Piedmont Pulse

Dear PUSD Families & Staff:

For all of our PUSD moms, I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday. Thank you for all you do for our kids. For those of you who have college kids or kids now out of the house like I do, having a visit or call is still pretty wonderful. Here is a photo of our son Sebastian who was home for a visit. We also have a daughter at UCLA, and we now struggle to get all of the Hawns under one roof at one time. Hopefully, this summer...

Speaking of summer, let's make these last few weeks of school great with CAASPP, AP, and other year-end testing. I am grateful to our parents for volunteering to proctor AP testing, and to our teachers for their fine work with our kids. It is through our partnership that we are stronger together.

In Community,

Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.

Superintendent

On March 26, 2025, the Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) announced Cory Smegal, a dedicated two-term Board of Education member and long-time community volunteer, as the recipient of this year’s Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award. This prestigious award is given annually to an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the community and to Piedmont’s youth through years of dedicated volunteer service.

We are pleased to recognize Cory Smegal for her outstanding service to Piedmont’s youth and the greater community. The many nominations we received highlighted her tireless efforts to make a lasting difference, most recently through her leadership as a School Board member. Cory has been an integral part of Piedmont for over two decades, giving her time, wisdom, and leadership to enrich our schools and community. It is with great honor and gratitude that we recognize her contributions.

Throughout her years of service, Cory has played a vital role in supporting Piedmont schools and students. Her calm and steady leadership during her two terms on the School Board was especially critical during the pandemic. Prior to the School Board, Cory served as the Piedmont Education Foundation treasurer and grants committee co-chair, and dedicated six years to the Giving Campaign, raising over $3.4 million as Co-Chair. Additionally, she has held multiple leadership roles in Parent Clubs, including serving as Wildwood Parent Club President and later as the founder of March Mingle in support of Piedmont Middle School.

Beyond her direct contributions to PUSD, Cory has championed key district initiatives, including the Measure G & H parcel tax campaigns and provided valuable insight into the successful Measure P parcel tax campaign. She has also served on the District Facilities Steering Committee, lending her expertise to major school construction projects such as the Alan Harvey Theater, the STEAM building, and the Witter Field Renovation.

Cory Smegal’s volunteerism extends far beyond the schools. Cory has actively supported the broader Piedmont community through her work as a team leader for the Piedmont Community Church Mexico Trip, chair of the PHS Boosters Highlander Classic, a board member for Piedmont Baseball/Softball Foundation, and a scouting badge counselor and youth sports coach.

The Board of Education will formally present the Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award to Cory Smegal at its meeting on May 14, 2025. PUSD extends its heartfelt congratulations to Cory Smegal for her extraordinary service, leadership, and dedication to the students and families of Piedmont.

The Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to individuals who have volunteered their efforts over a period of time and made a difference because of their involvement and commitment to Piedmont’s youth. Arthur ‘Art’ Hecht was a tireless community volunteer dedicated to students in both Piedmont and Oakland. He served on Piedmont’s Board of Education from 1970 to 1982, and was instrumental in developing the Piedmont Continuation High School (now called Millennium High School). In 1998, the Volunteer of the Year Award was established in his memory.

Previous recipients include: Hunter McCreary (1998); Ann Chandler (1999); Ruth Cuming (2000); Lisa Lomenzo (2001); jointly by Cathie Geddeis and Marion Souyoultzis (2002); jointly by Fritz and Mary Wooster (2003); Elizabeth (Betsy) Gentry (2004); Cynthia Gorman (2005); Grier Graff (2006); Julia Burke (2007); Maude Pervere (2008); jointly to Anne-Marie Lamarche and Mark Menke (2009); Janiele Maffei Tovani (2010); Andrea Swenson (2011), June Monach (2012), Bill Drum (posthumously) and Mary Ireland (2013), Ray Perman (2014), Jennifer Fox (2015), Katie Korotzer (2016), Hilary Cooper (2017) Holly Hanke (2018), Cathy Glazier (2019), Sue Smegal (2020), Ken Li (2021), Eileen Ruby (2022), David Ragones (2023), Sarah Pearson (2024), and Cory Smegal (2025).

Cory Smegal will be officially honored at the May 14, 2025, meeting of the PUSD Board of Education.

Last year, we closed out the year with a quick and informal pulse check, a Net Promoter Score (NPS) on how likely you are to recommend our schools. We invite you to take this quick, one-question survey, linked HERE. We recognize that families have a number of school options, and this end of the year “Pulse Check” is an additional method for gathering feedback on school satisfaction. We invite both staff and families to participate in this survey. Thank you!

Just a note of gratitude to CSEA President, Christine Petersen, VP, Jennifer Stahl and our CSEA partners for last Friday's CSEA end of year gathering. It was wonderful to come together and celebrate a good year together, and I am reminded of how fortunate we are for our CSEA partners who serve as the bedrock for our operations. Thank you, CSEA team!

A shout-out to Shauna Revelli and our 5th grade strings students for their amazing performance of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" last Thursday at the Baseball Game, which was also Senior Awards. Although our boys did not prevail against O'Dowd, Shauna and our students did an amazing job performing before the game.

Thanks to our amazing nurses, Carol Menz and Claudia Garcia, an educational event on the dangers of fentanyl and use of naloxone to respond to an opioid overdose will take place on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 @ 6:30 pm - Piedmont High School Student Center, 800 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont.

April Rovero of the National Coalition of Prescription Drug Abuse and the Naloxone Distribution Project will join the Piedmont Unified School District Nurses for an important discussion regarding prescription/illicit drug use and abuse, fentanyl awareness, and how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose. Overdose rescue training utilizing the opioid-antagonist naloxone will be provided, and free naloxone will be given to adults at the conclusion of the training.

All community members welcome, and appropriate for middle and high school students. Learn about the dangers of fentanyl and how to possibly save a life.

For more information, contact the PUSD Nurses at: nurses@piedmont.k12.ca.us.

Please be on the lookout for Infinite Campus messages with sign-up links for the following community meetings:

District Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC) - May 12, 2025 - 3:30PM - Havens

Director of Instructional Technology, Stephanie Griffin, will present a re-cap of this year's topics and actions, along with planning for next year.

Special Education Community Meeting - May 13, 2025 - 4PM - District Office

Director of Special Education, Jean Fagin will present an update on Special Education topics.

Superintendent's Advisory Committee (SAC) Meeting - May 21, 2025 at 4:30PM - District Office

Superintendent, Jennifer Hawn will provide a year-end review and engage the community in ideas for next year. Sign up for in-person or online HERE.

Budget Advisory Committee Meeting (BAC) - May 22, 2025 - 4PM - District Office

CBO, Ruth Alahydoian will present an update on Budget topics.

Invitations to follow soon!

Summer Adventures 2025 – Spaces Still Available!

Registration is OPEN for PUSD Summer Adventures, where school meets camp in the best way possible! Designed for rising K–8th graders, our program blends learning and play with hands-on classes taught by amazing PUSD teachers. From “Welcome to Kindergarten” and “Welcome to 6th Grade” to Junior Journalists, Flag Football Camp, and everything in between—there’s something for everyone!

• Session 1: June 10–20 (no program June 19)
• Session 2: June 23–July 3
• Half Day: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM | Full Day: 9:00 AM–3:00 PM | Extended Care Available

Afternoons are packed with fun—games, cooking, crafts, walking field trips, and more.
NEW Sports Camps, Creative Classes, and Outdoor Adventures offer something for every interest.

We also offer a Junior CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program for rising 7th and 8th grade students, providing meaningful leadership opportunities to assist in classes, build confidence, and learn new skills in a fun, supportive environment. Spots are filling fast—and we need a minimum number of sign-ups to run each session, so don’t wait!

Register now on Homeroom to help make these classes happen: Summer Adventures

Our resident priority enrollment period began on January 15th. If your child will be 4 years old by 9/1/2025, enroll in TK now. If you child will be 5 years old by 9/1/2025, enroll in Kindergarten now. Enrollment takes place online linked HERE. In order to place students at each school, it is important for residents to enroll immediately.

More information about resident enrollment can be found HERE, and we look forward to seeing you this fall!

Is your child a professional athlete? In the entertainment industry? Or, of need of an online independent study program?

Program Highlights:

• Students remain enrolled in their current high school (PHS or MHS).
• ISP provides a flexible, alternative instructional strategy aligned with district curriculum and graduation requirements.
• Access to A–G approved courses and equivalent standards-aligned content.

More information is linked HERE. For additional questions, please contact Principal Irma Muñoz Daniels at imunozdaniels@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month - The California Department of Education and PUSD recognize May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. To our Asian American students, staff, and families, we celebrate you now and ALWAYS!

Jewish American Heritage Month - The California Department of Education and PUSD recognize May as Jewish American Heritage Month. To our Jewish American students, staff, and families, we celebrate you now and ALWAYS!

Piedmont School Maker Faire is coming! Get your free tickets for the Piedmont School Maker Faire at the Piedmont High School campus on Sunday, May 18 11am - 3pm. STEAM projects from Beach, Havens, Wildwood, Piedmont Middle School, Millennium High School, and Piedmont High School will be featured, along with hands-on projects from community makers, live music from student musicians & bands!

Support TPH - In order to continue to publish the Piedmont Highlander, we need your help. The Infinite Campus portal is now working to accept donations, which was previously not working. Students and families can subscribe to TPH through the Infinite Campus portal now. Interested community members can also support student journalism by making donations directly to the program by check or through the link PHS The Piedmont Highlander (TPH)

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 imunozdaniels@piedmont.k12.ca.us, or see more information 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.

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