Monday Message: 9/23/2024
September 23, 2024
Dear PYLUSD Community,
I’m excited to share the wonderful news that we have opened our second Family Resource Center (FRC) at Melrose Elementary! This welcoming space is here to support our families beyond the classroom because we know that student success is shaped not only at school but also at home and throughout our community. Our new FRC will help ensure that all families have access to valuable resources, creating a supportive environment for our students.
This second Family Resource Center is truly a testament to the district’s unwavering commitment to Putting Kids First and building a stronger, healthier, and happier community.
Throughout the year, we’ll offer essential services like dental care, vision check-ups, preventative health services, and wellness programs. These opportunities are made possible through the amazing partnerships we’ve built with community organizations like Family Health Matters, Lot 318, the REACH Foundation, OC Health Care Agency, AltaMed, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, and Healthy Smiles for Kids, among others. We’ll also be regularly gathering feedback from families to ensure we continue to grow and improve the services we provide.
Our FRCs at Melrose and Topaz elementary schools are open to all PYLUSD families, with special support for those in the McKinney-Vento Program. It’s a place where families can strengthen the connection between home and school while participating in helpful workshops on topics like parenting, financial literacy, and more. Together, we’re building a stronger, more supportive community for everyone.
Thank you for your continued support—it’s truly an honor to serve as your superintendent of schools.
Dear amazing PYLUSD students, parents, staff, and community members,
I am so proud to report that we are once again a destination school district, as for the first time in 8 years our enrollment has increased year over year!
The first few months of school have been a blast! I have been all over our district and county; watching my own child compete in water polo, attending girls flag-football games, going to boys football night games at all of our schools, visiting our campuses and seeing our incredible visual and performing arts programs, and so much more.
Having seen all of these amazing programs, it is clear as to why so many families want to enroll here in PYL at a time when all of our neighboring districts are declining in student enrollment. We are on the cutting edge of innovation and instruction as we build new preschools, new computer science charter schools, and new specialized independent study programs like the Universal Sports Institute (USI) which just received a $140K state grant!
Recently, we were notified by officials in Corona-Norco USD, which has 50,000 students and 53 schools, that they intend to copy our district and build their own Universal Sports Institute after seeing what we have created here in PYL. My father always said that “imitation is the best form of flattery”. This is another example of why we are a lighthouse district which others seek to emulate!
Thank you for Putting Kids First as it is an absolute honor to serve our community as the President of the PYLUSD Board of Education!
Warmly,
Leandra Blades
The Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District is proud to present its annual Women in Industry event, an inspirational experience geared toward empowering the next generation of leaders through future-ready learning. The PYLUSD Women in Industry event will take place on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the PYLUSD Performing Arts Center located at 1651 Valencia Ave, Placentia, CA 92870, and is free to the public. The event will also be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/@placentiayorbalindausd
Families and students of all ages are encouraged to attend this event for the opportunity to learn from an esteemed panel of captains of industry who represent diverse professional sectors. This includes a filmmaker, a surgeon, a Google advertising tech lead, a destination wedding planner, and a student keynote speaker.
PYLUSD Career Technical Education (CTE) Academy and CareerLink Pathway students from each high school will act as hosts and moderators of the event to incorporate a student’s viewpoint with the professional perspectives of the panel members. A brief reception will take place afterward to give attendees the chance to meet the panelists. We hope to see you there.