Parent Newsletter #12: 10/10/25

Website | Phone: (510) 594-2626

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

Parent Newsletter: Archives | Parent Club

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,

We have come to the end of the second reporting period. Teachers will be busy grading and the first eligibility period reports will be run soon thereafter.

We hope everyone enjoys the extra day to rest, enjoy the beautiful weekend, or catch up on learning. We will begin next Tuesday on a regular "Tuesday" schedule.

Warmly,

Dr. Yoshihara

October 13: Indigenous People's Day and non-student day

October 16: Great Shakeout (special schedule)

October 17: Date of Determination (Eligibility for extracurriculars)

October 18: PSAT at PHS

October 27: Parents' Club Meeting (6 pm, AHT Lobby)

October 29: Consent Assembly (Gr 9 & 12, Academy)

November 1: Day of the Dead Celebration (5-7pm, Student Center & Amphitheater)

November 2: Daylight Savings Time ends

On Thursday, 10/16 we will participate in the Great Shakeout Earthquake drill. An important part of the drill is for volunteers to help test our student release and campus security systems. If you are able, please join us from approximately 10 am - 11 am on 10/16. Volunteers will be given a specific role (i.e. walk into the park and try to take your student home). We will be practicing our systems to support families through the process of locating their student(s). Specific assignments will be provided day-of. If you have questions, please reach out to Mr. Marik.

Signup to help at Great Shakeout

This past Wednesday, our School Board approved a number of new courses that will become available for student selection in the 2026-27 school year. The primary reasons for this include:

• More choices for students to explore courses that are interesting to them
• Increasing rigor for underclassmen to allow smoother ramp-up to junior year loads
• Increasing availability of non-STEM courses

We appreciate the Board's boldness to take these steps for our future students. The courses that were approved are:

• AP Business with Personal Finance
• AP Research
• Honors English 3-4
• Honors Art 3
• Honors Ceramics 3

We will provide more information regarding these courses in the future weeks. You may view the entire presentation here.

In recognition of Diwali and to encourage greater parent input into course offering discussions, we have been asked to change the date and time of our next Parents' Club meeting to Monday, October 27, at 6pm in the Alan Harvey Theater lobby. We previously moved the meeting date and time from the original schedule to offer a nighttime meeting for families who find Friday morning meetings challenging. We are keeping with this request, as well as responding to additional feedback from the community and school district. We welcome all parents/guardians of PHS students to our meeting and hope you will join us.

Also, thank you to the PHS Parents' Club Hospitality Team for the wonderful teacher appreciation lunch provided last week in honor of World Teacher Day. It was a delicious and gratifying event.

Have a lovely, long weekend,

Sally Baack and Dana Lung

Co-Presidents, PHS Parents' Club 2025-2026

If your student is planning to take an AP exam this spring, please follow the two-step ordering process below. The early deadline for ordering exams is Friday, November 7th. Exams cost $130 which covers instructional materials, testing materials, proctors, and other costs. Orders placed between November 8th and March 1st, 2026 cost $170, which includes a $40 CollegeBoard imposed late fee. The last day to order is March 1, 2026.

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. Write down the AP class join code for each course you are ordering an exam for. You will need this for step 2.

STEP 2 - Log-in to the Infinite Campus School Store and place an order for all exams your student plans to take. Input the Join Code(s) from Step 1. This will allow us to track ordering with more accuracy.

If you have questions on payment or ordering, please contact our registrar Darlene Low (dlow@piedmont.k12.ca.us)

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.

Starting Tuesday, I will officially begin the "Quest to Zero (tardies)". Each day, starting around 8 am until 8:15 am, I will hand out raffle tickets. Students may enter the campus at the main entrance, get a ticket, and put it in the canister. Each Friday, we will draw a lucky winner who will receive the Crumble cookie of their choice. The winner's name will be announced in the newsletter. Students are eligible for one entry per day. Come by 8:15 am every day to maximize your chances to win!

We have a name! Thanks to all our students that participated in the naming of our mascot. We now have an official name: Harvie/Harvey the Highlander. I would like to thank everyone who participated in this process. It was a lot of fun, and we can now advertise Harvie/Harvey wherever they show up.

PHS and MHS Senior Families

The deadline to purchase a Senior Recognition Ad (placed in the yearbook in the Senior Class Section) at the discounted price is quickly approaching.

Senior Recognition Ads are only available for purchase through Jostens. Please use this link:

Senior Recognition Ad_2026_discount

*discount pricing for ads applied through Oct. 31, 2025

And if you haven’t purchased a yearbook yet for your senior, yearbooks are only available for purchase through Jostens. Please use this link:

PHS Yearbook_Jostens

If you have any questions, please reach out to Melanie McCauley, PHS Yearbook Adviser at

mmccauley@piedmont.k12.ca.us

This is a reminder that we have two deadlines for submitting hours. Please adhere to the schedule below to ensure your hours are counted and accurate. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Marik.

We were able to extend the deadline for tagging a teacher during office hours to 9AM the day of Academy for the month of October.

Because teachers can also now tag a student until midnight the night before, students MUST LOOK at their assignment in Infinite Campus the morning of Academy to look where they are supposed to be for that day's office hours.

We still have four Office Hour Academies in October - Wednesday 10/15, Wednesday, 10/22, Friday 10/24 and Friday 10/31.

So tag a teacher and TAKE ADVANTAGE of support time during Academy.

The Moraga bald eagles aren’t the only stars in town. The Piedmont Education Foundation reports that a flock of flamingos escaped their office last week and are now tree-hopping through Piedmont. The first five photographers to post pics of the fugitive flamingos on Instagram and tag @piedmonteducationfund will win $25 Mulberries gift cards.

The playful stunt kicks off PEF’s 2025–26 Giving Campaign, which aims to raise $5M and reach 100% family participation. So grab your camera and go find those birds!

Class of 2028 Parents are hosting a social. Details are below:

Date: Wednesday Oct 22nd,

Time: 6:30-8:30 PM

Location: 51 & Tel, 5018 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA

- Beverages for purchase

All students should have completed and passed the Digital Citizenship Quiz at this point. Students who have not completed or not passed the quiz (email with score was emailed) will lose access to much of their internet access at the end of next week. An email from Ms. Branisa to take or retake the quiz is going out again this weekend. Please have your student reach out to Ms. Branisa if they have questions.

This is a reminder that our first Date of Determination is on October 17th. We will be reviewing Unexcused Absences, Tardies, and GPA. If a student does not meet minimum expectations, they will be deemed ineligible for all extracurriculars for the next period (10/24 - 1/19). If you have any questions, see Mr. Marik

If your student is leaving early for an appointment, we ask that you send a note with your student and the student drops it off at the front office. A physical note allows us to process immediately and ensure a pass is delivered to the appropriate teacher on time.

Athletes have a few options for storing equipment during the school day when needed:

• Football Team - Please store your equipment in the Witter locker rooms, we are working with coaches to have adequate space available
• Binks - Athletes can check a locker out in Binks for use during their season. Please see Coach Peters to do so.
• STEAM Building Staircase - Athletes can store a bag under the 1st floor staircase in the STEAM building.

We at the DEIB office are finally able to begin offering "The Belonging Space" once again. If you do not know or remember, "The Belonging Space" is held after school every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month in PMS Room 306 as a non-threatening space where students and staff can exist and be validated in their identities. The space is casual and can be used as a safe meeting place, homework space, or just to hang out. Our first day was Thursday, 10/2.

Please see this flyer for more info.

The Giving Campaign is officially underway, and we’re aiming for 100% participation from PHS families. This fundraiser is critical to maintaining excellence in our Piedmont schools, and every gift, at any level, truly makes a difference.

Please consider giving what feels meaningful for your family. To see the impact of your donation, take a moment to watch this short video: Giving Campaign Impact.

If you have any questions - such as where the money goes, how the per-student ask is calculated, or how to donate through a DAF or company match - please don’t hesitate to reach out to your PHS liaisons: Charlotte Ero (charlottevburton@gmail.com) and Cortney Allen (cortney.allen@gmail.com).

Peer Tutoring has officially started! Tag yourself to Peer Tutoring with Mr. Ortak on Wednesdays in rm 127 and Peer Tutoring with Ms. Branisa on Fridays in the Library for homework help, study sessions, and test review. Tutors are well-versed in Biology, Chemistry, Spanish, IM 1, 2 and 3, with more to come. Email peertutoring@piedmont.k12.ca.us with any questions!

Calling all tutors! Any expertise is appreciated, and there is no required attendance. Honors society hours are available for Academy tutoring session you can attend. Tag yourself to Peer Tutoring too. Email peertutoring@piedmont.k12.ca.us with your interest and tutoring focus.

This is a reminder that students must attend school to participate in after school activities (i.e. athletic practice, athletic competition, musical production rehearsal, etc.). See language from our handbook below:

Attendance & Absences Day of Event

A student participating in extracurricular activities may not have any unexcused absences on the day of an extracurricular event in order to participate in the event.

Failure to attend the majority (+51%) of a student's assigned classes prior to time for dismissal for the extracurricular event, even when the absences from these classes are excused by the parent/guardian, will make the student ineligible to participate in the event. In compelling circumstances, the principal or designee may make exceptions to this rule.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Marik.

If you are available on October 18 and can volunteer to help proctor the PSAT, please sign up below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B4AAAAB22A75-58942430-satparent

There will be a virtual training for all volunteers on either September 29 or October 14 at 4:00pm. Zoom information will be sent to volunteers after they sign up. If volunteers can't make the training, all materials will be available for review.

Let’s kick off the school year together!

When: Thursday, October 16 · 6:30–8:30 pm

Where: 51st & Tel

5018 Telegraph Ave. @ 51st St.

Casual attire

The owners are happy for us to bring in food—you can order pizza from Pizzaiolo or delicious Ethiopian from next door. Beverages available for purchase.

Come out and join us - we hope to see you there!

Hosted by: Julia Ruthven, Amelie Kappes, Susan Fizzell & Ramya Srinivasen

What is PPN?

Piedmont Parents Network (PPN) is a parent-run organization that holds monthly meetings to provide parents with the opportunity to meet, connect and discuss issues affecting their child, the school, and our community All parents of students at PHS/PMS/MHS are welcome - there are no membership dues - RSVP and show up!

When are the next meetings?

12th Grade:

Tuesday, October 21: 7:30-9:00 pm

Facilitators: Sara Ironside, Jen Ferguson

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

Meetings for the remainder of the year:

• Wednesday, November 19: 7:30-9:00 pm

• Wednesday, December 17: TBD (tentative date)

• Thursday, January 22: 7:30-9:00 pm

• Wednesday, February 25: 7:30-9:00 pm

• 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:

Wednesday, October 22: 7:00-8:30 pm: College Choices: What’s the best fit for your child? We are still looking for a host for this meeting and seeking input for topics for future meetings. If you have thoughts, please fill out this form: Google Form for 11 Grade

Facilitator: Kristen Brett

RSVP: kbrett@srvusd.net

Meetings for the remainder of the year:

• Thursday, November 20: 7:00-8:30 pm

• Thursday, January 22: 7:00-8:30 pm

• Wednesday, February 25: 7:00-8:30 pm

• Thursday, March 26: 7:00-8:30 pm

• Thursday, April 23: 7:00-8:30 pm

10th Grade

Next Meeting Date: Coming Soon!

Facilitators: Sarah Puckett, Maggie Mittan

RSVP: sarahbeamish@hotmail.com or maggie.mittan@gmail.com to be added to the 10th grade PPN email list.

9th Grade:

Wednesday, October 15: 7:00-8:30 pm: Supporting our kids as they navigate the social landscape and peer pressures of high school.

Facilitators: Judy Lin, Yoko Ichikawa, Anne Hawkins

RSVP: hawkins42@gmail.com for location information

Upcoming Meetings:

• Thursday, November 13: 8:45-10:00 am

• Tuesday, December 9: 7:00-8:30 pm

• Shout Out to Ms. Yun for the generous donation of a keyboard for Ms. Ng's class. It will surely get a lot of miles this coming year and years to follow.
• A big "Thank You" to Ms. Hereso for her keyboard donation to Ms. Guillen's class. Our World Language teachers are so appreciative as we gear up for the World Language competitions this coming year.
• Kudos to Keri Elmquist and the entire team for a smashing Oktoberfest. The list is long but a few honorable mentions are: Chris Hart, Todd Marshburn, Steve Humphries, and Erin Dando.
• Much appreciation to Ms. Wolff for donating her family's keyboard for Ms. Sahagon's class. Another happy World Language teacher. We are so lucky to have such a generous parent community.