Message from the Superintendent

Dear PUSD Community,

This spring, our students are participating in learning and activities that are truly uplifting. It has been wonderful to see families celebrating their children’s math skills at Math Field Day and to see students and faculty preparing for spring musicals. Last Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated the legacy of baseball legend and John Muir High School alumnus Jackie Robinson at two of our campuses.

Amidst these celebrations, our attention remains on the continued health and well-being of everyone on our school campuses. Our team continues to carefully monitor COVID and to keep multiple layers of safety in place.

In recognition of Every Kid Healthy Week, please come visit your PUSD Health Programs Team and community partners at the PUSD Every Kid Healthy Resource Fair. This is an opportunity for PUSD families and employees to receive information about best practices regarding overall good health and prevention AND get a COVID-19 vaccination. Please join us as we improve and strengthen our health and wellness together. Community partners include the Pasadena Public Health Department, the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, Young & Healthy, and DayOne. To get a COVID-19 vaccination, register here https://myturn.ca.gov/screening?config=34d450e2-079d-4bdd-8974-6ffdb3580e30

Saturday, May 7, 2022

8:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m.

Pasadena Unified School District Education Center

351 S. Hudson Ave. - North Parking Lot, Pasadena, CA
Parking is available in the south parking lot off Oak Knoll Avenue.

LA Dodgers’ David Price, a student, and David Robinson, son of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, read from the book “I am Jackie Robinson" at Longfellow Elementary School.

LA Dodgers’ Mookie Betts (below, center) and members of the LA Dodgers organization joined students at the unveiling of a Jackie Robinson mural at John Muir Early College Magnet. Jackie Robinson was a student at John Muir.

PUSD mathletes in grades 4-8 participated throughout the Spring in Math Madness which culminated with Math Field Day on April 14. The goal of Math Field Day is to give students an opportunity to celebrate mathematics through an enriched, competitive, and fun event that focuses on building team spirit while challenging students to solve advanced mathematical problems. Students participated in final-round grade-level competitions, played field games like corn hole toss and pitching, and participated in a parade and an awards ceremony. Thank you to our sponsors the Helen and Will Webster Foundation and the Pasadena Educational Foundation. Congratulations to all of the winners! Final Math Field Day Rankings

Willard students celebrate Math Field Day!

Sierra Madre students celebrate a team victory by holding up their Math Field Day trophy!

Every year, PUSD high school seniors complete a Senior Defense Portfolio which provides a comprehensive look at each student’s work, learning, and personal growth, highlighting their skills related to the PUSD Graduate Profile. Seniors are asked to reflect on their strengths, determine where they’ve experienced growth, and evaluate who they are as learners. They are then asked to discuss future plans: college and career goals. The Defense spans the entire academic high school career and requires time management, thorough research, and the ability to exhibit work that exemplifies their creativity. It culminates with a substantive presentation to a panel of experts. Good luck to all of the seniors who are now making presentations!

Earth Day is April 22 and PUSD will celebrate with art and science-integrated environmental education lessons and activities. From planting and growing beans in preschool to measuring and studying air quality in high school, PUSD students are exploring their experience with nature.

The PUSD Board of Education recently passed Resolution 2653 in remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. The Board also designated the month of April as PUSD’s month of commemoration to recognize one of the most atrocious violations of human rights in history. PUSD leaders and educators agree that every student and person, regardless of ethnicity or national origin, should be made aware of and educated about the Armenian Genocide so that it and other state-sanctioned forms of ethnic cleansing may never happen again.

Creative Arts Media and Design (CAMAD) sophomores at Pasadena High School have been working on an exhibition honoring the people who were terrorized, ravaged, and displaced and those who survived genocide through portraits and Haikus. Their work highlights Armenia, Cambodia, Darfur, Herero, Holodomor, the Holocaust, Native American, and Rwanda. They used chalk for the work as it is a non-permanent material, much like our memories of these events if we allow it.

Want to earn High School and College credit at the same time? PUSD is offering several dual enrollment classes over the summer covering a wide range of topics including criminal law, counseling, and kinesiology. All classes will take place at PCC Northwest adjacent to John Muir High School starting June 6th. To get started, scan the QR code or email munoz.arturo@pusd.us with questions.

PUSD offers high-quality educational choices for all students. We urge you to visit your school of residence and discover the possibilities available close to home. Whether you choose to attend the school in your neighborhood or one across town, we invite you to visit any PUSD campus and see how we are accelerating achievement for all students. Applications of Interest are now being accepted for PUSD residents who missed the lottery and for out-of-district applicants. Visit pusd.us/enroll Note: If you choose to enroll your student in their school of residence for the 2022-23 school year, no lottery application is required unless the requested program is dual language immersion.

Spring Musicals are back at Pasadena USD and we’re singing about it! Several performances are planned beginning this week and continuing through May. All are welcome.

It doesn’t take a microscope to see what young women in STEM can do. Join us for STEM Savvy Girls’ Science Day, a FREE outdoor, festival-style event on Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 9 a.m. - noon at Pasadena City College. Middle school girls will experience hands-on fun with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Activities will span aerospace, astronomy and so much more. Students will also have an opportunity to meet women in STEM careers and college students in STEM. For more information, stemsavvy.eventbrite.com.

If one day devoted to science is not enough, the celebrations continue at the Altadena Eliot Arts Magnet Science Fest. The community is invited to the PUSD Science Fest, an EXTRAVAGANZA of technology, engineering, the environment, medicine, health, and all things scientific! Saturday, April 23, noon to 4p.m. at Eliot Arts Magnet Academy campus, entry from the Boston Street gate. See full details of participating groups and the schedule for virtual presentations at http://www.gopusd.com/eliotsciencenight

Original and creative projects by students in grades K-8 will be on display at the Innovative Exposition on May 6 at the Blair High School gymnasium. The Innovation Exposition is much more than a science fair – it allows students to explore interests and talents in six categories: Invention, Science Fiction, Scientific Inquiry, Environmental Innovation, 3D Printing, and Reverse Engineering. Students in grades 4-8 who submit projects for the competition will present them to scientists who specialize in each of the categories throughout the day. Public viewing of both competitive and non-competitive projects will be from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. and will be followed by an awards ceremony. Innovation Exposition website.

The PUSD Family Resource Center is a place, both physically and virtually, where you can get information on educating and supporting your child. We are a place where you can get ideas about how to work with your child's teacher, volunteer in the classroom, and support your child's learning at home. The Family Resource Center empowers families and cares for students by offering connections to resources and resource partners. Your involvement in your child's education has a direct impact on how well your children will do in school. Let’s stay connected.

PUSD FAMILY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Reminder: the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) testing is underway through May 27, 2022, depending on your school’s schedule. In PUSD, the standardized tests are administered for students in grades 3 - 8 and 11. Students take the following tests, depending on their grade level or instructional program:

• Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English language arts and math - required tests in grades 3–8 and 11

• California Science Test (CAST), a required test in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school

To learn more about these tests, go to the Starting Smarter web page at ca.startingsmarter.org/ or review the Parent Guides to Understanding at cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/parentguidetounderstand.asp. For more information on specific dates and times when your child will take the test in each subject, or if you have any other questions, please contact your school.

History-Social Science, English Language Arts Instructional Material Public Review

PUSD is piloting and considering adopting new instructional materials (textbooks, technology-based materials, and/or other educational materials (textbooks, technology-based materials, and/or other educational materials) in:

• History-Social Science for use by students in grades 6-12. The instructional materials being considered for adoption are TCI's History Alive! for grades 6-8 & 10-11 and TCI's Government Alive! and Econ Alive! for 12th grade.

• English Language Arts instructional materials for use by students in grades 9-11. The instructional materials being considered for adoption are Carnegie Learning's Mirrors & Windows.

Parents/guardians and members of the public are encouraged to review and provide input on the instructional material now being considered for adoption and use in PUSD's 6-12 History-Social Science classes. The materials can be reviewed at the PUSD Education Center (351 S. Hudson Ave. Room 214, Pasadena) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public comment form is available in English and Spanish at gopusd.com/pilotreview

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Brian McDonald, Ed.D.
Superintendent