Piedmont Pulse
Piedmont USD - Week 3 Update >>>
August 26, 2024
Dear PUSD Families & Staff:
Here we are in week 3, and our staff and students are in full-swing. We have open houses coming up at all of our schools, and I hope to see you this week and next at these informative events.
In partnership,
Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Celebrations
The Joy of TK: I confess, one of my favorite programs to visit at our schools is our TK classrooms. There are few things as joyful as our TK students. Thank you to our TK teachers at Beach (thank you, Claire Stephens and Michele Sage!) and Havens (thank you, Helen Brown and Jennifer Cole!) who are trailblazers in this program that continues to expand as the State expands the age range for TK. Let's hear it for our amazing TK program!
Athletics...has begun! I was super-excited to attend the Flag Football Varsity Scrimmage match against Foothill HS last Friday. While it was a tough game, it's already clear that we have an amazing group of girls, who are going to crush it this season. Thank you to our coaches, Beth Black and Hayley Adams for your great work, including expanding the sport to include a JV team this year! Fall sports are in full swing this week, with games posted on our website HERE. Thank you to our new Director of Athletics Tyler Small and our coaches for a great start to the Fall season!
Cell Phone Use Workshops - Updated Date
In my 8/14 newsletter, I shared our intent to hold several workshops related to student cell phone use, including social media, gaming, chat, etc. As we prepare for these meetings, we are working on additional ways to gather information, including the development of surveys for staff, students and parents. We are also talking to parents, staff, and students including several student lunch meetings to gather feedback. We are also observing students at lunch and brunch to gather informal information about students' experiences and the impact of cell phone use on our campuses.
We will hold two meetings:
Superintendent's Advisory Committee: 9/18 at 4:30PM (district office & online)
Board Workshop: 10/16 at 6PM at the district office (note date change)
Thank you to the parents who have reached out to me to connect me with experts in the field of social media/technology and teens. We are currently working on bringing in an expert (or possibly more than one) to help inform our discussions. Please know that the idea here is to broaden our understanding of the issues as we explore possible changes to our cell phone use policies through these community meetings.
Community Meetings & State of the School Presentations
Speaking of community meetings, just a reminder that we will be hosting a number of community meeting opportunities for parents, students, and staff related to important topics related to our strategic priorities over the course of this school year. These meetings will be open to all and will be facilitated by the following administrators, with the initial meetings scheduled as follows:
Ariel Dolowich - LCAP/Title IX/Curriculum Advisory Committees - 9/5 @4pm
Jean Fagin - Special Education Advisory Committee - 9/10 @4pm
Ruth Alahydoian - Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) - 9/12 @4pm
Pete Palmer - Facilities Steering Committee (FSC) - 9/18 @8:30am
Jennifer Hawn - Superintendent’s Advisory Committee (SAC) - 9/18 @4:30pm
Stephanie Griffin - District Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC) - 9/30 @4pm
Jean Takazawa - Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging Council (DEIB) - 9/24 @3:45pm
In addition to community meetings, our school Principals will be presenting an annual "state of the school" at Board meetings throughout the fall, followed by a "state of the district" in January. Presentation dates are as follows:
- Havens: August 28th
- Wildwood: September 11th
- Beach: September 25th
- PMS: October 9th
- MHS: October 23rd
- PHS: November 13th
- District: January 8th
Presentations will focus on the goals of each school, including implementation of the district strategic priorities and graduate profile, and they are a great way to learn more about our schools and district.
First Annual Positively Pickled Tournament!
Join us for the First Annual Positively Pickled Tournament!
All Proceeds benefit the PUSD Wellness Center to support the mental health of our high school and middle school students.
- September 21 (9-5pm)
- September 22 (9-12pm)
- Piedmont Middle School Courts
- Open to Adults and Kids
- 3 divisions: Beginner (coaching will be available); Intermediate (you know a kitchen is not where you cook); Competitive (ready to dink and dominate!)
Tickets: $100/2-person team at Piedmontwellness.org
Piedmont Inclusive Preschool (PIP) - Open Enrollment
Now Enrolling Preschoolers for 2024-2025 School Year! Very Few Spots Remain. Please check out our webpage!
Where: Havens Elementary School
Who:
For 3 and 4 year olds, who are not yet TK-age eligible
Open to residents and non-residents!
Must be age 3
Must be potty-trained
Must be fully vaccinated for age
When: PIP follows the 2024-2025 PUSD School Year Calendar
4 mornings per week Mondays-Thursdays 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Cost: $800 per month (billed over 10 months, August through May)
Total Cost = $8,000 per child per year
PUSD News & Notes
Piedmont Adult School: Classes begin September 9th, and 50% off for staff. Linked HERE is the fall catalogue of classes. Enjoy!
ALPS Meeting: Thriving in Piedmont Schools: September 27th from 7-9pm. We’ve invited knowledgeable parents to share their experiences navigating schools in PUSD, including academics, extracurriculars, and the social scene. Please RSVP to receive the event location and help us plan refreshments by clicking here: https://forms.gle/byZpTocrLqFBiyQZA
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 imunoz@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.
Substitutes Needed - PUSD seeking substitute teachers for the 2024-25 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) and Instagram (@piedmontusd)
Piedmont Unified School District
Email: communication@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Website: www.piedmont.k12.ca.us
Location: 760 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, CA, USA
Phone: 510-594-2600