Website: https://phs.piedmont.k12.ca.us/
Location: 800 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont, CA 94611
Phone: (510) 594-2626
Instagram: @piedmonthigh
Principal: Dr. Yoshihara
Assistant Principal: Mr. Marik
The schedule for Back To School Night will be as follows:
6:30-6:50: Informational Session in the Alan Harvey Theater (Optional)
6:50-7:05: Passing
7:05-7:15: Period 1
7:20-7:30: Period 2
7:35-7:45: Period 3
7:50-8:00: Period 4
8:05-8:15: Period 5
8:20-8:30: Period 6
8:35-8:45: Period 7
We ask that you please be respectful of our teacher's time as they only have 10 minutes each period and have to get prepared for the next session rather quickly. You should all have access to their emails if you need to follow up on any issues related to your child.
We will students and staff around campus to provide directions. Any parent/guardian that needs access to the elevators, please check into the office, and we'll provide you a key for use in our multi-story buildings.
From our Parents Club:
We are super excited to be hosting the first Teacher & Staff Appreciation Luncheon of the year, which will be held on Friday, September 6th. This is a welcomed event after a long evening of back to school night, the night before! Please help us make this luncheon a success for our wonderful teachers and staff by signing up here to donate food and drink items!
The PHS hospitality team
I am excited to introduce what hopefully is a new section of the Parent Newsletter--our Highlander of the Week. These are students chosen by teachers for characteristics they determine. I then speak to the students to learn what our teachers already know--how amazing they are. Our first student was chosen on the basis of Positively Contributing to Classroom Culture. Please take a moment to learn a bit more about Andson Zhou.
- So far this year, what has been your most memorable experience? My most memorable experience was in Acting 1 when we began to craft our first scenes based on simple concepts.
- If you were to describe PHS to someone who is thinking about coming, what would you say to them? I want to say that it has a “vibe” to it, you either recognize and enjoy the atmosphere, or just feel slightly off.
- If you were in charge at PHS, what is one action you might take to make it better? I would decorate the campus buildings a bit more, they, unfortunately, feel very bland, very colorless with little to distinguish between them other than size and location, while it is a very poignant and simple design, it lacks in identity.
- What is your favorite word? Aesthetic, it’s simply just that, an aesthetic word.
- What is your favorite song? “Bewildering Heart I”. It simply just captures the essence of spirit and “fight” in my opinion.
- What is your favorite food? I like Egg waffles (also called egg puffs). They're crunchy and slightly sweet with a nice shell.
- Can you share a photo of something from your summer and why it is special to you? In this photo some friends that I had just met at a summer camp 2 weeks ago, finished a horrifying escape room. It’s so special to me because it really did feel like the capstone of our experience. Where I went this summer, they take escape rooms to a crazy level, especially in horror escape rooms where there’s a massive difficulty spike, and just the feeling of on the last day I had gotten to know these people who were foreign to me, enough to the point where together we could finish an escape room together was just magical. (faces are censored to respect privacy)
Feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of parenting? Piedmont Adult School is offering "Parenting with Positive Discipline," a six-week class for parents of children of all ages. Classes will be held on Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., starting October 2 through November 6 (no class on October 16).
Led by experienced instructor Lisa Fuller, this course covers practical strategies for empowering children, alternatives to traditional timeouts, setting effective limits, and more.
Register now at piedmontadultschool.org or call 510-594-2655.
Class of 2028! The counselors will be having a 15-minute introduction meeting with all 9th graders between Tuesday, Sept. 3 -Friday, Sept. 20. Students will be in person and parents/ guardians will join the meeting by google meet. During this meeting, we will introduce ourselves, explain our role, and begin to get to know your student. We will share with them school resources, extra curricular opportunities and provide information about aspects of high school life. Students may need to miss part of a class and will be responsible for any missed content. If students have any exams, they should schedule the appointment around this.
Step 1- Students sign up for a meeting using your counselor’s calendly link below between Tuesday 9/3/24 - Friday 9/20/24.
Ms. Carlson (Last Name first letter A - G) calendly.com/acarlson_phscounselor
Mr. Hartford (Last Name first letter H - O) calendly.com/hartfordcounselor
Ms. Hoang (Last Name first letter P - Z) calendly.com/mhoang-piedmont
Step 2 - Find the best time and students will enter their email to book the appointment time.
Step 3 - Your student's counselor will then provide a google meet link to the parent/ guardian before the meeting time.
Please watch your email to receive the invite. We look forward to meeting you and working with your freshman student!!
Registration for the PreACT and PSAT exams is now open!
- The PreACT will be held at PHS on Saturday, Oct 19, 2024
- The PSAT will be held at PHS on Saturday, Oct 26, 2024
It is easy to register. Log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and click on the "School Store". Then select and pay for the tests you would like to take. Once payment is received, your student will be registered for the exam(s). The cost per exam is $35.00 (which covers the cost of the exam and proctor fees). The registration deadline is Friday, September 6. Students will receive more detailed information about the exam administration as we approach the exam dates. There are no additional PreACT or PSAT exam dates planned for this school year. The PSAT is for 10th and 11th grade students. If you have any questions, please contact Darlene Low at dlow@piedmont.k12.ca.us.
With some of the recent changes in posture with colleges, we realize there is an increased need for students to take the SAT and ACT tests. We also realize that some students are having to travel considerable distance to take this test, which can pose a hardship for our families. We are working closely with our Parent Club at finding solutions to ease this burden.
At this point, we are planning to host the SAT test on our campus, for our students, on a non-student weekday in the spring--likely in the month of March. The ordering process will be similar to the PSAT and done through the school store in Infinite Campus.
We will need parent support to assist with the proctoring since this will be a non-teaching day. The College Board provides an easier on ramp than ACT hence our desire to begin with offering this test to our families first. Again, our plan at this point is to offer the SAT, geared towards our juniors (although any student can take it) sometime in the spring. More information will follow as many details are still to be worked out. Thanks to our families for supporting the college-going culture and stay tuned.
Did you know that PHS has a Code of Conduct? This is particularly important if your child participates in extracurricular activities. It is listed on page 22 of the Student Planner. It states that violations of the Code of Conduct may result in ineligibility for extracurricular activities. Last week, I highlighted regular attendance. This week, I will highlight academic integrity.
This year’s Harvest Festival will be in Piedmont Park on Sunday, September 22nd from 11:00am - 3:00pm. The Harvest Festival is a long-standing tradition in Piedmont where families can gather to enjoy a cooking contest, art show, carnival, jazz festival, farmer’s market, scarecrows, and more! All proceeds from the scarecrow, silent auction, and carnival are directed by the Piedmont Education Foundation to the tri-schools (Havens, Beach, and Wildwood). Last year’s festivities raised $12K to help fund phonics, technology, and positive playground culture initiatives at all three elementary schools. Excited to see you there!
Volunteer for the Festival (Day of): The Piedmont Education Foundation can use lots of hands for set-up, running carnival games, clean-up, and more – middle and high schoolers are encouraged to join in. Sign up below:
- Adult Sign-up
- Student Sign-up (middle and high schoolers)
If you haven't purchased a yearbook yet, you can still buy one using this link.
First Day Photos? Summer Break Photos? Please share them with the yearbook staff. You can email them in .jpg format to piedmonthighyearbook@gmail.com (please include student name(s) and year) or upload them to this google form. Thanks in advance for sharing your photos!
Senior Families: Please take a look at this document for all the information about the yearbook senior section. You must take your senior portrait by December 21st! Studio One will be on campus Dec. 3rd & 4th to take portraits, or you can make an appointment at their studio. Check your email for sign up links.
You can also submit your photos for the senior section (baby photos, senior/sibling photos) -- deadline is November 8th! If you would like to place a Senior Recognition Ad honoring your senior, please find all the information you need on this flier: Senior Recognition Ad 2025 Discount pricing applies until 10/31/24.
Any questions about yearbook stuff? Please email Melanie McCauley, PHS Yearbook Adviser at mmccauley@piedmont.k12.ca.us
The Piedmont Recreation Department is looking for teen volunteers (age 16+) to teach technology to seniors one Wednesday per month.
- Spend 20-30 minutes working one-on-one with the Piedmont Seniors group offing tech help
- Answer questions about their phones, apps, tablets, computers, etc.
- Community service hours are available upon request
This rewarding experience aligns with the PHS lunch break and is conveniently situated within walking distance of PHS at the Piedmont Community Hall.
Juniors Helping Seniors: Tech Help - Fall Information
Wednesdays, 12:45pm
Piedmont Community Hall
August 28, October 23, and November 20
To learn more about the program, contact Eva Phalen.