Parent & Student Newsletter #16

Website | Phone: (510) 594-2626

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

Bell Schedule (Regular) | Ed Concern Protocol

Road to Graduation | Athletic Newsletter

College & Career Newsletter | Yearbook Info

2026-27 School Profile | Student Handbook

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

Dear Highlander Families,

We had a great start to November. This week, we welcomed our Spanish cultural exchange students. 20 enthusiastic high school students from Spain are spending about 10 days acculturating with our students. They are going to classes, eating lunch, and just absorbing all that PHS has to offer. We are glad to have them and look forward to an equally warm reception when our students visit in February.

We invite anyone in the community who may be around to come support our Lady Highlanders as they battle for the NCS Division III title in volleyball this Saturday (tomorrow) at 5 pm in Binks Gym. It should be a high energy match and if you bring the Highlander spirit, it will raise our ladies over the finish line to victory.

A reminder that Monday is on a W/F schedule due to Wednesday being a holiday.

Warmly,

Dr. Yoshihara

November 6: AP Regular Order Deadline (Fees go up after this date)

November 9: W/F Schedule

November 11: Veteran's Day (No school)

November 12-14: Peter Pan

November 13: Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day (7:50 am, Piedmont Park)

November 16: Parents' Club Meeting (6 pm, Zoom) [839 6338 4862 Passcode: 333352]

Each year, we bring a little friendly competition to The Giving Campaign to see which grade can rally the most families to participate. This year, we are raising the stakes with a twist.

The Giving Campaign will be hosting THREE separate competitions; one for the elementary schools, one for the middle school, and one for the high schools. Because it really does take ALL of us, we are giving each school level a chance to compete, celebrate and claim bragging rights.

Which grade will take the crown? 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th will be going head-to-head in a friendly competition to see which grade can achieve the highest participation. Show your class spirit, write a check, and help ensure Piedmont students continue to have the programs and resources that make our schools exceptional. And the pay-off? An amazing party for the winning High School class in the spring!

You have until December 31 to make a gift that is meaningful to your family. Every household counts, no matter the size of the gift. Donate today at PiedmontEdFoundation.org/donate and let the competition begin!

Our next meeting is Monday, November 16th at 6pm on Zoom, and we have a good one planned:

• School administrators’ report: Dr. Yoshihara and Mr. Marik will provide updates and answers to parent questions.
• School Board report, including an update on the Superintendent search.
• The PHS Wellness Center: They presented to us last year and it was one of the best meetings we’ve had. They do remarkable work supporting our kids, and we learned a lot.

The Zoom link is on our website. Here are the credentials: Meeting ID 839 6338 4862, Passcode 333352.

Do you have FOMO about our last meeting? Catch up on what you missed here.

A reminder on Reserve Funds: we are still collecting ideas for how to spend part of our reserves. The goal is to use the funds with a substantial purchase that will benefit the whole student body, so send me your suggestions.

Andrea Zambrana
avzambrana@gmail.com
PHS Parents’ Club, Vice-President

As we continue to work on attendance, we also want to empower students and give them more agency. As such, students will not receive a daily email at approximately 4 pm if they have been tardy to one or more classes. The message will say something to the effect of: Please check your attendance in Infinite Campus. If you feel this is in error, please reach out to the teacher(s) that marked you tardy.

While parents will continue to receive the auto-calls each day, this also is an extra layer that goes to your child. We hope that this will help our students monitor their attendance and ensure eligibility each period.

Our library team has been hard at work organizing our collection, cataloging new items, and making monthly displays. For November, there are displays for Native American History Month as well as an “Cozy Reads” section and an "Ofrenda" for Dia de los Muertos made by the Spanish Department. Our Librarian Anjuna Lohnes has finished reorganizing the nonfiction section, and it is a major improvement. Take a walk through and you just might find something you like!

-PHS Library Team

The Deadline to register for AP tests without the College Board imposed $40 late fee is Friday, November 6th. Remember that you need to complete BOTH steps before a test can be ordered. Currently there are 728 tests that students have indicated they plan to take, but only 502 exams have been paid for in Infinite Campus. Tests can still be ordered after November 6th, however they will cost $40 more.

STEP 1 - Your student should log-in to their College Board account and indicate which exams should be ordered. Instructions on how to do this can be found here. All students should have access to their teacher's AP course page. If you do not complete this step for each exam, an exam will not be ordered. If students have questions about this, they should contact their teacher.

STEP 2 - Log-in to the Infinite Campus School Store and purchase each exam your student plans to take. We cannot order an exam for you until payment has been received.

Interested in taking an exam for a course we don't offer? - Please fill out the survey here. We may offer additional exams if enough students sign-up.

Based on your responses to our survey (see link below), we are adding the AP Physics 1 exam to our list of tests offered this Spring. If your student is interested in signing up, follow the 2-step ordering process using the Join Code given below:

• AP Physics 1 (Join Code: LGRX4N )

Other recently added exams:

• AP Macroeconomics (Join Code: Z2VEAL )
• AP Microeconomics (Join Code: 9DEPDV)
• AP US Government & Politics (Join Code: 46X3X4)
• AP Statistics (Join Code: R9E266)

Because we want to make sure our students are healthy upon their return, we will need a doctor's note for more than two (2) days of absences. Otherwise, the absences will become unexcused.

This is the last week to get a purple Giving Campaign sign for your yard! Make your gift to the Giving Campaign by Sunday, November 1, and a sign is yours. Let’s turn every street in town purple and show our teachers and staff that Piedmont families stand behind them.

Why it matters: Piedmont families have backed our schools for more than 50 years. PEF was founded in 1975 and has since granted more than $60 million to our schools. Today, public funding still falls short of what it costs to educate our kids. This year, the gap is $2,528 per student. Your gift helps fund teachers, small class sizes, counselors, specialists, art, and music. Every family, any amount. It takes all of us.

Give at www.piedmontedfoundation.org/donate

2027 PHS Graduation Names form

We wanted to do a special thank you to Dress Best for Less. They have given a lot to Piedmont schools over the years, including PHS. They continue to provide our site-wide subscription to the NY Times each year. This is available to all students and staff. They also contributed $30,000 the Wellness Center and help fund a wellness position. We are so appreciative of your support.

If any student at PHS would like volunteer hours, please reach out to Ms Yamamoto at nagisa2000@gmail.com.

Ready for fame, glory, and a place in school history? The Mascot program is expanding, and cast and crew recruitment starts now! A few standout performers and collaborative coordinators will be chosen to join the iconic Harvey the Highlander team.

Have fun and earn community service hours. Tryouts and interviews will be held in mid-November. Sign up using the QR code, and email Dr. Yoshihara with any questions.

The Mascot is an ambassador for Piedmont High School, and the embodiment of Highlander pride! The Mascot performs at PHS rallies, sporting events, awards ceremonies, graduations, fundraisers, and community events.

The Mascot Manager is the Mascot’s sidekick and behind-the-scenes partner. They help coordinate appearances and costume care, work with school groups on event plans, and help develop choreography and performances with spirit leaders. At events, the Manager guides the Mascot, keeps them safe, and helps bring the fun to life.

Team members are encouraged to train for both roles, but specialists are welcome.

Please fill out this form if you're interested!

Seniors- Q1 grades- Did you apply Early Decision? Please check your email or college application portal to see if the college is requiring Q1 grades. You must email your counselor to have these grades sent in. We do not automatically send in Q1 grades.

Community College Night- Check the College and Career Center newsletter about this informational night, Nov. 3, Library at 6pm-7:30. Its a great opportunity to learn about taking classes at a community college, transfer programs, and post high school opportunities.

Raffi Banin, a senior as PHS, has been named a Semifinalist for the 2027 class of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program. 1,227 high school seniors were selected as Semifinalists from a pool of more than 113,000 submitted applications from across the country based on their academic excellence, leadership, and service demonstrated in school and community activities.

As a semifinalists, Raffi is in the running for 150 college scholarships worth $20,000. We wish him the best as he enters phase 2 of this prestigious competition. It will include essays, a recommendation, and transcript analysis.

• We are wrapping up the college rep visits with 8 more between now and November 12th. If you have a 9th or 10th grade student who has not yet attended a visit, it might be worth their time to to attend one before the fall visits are over.
• In addition we have 2 evening events coming to campus in the next 2 weeks: How to Pay for College on 10/28 from 6-7:30pm in the library and Community College Night 11/3 from 6-7:30pm in the library. Please pre-register so we know how many to expect. Both events are open to all grade levels/students/parents/guardians to learn more and plan ahead.
• Lastly, I'm available to read senior's essays or answer any questions they may have. There is a link on the PHS College and Career website for 30 minute meetings.

Hello! My name is Malea Lewis and I am so excited that I have had the opportunity to join the Piedmont community as a para this year! I am originally from Modesto and moved to the Bay Area in 2022 and have never looked back!

I have been working as a para on and off for about 3 years, mostly in Modesto and Berkeley. My absolute favorite part about being a para has to be the connection that you are able to make with students and being able to see the progress that they make throughout the year, both academically and personally.

In my spare time I love to travel, hike, camp, and of course spend as much time as I can with my dog, Winston. My goal is to visit every National Park in the U.S. So far, I have been to 17/63 and although incredibly hard to choose, my favorite is either Olympic or Crater Lake (subject to change at any moment).

I am so excited to be here at PHS and cannot wait to get to know everyone better!

We realize we have been enforcing this, but starting with winter sports, at any ticketed event (e.g. men's & women's basketball) students will need an Activities Sticker on their ID card for free entry. Otherwise, you will need to purchase a ticket to enter. You will also need to you have your ID on you at all times to show that you are a PHS student. Single game tickets for youth will be $6.

Lastly, as we wrap up fall sports, for any playoff game that is ticketed, you must purchase these. The Activities Sticker is not included for playoff games.

[Updated] We will also add the ASB Athletics and Activity Card back to the IC Store if a student wants to purchase one outside of the value package. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Marik.

Upcoming Grade Level Meetings:

10th Grade: Facilitators: Judy Lin, Yoko Ichikawa & Anne Hawkins. Please RSVP to hawkins42@gmail.com for location information.

• Thursday, November 19: 8:45-10:15 am

• Wednesday, December 16: 7:00-8:30 pm

11th Grade: Facilitators: Maggie Mittan, Sarah Puckett & Catherine Minor. Please RSVP to maggie.mittan@gmail.com for location information:

• Wednesday, November 18: 7:30-9:00 pm

• Wednesday, December 16: 7:30-9:00 pm

12th Grade: Please RSVP by 11/8 to Jude Sachs: judesachs1@gmail.com

• Tuesday, November 17: 7:00-8:30 pm

• A Shout Out to Kim Hunter and Nairobi Kim for their leadership in organizing the reception for our Spanish Cultural Exchange students and staff.