Website: https://phs.piedmont.k12.ca.us/
Location: 800 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont, CA 94611
Phone: (510) 594-2626 | Instagram: @piedmonthigh
Parent Newsletter: Archives
2024-25 School Profile | Bell Schedule (Regular)
Road to Graduation | Yearbook Info
College & Career Newsletter | Athletic Newsletter
Principal: Dr. Yoshihara
Assistant Principal: Mr. Marik
We are asking families to save the date on December 17 (evening) to view a special screening of Counted Out. This will be a community-wide event hosted by PHS (with generous support from PEF and our parent clubs) open to all. "Counted Out investigates the biggest crises of our time—political polarization, racial and economic inequity, a global pandemic, and climate change—through an unexpected lens: math."
We know math is everywhere. We do a great job with literacy. We want to do just as well with numeracy. Math is a language. This is the film. Math proficiency should not go down as students grow up.
We will be one of the first to host a screening of the film, and we plan to do a panel discussion afterwards with the director and other in the greater Bay Area. Vicki Abeles directed Race to Nowhere and Beyond Measure, reaching millions of viewers by focusing on social impact. More information is forthcoming on this special event, including how to RSVP.
Join us at the Alan Harvey Theater this December for two exciting performances showcasing the talent of PHS instrumental music students!
Tuesday, December 10th at 7:00 p.m.
The evening kicks off with a combined Winter Concert featuring the PMS & PHS Orchestras. Under the direction of second-year music teacher Trevor Meseroll, the PHS Orchestra will perform works by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Camille Saint-Saëns, an Appalachian piece, and Reflection from Disney’s Mulan.
Thursday, December 12th at 7:00 p.m.
The spotlight shifts to the PHS Symphonic Band and PHS Jazz Band, who will present an exciting lineup of music. The program will include jazz standards by John Coltrane and Sammy Nestico, as well as a compilation of songs from popular musicals. In addition, selected small student combos will also perform during the concert.
Admission:
To help offset concert expenses, we suggest a $5.00 donation for adults at the door. Students attend for free. We hope to see you there to support our talented students and enjoy an evening of great music!
Our library has a new printer for student use! Thanks Jana for all the behind-the-scenes work to make this happen.
PHS purchased a new printer for student's emergency print needs. It prints back-to-back and in black and white by default. If students wish to print in color, they need to let the library staff know how many pages and for what purpose before they can print in color. Be kind to our new printer. Use it sparingly and with care, but know this is for our students.
The district welcomes a new BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst), Ms. Ebony Walker. She is a local (from Oakland) and has been in the field for over five years. She is an animal lover, outgoing, ambitious, friendly, and can be dramatic. She also has a heart full of gold.
Her office will in the 20's building across from the counseling office. If you see her, please give her a Highlander welcome.
We have had some students ask about getting a second lunch at our Student Center. The short answer is "yes", but it is nuanced.
Students can get a second lunch but if there is a line out the door for hot dogs, staff and volunteers may say, "No seconds on hot dogs until everyone has their first, but you can buy a pizza". Generally, we want to make sure everyone can have their first choice on their first meal--we know this doesn't always happen. Students can almost always buy a salad or sandwich as the second meal, even if they are coming through the line the first time, as we have extra of those.
And of course, students can have as much fruits and veggies as they want. The salad bar is full service and usually includes a prepared salad, so a that a student can get a first choice in the line and then get a full salad at the salad bar.
For brunch, because the time frame for that is so much shorter, we are not able to accommodate second servings. You can still load up on fruit though and take a milk each day. Want an extra milk? Sure, we offer those for $0.50.
Our nutrition services director, Gitara Spinks, is very open to ideas and ways to improve the food experience of our students. She has tried new meal options, and we are always looking at ways to get students through the line quickly with food that is filling and tastes good too.
Interested in knowing more about the district's new Independent Study program? Contact your school counselor to learn more!
Independent Study is:
- A voluntary, full-time program for high school students.
- Credits are earned through the completion of online courses monitored by a designated teacher.
- Courses are UC and NCAA approved.
- An option for students who can work independently and thrive with online courses.
The Piedmont Education Foundation (PEF) has launched an exciting participation challenge as part of this year’s Giving Campaign! Our goal is to raise $4 million, and this year, every family’s participation counts toward something special. If we reach 75% participation from Piedmont Unified School District families, the entire town will celebrate with a community-wide pajama day!
Watch the Giving Meter in the center of town to track our progress. Imagine our entire community in PJs, celebrating our united support for our schools.
PEF encourages everyone to contribute, no matter the amount. Let’s come together to make a positive impact and show our commitment to education.
Stay Updated:
Follow the “Pop Up Participation” Giving Meter’s progress in the heart of town, and let’s reach our goal together!
Make a Difference Today:
For more information or to donate, please visit www.piedmontedfoundation.org/donate.
Thank you for all that participated in our survey last week. We had a good response rate. We had a strong preference--not unanimous--but close to our bond passage rate for having live music at lunch. As such, we will give it a try for maybe once or twice a week.
Our first performance will be at lunch on Wednesday, December 4 near the student center, weather permitting. Please bring your school spirit, feel free to dance, sing-along, or just enjoy the music. If we have other students that would like to perform, please email the principal, and we'll get you scheduled. We will provide the necessary equipment unless you prefer your own instrument(s).
Thanks in advance for making our school vibrant, and a great place to be, every day.
Students will soon need to either have an ASB sticker or purchase tickets in advance to enter winter sports. Families/students were able to purchase an ASB membership since the start of the school year, although the systems to support this were not in place. As such, any student, with a valid ID was able to enter fall home games.
We are finalizing the procedures now to check for those that have purchased ASB membership. Students who have proof of this, vis-a-vis a sticker provided by the school, will be allowed into all home games. Other student may purchase single day tickets or purchase an ASB sticker that will allow them into home games for the rest of the school year.
Dec 2nd deadline for UC and CSU campuses! Please be aware that there is an important college application deadline for the CSU and UC campuses on Dec 2nd. This is the Monday we get back from Thanksgiving break. And please encourage your seniors to finish before the deadline. In years past, there have been challenges with the application systems near the deadlines due to so much online traffic on the application website.
Progress report 3 is ready!
Please review Infinite Campus and Schoology with your student. We only have a few weeks left in semester 1.
Students should:
- Utilize these last few weeks of academy time.
- Ask for any Schoology clarification or questions early with your teacher.
- Please come see your counselor if you need any help.
- Connect with your teacher early on any test retake opportunities.
This week's student is Savannah Dennig. We start off by having staff share some thoughts on Savannah.
- What quality(ies) best describes this student? Savannah is new to Piedmont. She is very outgoing, which has definitely helped her transition and honestly, fit right in with other students, which is a credit to her as it is never easy to transition to a new school. Savannah is probably one of the sweetest, nicest, friendliest, outgoing students I have ever taught and is an exceptional athlete to boot.
- How long have you known the student? Only one semester, but she has already made a genuine impact in class.
- What is the most memorable event you have of this student? Though I have TA's for every class, Savannah is always willing to help with equipment needs during class. She always asks if she can help out, which of course I appreciate.
- How does this student Achieve the Honorable? Savannah is just an all around great kid but I think her demeanor in class, her performance in class, and her easy going, good natured attitude stand out on an everyday basis.
- If there was one word to describe this student, what would it be? Exemplary
And from Savannah herself:
- So far this year, what has been your most memorable experience? So far my most memorable experience this year was working at the Snack Shack with my teammates at the Homecoming football game.
- If you were to describe PHS to someone who is thinking about coming, what would you say to them? Coming from a new student myself, I would say that PHS is such a welcoming and inclusive school. Even though a lot of people have known each other for their whole life they always find a way to make space for someone new.
- If you were in charge at PHS, what is one action you might take to make it better? If I was incharge one thing that I would do is make sure that all of the events are more well known. Especially the things that go on at lunch, because most of the time the only way I find out that something is happening, is after it's already over.
- If you could share one sentence with your parents/guardians, what would you say? "Thank you so much for everything that you guys do for me, I don't think you know how much I appreciate it!"
- What is your favorite word? My favorite word is "Ubiquitous" because it means everything, everywhere, all at once, and that is what I think life is all about.
- What is your favorite song? My favorite song is "From The Start" by Laufey
- What is your favorite food? My favorite food is Sushi
- Can you share a photo of something from your summer and why it is special to you? This photo is from my birthday at a sushi restaurant and it's very special to me because I was with my favorite people at my favorite place.
I know for our seniors, this may be the last minute rush with college applications, but hopefully everyone can find some time to reflect on what they can be thankful for. The weather may be rainy and overcast, but the spirit can be bright and ebullient. Take advantage of the time with friends and family to strengthen those relationships that can make us stronger.