Piedmont Pulse

April 15, 2024

Dear PUSD Families:

Welcome back! It is hard to believe that we are closing in on the end of the school year, with only 7 weeks remaining. In this week’s edition of the Piedmont Pulse, I will be sharing information about the following topics:

1. APT Requests Factfinding

2. MHS Open Enrollment

3. Summer Adventures

4. Honoring Sarah Pearson

5. Celebrations

In partnership,

Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Following a full day of mediation with APT on March 29th, APT notified the mediator and our District team that they would like to end mediation and request factfinding. The District team were surprised by this decision, as we felt we were making progress toward an agreement. As a reminder of the process, when the mediator is unable to bring both parties to an agreement, either party may request a factfinding panel, which takes about 30 days to convene. Factfinding involves a three-person panel to conduct an analysis (typically of the union contract, district budget and other relevant information) to make recommendations in a report. At this point, the union and district administrative team may come to an agreement. If no agreement is reached, the two parties could continue negotiations, they could delay and revisit at a later date, or the union could strike. It is also important to note that the District team and APT can still come together to negotiate during factfinding, and I will reiterate our sincere desire to come to an agreement as soon as possible.

Now Accepting Applications for the 2024-25 School Year!

Millennium High School is a free, small, public alternative high school and is part of the Piedmont Unified School District. Millennium is currently accepting applications for students who live outside of Piedmont and are entering grades 9th through 12th. No application is required for Piedmont residents.

ABOUT MILLENNIUM HIGH SCHOOL

• College Preparatory Courses
• Safe, Supportive, and Non-Competitive Environment Where Everyone is Welcome
• Small Learning Community with a Low Teacher to Student Ratio
• Diverse and Inclusive Student Body
• Student-Centered Environment focused on Wellness and Individual Success
• Students live in cities throughout the East Bay

APPLY TODAY!

Visit the Millennium website to apply: https://mhs.piedmont.k12.ca.us/about-mhs/application-process. The new school year starts on August 12, 2024.

LEARN MORE

If you have questions, please feel free to contact Principal Irma Muñoz Daniels

directly at (510) 594-2703 or imunoz@piedmont.k12.ca.us, or see more information linked HERE

Exciting News Alert!

Get ready for an unforgettable summer as Summer Adventures makes its grand return for the first time since COVID! Join us as we embark on a journey filled with fun, laughter, and endless discoveries. Our dedicated team of teachers and staff have been hard at work planning an array of awesome classes and experiences, including Junior Journalist, Superhero Fitness, Marvelous Math, Spanish, Junior Naturalists, and arts and writing classes, ensuring there's something for every age level to enjoy! Plus, we're thrilled to bring back the programs designed to ease transitions, including Welcome to TK, Welcome to Kindergarten, and Welcome to 6th Grade.

Session Dates:

• Session 1: June 5-14 (8 days)

• Session 2: June 17-27 (8 days, no class on 6/19)

Location: Havens Elementary

Grades: TK-8th grade

Registration Fees:

• Morning Only (9:00 am - 12:00 pm): $525.00

• Full Day (9:00 am - 3:00 pm): $1050.00

Registration is open on Infinite Campus. Visit our website and learn more about our exciting summer programs: https://www.piedmont.k12.ca.us/summer-school

For more information, contact Erin Rivera, Summer Adventures Coordinator, at erivera@piedmont.k12.ca.us.

PUSD Honors Sarah Pearson as Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award Winner

(Piedmont, Ca., March 27, 2024) – The Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) is proud to announce Dr. Sarah Pearson as its recipient of the 2024 Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award.

About Dr. Pearson, PUSD Superintendent, Dr. Jennifer Hawn shared: “The Board and I are thrilled to recognize Sarah Pearson for almost two decades of service to Piedmont’s youth and the Piedmont community, overall. The many submissions to nominate Sarah highlighted her tireless volunteer efforts to make a difference in the lives of our youth, efforts that continue today in her current role as a Facing History & Ourselves Board advisory board member.” Sarah has been an integral part of Piedmont for 22 years, giving her time, energy, and passion to make a positive impact on our community. It is with great honor and gratitude that we recognize Sarah Pearson.”

Dr. Pearson, a two-term Board of Education member, and long-time volunteer in the schools and community, will be honored with this year’s Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award. The award is presented each year to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the community and to Piedmont’s youth through volunteer service over a period of many years. The Board of Education will present the award at its meeting on May 8th.

Dr. Pearson, a Pediatrician by profession, has been a fierce advocate for children in Piedmont and the East Bay for over 22 years. She stands at the ready to support the schools and community, as is evidenced by her vast and exhaustive list of volunteer activities which include, serving on the Wellness Center Advisory Board, facilitator on the Piedmont Parents Network, the Ann Martin Center Clinic Board, the Wildwood and Piedmont Middle School Board, and as co-founder of Turkey Trot Children’s Book donation. She was also the founder and creator of Launch Pad for Seniors, co-chair on the Measures B & E parcel tax campaigns, and currently serves as a board member of Facing History.

Dr. Pearson is a highly respected community member; her insights and perspective on children and the communities that support them continue to be valued by many.

The Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to individuals who have volunteered their efforts over a period of time and made a difference because of their involvement and commitment to Piedmont’s youth. Arthur ‘Art’ Hecht was a tireless community volunteer dedicated to students in both Piedmont and Oakland. He served on Piedmont’s Board of Education from 1970 to 1982, and was instrumental in developing the Piedmont Continuation High School (now called Millennium High School). In 1998, the Volunteer of the Year Award was established in his memory.

Previous recipients include: Hunter McCreary (1998); Ann Chandler (1999); Ruth Cuming (2000); Lisa Lomenzo (2001); jointly by Cathie Geddeis and Marion Souyoultzis (2002); jointly by Fritz and Mary Wooster (2003); Elizabeth (Betsy) Gentry (2004); Cynthia Gorman (2005); Grier Graff (2006); Julia Burke (2007); Maude Pervere (2008); jointly to Anne-Marie Lamarche and Mark Menke (2009); Janiele Maffei Tovani (2010); Andrea Swenson (2011), June Monach (2012), Bill Drum (posthumously) and Mary Ireland (2013), Ray Perman (2014), Jennifer Fox (2015), Katie Korotzer (2016), Hilary Cooper (2017) Holly Hanke (2018), Cathy Glazier (2019), Sue Smegal (2020), Ken Li (2021), Eileen Ruby (2022), and David Ragones (2023).

Pearson will be officially honored at the May 8, 2024, meeting of the PUSD Board of Education.

Over the last month, there has been so much to celebrate. A big shout-out to our staff and students for their amazing work on the many events that make spring in PUSD so special. Below are just a few of the many wonderful events that I have had a chance to attend and celebrate.

World Language Singing Performances & Competition

Today kicked off the spring world language singing competition in the amphitheater. Students from PMS, MHS, and PHS performed with their respective Chinese, Spanish, and French classes. It was a day of fun song for all. Congratulations to our students and world language teachers for their great work! The event culminates in the "All Champs" round in the Alan Harvey Theater on 4/18 at 7:30PM.

Société Honoraire de Français Inducts 13 New Students

I was honored to attend the third annual induction ceremony to induct 13 new students into the Société Honoraire de Français. French teacher, Bryan Smith, led the event, along with the support of teacher, John White, music teacher Samantha Wilde whose students provided classical music, and DEIB Director Jean Takazawa. Also in attendance, Board President Veronica Anderson Thigpen, along with a representative from the French Consulate to acknowledge our students. According to French teacher, Bryan Smith, “The Société Honoraire de Français is the national honor society for high school students of French, founded in 1949. The Highlander Chapter was founded in 2021. The purpose of the society is to recognize outstanding achievement in students of French, as well as to provide opportunities for leadership and eligibility for travel scholarships. Once students have completed all requirements, SHF members earn the right to wear tri-color honor cords upon their graduation.

Requirements for membership are as follows: Admitted students must have and maintain an A- minimum GPA in French. They must also complete 15 service hours to the organization, such as offering tutoring services, participating in French Club activities, representing our school in national contests, promoting the French program, or participating in French language and cultural events around the Bay.”

Congratulations to Monsieur Smith and our students for their outstanding achievement!

Performances: The Laramie Project, the 55th Annual Bird Calling Contest, and the Diversity Assembly

I was grateful to attend several performances and an assembly for MHS/PHS in the last several weeks. Congratulations to our students and Drama teacher, Kim Taylor for a moving performance of The Laramie Project, which tells the story of Matthew Shepherd. I also had so much fun attending the 55th Annual Bird Calling Contest, with comical bird-calling performances that I will not soon forget. Congratulations to our students and thank you to our judges! And, on 4/3, I attended the Diversity assembly where students and staff shared their own and other stories of the ways in which our diverse identities continue to challenge our ability to create a sense of belonging and the essential nature of diversity in a thriving community. Thank you to our staff and students who were fearless in presenting these important stories.

Tri School Open Houses & Vocal Music Concerts

Thank you to our teachers for an amazing open house at Havens, Wildwood, and Beach. There is so much joy in seeing our students showcase their outstanding accomplishments during open house. Also, a huge thanks to music teacher, Adrian Behrendt, for leading our Tri School vocal music concerts where our elementary students shined. I confess, no one can have a bad day after seeing our elementary students sing together.

Robotics Team 8033 to Compete in the World Championship

We are super-excited about Team 8033’s success at the Orange County Regional Tournament, held on March 30th at the Orange County Regional Tournament where they earned the “FIRST Impact Award.” According to the Piedmont Makers, the “FIRST Impact Award is the most prestigious award at FIRST, it honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST. It was created to keep the central focus of FIRST Robotics Competition on the ultimate goal of transforming the culture in ways that will inspire greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology, as well as encouraging more of today’s youth to become science and technology leaders. All Impact award winners qualify for the World Championships in Houston, so join us in cheering for Highlander Robotics at Worlds on April 17-20!”

For more information about Team 8033, check out this great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqhkvgG5Xrs Go Highlander Robotics!

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!

National Librarian Day (4/16/2024) - The California Department of Education recognizes April 16 as National Librarian Day. To our librarians, we celebrate you on 4/16 and ALWAYS!

Administrative Professionals Day (4/24/2024) - The California Department of Education recognizes April 24, 2024, as Administrative Professionals Day. To all of our administrative staff, we celebrate you on this day and ALWAYS!

Piedmont Pulse Updates - Please note that I will be sending out Piedmont Pulse newsletter every other week. Archived Piedmont Pulse Newsletters are linked HERE

PEF - The Giving Campaign - The Giving Campaign officially ended in December; however, you can still give. We are grateful to our community for their support of our outstanding teachers and programs. If you are able to give, go HERE.

Piedmont Portal - For all of the latest school and community events, please visit the Piedmont Portal linked HERE

Donate for Absences - Parents, please remember that if your child needs to be out of school, you can submit payment HERE for the lost revenue. Each day that a student is out of school (for any reason, including illness) means a loss of revenue in the following amounts per day: TK-3rd Grade = $61.32; 4th-6th Grade = $56.39; 7th-8th Grade = $58.06; 9th-12th Grade = $61.20. This is invitational, of course.

Witter Field Renovation Project Updates - For updates on the Witter Field Renovation Project, please go to our Facilities page on our PUSD website.

Community Pool Construction Update - Safety measures around the Community Pool Project construction site on Magnolia Ave. across from PHS/MHS are currently in effect. Visit the City of Piedmont's website for details.

Work for PUSD - PUSD is seeking candidates for a variety of positions. Visit the District's Edjoin page for a complete list of jobs available and to apply online.

Substitutes Needed - Support students while earning up to $200/day. PUSD seeking substitute teachers for the 2023-24 school year. Visit the District's EdJoin page for more information and to apply.

Follow PUSD - Please read our school newsletters sent out weekly for update to date information. The District Facebook (@piedmontunified), Twitter (@piedmontunified), Instagram (@piedmontusd) and Threads (@piedmontusd@threads) pages are active.

Email: communication@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Website: www.piedmont.k12.ca.us
Location: 760 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, CA, USA
Phone: 510-594-2600