PUSD UPDATE

Dear PUSD Community,

Schools are a reflection of our communities, where celebrations exist alongside pursuits of progress. In this week’s update, we celebrate PUSD students and their academic accolades and innovations. We also highlight a special equestrian performance that helped us celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.

We pursue our focus on safety and preparedness with the Great Shakeout. Also, as National Bullying Prevention Month continues, we are sharing ways to build a kinder, more unified district.

Please take a moment to catch up on the latest PUSD news and have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth J. Blanco, Ed.D.

Interim Superintendent

Attending school every day improves students’ chances of graduation, completing college, and succeeding in life. Missing 10 percent (just two days each month) can drastically affect a student’s academic success. By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school. Among middle and high school students, it is important to empower students to develop their own strategies for getting to school such as setting the alarm every night. PUSD’s department of Child Welfare and Attendance is here to support you and your family – visit www.pusd.us/attendance for more information.

PUSD’s Student Think Tank (STT) will soon be conducting a search for high school students (outside their STT group) to bring a student voice to the PUSD Board of Education. Over the summer, students including Olivia Barrios Sophia Chou, Mya Hernandez, Maude Windsor, and Gabrielle Trujillo delivered a detailed plan to create a student seat on the Board. The Think Tank came up with the proposal to create a council, composed of six students (one junior from each high school) and an assembly, composed of 24 peer-elected students. The Board has now approved the plan allowing the student council member to cast a predetermined preferential vote on behalf of all students on six campuses. STT members will not be eligible to join the assembly and council but will be managing the process. The goal is to have students join the PUSD Board by the end of 2023.

The STT received the 2023 PUSD Community Service Award for their work advocating for all students.

Help us build a more peaceful PUSD. October is National Bullying Prevention Month. It coincides with Digital Citizenship Month as well as Digital Citizenship Week (October 16 - 20) which begins today. It’s a time to raise awareness of bullying, cyberbullying, and the importance of building kinder, safer and more respectful communities. PUSD has been working with the Western Justice Center to use proven techniques in “mediation and other restorative practices to build a culture of peace, justice, inclusion and equity” in our schools.” We’ve compiled some suggestions for supporting victims and what you can do to intervene:

• Help the victim to get away from the bully or the bullying situation. This could involve walking with them to class, helping them to switch seats, or finding them a safe place to go.

• Help the victim to report the bullying to a trusted adult. This could be a teacher, parent, counselor, or other authority figure.

• Defend, support, and assist the victim. This could involve standing up to the bully, speaking out against bullying, or simply being there for the victim during this difficult time.

• Reach out to an adult on campus who can help run a mediation or restorative circle to repair the harm and work to stop future bullying.

If you or someone you know is being bullied, there are resources available to help:

• The Trevor Project : A 24/7 resource network for LGBTQ youth, including a free call/text crisis line.

• StopBullying.gov : A US government initiative equipping parents, educators, and communities with resources to effectively address and prevent bullying in schools, online platforms, and various social settings.

• The National Bullying Prevention Center : Dedicated to creating safe and inclusive environments, the National Bullying Prevention Center tirelessly advocates for awareness and prevention measures against bullying in schools and online spaces.

If you’ve been bullied, PUSD offers free mental health support. For more information, visit https://www.pusd.us/MentalHealth.

PUSD has also partnered with Common Sense Media Education to provide lessons in digital citizenship. Please visit CommonSense.org to learn how to stay safe, find credible sources, and protect yourselves and others while learning and socializing online.

Don’t forget to wear orange to celebrate Unity Day on Wednesday, October 18, 2023! Wearing orange is a visible reminder of our collective responsibility to create safe and inclusive environments for everyone. For more information please click HERE.

On October 24, 2023 at 6:00 pm, the PUSD community is invited to join this important conversation about substance use and opioid overdose prevention.