (ricardo.anzaldo@ousd.org) with any questions.
Black History Month Planning Meeting on Mon, Feb 9
Hello families! On behalf of Montera's Black History Month team, we want to invite Montera parents to a meeting on Zoom this Monday, February 9th at 6pm. Any families who want to assist with the various events we have planned or have ideas for events are welcome to attend.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Shogbesan at holly.shogbesan@ousd.org.
Join instructions:
https://ousd.zoom.us/meetings/4554557483/invitations?signature=0VFmtOceswfZtxxl8s21a0s-gwUTiDzKYtWhuUjiXfc
Coffee with the Principal: Tues, Feb 10
Please join us for Coffee with Dr. Williams on Tuesday, February 10, 9:30-10:15am in Room 303.
Come have coffee, tea, pastries, and chat with your Montera community.
AAMA Fathers Breakfast
African American Male Achievement students and their fathers are invited to the AAMA Fathers Breakfast on Friday, February 20 at 9am.
If you are a parent of an AAMA student please check Parent Square or RSVP here: Fathers Breakfast
For any questions, please contact Mr. B at bycha.buxton@ousd.org
Lunar New Year Celebration - Adult Volunteers Needed
The fourth annual Lunar New Year Celebration at Montera will be on Thursday, February 26th from 2:30 - 3:30 PM. There will be food, music, and fun activities. We are looking for adult volunteers to help with food preparation, set-up, host an activity, and/or supervise.
If you are available, please sign-up here: Lunar New Year Celebration - Adult Volunteer Sign-Up or email Ms. Saephan at erica.saephan@ousd.org. Thank you!
Don't worry: if you missed the Jan 29th Info Meeting, here is the link to the recording and slides:
Recording:
Passcode: Z82oc*V9
2027 Trip Scholarship/Financial Assistance Request Form: https://forms.gle/WM5KtsrAxu8U1oZs8
Donate here to help make this trip accessible to all Montera students!
Enroll by February 12, 2026 and get a $100 discount!
Spring Sports Preview
This spring, Montera is planning to offer the following programs:
Baseball
Ultimate Frisbee
Wrestling
Girls Softball
Track
Boys & Girls Futsal
Possibly Lacrosse
Possibly Golf
The spring season will begin the last week of March.
We are currently seeking parent-volunteer coaches, especially for our spring programs. If you’re interested in joining the Montera Toro Team and supporting our student-athletes, please contact AD Price at martin.price@ousd.org as soon as possible.
Go Toros!
Current 8th Grade Families: The OUSD Math Team is excited to offer two math summer program offerings for rising 9th graders. Our interest form (linked below) will be open through 4/2/26, and rosters will be finalized in April.
If you have any questions, please email Courtney Ortega, Middle School Math Coordinator at courtney.ortega@ousd.org.
Interest Form (Please complete by 4/2/26)
1) Order Your 2025–26 Montera Yearbook
Although the yearbook pre-sale has ended, it’s never too late to order your copy! Yearbooks will be delivered to the school in mid-May. Scan the QR code or CLICK HERE to order from Treering. The cost is $34.85 plus tax.
2) First-Time Ordering?
If you haven’t ordered before or are new to Montera, you’ll be prompted to create a login and add your student(s) information. When selecting a teacher, please choose “N/A (Not Listed/Applicable)” from the dropdown menu.
3) We Want Your Photos!
If you have great shots from school events or campus moments, email them to MonteraYearbookClub@gmail.com and include student names and short captions. Photos should be in JPG format and at least 500kb to print clearly.
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:
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.
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!
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 Crucible is a generous donor to our Montera Auction, with a class voucher valued at $300! With over 130 classes available in Woodworking, Ceramics, Blacksmithing, and beyond, the creative possibilities are endless! Thank you for your generosity to our school.
Our one-of-a-kind industrial arts classes welcome all levels, from absolute beginners to experienced artists and craftspeople. Come learn something new in our West Oakland facility.
As a non-profit organization committed to building vibrant communities through the arts, The Crucible is excited to contribute to community organizations. The Crucible's mission is to make fine and industrial arts accessible for all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
On Instagram @the_crucible
OPAI Presents: The African American Experience through the Arts
Join Oakland Performing Arts Intensive (OPAI) as we journey through the African American experience, taking you along a timeline beginning in West Africa and ending in present day USA. This performance is curated for the greater Oakland community in partnership with OUSD performing arts students and educators.
Click here for more information about OPAI!
When: Friday , February 13th at 6 pm
Where: Castlement High School (Phil Reeder Theater)
8601 MacArthur Blvd. Oakland CA 94605
UC Berkeley's Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP)
Dear Montera Middle School,
On behalf of UC Berkeley's Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP), I am reaching out to let you know about an exciting scholarship opportunity available to your students this summer!
ABOUT ATDP
ATDP’s Secondary Division (SD) offers challenging and intellectually stimulating summer courses to high achieving and hardworking students who are currently completing 7th through 11th grade. SD courses are offered online or in-person on the UC Berkeley campus and are fast-paced yet rich in content, typically spanning 4-6 weeks.
ABOUT THE PATHWAY SCHOLARSHIP
While ATDP offers need-based financial aid to help all qualified applicants attend our program, the ATDP’s Pathway Scholarship is a competitive scholarship program reserved for exceptionally brilliant and hardworking middle and high schoolers. The Pathway Scholarship program awards a select group of highly qualified and dedicated students with:
Full tuition and fees for one SD On-Site course,
Access to a dedicated academic counselor, and
Additional community-building and learning opportunities to supplement their experience at ATDP.
ENCOURAGE YOUR STUDENTS TO APPLY!
We encourage all students who meet the following criteria to apply for the Pathway Scholarship program:
Must currently be in 7th through 11th grade
Must be applying for an SD On-Site course with ATDP this summer
Must be hardworking, academically motivated, and have demonstrated resilience and perseverance in the face of significant hardships
Must have demonstrated a need for financial assistance (e.g. FRLP eligibility)
All of the details on how students can apply for the Pathway Scholarship program can be found here.
The deadline for students to complete all components of the application is Monday, March 23, 2026.
If you have any further questions, feel free to email me (cirivera@berkeley.edu) or the ATDP office (atdpoffice@berkeley.edu) at any time.
Warmly,
Carlos Rivera Bernabé, M.A. (he/him)
Ph.D. Student, School Psychology
Berkeley School of Education | LinkedIn
University of California, Berkeley
Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run
Saturday, Mar. 21
10:00 AM
Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts (Oakland)
The Oakland Marathon and Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation are excited to invite OUSD students and families to take part in the Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run on Saturday, March 21.
All OUSD students ages 12 and under can register for free using code OUSDKIDS.
Parents, guardians, teachers, and other members of the OUSD community are welcome to join in the fun as well. Use code OUSDFAM to receive 25% off registration for the Kids Race, 5K, 10K, half marathon, or full marathon. Please register at oaklandmarathon.com.
Know someone who isn't receiving this eBulletin?
Montera Middle School
eBulletin is produced throughout the school year on a weekly basis by the Montera Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) except on holidays. It sometimes contains ads from our sponsors and/or services from the community. These advertisements do not imply endorsement of any product or service by OUSD, Montera Middle School, or the Montera PTO.
If you have news you'd like to include, please send it to eBulletin@monterapto.com by 5pm on Friday. Submissions may be edited for spelling, grammar, brevity and clarity. In addition, while we strive for accuracy, being human sometimes gets in the way. If you spot an important error, please bring it to our attention. Thanks!
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