Parent Newsletter #27: 2/13/26

Website | Phone: (510) 594-2626

Location: 800 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont, CA 94611
Instagram: @piedmonthigh

Bell Schedule (Regular) | Library Schedule

Road to Graduation | Athletic Newsletter

College & Career Newsletter | Yearbook Info

2025-26 School Profile | Student Handbook

Principal: Dr. Yoshihara | Asst. Principal: Mr. Marik

Dear Highlander Families,

Yes, there are 6 7 days left of school. And 6 + 7 = February 13? Ominous? Fortuitous? Either way, I'll take it. We are upon the mid-winter break and I hope our families can enjoy the extra time to catch up on sleep, spend it with family and friends, or just do a lot of nothing.

Three of our teams should make playoffs, which start next week. Feel free to come support our Highlanders if you're in town and want to help us farm aura in the gym or on the field. It should be a lot of fun...emphasizing FUN!

Warmly,

Dr. Yoshihara

February 16-20: President's Week, no school for students

February 23: Deadline for Bird Calling Contest Poster (5 pm to phsbirdcallingcontest@gmail.com)

March 1-3: WASC Visit

March 6-7: Eurydice Play (7 pm, AHT) [more info to come]

March 20: 57th Annual Bird Calling Contest (7 pm, AHT)

AI is evolving at breakneck speeds. Interestingly, the challenges PUSD has known about for some time still emerged as topics of conversation at the conference. What guardrails need to be in place? And how do we avoid the unintended consequences that result from the very guardrails we needed for the previous iterations? Interesting and vexing questions.The CS staff said it was great to wrestle with many of these topics at AI in Education Summit with other educators, policay makers and private sector implementors https://acceleratelearning.stanford.edu/conference/aieducation-summit-2026/

Thank you to everyone who attended our PHS Parents' Club meeting this morning. Dr. Yoshihara updated us on where the staff is with the course selection process for next year and discussed the 1/30 boys basketball game and its aftermath. We also heard from Stefanie Manalo-LeClair, Director of the College & Career Center, who shared with us her approach and goals, and highlighted upcoming events for students and families. Lastly, we started a productive conversation about providing staff feedback, an item raised in the January meeting, and welcome input on this important matter.

We hosted a wonderful staff brunch this past Wednesday and are grateful to the Hospitality Team for leading this effort.

The next Parents' club meeting will be on Friday, March 20, at 9:00 am in the Alan Harvey Theater lobby. Please join us!

Happy Valentine's Day and Have a Great February Break,

Sally Baack and Dana Lung

Co-Presidents, PHS Parents' Club 2025-2026

Thank you for those who are using our independent study process for outside sports, college visits, and other non-school affiliated activities. As a reminder, paperwork must be completed and provided to Mr. Marik at a minimum the day before a student leaves. We have to properly approve and document independent study paperwork for record keeping and state auditing purposes. Please reach out to Mr. Marik if you have any questions.

Senior Launchpad provides practical life skills to prepare high school seniors for college and beyond. The second session is now open for sign-ups. Sessions are FREE, but space is limited to 50 students, so sign up now!

Session 2: Financial Literacy: Cash, Class & Ramen Noodles: Managing Money in College and Beyond

Practical tools and lessons to become financially responsible as a young adult

Date: March 15, 2026
Time: Female-identifying students: 12:30-2:30pm; Male-identifying students: 3pm-5pm
Location: 80 Wildwood Gardens, Piedmont, CA 94611

Sign up HERE

Highlander Robotics is excited to announce a Toy Drive at Piedmont High School to support our outreach program, where we modify toys for children with special needs. We adapt these toys to have an alternate way of powering them: an external switch. Many commercially adapted toys are not affordable, as they can cost hundreds of dollars per toy. These children use the toys to interact with other peers as well as having a large impact on their social belonging and classroom engagement.

What we need: We are looking for donations of new or gently used toys that have a physical switch or on/off button, which allows us to modify them.

• February 23rd – March 6th

• Drop Toys off at the PHS main office

Questions? Reach out to Annalise Gudiksen at annalise.gudiksen@gmail.com.

We are approaching the last third of the year and it is not too late to get some spirit wear for wearing to school, in the community, or anywhere you go. Display the Highlander Pride proudly! Items are available in the IC Store under "PHS Spirit Wear". Note these are not sports-specific and designed for general wear.

The 12th annual Piedmont School Maker Faire on the Piedmont High School campus on Sunday, May 17th at 11am - 3pm! Come celebrate K-12 STEAM education in our community.

Our "Call for Makers" is officially open! Show off your creativity – drones, cosplay, puppets, kites, virtual reality, Legos, music. If you've made (or want to make!) something cool, weird, beautiful, or just plain fun, this is your opportunity to show it off. All project types are welcome.

Submissions are due April 30th → Submit your project here

Need a spark? Our website has a bunch of project ideas to get you started. But honestly, the best projects are the ones you're already excited about.

During winter break especially – and throughout the year – parents can manage their child’s time on a PUSD Chromebook using the GoGuardian Parent App.

Get Started Quickly

• Download the GoGuardian Parent App:
• Download via Apple Store
• Download via Google Play Store
• Open the app and enter the email address you use with the school.
• Check your email for the verification link and tap “Verify your email.”
• If using another device for email, select “Login with verification code” and paste the code from your email.

What Parents Can Do with the App

• View Chromebook browsing activity.
• Turn off internet access anytime after school hours.
• Block specific sites.
• Controls apply only to the school-issued Chromebook

PHS counselors are reviewing course requests for the next school year, including looking at course prerequisites. Many Honors and AP level courses require students to earn a certain grade in both semesters of the prerequisite course. Based on our review of first semester grades, counselors are making some adjustments to student requests. Counselors will review semester 2 grades in early June and make adjustments.

As a result, some student course requests have been adjusted from the weighted-level course to the corresponding non-weighted course for next year. This change ensures that students are placed in courses where they can be most successful and supported. If a change was made for a student, the student and a parent/guardian have been emailed. Feel free to reach out to the counselor for more information, or to schedule a conversation.

It's time to sign up for the Bird Calling Contest, taking place Friday, March 20th, 7pm in the Alan Harvey Theater. This year's theme is: Free As a Bird. A favorite PHS tradition, this fun evening is open for signups on the Google Form here. Please sign up at your earliest convenience - we are hoping to fill the slots before leaving for February Break. If you have questions please email phsbirdcallingcontest@gmail.com to find out more (or see short clips of previous years of this event).

https://forms.gle/kvCkocn99F5whXPz8

Piedmont is excited to host Inspirit AI for an on-campus AI project-building program this summer 2026.

We will be holding an information session on Zoom for families on Thurs., Feb. 26 at 6.30pm PT. The session will be led by Maddie Bradshaw, a Harvard & Stanford alum and Insiprit's curriculum director. Please find the link to sign up for the information session here.

This summer, students from rising 6th-12th grades will learn the fundamental concepts of AI and gain a deeper understanding of how AI is used to build ChatGPT and generative AI, fight pandemics, power self-driving cars, and more. Students will learn to program AI using Python, discuss ethics and bias within AI, and complete a group project applying AI to a discipline like healthcare, astronomy, finance, among others. No prior computer science experience is required to participate. Separate middle and high school sections will be offered.

If you may be interested in participating in this summer please fill out this short interest form and peruse the program brochure for more information about curriculum, schedule, projects, teaching team, and more! Bring your questions to the info session - sign up here for the Zoom link.

The WASC Report is now available for our parents and students to view. It has been shared with PHS staff and district administration.

Deep appreciation to Ms. Black and the hours (upon hours) of work to bring this together. The work is not finished, but this was definitely a heavy lift.

Final WASC Report

We have a few important surveys for our parents and students. The first is for Academy. We do this each year and your feedback is important in determining the role of Academy for your students for next year.

• Parent Academy Survey
• Student Academy Survey

The second survey is related to WASC, which will be visiting us the first week of March. We would welcome your voices in the work of the school and sharing that with the visiting team. Thank you in advance for participating in these surveys.

• WASC Parent Survey
• WASC Student Survey

The last day to sign up for the SAT exam at PHS is this Friday, February 13th

Exam Date: Monday, March 16th

Exam Time: 9am start

Location: PHS STEAM Building

To register, please purchase the exam in the Infinite Campus school store.

Questions? Reach out to Mr. Marik.

Last week 20 PHS and MHS students, 2 CS teachers and 3 parent chaperones went on a high-tech field trip to the Lawrence Berkeley Lab to tour the Perlmutter Super Computer and the NERSC Data Center - https://www.nersc.gov/ - at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, followed by a specially arranged tour of the Advanced Quantum Testbed - https://aqt.lbl.gov/ - on the UC Berkeley Campus. The trip was organized and led by our very own CS teacher Jennifer Newell, who last summer was a teacher participant in LBL's Summer QCamp Program - https://k12education.lbl.gov/programs/high-school - Our CS teachers look forward to offering more of these special events in the future for our PHS and MHS students.

As we approach the end of the winter sports season and some classic rivalries coming up, I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts for those who choose to come to our games:

• Cheer for our Highlanders: Direct your energy toward supporting our athletes. We celebrate our team’s hustle without tearing down our opponents.
• Respect the Officials: They are here to ensure a fair and safe game. Please allow them to do their jobs without interference or verbal abuse.
• Be a Classy Host: Treat our visiting team and their supporters with the same respect you would expect when we are on the road.

Specifically, administration will not tolerate any behavior that even borders on being disrespectful. Fans will be asked to leave and if we cannot detect the misbehavior, we may ask an entire section/group to depart. Please help us create a culture of positivity so that everybody can enjoy the game.

You can view a more comprehensive document here.

Dear PUSD Families & Staff:

It is with immense pride and gratitude that I share the second annual State of the District report, a reflection of our ongoing commitment to providing all students with an exceptional education that cultivates academic excellence, joy, and opportunity.

This year’s report reflects the collective work of teachers, principals, staff, students, families, and community partners who continue to elevate Piedmont Unified School District. Guided by our Vision, Mission, and Core Values, we have strengthened our programs, deepened student support, launched major instructional initiatives, and advanced the goals outlined in our District Strategic Plan, LCAP, and 2025–26 District Goals.

We have invested deeply in outstanding academics, student wellness, operational systems, and community partnerships. Our success is driven by organizational coherence, including a strategic plan that drives our priorities and goals at all levels of our organization. Our actions are intentional in building a district that is more aligned, more transparent, and more responsive to the students and families we serve.

I am grateful for our Board of Education, whose wise leadership and clear direction guide our progress; for our certificated and classified staff who care for, teach, and inspire students each day; for our families and community partners whose investments sustain our programs; and for our students, whose curiosity, courage, and compassion give meaning to our work.

Together, we continue to build a district we are proud of today and tomorrow.

In Partnership,
Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Class of 2028! Counselors will be meeting with all 10th grade students starting the week of 02/02/2026! Our meeting will focus on your plans for your future and how to help prepare for your post-high school goals. During this meeting, we will discuss things like your course selections, your 4 year plans, and what you should be aware of as you make the transition into 11th grade. You may need to miss part of a class and will be responsible for any missed content.

If you would like to set up a meeting ahead of time, please contact your counselors:A-B, MHS - Ms. Carlson: Booking page: https://calendar.app.google/gW1vrku1bQDckHJ59

Email acarlson@piedmont.k12.ca.us

D-O - Mr. Hartford: Email chartford@piedmont.k12.ca.us

C, P-Z - Ms. Hoang: Booking Page: https://calendar.app.google/nSrie49HxA9GX9g2A

Email mhoang@piedmont.k12.ca.us (for brunch, lunch and after school meetings)

We are seeking parent and grandparent volunteers to help proctor the upcoming SAT at PHS on March 16 from 8:15AM to 1 PM. Parents and grandparents of any PHS students are welcome to volunteer, including parents of students taking the exam; parents will be assigned to a different testing room than their own student. All proctors will participate in a required training session, which will be held the week of March 9 (exact date and time TBD).

Please volunteer if you can so that we can continue to offer the SAT at PHS. Sign up and more information here.

57th Annual Bird Calling Contest

Theme: “Free As A Bird”

Friday, March 20, at 7:00 pm in the Alan Harvey Theater.

The PUSD high school student-designed poster will be used for promotional purposes for the Bird Calling Show.

We will reproduce it in an 8.5X11 inch format, in a large poster format, on the cover of the program, and in publications for publicity.

The artist will be paid $200 for their work, receive two tickets to the show, and their poster will appear in the publicity for the show.

Please submit work digitally via email to: phsbirdcallingcontest@gmail.com

Deadline: Monday, February 23rd 5:00pm

The poster design must be original work by the student, and include the following information on the poster itself:

57th Annual Piedmont Bird Calling Contest

Free As A Bird

Friday, March 20th at 7pm

Alan Harvey Theater

This week's report was run from 1/5-2/6 (4.5 weeks). 90 students had perfect attendance during this period. This includes:

• No tardies (of any type)
• No absences (of any type)

Congratulations to Ben for such great attendance. Please email the Principal with your Crumbl cookie choice, and I'll personally deliver it to your class.

2/9: 19 tardies to period 1 (2/9/2/6)

2/10: 24 tardies to period 1 (4/5/11/4)

2/11: 23 tardies to period 2 (3/6/12/2)

2/12: 19 tardies to period 1 (5/4/4/6)

2/13: 10 tardies to period 2 (1/6/2/1)

Our freshman did achieve 0 tardies back on 2/4. As such, they will get to have warm chocolate chip or blueberry bagels on 2/26 at brunch.

We hope everyone has a wonderful week off and we look forward to gathering once we return. We hope these meetings continue to provide support and a space to build community! All PHS/MHS parents and guardians welcome!

12th Grade:

Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 24, 7:30-9:00 pm

Special presentation by Birdy Launcher - more information to come!

Facilitators: Sara Ironside, Jen Ferguson

RSVP: jen.c.ferg@gmail.com for more information

Meetings for 2026:

• Wednesday, March 25: 7:30-9:00 pm
• Thursday, April 23: 7:30-9:00 pm
• Tuesday, May 19: 7:30-9:00 pm

11th Grade:

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 26: 7:00-8:30 pm

Please email if you are willing to host.

If you have thoughts, please fill out this form: Google Form for 11 Grade

Facilitator: Kristen Brett

RSVP: kbrett@srvusd.net

Meetings for 2026:

• Thursday, April 23: 7:00-8:30 pm

10th Grade:

Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 24, 8:00-9:30 pm

Facilitators: Sarah Puckett, Maggie Mittan

RSVP: maggie.mittan@gmail.com for more information

Meetings for 2026

• Tuesday, March 24: 8-9:30 pm
• Tuesday, April 28: 8-9:30 pm
• Tuesday, May 26: 8-9:30 pm

9th Grade:

Next Meeting: Friday, March 6: 8:45-10:15 am

Facilitators: Judy Lin, Yoko Ichikawa, Anne Hawkins

RSVP: hawkins42@gmail.com for location information

Upcoming Meetings:

• Thursday, March 19: 7:00-8:30 pm

• Friday, April 24: 8:45-10:15 am

• Thursday, May 21: 7:00-8:30 pm

• Kudos to our Parents' Club and in particular, the Hospitality Team Leads (Shilpa Patel, Cortney Allen, Cindy Hinman, and Heidianne Pillsbury) for the amazing brunch on Wednesday. We even had plenty of extra for Thursday too!