Summer 2025

• Sat, Feb 1: Registration Opens at 10am

• Fri, Feb 28: Aide Applications Due

• Fri, May 9: Mandatory Caregiver Orientation, 7pm at BMUC 

• May 16: Final Day to Order Additional Daruma 2024 Shirts 

• Sat, May 17: Caregiver Participation Sign-Ups Open at 10am

• June 18: Final Day to order Undokai Bentos (order here)

• Mon, Jun 23: First Day of Daruma no Gakko

• Sat, Jun 28: Undokai Community Day, 10am-2pm (location TBD)

• Fri, Jul 4: No Daruma - Independence Day

• Fri, Jul 11: Last Day of Daruma no Gakko (No Aftercare - 12PM Pick Up)

• Sat, Jul 12: Gakugeikai & 6th Grade Graduation, 2-4pm at King Middle School

Daruma no Gakko 2025 SHIRTS

• As part of registration, each student will receive one t-shirt.  

• Additional shirts (adult and child sizes) are available for purchase at $20 each. 

• We will have a limited supply available during the summer session, but we recommend purchasing in advance! 

• Look for an announcement in the spring about this year's design!

Mandatory Caregiver Meeting

Friday, May 9, 7PM-8PM

Location:  Berkeley Methodist United Church, 1710 Carleton Street, Berkeley CA 94703

We ask that one (1) caregiver per family (no students please) attend this important meeting where we plan to review program details, procedures, volunteer requirements, and answer questions.  

Caregiver Volunteer Sign-Up

Opens on May 17 at 10AM

Sign up for your Group 1 or Group 2 volunteer slots. Jobs are mandatory per student. For more information on volunteer requirements, click here.

Classroom and School Wishlists

Please help by providing in-kind donations of basic and enrichment supplies.  Keep checking back for new items! See the caregiver participation page for more info and links to this year's lists. 

Library and Sponsor-a-Book Wishlist

Our growing collection of 600+ books and DVDs about Japanese culture and the Japanese American experience is made available to Daruma no Gakko students and families onsite each summer. 

Since the library is unstaffed during the school day, we use a physical card catalog to make checking out items easy for all ages. Borrowers fill out the check-out card located inside each item with their name and check-out date and add it to the black card catalog onsite. The card catalog is sorted alphabetically by book title. To return items, find the matching check-out card in the box, cross off your name from the card, and add the card back into the item before putting it back into circulation. All item checkouts are for one week, and all books and DVDs are due back no later than Thursday, July 10th so that we can inventory and pack them up for storage by the end of session. 

We welcome caregivers to browse our searchable online catalog in advance and come with their children to check out items in the mornings before session.

Browse the online library catalog here: tinyurl.com/dng-library

We are able to add new selections to our library each summer through the generous donations of our families via our Sponsor-a-Book program. This year, we partnered with local bookseller, Pegasus Books, on a set of recently published books that will be on-hand before the start of the session. Many thanks to our donors!

Check out our new releases for Summer, 2025: tinyurl.com/dng-pegasus

Undokai/Sports Day Community Gathering 

Saturday, June 28, 10am-2pm
Location: TBD

Join us for fun games for kids & adults, delicious food, and community!

Bento orders due by June 18 (order link)

Purchase your delicious Musashi Berkeley bento for the Undokai Sports Day gathering.  

In addition to your choice of Grilled Tofu, Karaage [fried chicken], or Salmon Teriyaki, all bento lunches contain: 

• White Rice

• Tsukemono [pickled cucumber]

• Veggie Harumaki [fried egg roll]

• Sunomono [cucumber and seaweed vinegar salad]

• Nimono [simmered Japanese vegetables]

• Ebi Shumai [shrimp dumpling]

• Goma Ae [boiled spinach with sesame sauce] 

And Sushi: 2 PCS Futomaki, 2 PCS California Roll, 2 PCS Kappa, 2 PCS Inari  

*Bento will be distributed at the Daruma no Gakko Community Undokai on June 28. Any orders not picked up by 1 pm will be resold.

Gakaugeikai & Graduation

Saturday, July 12, 2-4pm
Location: Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, Berkeley

Family & friends are invited to this incredible Daruma no Gakko end-of-program tradition!  Hosted at King Middle School, this celebration of community and learning includes choral performances, program highlights, and 6th grade promotion ceremonies.