Titan Weekly Newsletter

March 24-April 4, 2025 - CAASPP Testing (CAASPP Testing Bell Schedule)

April

• 7 - Community College Planning Workshop, Lunch @ Titan Center
• 8 - School Site Council Meering, 4:30 pm @ PHS Titan Center
• 14-18 - Spring Break

Online Continuing Student Registration is open now until March 31, 2025.

We must receive a completed digital packet for all returning students. This will allow for proper placement of your student(s) for the 2025-2026 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. Log in 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: THERE WILL BE AN ENROLLMENT CONFIRMATION PROCESS IN AUGUST AND YOUR PARTICIPATION WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE A SMOOTH START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR.

MEDICATION FORMS and ADDITIONAL SIGNED SITE SPECIFIC FORMS WILL NOT BE COLLECTED UNTIL SCHOOL BEGINS IN AUGUST FOR THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR.

Forgot your username or password? Need technical help? You can retrieve your username and 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 the Poway High School Attendance office (phsattendance@powayusd.com) as soon as possible if you do not plan to return to PUSD for the 2025-2026 school year.

Thank you for your attention to this important process,

The PUSD Enrollment Team

Dear Junior and Senior Titan Families,

An important part of your student’s academic program is measuring progress through the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) assessments. Poway High School will administer these assessments from March 24-April 4, 2025.

It is important for your student to take the test because:

• Poway High School uses the data to analyze the success of certain courses.

• We were ranked in the 93rd percentile of all high schools in the nation

• If less than 95% of students take the test, our scores are invalidated and we are not ranked. In the past, seniors were affected by our lack of ranking.

• Juniors who take the test will be seniors next year, and having a good school ranking is favorable.

• We do not look at individual scores at Poway High, but if your student scores well, the scores can be added to the college resume.
  
  

Juniors will be taking the SBAC test. The SBAC consists of English and Math testing. All juniors will be tested during their English classes. Any student not enrolled in an English class in Tri 3 will be tested during an alternate class, during the testing window.

Seniors will be taking the CAST. Students will be testing in their English classes. If your senior is not enrolled in an English class in Tri 3, they will be tested during an alternate class or off-roll period, during the testing window.

Pursuant to California Education Code Section 60615, parents/guardians may annually submit to the school a written request to excuse their child from any or all the CAASPP assessments.

We could use your partnership in creating a positive testing experience for your student by considering the following information:

1. Please review the testing schedule here and limit school-day appointments during the testing period.

2. Wired earbuds/headphones are needed for the SBAC test. Wired earbuds will be available for those who do not bring their own.

3. SBAC scores can be used to determine a student's readiness to take college-level general education written and math/quantitative reasoning courses before attending a California State University (CSU) or one of the participating California Community Colleges. Please encourage your child to select yes when prompted to participate in the Early Assessment Program (EAP). Please note SBAC scores are not used to determine college admissions. Click here for more information.

4. Encourage your child to get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast.

5. Remind your child to show Titan Pride and test their best!
   
   

Parents of juniors, you will receive your child’s results at or before the beginning of the next school year. The results will identify where your child is doing well or needs more help, so you can better support their learning at home and teachers can better support their learning in the classroom.

We appreciate your support of the testing process. You can find more information on state testing on the CA state CAASPP webpage. If you have questions, contact Ms. Monique Kanouse, Assistant Principal at (858) 748-0245 ext. 5106 or mkanouse@powayusd.com.

Thank you! Good luck juniors and seniors!

Parent access to Trimester 2 student report cards via Synergy ParentVUE is available now. For instructions on how to access your child’s progress report, please click here for the parent directions in English or here for the Spanish version.

The application period for the 2025-26 PUSD Student Board Member position will be open from March 3-28.

The Student Board Member represents all PUSD students at Board of Education meetings, participates in discussions on student-related issues with PUSD District leadership and Board of Education members, serves on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, and learns first-hand about local government.

The application and information page can be found at this link.

Any high school juniors, in good academic standing, who will be seniors next year can choose to apply.

Application and Selection Process:

• Applications accepted: Starting 8:00 am, Monday, March 3, 2025
• Applications due: 4:00 pm Friday, March 28, 2025 (no late or incomplete applications will be accepted)
• Final interviews: Must be available to be interviewed on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, April 22 and 24, 2025. Finalists will be assigned an interview slot on one of these days.
• Contact applicants and notify person selected by: April 29, 2025
• Student Board Member Officially Announced/Introduced: Must attend the May 15, 2025, Board meeting
• Student Board Member Serves: August 2025 through June 2026

After nearly 60 hours of tournament action over three weekends, Poway Speech and Debate has exciting news to share! At the recent State Qualifying Tournaments, our small but mighty team earned impressive results, including a major milestone: for the first time in 18 years, Poway won a Sweepstakes trophy!

Four of our students have earned spots at the CHSSA State Championship in May: Kaden Gustafson and Kai Powell in Duo "Spies," and Hannah Jones and Sherwood Kao in Parliamentary Debate. This marks the most students we've ever sent to State in two decades!

Kaden and Kai also earned a semi-finalist spot in Public Forum Debate but chose to focus on their Duo performance. Hannah and Sherwood had an intense path to State, debating nine rounds in one weekend, covering a variety of complex topics.

Other students, including Han Han Lam, Shabnam Bagheri, Joanna Flores, and Aine Sweeney, also had strong showings. Their dedication and hard work paid off, with many competing across multiple events.

Please join us in congratulating all these students for their commitment and achievements!

Open workouts will begin March 24 through June 6 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 7-8 am. The trainings will be held by our Water Polo Coach, Daniel Pierson. If you have any questions, you can contact the coach at daniel.p.pierson@gmail.com

Saturday, August 9: 9:00 am

August 11, 12: 9:00 am

August 13: 3:45-5:30 pm (after school)

Place: Poway High School Tennis Courts

All students must be cleared before they can participate.

Please download your signed and filled-out forms to the Athletic Clearance site.

Bring with you to the tryouts: Water, sunscreen, hat, visor, snacks, tennis shoes, racquet, and anything else you will need for trying out.

Coach Phillis Dattilo

Click here for information

Hello Senior Families,

We are offering sales of our celebration yard signs through our Titans ASB Webstore: (https://pusd.graystep.com/(S(ydp0eizvoq14oi13xw02ftrn))/Index.aspx#/8).

The cost is $15 for a standard sign and $20 for a personalized sign.

Sales will run until April 9, at noon. Students will pick up the signs at school beginning April 23.

We will not be doing a second order, so please ensure that you are timely with the order. We are ecstatic to join you in honoring the Class of 2025!

Grad Nite 2025 event tickets are on sale now through May 1! Visit our website for more details and registration/ticket purchase link: https://www.powayptsa.org/grad-nite

Event Info: Grad Nite will take place on the night of graduation, to provide our seniors a safe, drug-free, and alcohol-free way to celebrate their accomplishments and come together one last night as the class of 2025. Poway High Seniors have the opportunity to celebrate Grad Nite at Belmont Park with fellow graduates from Mt Carmel High this year. The two PUSD high schools will have the park all to themselves!

Grad Nite is more than a party – it’s going to be SPECTACULAR! There will be food and refreshments all night long, games, rides, entertainment, and all the Giant Dipper you can stand!

This is a friendly reminder to order your graduation items (including your cap and gown) as soon as possible if you haven't ordered yet.

Click here to order: https://milestonegrad.com/poway-high-school/

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Jostens:

Phone: 858-486-2020

Email: mark.boyer@jostens.com

Thanks to everyone who placed their orders!

Learn how specialized programs turn into a rewarding career. Hear from industry professionals during lunch in the Titan Center Room K-16 every Thursday from March 20 - May 1, 2025. The Titan Center is located next to the Counseling Office. Register here or walk-ins are welcome.

It's scholarship time for our local community organizations, and we are here to help you navigate through this process.

1. Start by exploring our Scholarship Deadline Log. In this document, you will discover lots of great local opportunities. Also, don't forget to check out college and trade school financial aid pages for more options.

2. Connections: Talk to your family and friends to possibly find scholarship gems with employers, or even your job!

3. Stay Informed: Follow us on Instagram @counseling_PHS for the latest scholarship news and reminders.

4. Application Tips: Apply for as many scholarships as possible, even the smaller ones - they add up! Be organized, meet deadlines, and personalize your application to stand out.

5. Be Prepared: Ensure you have all necessary documents, ask for letters of recommendation early. Often times, scholarship applications will ask for a letter of rec from a teacher or counselor as well as a community resource such as an adult or non-family member, employer, club coach, or organization leader. Highlight your strengths and be genuine about your experiences.

6. Begin the FAFSA or DREAM ACT Application: Completing the FAFSA is important so start your application SOON! Check with your college financial aid office for their priority consideration deadline; sometimes it is earlier than the California priority funding deadline of March 2, 2025.

Please note that the FAFSA application is not just for need-based aid; it may be needed for merit-based scholarships, local community scholarships, student loans, and other financial benefits.

Remember, every little bit helps, so take advantage of all available resources. Good luck on your scholarship journey, and reach out if you need support!

- PHS Counseling

Please note if a test center decides to close, students will receive direct notification from the College Board. You can register for the SAT at the College Board website here. You can register for the ACT at the ACT website here. We will have more information for the PSAT in August 2024.

Join us in giving our Titans the very best in 2024-2025! Memberships are $15 per person and are offered to anyone interested in supporting PHS - parents, caregivers, students, teachers, staff, grandparents, etc. Joining and donating is easy to do online by clicking this link or scanning the QR code.

Please visit our website PowayPTSA.org to learn more about our PTSA, how you can help support us, ways to get involved or simply make a small, much-needed donation to support our programs here at PHS.

We look forward to partnering with you for a great year!

All students and staff members are encouraged to wear green and/or gray on Fridays to show our Titan spirit!

Office Hours:

Monday - Friday

8:00 am-4:00 pm

Website: http://powayhigh.powayusd.com/

Location: 15500 Espola Road, Poway, CA 92064, USA
Phone: 858-748-0245

Contact: pgoepfert@powayusd.com