PUSD UPDATE

Dear PUSD Community,

I hope that you are having a great summer.

I am honored to serve as your Interim Superintendent and am so inspired by the students, employees, families, board members, and community members who have welcomed me to this new role at PUSD. I’m excited to continue working with students, staff, and educational partners and to walk with you as we prepare for the new school year that begins on August 14.

Even though it’s summer, there is a lot of work going on at PUSD. Every time I go to a school or district site, I can feel the energy and excitement of students expanding their learning, and the enthusiasm and deep commitment with which employees are preparing classrooms, cafeterias, and curriculum for the arrival of students on the first day of school.

In this PUSD Update, we are pleased to introduce you to the new principals of Don Benito Fundamental and Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary. We are celebrating PUSD educators whose professional development this summer will bring innovative ideas back to the classrooms. We are congratulating students, including a group of grand-prize gamers and a young leader in the making.

Take a minute to catch up on the latest PUSD news and have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Dr. Elizabeth J. Blanco

Interim Superintendent

Congratulations to two district educators who were promoted to principal!

Veronica Villagrana is the new principal of Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary. Ms. Villagrana has served as assistant principal at Willard and Sierra Madre Elementary for the past two years. Before that, she was a Teacher on Special Assignment/Instructional EL Coach for five years. She began her career as a classroom teacher at Altadena Elementary School. She replaces Mrs. Rita Exposito, who retired after a 35+ year career as an educator.

John Maynard is the new principal of Don Benito Fundamental Elementary. He has served in PUSD for 24 years as a teacher, Behavioral Response to Intervention Coach, and assistant principal at Altadena Elementary, Eliot Middle School, and McKinley K-8. Most recently, he has served as assistant principal at Altadena/Eliot Arts Magnets, overseeing day-to-day operations at the elementary site. He replaces Dr. Merle Bugarin who is returning to serve English Learners at the district level.

Our PUSD family enjoyed the annual Sierra Madre 4th of July Parade which featured classic cars, a marching band, kids on decorated bikes and so much fun! A special thanks to students, principals, and Board of Education President Michelle Richardson Bailey and Board Member Tina Fredericks for coming out to make this such a successful event. Student participants included dancers from PUSD’s LEARNs program, Science Olympiad, and a Pasadena High School/Sierra Madre Middle School band.

Congratulations to four Pasadena High School App Academy students who have won the grand prize in a nationwide game design competition. The students’ outstanding achievement earned a $10,000 scholarship in the Games for Change (G4C) Student Challenge for creating a game called “Buddy System” in the Positive Play category.

The award recognizes and celebrates the exceptional use of game design to create positive social impact through games that are fun and engaging and effectively convey meaningful messages. The judging panel was impressed by the PHS students’ game, commending its gameplay mechanics and ability to illustrate a positive social impact. With guidance from App Academy Lead Teacher Deborah Orret, students worked throughout the spring semester to develop the award-winning game. Play the game here.

App Academy is a four-year computer programming academy offered in partnership between PUSD and the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF). The collaboration fosters an innovative and enriching learning environment for students interested in exploring the world of technology and computer science.

"We are incredibly proud of the Pasadena High School's App Academy students for their outstanding achievement. Their success reflects their dedication, creativity, and the collaborative spirit that App Academy fosters. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition,” said Patrick Conyers, Executive Director of the PEF.

Pictured from left to right: Alexander Soultanian ’25 (Designer), Warren Kwok ’25 (Project Manager), Finneas Moser ’26 (Developer/Designer) and Eden Bashan ’25 (Developer/Researcher)

A rising junior at Marshall Fundamental, Kaitlan Sakuma, will hone her leadership skills this summer with students from all over the world, thanks to an honor from one of the world’s most prominent leadership organizations –the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) Award. Kaitlan is the only student in the greater Los Angeles area to receive the Miguel Sanchez Scholarship to attend the HOBY World Leadership Congress (WLC) in Chicago this month. Students from around the globe attend the WLC to experience dynamic keynote speakers, workshops, and engage in team-building and guided service project activities.

At Marshall, Kaitlan is a member of the Key Club, the Asian Club, the National Honor Society, and the Science National Honor Society. She has served two years as a member of the Associated Study Body (ASB) and will serve as the ASB Secretary for the 2023-2024 School Year.

As a student-athlete, she has played for several Marshall teams including track and field, golf, cross county, and basketball for which she was named co-captain. She’s been a Girl Scout since starting as a Daisy in elementary school and completed her Silver Award as a Cadette. Congratulations, Kaitlan!

• The regular meeting of the PUSD Board of Education is Thursday, August 3, at 4:00 p.m. Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room (Room 236), 351 S. Hudson Ave, Pasadena. Agenda at www.pusd.us/Page/639