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Piedmont Unified School District Newsletter - July 2022
Superintendent Message - Welcome to the 2022-23 School Year!
Dear PUSD Community,
Please let me introduce myself to you. My name is Dr. Donald Evans. I was the former superintendent at both the Berkeley and Hayward Unified School Districts and have worked in the field of education for over 35 years. Over the course of my career, I’ve had the opportunity to teach and lead many initiatives and reforms impacting student achievement. More recently, I was the interim Superintendent for West Sonoma Unified High School District, and last month, the PUSD Board appointed me as the District’s Interim Superintendent for 2022-2023. I’m honored to be in the superintendent role again, and to be a part of a dynamic high-performing school district such as Piedmont Unified School District.
PUSD has a long history of high standards and academic excellence. Recently, Niche ranked Piedmont #16 out of 438 school districts in the state of California. As we start the new school year, I want to build on Piedmont’s success as we keep our eyes on the prize which are our students. Every day, we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our children. What we say and what we do matters. Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying, “people don’t care how much you know until you show them how much you care.”
With any organization, I truly believe caring starts from the top. Over the next year, instead of asking what I need from you, I want to start our conversation by asking, what do you need from the Superintendent’s office? My goal is to be visible and accessible to students and families. My door is always open.
While only being in the District for a short period of time, I’ve already met some amazing people and am beyond impressed with the work and preparation going into creating an amazing school year for our students! The PUSD Board of Education is also hard at work reviewing the vision and mission of the District (watch video here). This work will continue into the fall, as well as starting the process for selecting a permanent superintendent for the District. I am excited to support the PUSD Board and staff in any way I can.
While we hope to provide as normal a school experience as possible for our students and staff, COVID remains a presence in our lives and will continue to affect our operations. Please watch your email over the coming days for details of PUSD’s COVID-related protocols for the new school year.
I am working with our schools to schedule opportunities to meet with families in-person over the coming weeks and hope to announce dates soon.
I am thrilled to be a part of PUSD and being a part of this great community. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Sincerely,
Donald Evans
PUSD News & Notes
Registration - Annual registration for the 22-23 school year opens on Monday, August 1. Vist the District website for more information.
COVID Update - As the new school year approaches, we know you may have questions regarding PUSD’s COVID protocols. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently issued updated COVID guidance for schools and districts for the 2022-23 school year effective July 1. Based on these recommendations, PUSD administration is updating the District's COVID response plan and will reach out to families in the coming days.
Food Services Update - Please welcome Gitara Spinks as PUSD's new Director of Nutrition Services. Ms. Spinks is an experienced child nutrition professional who will lead the District's transition to the Universal Meals program offering free breakfast and lunch to students. Be on the lookout for more information regarding menus and how to order meals in advance.
Website Update - PUSD recently entered an exciting new phase in the long-awaited modernization of the District website. After talks with several vendors, PUSD has entered into a partnership to coordinate the website redesign and to host the District and school sites over the next five years. Along with a modern, user-friendly design, the new website will feature a variety of features that will make District and school information both easier to find, and more accessible from whatever device you are using. As with any large-scope project, the timeline for implementation can vary greatly but the launch for the District's new website is tentatively scheduled for January 2023. Thank you for your patience and feedback during this process. We are excited to go live with this great new resource to better serve our students, families and community. Look for additional updates throughout the fall, as well as opportunities to preview the site before its launch.
New Bell Schedules for 2022-23 School Year - In accordance with California Senate Bill 328, high schools will be expected to start no earlier than 8:30am and middle schools no earlier than 8:00am beginning with the 2022-23 school year. Starting on the first day of school August 10, Piedmont/Millennium High Schools and Piedmont Middle School will operate under new bell schedules. Read more information here.
Instructional Calendar for 2022-23 - See full PUSD instructional calendar for the 2022-23 school year.
Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) - At its June 22 meeting, the PUSD Board of Education approved and adopted the second reading of the District's LCAP, describing the district’s annual goals and specific actions to address state and local priorities to support outcomes for all students and student groups. Review the LCAP here.
Walk for Wellness - Walk for Wellness is seeking sponsors for its August 21-27 event benefiting PUSD's Wellness Center. Read more information courtesy of the Piedmont Exedra.
Work for PUSD - PUSD is hiring for the 2022-23 school year! Visit the District’s EdJoin page for a complete list of all available positions.
Substitutes Needed - Support students while earning up to $200/day. PUSD seeking substitute teachers for the 2022-23 school year. Visit the District's EdJoin page for more information and to apply.
Follow PUSD on Social Media - Keep up to date on everything happening around the District on PUSD’s social media outlets. The District Facebook (@piedmontunified), Twitter (@piedmontunified) and Instagram (@piedmontusd) pages are active with multiple posts daily. Watch PUSD video content on the District's YouTube page.
Upcoming Events
- August 1 - Registration Opens for 22-23 School Year
- August 4 - 9th-Grade Orientation
- August 9 - Walkthrough Registration - PHS, MHS & PMS
- August 10 - First Day of School
- August 10 - Board Meeting
- August 21-27 - Walk for Wellness
- August 24 - Board Meeting
Piedmont Unified School District
Email: communications@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Website: www.piedmont.k12.ca.us
Location: 760 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, CA, USA
Phone: 510-594-2600
Facebook: facebook.com/piedmontunified
Twitter: @Piedmontunified