Piedmont Pulse

March 10, 2025

Dear PUSD Staff & Families:

Happy March! I'll admit, getting up an hour earlier felt a bit tough, but the longer days filled with sunshine are an absolute joy. It was great seeing Beach families last weekend at Beach Revue, our City Council and staff at the Mobile Museum of Tolerance, and a fabulous finish to the winter sports season with Boys' Soccer CIF Division 5 NorCal Championship win. What a game!

Take care during these longer days, and enjoy the many ways to engage in the weeks to come. Thank you for your partnership in supporting our students.

In Community,

Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.

Superintendent

In an exciting championship game against Williams High School, our boys claimed the CIF Division 5 NorCal Championship title, 4-1. I was also particularly impressed with our boys' athletic sportsmanship during a game that included some conduct from the opposing team that was less impressive. Our boys are all-around winners! Go Highlanders!

Thanks to our students, parents, and teachers for another wonderful Beach Revue! The costumes were fun, the jokes were clever (the pool joke...so funny!), the music was fabulous...and the kids were adorable. The amount of work that goes into this event is remarkable; thank you for making it happen! A special thanks to Rebeccah Pelle and Becky Ackerman, the Co-Producers.

I had a chance to attend an alumni event in which recent PHS graduates came back to share their stories related to college admissions, finding their professional passion, and how they landed their first job. Themes emerged: taking initiative, the importance of persistence, focusing on what you are good at, and more. It was such a useful event, and it reinforced what a great education our students receive at our schools and how useful it is in their future endeavors. Thank you to our parents who collaborated on the launch of this event, including Linda Song Wendel, Alder Yarrow, Judy Lin, Kim Hunter, and Sara Ironside, along with Counselor Stefanie Manalo-LeClair, AP Joe Marik, and Principal David Yoshihara. Go Piedmont!

PUSD Accepting Nominations for 2025 Arthur Hecht Volunteer Award

The Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) is excited to announce nominations for the 2025 Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award are now being accepted. The 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. Art Hecht was a tireless community volunteer, and was dedicated to students in both Piedmont and Oakland. He served on Piedmont’s Board of Education from 1970 to 1982. Art also was very active with the Piedmont Continuation High School (now called Millennium High School). In 1998, the Art Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award was established in his memory.

Nominations for this award are now being sought and will be kept strictly confidential. The deadline for nominations is March 14, 2025. A selection committee will vote on the award recipient, who will be recognized at the May 14, 2025, Board of Education meeting, where the honoree’s good works will be acknowledged.

Nomination Forms are available on the District website, in the District Office or by calling Rosalina Barrios, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, at (510) 594-2614.

Please be on the lookout for Infinite Campus messages with sign-up links for the following community meetings:

Cell Phone Task Force Update - March 12th Board Meeting at 7PM (City Council Chambers/Online)

Following two meetings in the fall to discuss our development of a Cell Phone Use Board Policy, a task force was convened to review research, explore what other districts are doing, and draft recommendations for what will become a PUSD Board Policy, due in 2026. In order to update the Board on the progress of the task force, a Board presentation is scheduled for the next Board meeting.

LCAP Curriculum Meeting - March 13, 2025 at 4:00PM - Havens Library

Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Ariel Dolowich, will present an update on the English Language Arts curriculum adoption. Two curriculum options have been identified and are in the process of piloting with elementary teachers. Meeting Link: HERE

Special Education Advisory Committee - March 19, 2025 at 4PM - District Office

Director of Special Education, Jean Fagin, will present updates on the District's Special Education program with a focus on elementary programming. Meeting Link: HERE

District Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC) - March 31st, 3:45-5:00PM Havens Library

Staff, students, and interested community members are invited to participate in a District Technology Advisory meeting on March 31st. The agenda will include discussions and activities related to AI literacy. We will meet from 3:45 PM to 5:00 PM in the Havens Library, and a remote participation option will be available. Please sign-up to let us know you are coming!

NEW Spring Break "April Adventures" for K-5th

Elementary students are invited to join us from April 7-11 at Havens Elementary for a week of learning and fun. Mornings will focus on academic enrichment, while afternoons will feature creative activities, special performances, and Piedmont Park scavenger hunts. Program hours are 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, with extended care available from 8:00-9:00 AM and 3:00-5:00 PM. Lunch is included for all full-day students.

April Adventures Fees:
● Full Day (9:00 AM - 3:00 PM): $655
● Mornings Only (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM): $325
● Extended Care 8:00-9:00/3-5pm: $200

Registration open now on the IC Parent Portal School Store

Summer Adventures 2025

Summer Adventures returns for 2025! Get ready for an exciting summer of learning and laughter. This summer will feature enrichment opportunities and a new separate sports program. Check out all of the options linked HERE

Adventure questions? contact Erin Rivera at erivera@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Sports camp questions? contact Tyler Small at tsmall@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Enrollment

Feb 25, 2025 12:00 AM - Jun 20, 2025 12:00 AM

Season dates

Jun 10, 2025 - Jul 25, 2025

For more information contact Erin Rivera or visit our Spring/Summer Program website:

https://www.piedmont.k12.ca.us/summer-school

Tuesday, March 11, 2025
5:00 - 6:30 PM - Piedmont Community Hall

Join us for a very special small group reception with long-time Piedmont resident, Kelly Corrigan, author of the New York Times bestsellers Tell Me More, The Middle Place, Lift, and Glitter and Glue and her daughter and co-author Claire Corrigan Lichty (PHS Class of 2021). Come say hello, catch up, and learn more about their new book prior to the Parent Ed talk at 7:30 PM in Alan Harvey Theater. Tickets are available at the Piedmont Store

$50 for the Reception (as a benefit for PEF)

$25 for the Parent Ed talk (every ticket includes purchase of the book, which retails for $18.99 & will be printed/available later this spring)

Our resident priority enrollment period began on January 15th. If your child will be 4 years old by 9/1/2025, enroll in TK now. If you child will be 5 years old by 9/1/2025, enroll in Kindergarten now. Enrollment takes place online linked HERE. In order to place students at each school, it is important for residents to enroll immediately.

More information about resident enrollment can be found HERE, and we look forward to seeing you this fall!

Is your child a professional athlete? In the entertainment industry? Or, of need of an online independent study program?

This year PUSD launched an Independent Study Program (ISP) for qualifying students in grades 9-12. Independent Study is a hybrid program that allows qualifying students to complete their high school requirements, with most of the work completed online and on-campus meetings at least once a week.

Key Features:

• Uses the Accelerate Education platform, with students completing ~5 hours of independent work daily.
• Weekly 1-hour individual meetings with an ISP teacher for mentoring, tutoring, and organization.
• Optional daily virtual synchronous sessions for core subjects.
• In-person attendance required for PSAT/SAT, state testing, and specific college/career events.

Application Process:

1. Submit the PUSD electronic application linked HERE, including a student-written letter.
2. Attend a Student Success Team (SST) meeting with stakeholders.
3. Receive acceptance and next steps upon qualifying.

Program Highlights:

• Students remain enrolled in their current high school (PHS or MHS).
• ISP provides a flexible, alternative instructional strategy aligned with district curriculum and graduation requirements.
• Access to A–G approved courses and equivalent standards-aligned content.

More information is linked HERE. For additional questions, please contact Principal Irma Muñoz Daniels at imunozdaniels@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Non-Student Days - March 14th is a staff professional development day and March 17th is a non-student day. Schools will be closed on these dates.

March Mingle - March 27th - 7-10PM Piedmont Community Hall. Tickets are available HERE.

Spring Fling - April 25th. Get ready for Spring Fling, the only annual fundraiser for Piedmont’s elementary schools. This year's theme is Piedmont Palm Royale, with fun for all. Tickets available HERE.

Women's History Month - The California Department of Education and PUSD recognize March as Women's History Month. To our students, staff, and families who are women, we celebrate you now and ALWAYS!

Support TPH - In order to continue to publish the Piedmont Highlander, we need your help. The Infinite Campus portal is now working to accept donations, which was previously not working. Students and families can subscribe to TPH through the Infinite Campus portal now. Interested community members can also support student journalism by making donations directly to the program by check or through the link PHS The Piedmont Highlander (TPH)

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 imunozdaniels@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.

Follow PUSD - Please read our school newsletters sent out weekly for update to date information. The District Facebook (@piedmontunified) and Instagram (@piedmontusd)

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