PUSD UPDATE

“A good education can change anyone. A good teacher can change everything!”

–Unknown

Congratulations to PUSD teachers named 2023 Teachers of Excellence by Pasadena Rotary!

Roman Sailes with CIS Principal Lawrence Torres

Congratulations to Blair School and John Muir High School, both of which earned a six-year stamp of approval from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The WASC Accrediting Commission for Schools granted each school the six-year accreditation status following separate, intense evaluations of Muir Early College Magnet and of Blair, an International Baccalaureate World School for grades 6 through 12. Special thanks to PUSD's amazing WASC teams and teachers for their incredible work with the reports. The accreditation status for Blair and for Muir will be in place through June 30, 2029 with a mid-cycle visit during the 2025-2026 school year. Marshall Fundamental received its 6-year accreditation status earlier this year. Our remaining high schools are mid-cycle with full accreditation.

It's Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to #breakthestigma and encourage anyone who needs help to seek it. To find a mental health care provider, contact PUSD’s mental health departments at https://www.pusd.us/Domain/1327, call #CareSolace 24/7/365 at 888-515-0595 or visit www.caresolace.com/pasadena.

One of PUSD’s very own leaders has been chosen to work with a select group of local leaders to help the Greater Pasadena area. Rose City High School Principal Brian Stanley is part of Leadership Pasadena’s 23rd cohort. It’s a six-month program which brings specialists together to discuss quality of life, education, city governance, and economics.

“I am very honored and thankful for being selected for this cohort,” said Mr. Stanley. “My goal is to deepen my knowledge of the community and broaden my connections so that I can better serve students and families.”

In addition to his duties as principal, Mr. Stanley has been working to find better ways to build and keep wealth within the community, to respond to extreme heat, and to improve communication within city and community channels. Thank you for tackling this important work, Mr. Stanley, and thank you to the Pasadena Educational Foundation for graciously providing the scholarship. The leadership class continues through June.

Leadership Pasadena Class of 2023

If you want your children to have some fun in the sun this summer, please check out the PasadenaLEARNs Summer of Discovery Program, which is now enrolling students. Programs operate June 6 - July 14, 2023, Monday-Friday, from 8:30 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. From accelerated learning to exciting field trips, LEARNs has wonderful experiences for PUSD students in grades TK-8. Download the catalog at www.pusd.us/summer.

May is #CalFreshAwareness Month and is dedicated to increasing public awareness about the benefits of the CalFresh Program. CalFresh reduces food insecurity among low-income individuals and families and helps them purchase healthy food. PUSD CalFresh staff are getting a taste of this year’s campaign theme, “The Power of Collaboration,” by helping eligible residents apply for food assistance and by providing monthly fresh produce at participating schools. Parents/guardians can apply for benefits at CalFresh or by contacting the PUSD CalFresh Program Coordinator Guillermina Echauri at (626) 396-5763 or echauri.guillermina@pusd.us. During #CalFreshAwareness Month, please stop by the CalFresh table at the PUSD Education Center reception area to get information and say hello to our CalFresh Team.

PUSD is developing a five-year Strategic Plan (2023-2028) that will define why we do what we do, where we want to go, and how we believe we will get there. Please join us for a Strategic Plan Town Hall on May 11. We want to hear from the entire community! Attend in person or watch live stream at www.pusd.us/strategicplan

Come see what we’ve been up to this past year. All students, parents, guardians, teachers, staff, administrators, and community members are invited to the State of Schools address at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at John Muir High School Early College Magnet. Board of Education President Michelle Bailey will deliver the annual speech and it will include the status of the District’s finances, student achievement, and goals for the future. Interpretation into Spanish and ASL will be available. The State of Schools will be streamed live at www.pusd.us/stateofschools and aired on District’s KLRN-TV (Ch. 95 on Charter Spectrum and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-Verse).

Neighborhood school enrollment continues for:

• TK-12 students who live within PUSD and are entering their school of residence for the first time.

• New to PUSD students entering Transitional Kindergarten. TK students must turn 5 years old between September 2, 2023 and April 2, 2024.

• Current PUSD students who are advancing to 6th or 9th grades and plan to attend their neighborhood school

Please note: registration is not required for TK-12th grade students to continue at the same school. For example, if a child is moving on from 2nd to 3rd grade at their current neighborhood school, parents are not required to re-register. Please visit www.pusd.us/enroll for more information.

• Regular meeting of the PUSD Board of Education is Thursday, May 25, 2023, 4:00 p.m. Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room (Room 236), 351 S. Hudson Ave, Pasadena. Agenda at www.pusd.us/Page/639