The Willard Weekly
November 8, 2026
Congratulations to Ms. Yee's Class!
Congratulations to Ms. Yee's class for winning October's Attendance Challenge. Her class had the highest class attendance average at 95.63%! (Ms. Yee's class will select a little class treat to celebrate.) Way to go, Wildcats!
Innovation Exposition for K - 5th Grade
Are you interested in participating in this year's Innovation Exposition? If so, please register your interest to participate HERE by November 16th. If needed, we will have a pre-judging event to determine which projects go on to the district level on November 18th. See all the categories below. Good luck!
Attendance - Excuse an Absence
Do you need to report your child's absence?
Please email Ms. Carina Bermejo:
bermejo.carina@pusd.us. You can also reach her at extension 58001, or you can send a note with your child.
Remember, please report the absence within five (5) days of the return from an absence, so that it doesn't turn into an Unexcused Absence. Thank you!
November 9th: School Tour @ 8:15am
On Monday, we will have our monthly School Tour. Please help us spread the word to friends and families interested in learning more about Willard. Thank you!
November 10th: Enrollment Applications for Sibling and Continuing Program Priority for Fall 2027 CLOSE
Who can apply?
Siblings: Incoming siblings of an enrolled PUSD student who live at the same address and will attend the same school at the same time
Continuing Program Priority: PUSD students advancing to 6th or 9th grade and continuing in the same program at the next school (IB, magnet, dual language immersion, Math Academy)
Important Dates
Apply at pusd.schoolmint.com: Oct. 20, 2026, 9 AM - Nov. 10, 2026
Results Available Online by Dec. 3, 2026, 11:59 PM
Accept school offers by Dec. 11, 2026
November 11th: Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL
On Wednesday, there will be no school in observance of Veterans Day. To our family members who have served or continue to serve, we'd like to thank you!
November 13th: Coffee with the Principal @ 8:00
On Friday, we will have our monthly Coffee with the Principal in the library. Come join us for informal conversation, hear school updates, and ask questions. Thank you!
November 16th: Fire Drill @ 12:00pm
On Monday, 11/16, we will have our monthly Fire Drill at 12:00pm. The school will be closed and staff unavailable during the drill. We thank you in advance for your understanding.
November 17th: Field Trip to the Armory Center for the Art (Mrs. Reyes)
On Tuesday, 11/17, Mrs. Reyes's class will have a field trip to the Armory Center for the Arts. Please contact your child's teacher for details.
November 18th: PTA Restaurant Night @ The Habit
On Wednesday, 11/18, our PTA will host its monthly restaurant night at The Habit. Join us for a tasty dinner while supporting our school.
November 20th: Shortened Day - School Ends at 12:35pm
On Friday, 11/20, we will have a Shortened Day. Please mark your calendars. Our after school programs will be available at that time.
November 20th: CA Healthy Kids Survey Closes
On Friday, November 20th, the California Healthy Kids Parent Survey closes. Please take a moment to fill out the survey and let us know how we are doing, if you haven't already. Thank you!
The survey is available at: https://wested.ugam-apps.com/wested/ts/2sfm
Thank you!
November 23rd - 27th: Thanksgiving Break
i-Ready For Families Report
We are excited to share that you can now access the For Families report with your student’s results on their i-Ready Inform™* for Reading and/or for Mathematics assessment through their i-Ready student dashboard. The i-Ready Inform Reading assessment is given to students in grades 3-12, the Mathematics assessment is given to students in grades K-12.
How can I access my student’s results?
Log in to your student’s i-Ready account. Use the district or school’s portal credentials and then click the i-Ready icon. Students in Pasadena Unified School District access i-Ready via Clever.
Select the Subject (Reading for grades 3-12, and Math) tab.
Click on the For Families dropdown and select the For Families report.
Select a language for the report.
Enter your district’s report code NPXTLF.
Thank you again for your continued partnership and support of your student’s learning. Please contact your student’s teacher with any questions.
Metro Tap Cards for 26-27
Here is some important information to help get you started:
- Physical TAP cards are the same as last year, so students who already have a card may continue using it.
- Activation codes issued during the 2025-26 school year will remain active until September. Once those codes expire, we begin issuing this year's activation codes to students who need them.
- Please let Ms. Medina know if you need a replacement card or new code @ medina.maria@pusd.us.
- Ms. Medina will be here every Monday & Tuesday to provide in person support or you can email her your question.
Parent Portal
You need to verify your data yearly, but only need to register your account one time, while your child is in a PUSD school. Please see the any staff member in the main office for your Verification Code. Instructions and details can be found HERE and our Community Assistant, Ms. Medina, is available every Monday & Tuesday to help. Thank you!
Arrival Traffic Procedures
Please follow drop off procedures to ensure the safety of our students. Please plan for about 3-5 minutes during drop off.
Please pull forward to the first cone to drop off in front of Willard (heading Southbound).
After you drop your child off please continue south on Madre St. DO NOT park in the drop off lane - No Parking signs are posted.
Both lanes of traffic should “zipper merge” as they approach the crosswalk. (That is one car at a time from each lane.)
Please DO NOT drop off your child in the middle of the street and ask them to run to the sidewalk.
Please do not make a u-turn on Thorndale. There is no drop off staff lot.
If you would like to walk your child onto campus please park in the neighborhood and walk to campus. (Please do not park in the staff parking lot.)
We thank you in advance for helping us keep our students safe.
No Drop Off or Parking in Staff Lot
We would like to remind our families that there is no Drop Off or Parking in the Staff Parking Lot. We have many staff members arriving in the morning looking to get to their classrooms and offices on time. (Families with a handicap placard are exempt.) Please help us be ready for your students by following this policy. Thank you!
Uniform Dress Code Policy
We would like to remind everyone that Willard has a Uniform Dress Code Policy. We have a number of students not adhering to our Uniform Policy. We will begin enforcing Dress Code policy, asking students to change, and calling home.
Why Uniform Dress Code?
Uniforms contribute to a positive school climate. Students are less distracted by what they or their peers are wearing and focus better on school. This reduces potential bullying and peer conflict. It also helps create community and cohesion as a school. (Uniforms, also, make morning dress routines easier as there is no need to decide what to wear.)
School Uniform/ Dress Code
The Willard School community supports the uniform dress code policy, which was adopted in 2003. The dress code requires all students to dress in white or navy tops with navy blue bottoms.
The acceptable “tops” for Willard students are:
T-Shirts Solid - with no logos/imprint (except for Willard Wear)
Polo-type shirts
Full cut standard shirt
Willard IB Wear (including IB green shirts)
All of the above must be white or navy blue
The acceptable “bottoms” for Willard students are:
Pants, shorts, skirts, or jumpers
Blue jeans are not allowed
All of the above must be navy blue
Please note that the following are not permitted as part of our dress code: sandals, short shorts, blouses or shirts exposing midriff, spaghetti straps, and tank tops.
Please support Willard’s dress code policy by requiring your child/children wear the uniform everyday.
NOVEMBER
- 11/8 Diwali
- 11/9-11/13 PTA Read-A-Thon Fundraiser
- 11/9 School Tour at 8:15am
- 11/11 Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL
- 11/13 Coffee with the Principal @ 8:00am
- 11/16 Fire Drill @ 12pm
- 11/17 Armory Field Trip (Mrs. Reyes)
- 11/18 PTA Restaurant Night at The Habit
- 11/20 IB Awards and Presentations Assembly
- 11/20 Shortened Day - School Dismissed @ 12:35pm
- 11/23-11/27 Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL
Willard Annual Fund
The Willard Annual Fund is a key source of funding for programs at our school. In the past, the WAF has paid for science lab, language classes, and our library coordinator.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our Annual Fund. Any amount helps. Thank you!
Parent Teacher Association - Join Today!
Please select the link to join. Your membership supports all of our students. Thank you!
Willard's Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/willard_elementary_pasadena/
You can also follow our PTA Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/willardelementarypta/
Both are a great ways to keep up with school events!
French Toast Uniforms Willard Uniforms
French Toast is partnering with our school for uniform sales. (A portion of sales goes toward supporting our school and students.)
