PUSD UPDATE

Dear PUSD Community,

Spring is a busy time of year for students and staff, and this week is no exception. In today’s Update, we celebrate students whose work illustrates the importance of cultivating young artists and supporting young scholars throughout the District.

We also celebrate volunteers who make a positive difference in our schools every day. Take a few moments to catch up on the latest news and have a great week.

Sincerely,

Brian McDonald, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Congratulations to Christina Leyva, a senior in the Arts, Entertainment and Media Academy at John Muir Early College Magnet High School! She was one of eight students in the State of California to earn the Linked Learning Alliance Student of the Year Scholarship. Christina is a recipient of the newly-created award and a 2023 Posse Scholar. She is in the Puente program, has taken several Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and has already earned approximately 30 college credits through Muir’s Early College programs. As a high school athlete and leader, she is involved in water polo, swimming, and marching band and is the ASB secretary. Christina will attend Dickinson College and plans to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist.

Congratulations to Sophia Chou, a Marshall Fundamental sophomore, who is the recipient of the U.S. Silver Medal Congressional Award presented by Congresswoman Judy Chu!! For the medal, Sophia completed over 200 hours of volunteer service (earned in many places but mostly the Huntington Library), 100 hours of personal development (acting, writing, dance), 100 hours of physical fitness (ice skating), and an eight-page paper on France's social, cultural, political, and economic aspects ranging from ancient times to the modern world. Sophia completed this all over the span of 12 months. The Congressional Award is the highest honor awarded by Congress to American youths (14-23 years old). Sophia was joined by her family and her counselor, Ms. Maria Torres.

Congratulations to eight outstanding PUSD high school seniors who have been selected as 2023 Rose Scholars by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association. This year, the program awarded a total of $20,000 in scholarships to eight students who submitted a creative piece that reflects their future dreams, goals, and aspirations. Instead of a minimum GPA requirement, applicants were asked to obtain a recommendation from a teacher, coach, counselor, or community member. Their hard work and dedication have paid off – all have been accepted to various excellent universities around the country. We couldn’t be more #PUSDproud of these students!

• Arleth Angeles – Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

• Stephanie Barcenas – Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

• Naomi Blas – John Muir High School.

• Giselle Carlos – Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

• Katelyn Castillo – Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

• Valeria Hernandez – Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

• Amina Malone – Marshall Fundamental Secondary School

• Diana Sanchez – Rose City High School

Read their bios here.

Back row: from left to right; 2023 ROSE Scholars; Amina Malone, Katelyn Castillo, Diana Sanchez.

Front row: 2023 ROSE Scholars; Arleth Angeles, Naomi Blas, Valeria Hernandez, Stephanie Barcenas.

(Not Pictured: Giselle Carlos)

The week of April 17-21 is recognized as Public School Volunteer Week. We are incredibly grateful for the powerful contributions parents and caregivers provide at school and home to support student success. If you would like to become a PUSD volunteer, please contact the volunteer coordinator at your campus and/or find more information on our website.

Neighborhood school enrollment continues for:

• TK-12 students who live within PUSD and are entering their school of residence for the first time.

• New to PUSD students entering Transitional Kindergarten. TK students must turn 5 between September 2, 2023 - April 2, 2024.

• Current PUSD students who are advancing to 6th or 9th grades and plan to attend their neighborhood school

Please note: registration is not required for TK-12th grade students to continue at the same school. For example, if a child is moving on from 2nd to 3rd grade at their current neighborhood school, parents are not required to re-register. Please visit www.pusd.us/enroll for more information.

Q: Where can you hold dinosaur fossils, touch meteorites, and meet working scientists all in one place?

A: At the 2023 PUSD Science Fest on Saturday, April 22, from 12 noon to 5pm at John Muir High School.

All students and PUSD families are invited to the spectacular Science Fest ‘23. Students will learn about STEM careers. They’ll see demos by the Pasadena Fire Department and meet scientists, engineers, doctors, and environmental experts including industry pros from JPL, Caltech, Carnegie Observatory, and SpaceX, to name a few. See link in flyer for more details.

All are invited to celebrate our students’ amazing artistic achievements at the annual Art Walk at Altadena Eliot Arts Magnet aka: “One School, Two Campuses, Arts for All!” The event on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm will feature a curated selection of artwork, student performances, and special presentations from district and civic leaders. The event also celebrates the recent designation as a National Demonstration Magnet School at the elementary campus and a new multimillion dollar arts and French magnet grant at the middle school campus. See flyer for more details.

Students across the district and the state are being put to the test. Depending on grade level or instructional program, PUSD students are taking the following online standardized tests this spring:

• Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English language arts and math, required for all students in grades 3–8 and 11

• California Science Test (CAST), required in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school

Testing began April 10 and ends by May 26 (dates and times vary by site). If you have questions, please contact your child’s teacher and/or the school office and keep in mind these testing tips.

1. Practice tests can help make the real test a little less scary; visit caaspp.org/practice-and-training/index.html.

2. Parent guides can be found at Parent Guides to Understanding - California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System (CA Dept of Education)

3. Remind your student to get a good night’s sleep the night before, eat breakfast in the morning, and try their best!

• PUSD Board of Education Facilities Master Plan Study Session is April 18, 2023, 6:30 pm. Open Session. Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room (Room 236), 351 S. Hudson Ave, Pasadena. Agenda at www.pusd.us/Page/639




• Regular meeting of the PUSD Board of Education is April 27, 2023, 4:00 p.m. Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room (Room 236), 351 S. Hudson Ave, Pasadena. Agenda at www.pusd.us/Page/639