Message from the Superintendent

Dear PUSD Community,

We are just days away from promotions, graduations, and summer break, so I want to take a moment to express gratitude for the great work you’ve done this school year. Our teachers and staff have worked diligently, undeterred by obstacles presented by the pandemic. Our students have risen to unforeseen challenges with strength and positivity. We are highlighting just a fraction of their accomplishments in the update this week. As Board President Dr. Elizabeth Pomeroy indicated in her State of Schools address (summarized below), the future of PUSD is promising. We have much to look forward to and much to be proud of this year.

Pasadena High School Senior Miguel Roybal Monzo delivered an inspirational speech at last week’s State of Schools. Miguel is a “progressive Latine advocate for civil rights, critical pedagogy and restorative justice in and out of the classroom.” A musician who plays guitar and piano and writes his own music, he’s also composing a bright future for himself and his community. He’s a founding member of PUSD’s Think Tank, a diverse collective of high school students from across the District who tackle issues related to equity, mental health, and curriculum. Miguel has attended PUSD schools for his entire K-12 education and was in the first kindergarten class that launched the District’s Spanish dual-language immersion program at San Rafael Elementary. He then moved on to Blair Middle School, and to Pasadena High School’s Law and Public Service Academy. He said, “PUSD provides students with the resources to interact with, make friends with, and have essential discussions with students from different racial backgrounds, ethnic identities, sexual orientations, gender identities, and socio-economic backgrounds.” However, he said, more needs to be done to make PUSD everything it can be for the “next generation of thinkers, the next generation of advocates, the next generation of PUSD students.” He looks forward to attending UC Berkeley in the fall and eventually becoming a civil rights attorney. Congratulations, Miguel! You make us incredibly #PUSDproud!

We are rapidly approaching ceremony season. PUSD is proud of all the successful transitions our students will be making this year. PUSD high school graduation ceremonies return to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium this year. Please note that graduation ceremonies are ticketed events for families of graduates. Parents/guardians, please check with your school for details. COVID safety protocols apply. Mask use is now required indoors and outdoors for visitors who attend a PUSD promotion or graduation through at least June 3. As a reminder, masks are also required for students and staff members who have been exposed for 10 days from the date of exposure.

June 1, 2022

2:00 p.m. Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

6:00 p.m. John Muir Early College Magnet High School

June 3, 2022

2:00 p.m. Pasadena High School

6:00 p.m. Blair High School, Rose City High School, Center for Independent Studies

For middle and elementary school promotions, click here

Due to the rise in transmission rates among LA County and an increase in positive cases among PUSD schools, mask use is now required indoors and outdoors for visitors and volunteers who visit school sites or attend a PUSD promotion or graduation from now through at least June 3. As a reminder, masks are also required for students and staff members who have been exposed for ten days from the date of exposure. The graduation season is a time to celebrate with common-sense safety measures in place, especially since COVID-19 is still here. Transmission rates and PUSD protocols will be continually reviewed over the summer and we will continue to take steps to ensure that everyone stays healthy. Thank you for your continued cooperation.

Mariana Salcedo, a senior at Blair High School, is the recipient of the first Trudell Skinner Women in Leadership Award, a $1,000 scholarship created in memory of the PUSD leader and former Blair principal who passed away in August.

Mariana is an active young leader, with leadership experiences through JROTC, community involvement, and academic achievement. She is the recipient of Blair’s International Baccalaureate Learner Profile Award and a number of scholarships and awards. She plans to attend Pasadena City College before transferring to California State University, Los Angeles, to study criminal justice. Her goal is to enter law enforcement.

In honor of her commitment to leadership development and life-long mentoring, Pasadena Unified and the Skinner family created a scholarship acknowledging Dr. Skinner's legacy. The annual scholarship provides equitable access to deserving PUSD students to continue their education beyond high school. The Association of Pasadena School Administrators (APSA) has also purchased the "Trudell Skinner Mentor Bench" that will be installed at District offices.

Dr. Skinner was a teacher, a leader of leaders, an inspiring mentor to many PUSD administrators, a woman of faith and grace, and a loving and beloved friend. She had a profound impact on many educators, mentoring and inspiring their growth and paths to leadership. An equity warrior, Dr. Skinner believed deeply that our mission as educators is to ensure that our traditionally underserved students have access to strong teachers and challenging curricula, and that we work to remove barriers that impede an equal opportunity to succeed.

PUSD is charting new territory by going Into the Woods this fall. In a groundbreaking collaboration, PUSD high school students and staff will work with professional artists from Pasadena Playhouse to produce a student-designed and student-performed production of Into the Woods. The award-winning musical, based on the book by James Lapine with music by Stephen Sondheim, is a reinvention of classic fairy tale characters including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his beanstalk), and the Witch. Auditions are open to PUSD students only and will take place in September 2022 at four different school sites. Rehearsals will take place throughout the fall culminating in a performance at a professional venue in early 2023.

This collaboration will feature the visual and performing arts contributions of over 200 PUSD students but it is not just for students with professional arts ambitions. Every child can gain valuable skills through the work of “putting up a show.” Into the Woods will allow students into every aspect of the show – acting, orchestra, tech crew, costumes, scenic design/projections, theater production, and marketing.

Into the Woods is part of a six-month Sondheim Celebration – the theater’s largest undertaking ever – to honor his life’s work and recent passing. The multi-project festival will also include productions of A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, and several Sondheim concerts.

Students will rehearse with a professional director and music director throughout the entirety of the production. Teachers will assist and supervise at all rehearsals and serve as co-directors on the production, allowing for hands-on mentorship and professional development. #PUSDAllStarMusical

https://variety.com/2022/legit/news/pasadena-playhouse-season-stephen-sondheim-1235271223/

PUSD Board President Dr. Elizabeth Pomeroy delivered her 2021-2022 State of Schools address last Tuesday at McKinley School – the first time in person since 2019. In the address, Dr. Pomeroy quoted one of her favorite proverbs saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

She explained that the pandemic forced us to do too much “going alone” but working together this year is paying off in several ways:

• The first kindergarten class of students in our Dual-Language Immersion Program will soon graduate.

• Our magnet schools are thriving, with students able to earn a high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree simultaneously.

• International Baccalaureate continues to produce students who are leaders and global thinkers.

• Eight College and Career Academies offer a focused curriculum in a career field.

• Our Health Programs and Student Wellness departments have worked non-stop to keep our students healthy and safe.

Dr. Pomeroy also said the District was successfully able to raise teacher and staff salaries this year but we have to continue to build on financial and academic success.

Special thanks to McKinley Choir and Bucket Drummers who entertained everyone, McKinley School Principal, Dr. Merian Stewart, and our eloquent student speakers: Mckinley ASB President Franco Rodriguez and Pasadena High School Senior, Miguel Roybal Monzo, who is in our spotlight this week. Watch the complete 2022 State of Schools address here.

Congratulations to our very own Julie Silk, who was honored at The California Teacher of the Year Gala at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento last week. Maestra Silk teaches first-grade Spanish Dual Language Immersion at Jackson STEM Dual Language Magnet Academy. She is one of six finalists from across the state of California who were recognized for their outstanding achievements. We are incredibly proud of her hard work and devotion to her students.

Langston Hughes, Lisa Leslie, Shirley Chisholm, and Malcom X came to life through the eyes of 3rd-5th grade PUSD students at the Black History Living Museum project hosted last week by the PUSD African American Parent Council (AAPC).

The BHLM Project is a celebration of black excellence, where PUSD students create a display about a Black person of cultural or historical significance and share how that person inspires them. Students select an entertainer, athlete, legislator, author, artist, educator, scientist, etc., and collectively all the presentations create a “living museum.”

We are pleased to announce two important promotions at PUSD. Lindsay Lewis, principal of Sierra Madre Elementary School, will become the new Director of Early Childhood Education Programs, following the retirement of Ree Hudson after 12 years of service to our youngest students.

In addition, Noemi Orduña, principal of Madison Elementary, will become the principal of Octavia E. Butler Magnet (previously named Washington STEAM Magnet). Their appointments are effective July 1, 2022 and they will remain in their current positions until the end of this school year.

We are immediately launching the search for the next principals of Madison Elementary and Sierra Madre Elementary schools which will involve input from each school community. Congratulations to all three women as they take on new roles and thank you for your dedicated leadership and commitment to our children.

The 2022 Summer Learning Catalog is HERE! The catalog provides information on programs available for PUSD families this summer. Program spaces are limited, so please enroll your child as soon as possible.

Over the summer, you can count on our PUSD Food Services Team to make sure that children get nutritious meals. Once again, they will offer free breakfasts and lunches for kids ages 18 or younger this summer through the 2022 Summer Food Program. The free meals will be served at schools and other sites throughout Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre. Children do not need to be enrolled in PUSD schools to receive a meal and no pre-registration is required for the program which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and PUSD’s Food and Nutrition Services Department, and operated by PUSD, the City of Pasadena, and other organizations. Each school day at PUSD, we serve over 14,000 nutritious meals to students. This program provides an opportunity for our students and all the children in our community to continue receiving those meals during the summer. Participants just need to show up to one of our community sites to receive both breakfast and lunch curbside. For more information and a list of sites, visit https://www.pusd.us/foodservices or call PUSD Food and Nutrition Services at (626) 396-5852.

May is CalFresh Awareness Month: CalFresh Healthy Living supports healthy lifestyles by increasing access to nutritious food and tasty recipes, and by encouraging all Californians to stay active with fun workout tips. CalFresh is the statewide food benefit program that helps Californians buy more groceries with up to $835 of extra money each month for a family of four. For more info and how to apply, please see ENGLISH FLYER, SPANISH FLYER, or CHINESE FLYER.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Sincerely,

Brian McDonald, Ed.D.
Superintendent