Dear PUSD Community,

Welcome back! I hope you had a restful spring break and enjoyed time with friends and family. As we approach the end of the school year, I’d like you to look at springtime as an opportunity for growth.

In this week’s update, we’re rooting for our LEARNs students. We also have important information regarding financial aid, educational competitions, and programs that inspire the joy of learning. Take a minute to catch up on the latest PUSD news and have a great week!

Sincerely,

Brian McDonald, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Congratulations to the participants and winners of the 2023 Pasadena LEARNs Cheer and Dance Competition! More than 150 students in grades TK-8 from schools across the district competed in the categories of cheer, dance, and step. About 400 family members, friends, and community supporters came out to cheer on our cheerleaders at the event hosted at John Muir High School last month.

Let your imagination flow in the 2023 Water is Life Art Contest. All K-12 students who live within the Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) service territory are encouraged to enter the contest sponsored by PWP and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Each year, participating students submit artwork portraying a water-wise theme, along with a short message about water conservation. Both digital and hand-drawn/painted artwork are welcome. Download the contest guidelines and required poster information card. All entries must be submitted by June 2, 2023. Visit PWPweb.com/ArtContest for more information.

The California Department of Education encourages you to annually recognize April as National Poetry Month.

Someday, you could be a famous poet.

April is National Poetry Month.

Don’t you know it?

Take a shot at a rhyme.

Write it down any time.

A poem a day

might keep blues and boredom away.

PS - if you’d rather compose a sonnet,

Be our guest, get right on it!

For more ways to celebrate, visit https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/30-ways-celebrate-national-poetry-month.

Every April is recognized as National Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy Month. At least 24 languages are spoken and multiple ethnicities represented in PUSD and more than 2000 students are learning to speak English proficiently. We embrace all multilingual learners. In addition, PUSD's Dual Language Immersion and World Language programs enable students from preschool to high school to master academic subjects in both English and a target language (Spanish, Mandarin, French, or Armenian). Check out our Language Road Map here.

PUSD high school students can reach for the stars, or at least learn about them, through Caltech’s Planet Finder Academy. The program features a one-week summer course and six Saturdays during the 2023-24 school year. It includes the chance to conduct hands-on experiments and learn about the universe, its galaxies, stars, and planets. Applications are due this week – April 15 – and space is limited, so apply ASAP!

The College Access Plan (CAP) is offering an “Understanding Financial Aid Offers Workshop” in English on April 13th and in Spanish on April 20th. This event is FREE and open to all PUSD seniors and their families. The workshop will be hosted on Zoom and the link will be emailed to participants in advance. Registration closes 24 hours prior to the webinar. tinyurl.com/pusd23

We Make Schools Better! PUSD's Family and Community Engagement Office and our partners at Pasadena Education Network (PEN) are excited to host a fun, interactive in-person workshop for parents and caregivers on Saturday morning, April 15 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Participants will come away with:

• Proven strategies for connecting with teachers, school staff and other parents/caregivers

• Practical advice on how to frame conversations when you have a question or concern

• Concrete ways to move beyond reaction to constructive actions that benefit all students at your school

• Information that will help you find the right place to get involved

Whether you are new to PUSD, looking to reconnect since the pandemic, or a PUSD parent who has been around for a while but wants to make more meaningful connections at your school, we hope you will sign up to participate, and encourage other parents from your school to join you. Breakfast and childcare will be provided. There is no cost to attend.

Neighborhood school enrollment continues for:

• TK-12 students who live within PUSD and are entering their school of residence for the first time.

• new to PUSD students entering Transitional Kindergarten. TK students must turn 5 between September 2, 2023 - April 2, 2024.

• Current PUSD students who are advancing to 6th or 9th grades and plan to attend their neighborhood school

Please note: registration is not required for TK-12th grade students to continue at the same school. For example, if a child is moving on from 2nd to 3rd grade at their current neighborhood school, parents are not required to re-register. Please visit www.pusd.us/enroll for more information.

• Regular meeting of the PUSD Board of Education is April 27, 2023, 4:00 p.m. Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room (Room 236), 351 S. Hudson Ave, Pasadena. Agenda at www.pusd.us/Page/639