Parent Newsletter #14: 10/24/25

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 are at our last weekend prior to the end of Daylight Savings Time. Enjoy the evening sun for one more Sunday as it may really begin to feel like fall next week. Next week should be fun as we head into Halloween on Friday with a few spirit days ahead of that.

We ask that parents please help us by filling out the phone survey below and your children can also fill out the student survey. This will be important in informing the Board of potential changes to our Cell Phone Policy for 2026-27.

Warmly,

Dr. Yoshihara

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

October 28: Consent Assembly Preview Night (7 pm, AHT)

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

October 29: Financial Aid Night (rescheduled, 6-8pm, Library)

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

November 2: Daylight Savings Time ends

November 4: Community College Night (6-8 pm, Library)

November 7: Regular deadline for AP Ordering (info below) [late add]

November 13: Boosters Meeting (7 pm, Student Center)

November 17: Additional College Admissions Workshop (6-8 pm, Library)

In response to Board direction provided last school year, we are following up in regards to our newly implemented cell phone policy. We need to gather information from our different stakeholder groups (students, parents, and staff) to provide to the Board. This will allow them to give recommendations on future actions that may be warranted in relation to our cell phone policy.

You may get more information about this third-party survey here. We then ask that parents/guardians fill out the survey at the link below. I will also provide the student survey, which your children should fill out. That information was sent as a direct email to them earlier today. We would like all of these surveys to close on November 3. Please reach out if you have any questions.

• Parent Cell Phone Survey
• Student Cell Phone Survey (this was directly emailed to students earlier today)

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. The first half of the meeting will be a regular Parents' Club meeting, and the second half will be led by faculty, administrators, and school board members regarding World History course offerings. We welcome all parents/guardians of PHS students to our meetings and hope you will attend. Here is the agenda:

PHS Parents' Club Meeting - October 27, 2025, 6:00-7:30 pm

Alan Harvey Theater Lobby

Agenda

I. Welcome

II. Approval of September 19, 2025 Minutes - Vote

III. Announcements/Reminders

A. November Meeting on Zoom

B. Library Volunteers Update

C. Giving Campaign Update

IV. Planning for November Meeting - Ideas for topics to discuss with PPD Officer Diaz

V. Administrative Staff Report - Dr. Yoshihara (including update on AP course offerings)

VI. Adjourn

Transition to World History Course Offerings Meeting - Presentation and Discussion Led by Faculty, Administrators, and School Board (Approximately 6:45 pm)

Happy Weekend,

Sally Baack and Dana Lung

Co-Presidents, PHS Parents' Club 2025-2026

Please join the PHS Social Studies Department directly after the Parents Club meeting on Monday, 10/27, for a presentation, discussion, and Q & A session about the potential 10th Grade Honors Modern World History course that will be proposed and presented at the Nov. 12th PUSD Board Meeting. The Parents Club meeting starts at 6pm and this presentation will begin at approximately 6:30pm and both will be held in the Alan Harvey Theater lobby.

ASB has some exciting events lined up for next week. We invite all our students to partake in the spirit.

Dress-up Days

• Wednesday 10/29: Comfy/cozy Wednesday
• Thursday 10/30: Fall Flannel Thursday
• Friday 10/31: Wear your costume!

Lunch events

• Monday: Halloween Trivia @ the quad! Come for the chance to win candy
• Tuesday: Scavenger Hunt! Come to the quad to pickup your card with riddles for where to find items. First 3 people back with all required items win Boo Baskets!
• Wednesday: Carnival @ the quad! Games, donuts, candy, music, henna, and more fun!
• Thursday: Trick-or-Treat! Go around to teachers and pickup candy at lunch! Find out which teachers you can go to at the table in the quad
• Friday: Costume contest @ the quad! Come take a photo in your costume for a chance to win a Mulberry’s sandwich!

With Halloween just a week away, we wanted to provide some guidance on costumes. While we hope many of you may want to enjoy the spirit of the day, we also want people to feel safe and included. As such, the following is provided as guidance for Halloween at PHS this year:

• Costumes should not cover the face, beyond a typical face mask or hat
• No full face coverage
• Fake weapons of any type are not permitted
• Fake blood is not permitted
• Adult-oriented costumes and costumes that could be deemed offensive should be avoided
• Students showing up in these may be asked to change
• Inflatable costumes should be avoided

We’re one month into the Giving Campaign, and now is the time to join in. Your gift directly supports the heart of our schools: our incredible teachers. In elementary school, they’re the first to notice when a child needs extra support or a new challenge. In middle and high school, they’re the ones who guide students toward their passions through clubs, teams, and countless hours beyond the classroom. Every donation makes a difference for the teachers who make our schools exceptional. Help us meet our goal. PiedmontEdFoundation.org/donate

The community is invited to the Consent Assembly Preview Night on Tuesday, October 28, at 7:00 PM in the Alan Harvey Theater at Piedmont High School.

This event is a full, identical performance of the Consent Assembly that all freshmen and seniors at PHS and MHS will attend during Academy on Wednesday, October 29.

The Consent Assembly features dramatic presentations based on real accounts of sexual violence and consent shared by Bay Area high school students. The assembly is designed to foster empathy and critical thinking by presenting a variety of perspectives, including those of survivors, perpetrators, and bystanders. It promotes a culture of inclusion by exploring diverse relationships and inspiring students to embrace the values of affirmative consent, allyship, effective communication, and healthy relationships. Healthy communities and relationships depend on both belonging and consent, ensuring that each person’s boundaries are respected and everyone feels included.

While the assembly is an important component of consent education, it is also potentially triggering for survivors of sexual harm. During the school-day assembly, Wellness Center counselors will be available, and the library will be open as a safe space for students.

The Consent Assembly has been an important part of education in the Piedmont community since 2007. During the past five years, the Consent Assembly has traveled to other schools -- including Bishop O'Dowd, Menlo-Atherton, Head Royce, Lick Wilmerding, and El Cerrito High School -- to supplement their consent education.

We invite parents, students who will not be attending the assembly during Academy, and all interested community members to the Preview Night on October 28 at 7pm to encourage dialogue across families, fostering a supportive and safe community for everyone.

Parents may choose to opt their children out of the assembly pursuant to Education Code sections 51938-39.

Restorative Justice (RJ) focuses on building relationships, fostering community, and repairing harm through dialogue rather than punishment. In schools, RJ Circles create safe spaces for students and staff to share, listen, and strengthen trust and belonging. Circle training offers parents the opportunity to learn about circles and become Circle Keepers by exploring the structure and purpose of community-building circles that foster connection and belonging among families.

Join Circle experts Ina Bendich and Cory Wechsler for a Circle Keeper Training & Refresher on Monday, November 3, from 6:00-8:00pm in the Havens Library. Together, we’ll learn simple, meaningful ways to lead circles that build community. Come as you are and leave ready to create spaces where everyone feels seen and heard.

Please RSVP here and see the flyer.

As we continue to monitor attendance, we want to share updates throughout the year as we monitor the impact of our policies and accountability structures. Below find some data for overall attendance from the start of the year until Friday 10/10 and a comparison to the same timeframe last school year. We are particularly happy to see a 2% increase in attendance for our seniors! Thank you to all who are supporting our students to be at school. Higher average daily attendance leads to more time with teachers and more funding for the school.

Speaking of attendance, I would like to congratulate Julia S. for winning this week's Quest to Zero campaign. Julia, please email the principal on which Crumbl cookie flavor you would like, and you'll have it personally delivered.

For those wondering what this is about, we are working to improve attendance and reduce tardies. This problem is most acute during the first class of the day. As a result, for any student who arrives by 8:15 and comes to me, they can get a "ticket" for a weekly drawing. Each Friday, we will draw a lucky winner to will get a Crumbl cookie.

In addition, I would like to raise the bar and see if we can have a day with 0 tardies. If we are successful, we will allow have special food in the student center. We are looking at warm blueberry and chocolate chip bagels with strawberry cream cheese--yumm!

Again, we must have 0 tardies to the first class on a given day to get this prize. To give some perspective, here is how we did this week:

10/24: 12 tardies to period 2

10/23: 19 tardies to period 1

10/22: 18 tardies to period 2

10/21: 33 tardies to period 1

10/20: 41 tardies to period 1

This is a reminder that today is the first Date of Determination regarding eligibility for sports and other extracurriculars through the end of Semester 1. The admin team will review attendance, tardy, and grades data next week. Students and families have been notified and ineligibility will begin on 10/24. Please see the Student Handbook for information and for details requesting probation (available 1x throughout high school).

Do you enjoy new adventures? Do you like dancing and interacting with others, particularly young children? If so, we have the gig for you!

We are seeking potential students who would like to be the new mascot, Harvie/Harvey The Highlander. You need to be at least 5'8" (to fit into the costume) and available in the evenings as many of the events that are applicable to a mascot take place at events occuring at night.

If you are up for this, or would just like more information, reach out to the principal.

This is just a reminder that if students are interested in dual enrollment in the spring semester, please reach out to your counselor to verify eligibility and get you enrolled in the course. We have two courses that are available only for our students:

• Linear Algebra (3 units on W/F)
• Small Business Management (3 units on T/Th)

These courses do receive the extra grade point for GPA calculation purposes. The college must make a determination in the coming month if the numbers justify running the course. Low enrollment will likely result in cancellation of the course. Please email the principal if you have any questions.

Dear Students/Families and teachers,

I’m excited to announce that we are opening registration for the Spring 2026 China Trip (previously limited to Chinese Program students) to all current Piedmont High School students, their parents/legal guardians, and teachers in PUSD!

The trip will be organized by IPERC, the nonprofit student exchange organization that coordinated last year’s China trip. This spring’s trip will take place over 10 days (April 3–12 or April 4–13, exact dates TBA) and will be a private trip exclusively for Piedmont students, their parents/guardians, and teachers.You can find detailed trip information, including the itinerary, cost, and inclusions, in the attached brochure. (Please see the flyer and the detailed slides)

Please reach out to Ms. Xia for more information.

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.

The Deadline for ordering AP exams without incurring a late fee 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 final 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.

STEP 2 - Log-in to the Infinite Campus School Store and place an order for all exams your student plans to take. Note: Parents - Join Code no longer needed for this step.

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.

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!

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 29: 7:00-8:30 pm. Please RSVP by Saturday Oct. 25 for location..Topic: College Choices: What’s the best fit for your child?

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:

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

Facilitators: Judy Lin, Yoko Ichikawa, Anne Hawkins

RSVP: hawkins42@gmail.com for location information

Upcoming Meetings:

• Tuesday, December 9: 7:00-8:30 pm

• A Shout Out to Andrew C. for always bringing his dancing shoes to Yacht Rock on Fridays. His carefree and "happy" attitude is contagious. I have a lot to learn.