Montera Middle School eBulletin
August 24, 2025
This week's school schedule: A B - a - A B
(A block = periods 1-4 / B block = periods 5-8 / a = "A Block" Minimum Day)
Upcoming Events:
Monday, September 1: No School (Labor Day)
Thursday, September 4: Back to School Night (5:30-7:30pm in person); Live Scan Fingerprinting for Volunteer Sign-Ups (5-6pm outside MUR)
Wednesday, September 17 - Thursday, September 18 - Parent/Teacher Conferences (Minimum Days, 9:15-1:50pm)
Thursday, September 18: Montera PTO Meeting (6:30-7:30pm via Zoom)
Friday, September 19: No School (Professional Development Day)
Monday, September 22 & Friday, September 26: Picture Days!
Saturday, October 25: Fall Fest -- SAVE THE DATE! (2-5pm)
Annual Fund Drive Kick-Off
Dear Montera Families,
We’re excited to kick off Montera PTO’s Annual Fund Drive, the first and most significant fundraising effort of the school year! We need your help.
With your support, we aim to raise $50,000 by October 15. These contributions help bridge the gap between what the district provides and what our students truly need to thrive - things like classroom supplies, technology, music, sports, library books, teacher & staff stipends, and more. We recognize that every family has different resources and a gift should be made in an amount that is meaningful and generous for your family.
While the suggested contribution amount is $450 per student, a gift—no matter the size—makes a lasting impact on the student experience at Montera. Our goal is to see 100% of Toro families make a contribution of any amount! Your gift matters!
Your $300 contribution sends 37 8th graders to see a play.
A $200 contribution buys a new Chromebook for a classroom.
A $100 contribution gets four new soccer balls for our after school teams.
Even $5 buys two planners, which all students receive at the beginning of the school year to help them stay organized.
Give today via PayPal or return this form with a check.
Your contribution to the Annual Fund might be eligible for a company match, doubling your donation and impact! To request a match, submit your receipt to your employer’s matching online gift portal or check with your HR department.
Here are some companies that offer a matching program: Disney, Pixar, AAA, Airbnb, Expedia, Google, Pandora, Adobe, Kaiser, Genentech, PayPal, Apple, Salesforce, PG&E, Williams Sonoma, Microsoft, Verizon, Clorox and more!
Thank you for being part of what makes this community so strong. Let’s kick things off with momentum!
Warmly,
Hillary Aiken, PTO VP of Fundraising Strategy
All Donations are tax deductible
Montera PTO 501(c)3 Non-Profit Tax ID #23-7266421
Did You Miss the August 21 PTO Meeting?
Live Scan for School Volunteers
When: Thursday September 4, 5:00-6:00pm (before Back to School Night)
Where: Montera courtyard next to MUR
Instructions:
- Start the Ed Fund volunteer application ahead of time
- Bring the completed Live Scan fingerprinting form with you
- $45 per person (pay onsite). Financial assistance is available, send a request to president@monterapto.com
Montera Night at the Oakland Roots!
Save the Date: Fall Fest is Saturday, October 25!
Parents and Guardians, make sure to review the sports registration requirements email we sent recently, and which are described in detail on our website. Students can try out without having all steps complete, but must be fully registered to participate in official practice.
NOTE: Sports Physicals required for tryouts
Students must have a valid physical in order to participate in tryouts. This ensures they are cleared for all physical activities and helps prevent any undisclosed health issues from arising.
Thank you to everyone who tried out last week for Girls Volleyball. We had over 100 participants!
We are planning to put together four teams - 2 Varsity and 2 JV - of about 13-14 players each. Rosters will be posted by the MUR sometime this week and practices will begin after Labor Day.
Everyone who is not on a team will be invited to come to a volleyball clinic once a week at Montera after school. Athletes who attend the clinic will get a chance to occasionally scrimmage vs one of the JV teams.
It's going to be an exciting season. Go Toros!!!
We will share more details and dates for other sports soon as they become available. Here's the latest:
Girls Futsal:
Location: Gym
Tues Aug 26 - 3:40-5:30pm
Students should bring tennis shoes, water, and clothing comfortable to exercise in.
Co-Ed Cross Country:
Location: Field
Mon Aug 25, Thurs Aug 28, & Thurs Sept 4 - 3:45-5:30pm
Students should bring shoes/clothing comfortable to run in and a water bottle which is clearly labeled or easily identifiable.
Cheerleading:
Location: Gym
Mon Sept 8 & Thurs Sept 11 (DATE CHANGE) - 3:45-5:30pm
What to Wear: Athletic shorts, a tank top or t-shirt, sneakers, and hair pulled back from your face and shoulders.
Monday & Thursday from 3:45-5:30pm will also be our regular practice days and times for the season. Games are typically scheduled on Saturdays. Game schedule will be provided at a later date.
Boys Flag Football:
Location: Field
Choose ONE: Tues Aug 26 or Thurs Aug 28, 3:45-5:30pm
Please bring tennis shoes/cleats, water bottle, and be ready to work and have fun.
Girls Flag Football:
Location: Field
Mon Aug 25 & Fri Aug 29, 4:00-5:45pm
Please bring tennis shoes/cleats, water bottle, and be ready to work and have fun.
We're currently looking for afterschool coaches for the following sports:
Girls Volleyball
Boys Futsal
Girls Futsal
Co-Ed Kickball
No experience? No problem! If you're positive, dependable, and enjoy working with students, we’d love to have you on our team. Training will be provided.
Interested or have questions?
Please contact Athletic Director Martin Price at martin.price@ousd.org.
Our inaugural first trip to Italy this summer was a great success! We got to experience several different regions in Italy, learned some Italian phrases, ate some delicious food, and saw a lot of iconic Italian sites! It is now time to kick off a new school year with new, exciting travel opportunities!
- All past, present, and future travelers: Please join Travel Club at Montera when we have club sign-ups. Get to know other travelers. Have some fun cultural experiences. Hear from past travelers. Try foods from other countries. Share your own travel adventures. See Ms. Recco or Dr. Emrick for more information.
- For 2025-26 7th Graders: We are now turning our attention to this year's Travel Club trip to Japan! There are very limited spots left, and the $200 discount ends 8/29! Please contact Ms. Recco or Dr. Emrick if you are interested! Parents, you can contact us at rebecca.recco@ousd.org or isaac.emrick@ousd.org
- For 2025-26 6th Graders: We are going to start discussing our Summer 2027 Trip -- location TBD! Where do you want to travel? So far, we have had requests for England, Korea, and Costa Rica! See Ms. Recco or Dr. Emrick if you are interested. Parents, you can contact us at rebecca.recco@ousd.org or isaac.emrick@ousd.org. Stay tuned for an announcement about our kick-off meeting.
Oakland Girls Softball League (OGSL) - Register now!
Fall 2025 registration closing soon! https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/485569
OGSL’s mission is to bring the sport of softball to players aged 5-14. This season will focus on learning and keeping our players’ softball skills sharp! Players will participate in a series of 6 skills clinics, each clinic focusing on a different skill area. The clinics will take place on 6 consecutive Sundays, starting September 14th and ending October 19th. There will be no weekday practices at any age group.
Regular Registration Fees are 6U: $50 and 8U, 10U, 12/14U: $100. If cost is an issue, please email info@ogsl.org BEFORE completing the registration form for more information on requesting a ½ off fee discount. No one will be turned away for lack of funds!
Free Oakland Roots Tickets for Students Who Attended First Two Weeks of School
NOTE: This is a separate event from Montera Night at the Roots on 9/7 described above.
As we start this school year off right, we are continuing our Show UP! campaign to support good attendance, and the Oakland Roots Soccer Team is helping us in a big way. Here is what you need to know:
All students who attended school every day during the first two weeks of school will receive one free ticket this week to the Roots' Oakland Back-to-School Night on Saturday, August 30 at the Oakland Coliseum. The game will include an amazing drone show afterwards. And all staff and teachers get a ticket too!
Schools will be checking attendance and reporting out to the team, which will share a code unique to each school this week that students, families, and staff can use on the team's website to access the free ticket, and to buy more tickets.
It was great to see all students in class the past two weeks as we start the school year off right, and we appreciate the Oakland Roots for supporting good attendance in Oakland schools!
Leadership Program at Girls Inc. of Alameda County
A message from Girls Inc. of Alameda County:
Girls Inc. of Alameda County is looking to connect with and recruit students to join our amazing program, We Lead. Scholars can step up as a leader in our Girls Inc. program designed for 6th-9th graders, where students will challenge stereotypes, build on their strengths, and take on real leadership roles alongside other girls and allies!
Students can fill out our Interest Form to apply. Our start date is the week of Sept, 24th with our orientation on Sept. 11th. Please contact Direct Service Coordinator, Fia Tautolo, with any questions. We are excited to connect with you!
Fia Tautolo, Direct Service Coordinator for We Lead
Girls Inc. of Alameda County
Simpson Center for Girls / 510 16th St. Oakland, CA 94612
Inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold
A Pro Tip from Your Teachers
Check Schoology often for grade updates.
Check ParentSquare often for messages from teachers.
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