Piedmont Pulse

September 9, 2024

Dear PUSD Families & Staff:

It was great seeing so many of you and our amazing staff at our Back to School Nights over the last several weeks, along with many other events. I am also thoughtful that we observed a tragic school shooting in GA last week, as well as the profound impact of lives lost on 9/11. Although we are fortunate to collaborate on safety in Piedmont, these moments are essential reminders of the need to maximize our actions around school safety and wellness. In addition to our school safety committees and our many efforts to provide mental health/wellness services, last spring we launched a threat management team, a committee of experts who began collaborating on what threat management in Piedmont schools should look like. Thanks to many who participated in this committee last year, including our PUSD administration and staff, along with our City partners, including PPD and PFD. This important committee will continue its work this year, along with the many other actions we take to provide a safe environment.

In partnership,

Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.

Superintendent

There is always something to celebrate in PUSD, and this week, I want to take a moment to celebrate our administrative team. As I enter my 29th year in education, serving half of my career as a teacher and the other half as an administrator, I can say that I have worked with some extraordinary administrators during my career. Yet, none have been more accomplished, dedicated, and willing to do anything it takes than our Piedmont USD administrators.

This year, we have established a number of goals for our district, one of which is to continue to explore the best methods and platforms for communication. To this end, you may have observed some changes in frequency and platforms we use. Improving communication is work that is never done, and I want to thank our administrators for their impressive efforts to provide outstanding communication.

Following the August 28th Board meeting, we have received many questions, opinions, and ideas related to the Pride flag and other ways to create a sense of belonging in our school community.

The Piedmont Unified School District is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all students, staff and families feel a sense of belonging. As part of this commitment, the District flew the Pride Flag during Pride Month in June, to celebrate and support our LGBTQ+ community. After taking the Pride flag down at the end of June, administration and the Board have come to realize that there was a lack of clarity about the intention for how long the flag was to be flown. California law requires School Boards to authorize any flags other than the US and California flags. The Board is currently listening to our community and considering next steps. Over the years, many symbols of belonging for our LGBTQ+ community have been displayed across our campuses, including a permanent mural on the PMS campus and Pride flags in classrooms and other parts of campuses. We are dedicated to creating and supporting an environment where inclusivity and belonging are fundamental to our schools.

We invite your input here on the many ways we might continue our efforts to create an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging in our schools. This work is never done. Pulse Check - Belonging in PUSD

Students, Staff, & Families: We are continuing our work to gather input on cell phone use policies and potential changes we might make in PUSD. As part of our collaborative efforts, we are hosting the following meetings:

• PHS/MHS ASB Student Lunch to Discuss Cell Phones - 9/13
• Superintendent's Advisory Committee (SAC): 9/18 at 4:30PM (district office/online)
• Board Workshop: 10/16 at 6PM at the district office (note date change)

More information to follow on the many ways to engage around this important topic. Later this week, we will be sending out an invitation to the SAC meeting, along with a survey for staff, students, and parents.

Speaking of community engagement, 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:

• 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 have started and will be presenting an annual "state of the school" at Board meetings throughout the fall, followed by a "state of the district" in January. Anne Dolid gave an outstanding presentation about Havens on 8/28, and Melissa Daymond will present on Wildwood this week. Presentation dates are as follows:

• 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.

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 Adult School is offering "Parenting with Positive Discipline"

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.

National Hispanic/LatinX/Latine Heritage Month: The California Department of Education and PUSD recognize September as National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15–October 15. To our Hispanic/LatinX/Latine students, staff, and families. We celebrate you now and ALWAYS.

Oktoberfest - October 5th from 4-9PM: The 4th annual Oktoberfest, a Piedmont Boosters Club fundraiser, which funds PUSD athletics programs. More information linked HERE:

Piedmont Adult School: Classes begin September 9th, and 50% off for staff. Linked HERE is the fall catalogue of classes. Enjoy!

Piedmont Adult School Volunteers Needed: English as a Second Language (ESL) volunteers needed. More information linked HERE

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)

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