PUSD UPDATE

Dear PUSD Community,

First, I’d like to thank our entire PUSD team for doing everything possible to ensure that schools stay open and children remain safe during the storm. Our schools are more than places of learning - they are places where children are part of a community, with essential services, activities, and learning opportunities after the school day ends. We appreciate everything that you have done to make the school day as normal as possible and are grateful to parents/caregivers for getting children to school today.

In this week’s Update, we are recognizing our students’ scientific achievements and looking forward to events celebrating Black History Month. Also this week, we celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year on Saturday, February 10, 2024.

Please take a moment to catch up on the latest PUSD news. Stay safe!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth J. Blanco, Ed.D.

Interim Superintendent

Speaking of 42, there’s another famous number 42 who’s close to our hearts at PUSD. Pasadena High basketball star and Lakers legend Michael Cooper was honored last week as the first Bulldog to have his jersey retired in school history. The Bulldogs’ senior night also included a big win over Arcadia with a score of 67-58.

Congratulations to the Marshall Fundamental Girls Varsity Soccer Team! The Lady Eagles are flying high after finishing tied for 1st place in the Mission Valley League with an 11-1 League Record for the 2023-2024 season. Good luck in Round 1 of the CIF-SS Division 3 game, scheduled for Thursday, February 8, 2024.

Ultraviolet light experiments, owl pellet dissections and mini Mars rover demonstrations made up only a fraction of the fun at Mary W. Jackson Multilingual Magnet Elementary last week. STEAM night was an extraordinary celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. Hundreds of students and their families enjoyed hands-on demonstrations from an impressive lineup of exhibitors including: SpaceX, Caltech, Carnegie Science, Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) Armory Arts and several more.

We can’t get enough science at PUSD! You're invited to Inquiry Night at Willard Elementary this Thursday. The unique event will feature a Magellan telescope, a computer science maze, a zipline challenge and Barbie bungee jumping, among other family-fun activities.

Special thanks to Ms. Frances Collins-Moore from Marshall Fundamental. We are grateful for your 29 years of service as a beloved, extremely caring counselor.

PUSD schools are now enrolling for the 2024-2025 school year. PUSD is a district of choice, which means that if the program you are interested in is not at your neighborhood school or if you live outside the district, you may apply to a PUSD school via the PUSD’s Open Enrollment process.

• Results of the first lottery application period will be available online by February 16, 2024, 11:59 p.m.

• Please accept school offers by March 1, 2024.

• In case you missed the first lottery, the second lottery is March 4-8, 2024.

School tours continue! Visit pusd.us/tours for more information.

Take the LCAP Survey! PUSD has begun developing the 2024-2027 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The LCAP is built using the feedback from students, their families/caregivers, teachers and other employees and members of the PUSD community who may not have children attending our schools. Complete the survey today! Survey ends February 16, 2024. pusd.us/survey

Please join us for two musical presentations. The first is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7 – the All District Choir Festival. More than 440 students from 5th - 12th grade will take part in this joyous community celebration performed in harmony with the Pasadena Chorale. Two days later, middle and high school orchestras will take notes from guest conductors at the Orchestra Festival at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 9. Both events are at Pasadena High School and free to the public. Questions? Contact PUSD Arts Education pusdarts@pusd.us.

Welcome Chris Maly, PUSD’s new Assistant Director of Facilities, Maintenance, Operations & Transportation! Mr. Maly says he’s excited to start a “new chapter, working at PUSD.” His career began at the tender age of 14, working in a small family-owned lumber yard. He brings years of experience in logistics, shipping, maintenance, and electrical technology. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Citadel Military College of South Carolina. He also holds an Associate in Science degree in Industrial Electrical Technology from Chaffey College.

• Regular meeting of the PUSD Board of Education – Thursday, February 22, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room (Room 236), 351 S. Hudson Ave, Pasadena. Agenda at pusd.us/board