Weekly Bulletin
Piedmont High School
May 3, 2024
From Principal Goswami
Hello PHS students and families,
Last week we had a fun and inclusive prom. Thank you to the parents and the ASB class for organizing it.
The Night Grade I-Search celebration was a success. The English teachers and parent class representatives put up a wonderful display of student work.
Administrators held a senior assembly during Academy on Friday 4/26. Please see this slide show to learn what was discussed: End of Year Admin-Senior Class '24 Talk.
Friday, May 10th: PHS Parents' Club Meeting at 9 AM in the theater lobby.
Q3 grades are posted
Quarter 3 grades are posted in Infinite Campus. Please log in and review your student’s grades. If you have questions about a specific course, please email your student’s teacher.
Advance Placement Tests
AP testing starts this Monday. Students and parents have received emails from Mr. Marik about where to report.
Several AP Exams will be held in the Library. Students will not be able to enter the Library during those times. We will have a sign displayed when testing is in session. We will try to have a printer set up in the hallway and a person to collect books. We cannot go inside to get you books, note cards, colored pens, etc. during the testing. Please plan accordingly.
Volunteers are needed during the AP testing in May. Please signup here to assist .If you have any questions please reach out to Darlene Low.
Class of 2024
The Road to Graduation Guide 2024 includes all the information seniors and their families need to know as they prepare for upcoming senior events and activities, including Senior Sunset, Graduation, and Grad Night, as well as important details on end of year requirements and responsibilities.
Senior Graduation Speaker Auditions
One of the traditions of Piedmont’s graduation is to have a senior speak on behalf of their class. We invite you all to audition to be the speaker at this year's graduation ceremony. Auditions for Senior Speaker are Monday, May 20 from 3:30-4:30. If you'd like to audition, sign up here by Monday, May 20 at 8 am. Once you sign up, you'll be sent an email that shares your specific audition time. Then prepare a 3-5 minute graduation speech that shares your thoughts about the graduating class and your own "words of wisdom" to your classmates. At the audition, you'll present your speech to a panel of teachers and staff who will select the speaker. The panel is looking for confident speakers who present unique, inclusive, and positive speeches about your class. If you have any questions, please email Kim Taylor or Beth Black. Thank you for your interest!
End-of-the-Year Staff Luncheon
We are pleased to host the last PHS staff luncheon of the school year on Thursday May 9th. We are looking for volunteers to help with salad fixings, desserts and drinks. Please drop all items in the PHS staff lounge by 10:30am on Thursday. Alternately you can also drop them at the home of Stannye Nelson- 201 Sandringham Road, Piedmont. Please email or text her if you will be dropping items with her. 510-912-0066. Thank you in advance for volunteering!
Date: Thursday, 05/09/2024
Time: 11:00AM - 1:30PM
Location: PHS Staff Lounge
Donate Snacks for Finals Week
The Wellness Center will be providing snacks on the quad for Finals Week. Please consider donating granola bars, popcorn, oranges and string cheese by Mon, May 20:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044EA9AD2EA1FC1-49225977-phsmhs
Thank you so much for supporting student mental health in our community!
Take care,
Wellness Center Support Committee
Neurodiversity Club
The symbol of neurodiversity is a rainbow infinity.
Join the new PHS/MHS Neurodiversity Club! Weekly meetings on Wednesday’s, rm. 207
The symbol serves as a reminder that there is no one way to think, rather an infinite number.
International Neurodiversity Week was on March 18th-22nd, & World Down Syndrome Day, on 3/21.
We celebrated the wonders of neurodiversity and encouraged students to come to the events planned. Announcements to bring awareness were shared on the campus loudspeaker, and the week is now on our PHS calendar!
We hope that you will join us in raising awareness, and appreciating neurodiversity, in a collaborative effort to create a more inclusive school community for everyone; by encouraging understanding and acceptance of everyone's neurodiverse mind.
Athletics Update
- Check out our school website for upcoming games. Attend the events to support our teams. https://phs.piedmont.k12.ca.us/athletics-landing
Counseling Corner
Naviance-
Student and parents- A reminder that we have a great online resource where students can utilize career interest surveys, a survey on your learning style, and 4 year and 2 year college match and search ability. Students can sign in with Clever with their school email . The log in link is on the college and career center portion of the website and here
Class of 2024!
As you begin to formulate your plans after high school, a few reminders:
1)Keep your grades up! We will send in final semester grades after graduation to your colleges.
2)If you need help in your decision making, please come utilize the College and Career Center and your counselors.
3)Log into your Naviance account and look for the senior graduation survey to be filled out by May 24th. Look under “My Surveys”.
PHS Honor Society - 2nd Semester
Reminder that there are 2 components required to qualify as a PHS Honor Society Member, 2nd Semester:
Minimum Semester GPA (total and weighted) of 3.60.
Community Service Hours. The hours must be earned and logged in Track It Forward by May 10 of each school year in order to receive credit. Hours logged in Track it Forward after the May 10 deadline may not be counted.
Requirements
For more information and link to Track it Forward see the PHS Honor Society webpage
College & Career Center
It's time to start filling out the Senior Graduation Survey!! As you hear back from colleges and begin to finalize your plans for after graduation, we ask that you complete this anonymous survey to provide us with your matriculation information. This survey is due by May 24th.
Please follow these steps detailing how to fill out the Graduation Survey in Naviance.
2023-2024 Yearbook Information!
Time is running out to buy the amazing 332 page yearbook that has every PHS and MHS student in it!
There are less than 100 copies of the yearbook available to purchase and we will not have extras. Please use the link below to purchase your yearbook if you haven’t done so already.
Please use this link to purchase a yearbook -- limited copies available! PHS Yearbook_Jostens
Follow the PHS Yearbook on Instagram - @phsprideyb
Any questions about yearbook stuff? Please email Melanie McCauley, PHS Yearbook Adviser at mmccauley@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Ambassador Christopher Stevens Library, Piedmont High School
Author Visit at Lunch on Tuesday, May21, 1:25-155 pm.
John Sutton is a Piedmont Alum and cross country runner. His novel Merge is about friendships between Oakland and Piedmont high school runners. It also includes football, loyalties, and other high school topics.
The Book Drive continues! Buy a book or two from our wishlist registry on Amazon or donate on IC earmarked for the Library. Thank you so much for the 120 Amazon list books we have received so far!! The Amazon Drive ends on 5/17.
A great big thank you for our ongoing LGBTQIA+ grant!
We also received $500 grant from the Parents’ Club for more books!
Link to our registry on Amazon. You will find our registry list titled Books We Would Like.
US News Best High Schools
Piedmont High School earned high National and metro-area rankings in 2024 Best High Schools, which U.S. News released this morning. Here is our school’s updated U.S. News profile page, with details about its rankings: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/piedmont-city-unified-school-district/piedmont-high-school-3029.
Community News
Climate Literacy Resolution
You may have heard that there’s a group of students, teachers & parents who are working to help pass a climate literacy resolution in PUSD this spring. The goal of this resolution is for every PUSD student to be taught about the reasons and consequences, and to be engaged in potential solutions to the climate crisis so that each student who graduates from PUSD is climate literate.
If all students learn about climate change and how to help mitigate it then they will be able to help ensure that all animals’ habitats, food and water sources and air quality, including those of birds, will continue to be healthy and available into perpetuity. Climate literacy is not just for the birds, it’s for us all!
If you’re interested in supporting our efforts, you can fill out our Google Form. Once you submit a form, a working group member will be in touch to discuss next steps. Also, you can sign and share our petition on Change.org and follow and share our Instagram page at pusd 4clr. Stay tuned for related events in April and May! Earth Day activities and a reading of the Resolution at the School Board Meeting are in the works.
Piedmont School Maker Faire on May 19 / Call for Makers Now Open!
Join us Sunday, May 19, 11am - 3pm for the 10th annual Piedmont School Maker Faire on the Piedmont High School campus. Come celebrate K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math (S.T.E.A.M.) education for the Piedmont community & beyond. Get your FREE tickets.
LEGO Robotics Registration Fall 2024 Now Open
Registration for the Fall 2024 LEGO Robotics season for rising K-8th graders is now open! Robotics helps children develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills while having fun and learning about engineering, writing code, and thriving on a non-athletic team. Teams meet for weekly practice, with a couple weekend scrimmages and tournaments. The season starts in August and ends before Winter Break. We strongly encourage teams to register pre-formed, including their choice of teammates and volunteer coach.
LEGO League Explore (rising K-3) - Registration
LEGO League Challenge (rising 4-8) - Registration
FIRST Tech Challenge (rising 7-12) - Registration
For more information about Piedmont’s FIRST Robotics programs, including team requirements, volunteer coaching opportunity, and the season schedule, visit our robotics website, email robotics@piedmontmakers.org, or attend our upcoming open house (see below)
Resources from Counseling Center
Counseling office encourages students to check in the following lists to prepare themselves for career exploration and college application process.
Grade Level Checklists
Naviance Guide
Archive 23-24
August 11. 2023; August 18, 2023; August 25, 2023;
September 1, 2023; September 8, 2023; September 15, 2023; September 22, 2023; September 29, 2023 (Communication Protocols)
October 6, 2023; October 13, 2023; October 20, 2023; October 27, 2023
November 3; November 10, November 17
December 1; December 8; December 15
January 7; January 12; January 19; January 29