Piedmont Pulse

April 28, 2025

Dear PUSD Staff & Families:

There is so much amazing work going on in our schools everyday. Last week, I had a chance to drop in to classes at Havens with Board Member Susy Struble, and we jumped in on Erin Ashton's PE class, which was joyful indeed! Thank you, Erin and our students for a fantastic class!

May is upon us, which means we are already planning for the next school year. Occasionally, I receive the question of what my vision is for our school district. It is simple: Lift up and live our Strategic Plan, which was approved in March 2024 and guides our work ahead. An important part of our planning process is the alignment of our LCAP and School Plan (SPSA) goals, which are informed by our LCAP committee and our Site Councils. Last year we launched goals that reflected our Strategic Priorities: Creating an Environment to Thrive, Investing in Outstanding Academics, Partnering Beyond the Classroom, and Building for Operational Excellence. This year, we will refine these goals to include clear, data-driven measurable outcomes for each Strategic Priority. Thank you to our Administrators, staff and families who are participants in these meetings to steer our work ahead.

In Community,

Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Incoming Juniors and Seniors: 2025-26 Student Board Member Applications Due 5/2/25 - Superintendent's Office

For the 2025-26 school year, the four eligible students (two from Millennium High School and two from Piedmont High School) will be chosen to serve on the Piedmont Unified Board of Education to share a one-year term. The student board members will function as a preferential voting member of the Board. This information linked HERE explains the application and selection process, and contains a copy of the application.

Piedmont Adult School celebrated its 50th Anniversary celebration, complete with years of service award for teachers and staff with more than 27 years of teaching service, including our very own Ron Mockel, Pictured here are Ron Mockel, Director Shannon Fierro, Administrative Assistant Michelle Lucas, and teacher Jana Branisa. Congratulations to the team, what a wonderful service to the Piedmont and broader community.

Thanks to Gillian Bailey and Hannah Bjork for the PHS All School Art show last week, including a reception on Thursday (complete with cake!). The art was so impressive to see, including these two pieces (top left and bottom middle/right) by our AP students, Kate Jumper and Brooke Patchen.

I had a chance to drop in to the I-Search Community event, which was yet another outstanding program that our high school teachers engage our students in regarding in-depth research on important topics. Thank you to English teachers Jamie Mockel, Wade Wilgus, and Eduardo Wolbert who hosted, along with our students whose presentations reflected the best in professional research.

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

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

Superintendent, Jennifer Hawn; CBO, Ruth Alahydoian; and Assistant Superintendent, Ariel Dolowich will provide in update on Prop 28 funds for the Arts. Sign up to attend in person or online HERE.

LCAP Meeting - May 1, 2025 at 4PM - Havens Library

Assistant Superintendent, Ariel Dolowich will present an update on our LCAP goals and actions.

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.

Summer Adventures 2025 – Don’t Miss Out!

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?

This year PUSD launched an Independent Study Program (ISP) for qualifying students in grades 9-12. Independent Study is a hybrid program that allows qualifying students to complete their high school requirements, with most of the work completed online and on-campus meetings at least once a week.

Key Features:

• Uses the Accelerate Education platform, with students completing ~5 hours of independent work daily.
• Weekly 1-hour individual meetings with an ISP teacher for mentoring, tutoring, and organization.
• Optional daily virtual synchronous sessions for core subjects.
• In-person attendance required for PSAT/SAT, state testing, and specific college/career events.

Application Process:

1. Submit the PUSD electronic application linked HERE, including a student-written letter.
2. Attend a Student Success Team (SST) meeting with stakeholders.
3. Receive acceptance and next steps upon qualifying.

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

Arab American Heritage Month - PUSD and the California Department of Education recognize April as Arab American Heritage Month. To our Arab American students, staff, and families, we celebrate you this month and ALWAYS!

Gun Safety & Storage Resolution - At the April 23rd meeting, our Board approved a gun safety and storage resolution to acknowledge the critical importance of gun safety and storage in homes. Thank you to PPD, the Brady Project, and Everytown for Gun Safety for their support of our community’s efforts to ensure safe storage of guns and the overall safety of our community. For more information about the power of asking the question about unlocked guns in the home: ASK Resources

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!

School Principals Day - A big shout out this week to our Principals. May 1 is School Principals Day. Principals, we celebrate you now and ALWAYS!

School Lunch Hero Day - Thank you to our staff and all of our parent volunteers who support our school lunch program. We celebrate you now and ALWAYS!

National Teacher Appreciation Week - May 5–9th is National Teacher Appreciation Week. Teachers, we are grateful for your service. We celebrate you during this official week and ALWAYS!

National School Nurse Day - May 7th is National School Nurse's Day. We have amazing School Nurses. Thank you Carol and Claudia for keeping us all well!

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