Parent Newsletter #4: 8/23/24

Website: https://phs.piedmont.k12.ca.us/
Location: 800 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont, CA 94611
Phone: (510) 594-2626
Instagram: @piedmonthigh

Principal: Dr. Yoshihara

Assistant Principal: Mr. Marik

Administrative Assistant: Ms. Valkonen

Dear Highlander Families,

Week two has firmly put us into the routine as students are getting comfortable in their classes, teachers are diving into the curriculum, and deep learning is taking place. I continue to see so much great thinking happening in our classrooms. Without getting political, I must say there is JOY across our campus. Yes, we have much heavy lifting to do, difficult topics to discuss; but putting that aside, your children are simply a pleasure to greet every...single...day and our teachers and staff, second to none. Come visit the learning. Stay a minute, stay a while.

We had a successful evacuation drill with all PMS and MHS students evacuating to Piedmont Park. We will have more practices throughout the year, including the Great Shakeout on October 17. This helps ensure that all our students and staff are well prepared in case of an actual emergency.

We are getting ever closer to being fully staffed. We have added a full time counselor to a position that was vacant. Ms. Michelle Hoang will add to the dynamic trio of Mr. Hartford, Ms. Carlson, and Ms. Manalo-Le Clair. She has counseling experience and worked in the areas of DEI, SEL (Wellness), and College and Career.

We have also added a section of sophomore English to ease class sizes. We realize that this shift may be difficult for some students, although the teacher for this new section comes with a lot of experience and familiarity with our students. We will move students that have minimal impact to their schedules. If other students would like to move to this new section, which will have fewer students with more individualized learning experiences with the teacher, please have them reach out to their counselor for consideration.

Lastly, save the date for September 5 from 7-9 pm for our annual Back To School Night. We will have an optional start in the Alan Harvey Theater at 6:30 pm. We expect strong participation so please plan for any congestion that may occur. Your child should also be bringing home a schedule and map that details their classes in case you need help figuring out where to go. More details will follow.

Sincerely,

Dr. Yoshihara

August 30: ASB Kickoff during lunch

September 5: Back to School Night from 7-9 pm. 6:30 optional start in the Alan Harvey Theater

Regular bell schedule. Link can be found here. Please bookmark as this will be removed in the next newsletter.

Wednesday 8/28/24 Academy

Wednesday's Academy is the first opportunity for students to select a teacher for academic support or have a teacher tag them. Students received an introduction to FlexiSched, our Academy scheduling platform. It will open up for sign-ups on Tuesday morning at 8am. Students were also shown that the instructions for FlexiSched sign-ups and other all school resources are in their ALL STUDENT Schoology Course.

Student FlexiSched Instructions - One pager

Friday 8/31/24 Academy

This day is a homeroom Academy; students will report and remain in their Academy homeroom to participate in a quick, internal SEL survey and then a "Digital Citizenship Quiz" activity that will have students interact with the updated PUSD Responsible Use Policy for Technology. Parents, please also take a moment to review it; much has changed and the use and citing of AI tools is included as acceptable student behavior on PUSD devices and the PUSD network.

Add the PHS/MHS Academy Google Calendar to yours:

Go to https://phs.piedmont.k12.ca.us/calendar and click on the blue "+ Google Calendar" icon on the bottom right of the embedded calendar. Once added, click on the event and you will see the description of the event. (You can add the PHS Events and Daily Bell Schedule at the same time).

From Ms. Manalo-LeClair:

Hello and welcome to the 2024-25 school year. For those of you who do not know me, I am Ms Manalo-LeClair, or Ms M-L. I have been the MHS Counselor for the last 10+ years and this year I’ve added the role of MHS/PHS College and Career Center Director. I am excited to advance my knowledge of college and career planning (aka “post-high school” planning), supporting both MHS and PHS students on their journeys. As one would expect, seniors will need the most time and attention, however if there is a quick question from any other grade levels, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Naviance is being updated regularly with college rep visits. While Seniors and Juniors have priority for these visits, this year we are inviting all students to take advantage of the opportunity to attend and meet with college admission reps from across the country. Most will be hosted in room 20, the CCC office, unless the turnout is more than 10-12 students. Directions for signing up for visits are on Naviance (see Naviance Guide below). All students must sign up 24 hours prior to the visit and request permission from the teacher whose class you might miss to attend this event. 12th graders have unlimited visits, 11th graders have 5 visits, 10th and 9th graders have the opportunity to begin their “exploration” stage of this process and attend 2 visits.

Please visit here for more detailed information.

Course changes

It has been a busy time helping students with schedule changes. We are no longer be adding students to classes. Students do have until September 13 to drop a class.

Senior College Application Information:

By Monday, August 26, seniors will have had a visit from the counseling department discussing basic information as to starting the college application process and how to make an appointment with their counselor if the student needs a letter of recommendation. We will be posting this information (Nuts and Bolts of the College Application Process) in Naviance under the Document Shared area of your student's account.

STUDENTS:

Are you worried that you or someone you know may be at risk of hurting themselves or someone else?

1) Text the Crisis Test Link. Text “Start” to 741741.

2) Call Crisis Support of Alameda County at 1-800-309-2131 Open 24/7.

3) Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 Open 24/7 or call 988

PARENTS/CAREGIVERS:

If you are worried that your child may be at risk of hurting themselves or someone else, support is available. Please call 911 or take your child to the nearest hospital for evaluation.

24/7 Parent Stress Hotline - 1-800-632-8188

Registration for the PreACT and PSAT exams is now open!

• The PreACT will be held at PHS on Saturday, Oct 19, 2024
• The PSAT will be held at PHS on Saturday, Oct 26, 2024

It is easy to register. Log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and click on the "School Store". Then select and pay for the tests you would like to take. Once payment is received, your student will be registered for the exam(s). The cost per exam is $35.00 (which covers the cost of the exam and proctor fees). The registration deadline is Friday, September 6. Students will receive more detailed information about the exam administration as we approach the exam dates. There are no additional PreACT or PSAT exam dates planned for this school year. The PSAT is for 10th and 11th grade students. If you have any questions, please contact Darlene Low at dlow@piedmont.k12.ca.us.

Did you know that PHS has a Code of Conduct? This is particularly important if your child participates in extracurricular activities. It is listed on page 22 of the Student Planner. It states that violations of the Code of Conduct may result in ineligibility for extracurricular activities. Last week, I highlighted regular attendance. This week, I will highlight academic integrity.

Page 20 of the student planner provides a substantive discussion of academic integrity. Academic integrity has also been shared with all students at the assembly on 8/16, 12th graders on 8/24 and freshman at an upcoming Academy session. Violations of academic integrity may result in a "U" citizenship grade, among other outcomes. Teachers also spent time in class underscoring what academic integrity looks like in the classroom. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Students can email help@piedmont.k12.ca.us for non-urgent Chromebook and technology issues or if they have lost or misplaced their device.

For Chromebook service, students can go to:

• the PHS library during lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
• the tech office located at PMS on the right side of the library building at the bottom of the ramp. Ring the bell.

For Infinite Campus issues or password reset email ichelp@piedmont.k12.ca.us

For Schoology access or technical issues email asaville@piedmont.k12.ca.us

For Academy scheduling issues in FlexiSched email jbranisa@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Students received FlexiSched scheduling training at their Friday, August 23, Academy Homeroom

This year’s Harvest Festival will be in Piedmont Park on Sunday, September 22nd from 11:00am - 3:00pm. The Harvest Festival is a long-standing tradition in Piedmont where families can gather to enjoy a cooking contest, art show, carnival, jazz festival, farmer’s market, scarecrows, and more! All proceeds from the scarecrow, silent auction, and carnival are directed by the Piedmont Education Foundation to the tri-schools (Havens, Beach, and Wildwood). Last year’s festivities raised $12K to help fund phonics, technology, and positive playground culture initiatives at all three elementary schools. Excited to see you there!

Volunteer for the Festival (Day of): The Piedmont Education Foundation can use lots of hands for set-up, running carnival games, clean-up, and more – middle and high schoolers are encouraged to join in. Sign up below:

• Adult Sign-up
• Student Sign-up (middle and high schoolers)

We continue to refine our library schedule as we try to maximize the time it is open. The most recent library schedule can be found here. Feel free to bookmark that tab if you need to reference it often.

Related to the library, we need students to please return books from last year. With the price of textbooks continuing to increase, every book returned saves us from having to take dollars away from higher priority items. Parents and students can view the library account from home by accessing this link.

Schools pictures are here! If you took pictures back on August 9, they are now available to view and order online. If you missed picture day or felt you didn't look fabulous, you have a chance to do picture makeups on September 11 from 8:30-3:00 in the Alan Harvey Theatre (same location). No appointment is needed, but you do need permission if you are going to leave class for the photo.

View and Order Event Code: FE139424

As many of our families know, PHS is an open campus, but this is applicable to lunch time only. During brunch, which is only 15 minutes, inclusive of passing, the campus is not open. In the past, students would try to run to Mulberry's or somewhere nearby and risk being late to class. We plan to enforce the closed campus philosophy during brunch. Your child can use the student center to grab a quick snack but they are not permitted to leave the campus. Thanks for your support on this.

We wanted to share with parents that we will be keeping the main doors to some of the student restrooms around campus locked for the time being. We receive alerts where there is suspicious activity in the restrooms and as such, we need to be proactive to get ahead of this as quickly as possible. We will also increase visibility in the halls to encourage students to "achieve the honorable". We ask that if students witness inappropriate activities in the restrooms, that they reach out to a trusting adult about it. We understand the "snitch" culture with today's youth but will also ask for the better angels of their nature in creating an environment where all Highlanders can thrive.

The California Education Code requires the school site council to develop a Single Plan for Student Achievement. The purpose of the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) is to create a cycle of continuous improvement of student performance, and to ensure that all students succeed in reaching academic standards set by the State Board of Education.

The PHS Site Council serves as a forum where school staff, parents, and students can discuss a variety of issues that affect student performance at Piedmont High School. To support focus in the area of curriculum, agendas are typically developed in order to coincide with the curricular areas that are up for adoption.

If you are willing and able to join us on the school site council for this coming year, please email me. We meet roughly once per month. I will then see if an election is needed and if so, put that out in a future newsletter.

If you haven't purchased a yearbook yet, you can still buy one using this link.

First Day Photos? Summer Break Photos? Please share them with the yearbook staff. You can email them in .jpg format to piedmonthighyearbook@gmail.com (please include student name(s) and year) or upload them to this google form. Thanks in advance for sharing your photos!

Senior Families: Please take a look at this document for all the information about the yearbook senior section. You must take your senior portrait by December 21st! Studio One will be on campus Dec. 3rd & 4th to take portraits, or you can make an appointment at their studio. Check your email for sign up links.

You can also submit your photos for the senior section (baby photos, senior/sibling photos) -- deadline is November 8th! If you would like to place a Senior Recognition Ad honoring your senior, please find all the information you need on this flier: Senior Recognition Ad 2025 Discount pricing applies until 10/31/24.

Any questions about yearbook stuff? Please email Melanie McCauley, PHS Yearbook Adviser at mmccauley@piedmont.k12.ca.us

The Berkeley Playhouse is offering discounted tickets to their upcoming performance of The Prom. Please check out the attachment if you would like to support local theater.

The San Jose Earthquakes, the major league soccer team here in the Bay Area has an exciting offer for our Back-to-School Night on August 31st vs Minnesota United FC at 7:30pm! Tickets are being offered at a discounted rate of $31.43 (complete price, all fees included), and an Earthquakes themed drawstring bag will be included with each ticket, so your students can head back to school in style! If you would like to take advantage of this offer please visit this link.

Week 2 is now behind us and many important dates are coming for seniors. Please bookmark the Road to Graduation document as it will soon be removed from the weekly parent newsletter. This is a living document that will be updated throughout the year.

If your child has a food allergies and would like to participate in brunch or lunch, we would love to accommodate. In order to prevent food waste, we produce close to what we believe the demand it. As such, please fill out the attached form and bring it to the director of nutrition services, Ms. Spinks, or to the principal's office. Thank you.

Thank you to the Ed Foundation for hosting the Senior Parent Night last Tuesday. It was a packed house, and I can see that we have many great activities planned for our class of 2025.

From WSCS

Join us for the First Annual Positively Pickled Pickleball Tournament!

All proceeds benefit the PUSD Wellness Center to support the mental health of our high school and middle school students.

Saturday, September 21 (9 am-5 pm)

Sunday, September 22 (9 am-12 pm)

Piedmont Middle School Courts

3 Divisions: Beginner (coaching will be available); Intermediate (you know a kitchen is not where you cook); Competitive (ready to dink and dominate)

Tickets: $100/2-person team at piedmontwellness.org

The Piedmont Recreation Department is looking for teen volunteers (age 16+) to teach technology to seniors one Wednesday per month.

• Spend 20-30 minutes working one-on-one with the Piedmont Seniors group offing tech help
• Answer questions about their phones, apps, tablets, computers, etc.
• Community service hours are available upon request

This rewarding experience aligns with the PHS lunch break and is conveniently situated within walking distance of PHS at the Piedmont Community Hall.

Juniors Helping Seniors: Tech Help - Fall Information

Wednesdays, 12:45pm

Piedmont Community Hall

August 28, October 23, and November 20

To learn more about the program, contact Eva Phalen.

Next week, contractors working on the pool project will continue to pour shotcrete for form the pool walls. The main work will take place on Monday and Tuesday, possibly going into Wednesday. They have indicated they will not do this during school arrival/release. Nonetheless, there will be many trucks coming on those days so please plan accordingly if you will be traveling between 9 and 3 pm.

Thank you all that participated in last weeks' Highlander Trivia.

The question was: As your may know, attendance is a critical part of our funding. Our attendance rate is good, but we would like to raise it even further, because learning happens best in the classroom, from our wonderful, skilled teachers. For the 2023-24 school year, what was the Average Daily Attendance for Piedmont High School?

The correct answer was: 95.89%

The closest answer was 97% provided by Dennis Sidbury. Congratulations. If Dennis or his child would like to claim their prize, please report to the principal's office.

We continue to want to find ways to make your child's experience most welcoming and memorable. One idea is to consider some music to play at the front entrance in the morning, around 8:00 to 8:30 each day. Please take a moment to answer this one question poll to help us in next steps. Thank you.

Miss a prior issue or you just like reading the Highlander weekly? Never fear, old issues are here! Happy reading.