• March 10: Ramadan Begins

• March 11: International 311 Appreciation Day

• March 15: D39C Draw

• March 17: St. Patrick's Day

• March 19: Nowruz, The Persian New Year

• March 21: World Down Syndrome Day
  

• March 23-24: Purim
  

• March 31: Cesar Chavez Day

• March 31: Easter

Many D39C LEDs and I are still buzzing with the myriad experiences we had this past week at SXSW EDU. SXSW EDU, short for South by Southwest Education, is an annual conference and festival that focuses on innovation in education. Hosted in Austin, Texas, it brings together educators, thought leaders, policymakers, industry professionals, and students to explore and discuss the latest trends, research, and advancements in the field of education. It plays a crucial role in shaping the future of education by showcasing emerging trends, encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue, and fostering a community dedicated to improving the quality of education for learners of all ages. The conference attracts a global audience and serves as a hub for those passionate about driving positive change in education.

Empowered by the D39C Collaborative's support, many of us eagerly embarked on flights last Sunday, traversing halfway across the country to engage with fellow trailblazers in education. We actively participated in colloquiums, navigated workshops, absorbed insights from keynote speakers, previewed unreleased educational films, connected with like-minded professionals, and expanded our understanding of how to revolutionize the way we approach education and learning. The collaborative efforts of D39C at SXSW EDU not only fostered professional development but also contributed to our collective mission of reshaping and advancing the landscape of education.

Part professional development, part reconnaissance for 39XD (39 By Design), we filled notebook after notebook with notes and takeaways from the many experiences we had. Myself and the other attendees are eager to share more detailed information about the specific sessions and ideas that resonated with us in the coming weeks. We believe that by implementing some of these strategies, we can continue to enhance the educational experience for our students and further strengthen our learning community.

Some of the sessions I attended included: Scarlet Letters: Fixing the Problem of Grades, Taking Action for Transgender & Nonbinary Youth, Future Ready: Design for Wellbeing & Resilience, The Trifecta of Community, Collaboration, & Culture, Concretizing Antibias & Antiracism in the Classroom.

Thank you the continued support of the D39C Collaborative's in our shared mission to provide the best possible education for our students. It was fantastic to work together to empower a purposefully engaged campus to create a culture of impact.

Design39Families:

PUSD 2024-2025 Continuing Student Registration is open!

Online Continuing Student Registration will be open from March 1- March 31, 2024. We must receive a completed digital packet for all returning students. This will allow for proper placement of your student for the 2024-2025 school year. This annual digital process allows a family to complete one single “family” packet instead of completing one packet per student. Packets can be completed using any computer, tablet or smartphone with an internet connection.

Continuing Registration Steps:

1. Login and complete the digital registration packet via the online registration portal found here.

2. Review and complete any required forms located at the conclusion of the process. A packet is not considered finalized until this step is completed.

Please note: MEDICATION FORMS or ADDITIONAL SIGNED SITE SPECIFIC FORMS WILL NOT BE COLLECTED UNTIL SCHOOL BEGINS IN AUGUST FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR.

Forgot your username or password? Need technical help? You can retrieve your username as well as reset your password by visiting https://password.powayusd.com and clicking the button that represents the help you require. Technical help is also available by sending an email to accounthelp@powayusd.com.

Please email your current Principal as soon as possible if you do not plan to return to PUSD for the 2024-2025 school year.

Thank you for your attention to this important process,

The PUSD Enrollment Team

Ramadan Mubarak! Recognized as one of the holy months in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan begins in this evening and concludes on the evening of Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Throughout this sacred month, Muslims worldwide will observe a daily practice of abstaining from eating and drinking (including water) from dawn until sunset. Acknowledging that members of our staff who are Muslims may also be observing Ramadan and fasting, Design39Campus eagerly anticipates offering support to those participating and honoring the cultural significance of this special time.

Please read the outline of what kind of support Design39Campus can/will provide to our community during the month of Ramadan.

• Assessments: When practicable, teachers can provide additional time to any student observing Ramadan if they request it

• Space: Students who are fasting can go to the Loft at lunchtime

• Music class: If requested, students observing Ramadan have the option to be excused from participating in their music classes

• MiM: Students observing Ramadan have the option to be excused from participating in MiM if they choose to do so. Alternative assignments that do not require them to do any strenuous work while they’re fasting can be provided

If there is anything else we can do as a community, please reach out and let us know.

The AVID Tip of the Week is to NOT cram for a test or exam.

Cramming for a test, although tempting in the face of looming deadlines, is generally an ineffective and counterproductive study strategy. First and foremost, cramming often leads to superficial learning rather than deep understanding. The brain requires time to process and encode information into long-term memory, and cramming denies it the opportunity to do so. Without sufficient time for proper absorption, the knowledge acquired during a cram session tends to be quickly forgotten, limiting the potential for meaningful retention and application beyond the exam.

Additionally, cramming can significantly increase stress levels and negatively impact mental well-being. The intense pressure of trying to absorb a large volume of information in a short period can lead to heightened anxiety, sleep disturbances, and an overall decline in cognitive performance. Learning should ideally be a gradual and consistent process, allowing for a better balance between study and relaxation. By adopting a more organized and spaced-out study schedule, students can reduce stress, retain information more effectively, and foster a healthier approach to academic success.

It is that time of year where our 8th grade students will be selecting their courses for 9th grade. Please explore PUSD's 8th Grade Course Request website to ensure your learner is prepared for all the upcoming information for high school. This information includes dates and times for site visits, family night, parent drop-in sessions, and the course request window. Additionally, you will find information on intradistrict transfers.

Matt Bibby (last names A-I): mbibby@powayusd.com

Jennifer Asmann (last names J-R): jasmann@powayusd.com

Andrea Guevara (last names S-Z): aguevara@powayusd.com

The Design39Campus student blog is a vibrant hub where designers share their experiences, ideas, and unique perspectives on Design39Campus. It offers a firsthand glimpse into student life, showcasing creativity and the power of student-led initiatives within the educational sphere. Reading this blog provides a direct connection to the student community, fostering empathy, understanding, and a glimpse into D39C.

Please click on the button above periodically to see what is happening around our learning facility.

Attendance and OCIS Contracts: If you have a student who will not be in class for 5-14 days, please notify the office so we can have the parents fill out an OCIS contract for their child. The forms will have to be completed and signed by parents 5-10 days in advance of the absence. Click here for a link to the OCIS Contract.

Parents are required to give 5 days notice for absences up to 5 days, 10 days notice for absences more than 5 days.

Prepping work for students who are absent is an incredible amount of work for our teaching staff and we ask that you give your child’s teacher as much advance notice as possible beyond the above guidelines.

We do not write contracts beyond 14 days. If you plan to be away for 15 or more days please contact the Welcome Center for the necessary procedures.

Would you like to become a part of the Design39Campus Team? Do you like to be outside and work with children? If so, we are looking for a few quality Motion Managers to help support our designers during body breaks and lunch during the middle of the day. Possible times are 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. or 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. If interested, please apply through Poway Unified School District at the this link.

Attendance: To report your child's absence or early checkout, please email the attendance office at d39cattendance@powayusd.com before 10:00 am on the day of the absence. Please include your child's name, homeroom/grade, dates of absence, and reason for absence. We kindly ask that you avoid checking out your student during the lunch period from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Please refer to the attendance section of our Design39Campus website for protocols regarding reporting student absences and requesting early release for your student.'

California Education Code 48205 states that a student may be excused legally from school when the absence is due to:

• Personal illness or injury
• Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health office
• Medical, dental, or chiropractic services
• Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family
• Justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited to, an appearance in court, observance of a holiday or ceremony of his or her religion, attendance at religious retreats, attendance at an employment conference, when the pupil's absence has been requested in writing by the parent and approved by the principal or designated representative
  
• For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election
• Exclusion for failure to present evidence of immunization
• Exclusion from school because student is either the carrier of a contagious disease or not immunized for a contagious disease

Communication with your Designer: If there is a need to communicate with your child during the school day, please send a message to your child’s LED or the Welcome Center. Please refrain from communicating with them directly through text messages or phone calls as it disrupts their learning.

Personal Items: For equity reasons, we are asking that students keep their personal playground equipment at home or in their backpack. Our wonderful Collaborative supplies us with enough funding to ensure that there is enough equipment during recess and lunch.

The D39C Collaborative is a 100% volunteer-run foundation designed to be responsive to the needs of students, parents, and learning experience designers of Design39Campus. Their mission is to expand and enhance the educational experience of every student attending Design39Campus.

PUSD Substitutes Needed: With flu, cold, and COVID season upon us, we are once again in need of qualified substitutes to support PUSD and our campus in the event of an LED absence.

If you or someone you know are interested in applying to become a substitute teacher with Poway Unified School District, please click here.

EmpowerED Digital Magazine: We are excited to debut the first-ever edition of our new EmpowerED Digital Magazine, to highlight all the ways you are empowering world-class learners every single day! We want to share with each other and the rest of our community what makes Poway Unified students, staff, and families so special in this visually pleasing, multi-media platform moving forward.

Click here to be taken to a flipbook to enjoy the magazine. You'll see slideshows, links, and videos embedded in the pages. We hope you love it as much as we do! Feel free to share it with your family, friends, alum, retirees - anyone who might enjoy it too.

Food and Nutrition Updates and Reminders: School breakfast and school lunch are FREE for all enrolled students, every school day. Meals must still be entered into the cafeteria computer by individual student account.

• Even though meals are free, families are still highly encouraged to complete the application for free and reduced-price meal eligibility. School site funding depends in part on the number of students eligible for free/reduced-price meals. Families that qualify for free/reduced-price meals may qualify for other benefits, as well. The meal application is available online at MySchoolApps.com.

• Printer-friendly PDF menus are available on the PUSD Food and Nutrition webpage. At the top of the page, click or hover over School Menus + and then Printable PDF Menus.

• Interactive, web-based menus containing nutrient and allergen details are available at MySchoolMenus.com, as well as via links from the F&N webpage.