Piedmont Pulse

November 4, 2024

Dear PUSD Families & Staff:

Here we are in November with the end of Daylight Savings Time (love the lighter mornings...don't love the darker afternoons...) and with the election upon us. Elections may cause a fair amount of uncertainty and even anxiety; however, we can come together in our effort to engage in our civic duty, and a special thanks to our students who participated in the State Seal of Civic Engagement project related to the Measure P parcel tax ballot measure. I always appreciate useful suggestions for how to talk about difficult topics, and this article from Parents magazine provides some helpful ideas for how to talk to kids of different ages about voting.

There are so many wonderful events coming up, including the ALPS math night this week, the Fall Play at PHS 11/14-16, the Black Youth Collective event on 11/17, and the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving (The Hawns just signed up!). Enjoy these busy days, and thank you to our staff and community for making Piedmont a wonderful place to come together and learn.

In Partnership,

Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Halloween - There is almost nothing more fantastic than our Tri School Halloween parades. I had a chance to visit Beach on Halloween, and the students and staff engaged in a wonderful parade to celebrate and enjoy the super-creative costumes.

Thank you to our administrators and staff for their support of this event and all of our schools' fun Halloween events.

DBFL & NY Times Subscription - We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Dress Best For Less (DBFL) https://dressbestforless.org for their generous funding of another year of a district-wide New York Times subscription for PUSD students 13+ years old and staff. Their support makes a meaningful difference, opening up valuable learning resources for our students and enriching the classroom experience for teachers. This academic subscription plan also provides PUSD staff with a powerful resource to stay informed. Details on setting up a PUSD-based subscription account will be shared with students and staff this week. Thank you, DBFL, for investing in our PUSD community’s learning and growth!

Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) - 11/14 and 12/5 at 4PM - District Office

Chief Business Official, Ruth Alahydoian will present information on the budget, with a deep dive into expenditures on 11/14, and a presentation on the 1st Interim Budget presentation to the Board in December.

DEIB Community Meeting - 11/12 at 5:45PM - Havens Library

Join Director of DEIB, Jean Takazawa for the next DEIB Community meeting.

Superintendent's Advisory Committee (SAC) - 11/20 at 4:30PM - District Office

Superintendent, Jennifer Hawn will lead a session, along with Director of Facilities, Pete Palmer, and Chief Business Official, Ruth Alahydoian, on Green Space opportunities throughout our schools. If you are interested in engaging on opportunities to improve our campuses through more green spaces, please join this meeting.

LCAP/Curriculum Community Meeting - 12/3 at 4PM - Havens Library

Assistant Superintendent, Ariel Dolowich, will lead a session on our progress toward meeting our goals according to our LCAP.

District Technology Advisory Committee - 12/9 at 3:45PM - Havens Library

Director of Instructional Technology, Stephanie Griffin will lead this meeting in the Haven's Library and virtually. This session will focus on how teachers are using AI and on our proposed policy regarding instructional uses of AI.

Special Education Community Meeting - 12/10 at 4PM (Location TBA)

Director of Special Education, Jean Fagin will lead a session on updates in Special Education.

All school districts are struggling to fill vacancies, and indeed, when I connect with district leaders in other districts, the consistent concern is an inability to fill vacancies in teaching and support positions, particularly those in specialty areas, including special education. Two weeks ago, I met with a professor who directs a program for San Jose State University to increase the number of male educators of color entering the teaching profession. Later this week, I will meet with staff at Saint Mary's College, also to discuss the educator pipeline. Although we are fortunate here in PUSD to fill most positions, we are not immune from this challenge. Thank you to our community for supporting Measure P, which will help improve compensation for our educators and staff, which will help us attract the best educators to our district.

We are still currently seeking applicants for a number of positions, including short and long-term substitute teachers and paraprofessionals. The application link for substitute teaching positions is a standing item in the News & Notes section below; however, if you are interested or know someone who might be interested, the application is also linked HERE.

Native American Heritage Month - The California Department of Education and PUSD recognize November as National Native American Heritage Month. To our Native American students, staff, and families, we honor you now and ALWAYS.

ALPS Family Math Fair - November 6th at 5:30PM - Ellen Driscoll Theater - Come learn about school and community-based math clubs and activities. Speak to PUSD staff about math learning and differentiated pathways in Piedmont schools. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3ArBG5j

Veterans Day - November 11th - Holiday. Thank you to those who served.

Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, Thursday, November 14, 7:45 am at Piedmont Park

Last year approximately 750 PUSD students and community members joined over 650,000 across America in our PUSD Ruby Bridges Walks to School Day. We are excited to bring back this city-wide event that celebrates an extraordinary woman and her message to end discrimination. So visit your school library and check out a book, perform an act of kindness and wear your purple. We hope that you will walk with us for Ruby Bridges and her message of kindness and inclusion for all!

For more information about our celebration and a schedule of events, please click here.

Thanksgiving Holiday - PUSD celebrates Thanksgiving on 11/28, with no school from 11/25-11/29.

Piedmont Turkey Trot - November 27th - Sign up for the Annual Piedmont Turkey Trot HERE. Proceeds go to the PHS Cross Country and Track and Field Teams, along with Boosters.

The 2024 Giving Campaign launches on September 24. The theme, “Supporting Their Journey,” highlights the essential role that Piedmont parents and the broader community play in guiding students from transitional kindergarten through high school graduation. From daily activities to long-term planning, this support is essential to the success of each student. You can donate online HERE, by phone 510-653-1816, or by mail HERE.

Piedmont Portal - For all of the latest school and community events, please visit the Piedmont Portal linked HERE

Millennium High School is open for enrollment. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Principal Irma Muñoz Daniels directly at (510) 594-2703 or imunoz@piedmont.k12.ca.us, or see more information linked HERE

Piedmont Pulse Updates - Please note that I will be sending out Piedmont Pulse newsletter every other week. Archived Piedmont Pulse Newsletters are linked HERE

Piedmont Alumni Network: Last spring, we launched the Piedmont Alumni Network! Linked HERE is a page on our PUSD website to invite alumni of PHS and MHS to sign up. Whether you graduated many years ago, or recently, we would love to have you sign up HERE.

Community Pool Construction Update - Safety measures around the Community Pool Project construction site on Magnolia Avenue across from PHS/MHS are currently in effect. Magnolia Avenue is open to traffic during school hours; however, we recommend avoiding the area when possible due to heavy truck traffic due to construction. Visit the City of Piedmont's website for details.

Substitutes Needed - PUSD seeking substitute teachers for the 2024-25 school year. Visit the District's EdJoin page for more information and to apply.

Follow PUSD - Please read our school newsletters sent out weekly for update to date information. The District Facebook (@piedmontunified) and Instagram (@piedmontusd)

Email: communication@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Website: www.piedmont.k12.ca.us
Location: 760 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, CA, USA
Phone: 510-594-2600