PUSD UPDATE

Dear PUSD Community,

With the winter break approaching, PUSD students and educators are hard at work finishing first semester projects and exams.

PUSD student artists are also spreading cheer at school concerts, holiday parades, and community festivals in and around our district, and I encourage you to see them perform live at events throughout the district.

Please take a moment to catch up on the latest PUSD news. Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth J. Blanco, Ed.D.

Interim Superintendent

Congratulations to the PUSD All Star Band for placing first out of 18 marching bands in the Covina Holiday Parade this weekend. The PUSD All Star Band was founded in 2019 and includes students from marching bands at four district high schools. The All Star Band has performed in the Rose Parade and the Hollywood Christmas Parade.

PUSD student musicians and performers brought holiday cheer to the annual Altadena Christmas Tree Lane Lighting Festival last weekend. So fun and festive!

Ms. Lanisha McKenzie has been appointed Interim Principal of Eliot Arts Magnet through the end of the school year. She brings more than 20 years of experience as an educator to her new role at Eliot, and most recently served as assistant principal of Marshall Fundamental Secondary School for eight years. Ms. McKenzie has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Riverside; a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration; and an Administrative Service Credential from California State University, Los Angeles.

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) gives our youngest learners a strong start, bridging the path between preschool and Kindergarten. Our TK programs cultivate children’s curiosity and sense of wonder, and balance academic learning with social skills – and fun! In the 2024-2025 school year, free full-day TK is available for children who turn 5 years old between September 2, 2024 and June 2, 2025. For more information, visit www.pusd.us/tk

PUSD student talents are taking center stage at winter showcases hosted by Pasadena LEARNs programs across all PUSD elementary and middle school campuses. Students will show off exemplary artwork, projects, and performances through Dec. 20, 2023. Come out and support your students and celebrate the great experiences provided by PUSD after school. Access the schedule of events here.

In light of a recent cyberattack on a neighboring district, PUSD has taken extra steps to ensure that our systems stay secure. PUSD is not experiencing cybersecurity issues and we ask that you stay alert and report any issues to our ITS helpdesk

The California Department of Education’s 2023 California School Dashboard will be released on Dec. 15, 2023. The Dashboard highlights the successes and challenges experienced by public schools and districts in California and features easy-to-read reports on multiple measures of school success including academic performance, graduation and suspension rates as well as school climate, and parent involvement among other factors. https://www.caschooldashboard.org/