PUSD UPDATE

Dear PUSD Community,

For the first time, PUSD is holding the annual College Fair and the Turkey Tussle on the same day, Wednesday, October 26. At the annual College Fair, students of all ages can meet representatives from colleges and universities. Later the same evening, football teams from John Muir Early College Magnet and Pasadena High School compete in the Turkey Tussle at the Rose Bowl - a tradition that goes back 75 years.

It’s an exciting day for everyone in the PUSD community as we celebrate the students in our schools.

In today’s Update, you’ll read about International Baccalaureate and how PUSD is preparing students to be global citizens ready to make our world better.

Campus tours are continuing and I invite you to come see for yourself how PUSD is preparing students to be scholars, athletes, and the leaders of tomorrow. Tour Schedule

PUSD’s annual Open Enrollment for 2023-2024 begins today with sibling and program priority applications. Open Enrollment offers families an opportunity to apply to attend a school other than their neighborhood school.

Sincerely,

Brian McDonald, Ed.D.

Superintendent

We would like you to see for yourself exactly how PUSD can equip your child to thrive. Our schools offer in-person tours in which parents see what our campuses have to offer and meet the teachers and administrators who make it all possible. Sign up for a tour today! pusd.us/tours

One signature PUSD program which clearly demonstrates the global value of education is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme. The IB curriculum develops curious, knowledgeable, young people who care about their school, their community, and the world around them. Willard Elementary is an authorized IB Primary Years Programme designed for every student in grades TK - 5. Students can continue IB studies that are offered at Blair Middle & High School.

Blair IB coordinator Christine McLaughlin says she often thinks why aren’t all schools IB? “The way the entire system works is good teaching. It considers the whole student and it’s concerned with creating a citizen who can help make this world a better place.”

Blair IB Coordinators Karen Law, Diploma Programme, and Christine McLaughlin, Middle Years.

Students say IB classes can be challenging and inspiring.

“I can’t imagine not doing it (the IB Diploma Program) just because the style of learning is something that is really helpful to me,” said Blair 12th grader Katie Mencken.

Blair 12th grader Katie Mencken

IB Diploma Programme Coordinator Karen Law says it provides college-level courses and teaches students to “do research and initiate activities. They also learn how to become self-aware. They are asked to not only complete the academic work but also to think about the larger society as they are doing things.”

Students may apply to Willard or Blair even if it’s not their home school during the open enrollment period which began today, Oct. 24, at 9 a.m. and continues through Nov. 14, 2022 at 4 p.m. To see for yourself what PUSD schools have to offer, we invite you to take a tour and/or go to pusd.us/enroll for more information.

PUSD’s annual Open Enrollment for 2023-2024 begins today with sibling and program priority applications. Open Enrollment offers families an opportunity to apply to attend a school other than their neighborhood school.

Already have a sibling enrolled in PUSD or a student continuing to grades 6 or 9 in a signature program (dual language, International Baccalaureate, STEM/Arts Magnet)? Apply now for the sibling/program priority enrollment period! You must file an application by November 14 at 4 p.m. www.pusd.us/enrollment

Attending your neighborhood schools? Find your school at www.pusd.us/findmyschool. You can register at your neighborhood school starting December 1, 2022.

New and continuing TK-12 students who live in Pasadena, Altadena, or Sierra Madre may apply for schools other than their assigned neighborhood school for PUSD signature programs in January. Children of full-time PUSD and City of Pasadena employees may also submit an application. A second lottery will be held March 6 - March 10, 2023.

If you have questions about online applications, the Enrollment and Family Engagement Department will provide direct assistance to PUSD parents and guardians for sibling and/or Signature Program priority applications on the following dates:

October:

• Thurs. 10/27 - 1:30pm-4:30pm @Madison Elementary

• Fri. 10/28 - 7:30am-9:30am @Madison Elementary

• Thurs. 11/3 - 1:30pm-4:30pm @Washington Elementary

November:

• Fri. 11/4 - 7:30am-9:30am @Washington Elementary

• Wed. 11/9 - 1:30pm-4:30pm @Longfellow Elementary

• Thurs. 11/10 - 7:30am-9:30am @Longfellow Elementary

This one-on-one help is offered at three locations but any PUSD parent/guardian is welcome to stop by if they need help with sibling and/or signature program applications. For additional enrollment assistance, please call our main office 626-396-3639, visit us at the Education Center room 123, M-F 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., or click here.

You can also sign up for the Pasadena Education Network’s (PEN) Navigating Open Enrollment program on December 6.

Don’t miss two iconic PUSD events on Wed., Oct. 26 – at 4 p.m., the College Fair (with PUSD hosting over 100 colleges and universities) and then at 7 p.m., the Turkey Tussle - Muir vs. PHS varsity football.

You’re invited to hop on the free shuttle from the Pasadena Civic to the Rose Bowl so you won’t miss a thing!

You’ve heard about the Turkey Tussle – the iconic annual football match between Muir and PHS. But have you heard about the Tuna Tussle? Well, it involves water polo, not wide receivers, and a swimming pool, not a stadium. After an exciting back and forth water polo game last Wednesday, the Mustang Boys Water Polo Team sailed away with the win against the PHS Bulldogs. Congratulations, players and coaches!

Halloween might be a bit frightening but the start of flu season this month doesn’t have to be so scary. Flu vaccinations are recommended for all persons 6 months of age and over, including healthy children and adults. Click here for more on what parents need to know about the flu this season.

We encourage all eligible members of the PUSD community to stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations as well. At this time, everyone 6 months and older is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine and the updated fall booster has been approved for children as young as 5 years old. The new boosters protect against the Omicron variant and are recommended for those 5 years of age and older if it has been at least two months since their last dose (primary series or booster). View the full COVID-19 vaccine schedule here. To schedule your flu vaccine or Omicron booster, go to VaccinateLAcounty.com.

Today is the last day to register to vote in the General Election. On November 8, California voters will head to the polls deciding: U.S. senator, governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general, local races, and seven statewide propositions. There are also four seats on the PUSD Board of Education in Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7.

Vote in person or return your vote-by-mail ballot with prepaid postage as long as it's postmarked on or before Election Day and received by November 15, 2022, or deliver your ballot to a secure ballot drop box, to a voting location, or your county elections office by 8:00 p.m. on November 8, 2022. You can find a Vote Center by clicking here.