Message from the Superintendent

Dear PUSD Community,

In this week’s update, we continue to celebrate Women’s History Month as we look forward to what’s expected to be a memorable assembly hosted by PUSD. We are looking back on the legacy of a treasured PUSD leader. We are also helping students take advantage of some incredible opportunities currently offered today and every day inside and outside of the classroom.

To help ensure we can continue to provide in-person learning opportunities to our students throughout the school year, we are encouraging all eligible members of our school community to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

At this time, the Pfizer vaccine is available for individuals 5 and older. This includes many of our students here in the Pasadena Unified School District.

At this time, students are not required to be vaccinated to attend school in person; however, the State of California has announced that the COVID-19 vaccine will be a required vaccination (with options for personal exemptions) once it receives full FDA approval. We know that vaccinations are a key component to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

If you and/or your student have already received the vaccine, thank you. If you have questions about the vaccines, their safety, or their effectiveness, please see the following resources:

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html

• http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/vaccine/FAQ-Vaccine_ParentsGuardians.pdf

Let’s protect our little sprouts and everyone in our school community! 🌱🌼🌸 Get your COVID-19 vaccine!

Mondays from 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the PUSD Education Center (351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena). To register, visit myturn.ca.gov

PUSD is proud to host A Celebration of Women’s History Month Honoring the Women’s Movement: Suffrage and Women’s Liberation this Wednesday, March 23, 2022, at 6pm at Marshall Fundamental Secondary School. Please join us as keynote speaker Hillary Rodham Clinton presents a virtual address to our Pasadena Unified community. All are invited to attend the annual assembly in person or to watch the KLRN live stream. Women making history will be the theme of poignant student essays and art presentations at the event. The PUSD Women’s History Month assembly is now in its fifth year.

PUSD is remembering and honoring a woman who made history in our community, our very own Dr. Trudell Skinner. She was an amazing leader who touched the hearts of many students and fellow educators. In honor of her commitment to leadership development and life-long mentoring, the Association of Pasadena School Administrators (APSA) has purchased the "Trudell Skinner Mentor Bench" to be kept at the Ed Center in the lobby area. Pasadena Unified and the Skinner family have also created a scholarship acknowledging Dr. Skinner's legacy. This scholarship will provide equitable access to deserving PUSD students to continue their education beyond high school. You may donate to this tribute at:

https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E10123&id=168

In addition to the scholarship and bench, an original sculpture designed by Eliot’s Artist in Residence, Denise Sieder, will be installed at the Ed Center on August 26, 2022. If you would like to donate to Dr. Skinner’s art installation, please visit: http://weblink.donorperfect.com/PEFtributes Be sure to check "I would like to dedicate this donation" then select "in memory of" and then enter "Trudell Skinner."

Parents should have received online results from the Second Lottery by now and school registration is due by 4pm on Friday, March 25, 2022.

Beginning March 28, PUSD will accept

• Intradistrict permit requests for students who live within PUSD and missed the open enrollment lotteries pusd.us/enrollment

• Interdistrict permits to enter PUSD from another district of residence* (Out-of-District Applications of Interest) Details

As we continue our celebration of Arts Education Month we’d like to highlight some of the programs PUSD has to offer, from music instruction to visual arts, dance, drama, and theater.

Several 10th graders from the Visual Art and Design Academy (VADA) in the Creative Arts Media and Design Pathway at Pasadena High School are getting inspired by art history as well as contemporary artists. Here’s a sneak peak at what students have been up to. More to come at Jackalope Pasadena fair in April and the VADA year end exhibition in May.

Live music is back on our campuses! Several different PUSD secondary school bands, orchestras, and choirs performed live for our annual Music Festivals last week. Students entertained fellow musicians from other schools, but also had a chance to learn from professional adjudicators, all at the top of their fields in the music industry. If you missed it, watch the recording of our band and orchestra performances.

Here is a link to our band performances: MUSIC FESTIVAL - BAND/ORCHESTRA with adjudicators Dr. Emily Moss and Richard Meyer.

Here is a link to our choir performances with adjudicator Jeffrey Bernstein of the Pasadena Chorale, MUSIC FESTIVAL - CHORAL.

Thank you for sharing your talents and have a great week!

Best regards,

Brian McDonald, Ed.D.

Superintendent