Parent Newsletter #33: 4/18/25

Website: https://phs.piedmont.k12.ca.us/
Location: 800 Magnolia Ave, Piedmont, CA 94611
Phone: (510) 594-2626 | Instagram: @piedmonthigh

Parent Newsletter: Archives

2024-25 School Profile | Bell Schedule (Regular)

Road to Graduation | Yearbook Info

College & Career Newsletter | Athletic Newsletter

Principal: Dr. Yoshihara

Assistant Principal: Mr. Marik

Dear Highlander Families,

It has been another fantastic week here in Highlander country. If you haven't had a chance to catch the art show in the AHT lobby, please come on by. We have some amazing student work on display. Tonight is the 56th Annual Bird Calling contest and it should be a lot of fun. Ticket information is below.

We have one more special schedule on Monday for state testing in Science. We remind our students, particularly our juniors, to be well rested ahead of the test day. We invite the community to iSearch night this coming Tuesday at 6:30 pm in the PMS MP Room.

Lastly, we have the spring dance show on Thursday the AHT. Come support our students and the great work they do outside the classroom.

Best,

Dr. Yoshihara

The Bird Calling Contest is here. It got a late start, but thanks to Sally and many others, we are good to go this Friday at 7:30 pm. Please get your tickets ($20/each) now by using on the QR code at the right or the following link: https://piedmontbirdcalling.ludus.com.

Layla Miguel-Reed is the winner of this year's context. We had excellent competition.In addition to the winning selection, 4 Finalists were determined and 7 Honorable Mentions.

April 18: 56th Annual Bird Calling Contest (starts at 7:30 pm, AHT)

April 19: Piedmont Food Fest (starts at 11 am)

April 21: CAASPP Testing--Special Schedule (Science, juniors only)

April 22: iSeach Night (6:30-8:30 pm, PMS MP room)

April 24: Voter Education/Registration & Music (lunch in the quad)

April 24: Piedmont Adult School 50 yr Anniversary (6 pm, 801 Magnolia)

April 24: Spring Dance Show (7-8:30 pm, AHT)

April 26: Senior Prom

April 30: Cap & Gown Disbursement (10am-1pm, seniors only)

April 30: Supt Advisory Council (cell phone discussion)

May 1: Phantasmagoria (PHS/MHS Talent Show)

May 5-9: Teacher Appreciation Week

May 6: National Teacher Appreciation Day

May 14: Board Meeting (7 pm, likely cell phone policy to be on the agenda)

May 15: Guitar Exhibition (5-7 pm, engineering lab)

Wednesday and Friday will be Academic Support for all. Remember to tag a teacher!

Link to FlexiSched: https://piedmont.flexisched.net/

We will have a special testing schedule on Monday 4/21. All 11th grade students will be completing the CA Science test. All 9th, 10th, and 12th grade students will be taking the Map Reading Growth test. Students will be receiving an email from Mr. Marik with specific instructions.

Prom will be on Saturday, April 26th at a to-be-announced venue! Students should arrive to campus at 5:15 pm and meet near the ramp between the STEAM building and the student center. All students will be breathalyzed & searched. No backpacks or big bags but small purses are OK. All students and guests must have the appropriate permission slips in place. All students and guests must take bus to and from venue. If you have any questions, please see Marik.

Teacher appreciation week is quickly approaching and with it so is the end of the school year!

Please join us in celebrating our wonderful teachers and staff at PHS! Please sign up and donate what you can!

Thanks so much for all your support!

PHS Hospitality Team

Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

On April 24th (Thursday), Alameda County will be on campus at lunch for voter education and registration. In addition, Wild 94.9 will be there doing some tunes for our students. Come check it out!

All students signed up for APUSH for the 25- 26 school year will be REQUIRED to take an entrance assessment and take notes on a chapter from the class textbook. The assessment will be for educational purposes only - it will not count toward their grade or be used by the school to determine eligibility for the class. If they do not take the assessment they will be dropped from the class. The assessment is administered Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (April 21-23) during World History, Lunch and Academy, respectively. Sign ups for taking the exam during academy and lunch are outside the counseling office.

For the 2025-26 school year, four eligible students (two from Millennium High School and two from Piedmont High School) will be chosen to serve on the Piedmont Unified Board of Education. One member will serve in the fall semester and one in the spring semester from each high school. The student board members will function as a preferential voting member of the Board.

Here is the link to the application.

The Piedmont community is invited to join the PHS English Department and freshmen parent representatives for the 9th Grade I-Search Celebration and public viewing on Tuesday, April 22 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm in the PMS multipurpose room.

All freshmen have now completed their own guided research in the I-Search project and have demonstrated their exemplary efforts and talents as writers, thinkers and researchers.

The projects are outstanding examples of what our students are questioning about their world and how they convey this information to others. These 15-30+ page documents represent nine weeks or more of intense effort and learning about writing, researching skills, and solid reflecting about the process. Students have also conducted interviews to deepen their understanding of their topics and form their own conclusions. The freshmen English teachers Jamie Mockel, Wade Wilgus, and Eduardo Wolbert know that members of the Piedmont community have helped guide students in their process and invite all of you to come see their final projects.

Come and explore research papers on topics ranging from the benefits of gene editing to the drive of an athlete and the emergence of flag football to the economics of climate change. These projects are meaningful works that deserve a larger audience beyond the English classroom so we hope that you will come to share in their accomplishment. The event will run from 6:30 - 8:30pm.

Questions can be directed to English department member, Beth Black at bblack@piedmont.k12.ca.us.

Dear Ninth Grade Families,

Please join the PHS English Department on Tuesday, April 22nd, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM in the PMS Multipurpose Room, for an informative and engaging evening. We will be celebrating our 9th graders in completing their I-Search projects! For the past nine weeks, our children have demonstrated their exemplary efforts and talents as writers, thinkers and researchers, and now it’s time to show them how extraordinarily proud we are of their work. These projects are meaningful works that deserve a larger audience beyond the English classroom, so we hope that you will come with your child to share in their accomplishment.

We need a few parent volunteers to help with set-up and clean-up. We would also appreciate donations for refreshments. Please sign up if you are able to help in any way.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EAEAD28A4FD0-56344309-9thgrade

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

Your 9th Grade Parent Representatives

Claire Arno (parent of Piper)

Liz Cha-Foster (parent of Jonah)

Cassie Cyphers (parent of Colt)

Michelle Heafey (parent of Sean)

Tiffany Hong (parent of Chloe)

Is your child a professional athlete? In the entertainment industry? Or, in need of an online independent study program?

This year PUSD launched an Independent Study Program (ISP) for qualifying students in grades 9-12. Independent Study is a hybrid program that allows qualifying students to complete their high school requirements, with most of the work completed online and on-campus meetings at least once a week.

Key Features:

• Uses the Accelerate Education platform, with students completing ~5 hours of independent work daily.
• Weekly 1-hour individual meetings with an ISP teacher for mentoring, tutoring, and organization.
• Optional daily virtual synchronous sessions for core subjects.
• In-person attendance required for PSAT/SAT, state testing, and specific college/career events.

Application Process:

1. Submit the PUSD electronic application linked HERE, including a student-written letter.
2. Attend a Student Success Team (SST) meeting with stakeholders.
3. Receive acceptance and next steps upon qualifying.

Program Highlights:

• Students remain enrolled in their current high school (PHS or MHS).
• ISP provides a flexible, alternative instructional strategy aligned with district curriculum and graduation requirements.
• Access to A–G approved courses and equivalent standards-aligned content.

More information is linked HERE. For additional questions, please contact Principal Irma Muñoz Daniels at imunozdaniels@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Dual enrollment is coming to PHS. We want to express appreciation to our teachers for working with us in ensuring students have access to high level curriculum beyond what we currently offer, while maintaining a robust program for all. We also want to thank our Board for the vision to allow our Highlanders to excel academically.

We plan to offer Math 3C in the fall on the PHS campus. This five unit advanced math course will cover partial differentiation: Jacobians, transformations, multiple integral, theorems of Green and Stokes, differential forms, vectors and vector functions, geometric coordinates and vector calculus. Students will need to have successfully completed Calculus BC to enroll in this course.

The course is scheduled to be offered Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:20-3:35 pm. and will follow the college calendar. PHS Counselors will be reaching out to all students who expressed interest in a dual enrollment course and meet the prerequisite to verify enrollment and go over the next steps to begin enrollment in the class for the fall semester.

We are excited about this new opportunity for our students. Questions may be directed to the Principal.

Piedmont and Millennium High School are beginning their Food Drive for Alameda County Food Bank! This year, the food drive will begin April 14th and will have a website set up for cash donations. We have high hopes to reach our goal of $4000 in donations! One dollar donated is two meals for those in need. To spark a sense of friendly competition in our community, the highest donating 4th period will receive a pizza and donut party! Please do what you can for our county and help those in need. A link and access to donations will be released on April 14th.

This past Tuesday, we were fortunate to have a Holocaust survivor speak to our 9th and 10th grade students during Academy. This was a moving experience and our students were amazing listeners. If anyone would like to see a video of the event, you may do so via the links below.

• Video Part 1 (it does start a bit late) -- will ask you to download due to file size (approx 3.5 GB)
• Video Part 2 (it splits due to file size)

The PHS Art Show will be in the Theater Lobby from 4/17- 4/25. Everyone is invited to join us on Thursday, 4/17 for the Opening Reception from 5:30-7:30pm. The PHS Art Show features artwork from all of our Art 1-3, Ceramics 1-4, and Digital courses. Students will each choose 2-3 works to feature in the show.

We have had a number of people ask about general spirit wear for students, parents, and anyone who wants to support PHS. It took us some time to find a local vendor and mockups for the designs. We think we have some fun spirit wear for anyone who may be interested. Lots of purple and lots of school spirit. Please go to Infinite Campus (School Store) to pick out the items and sizes you want.

Sizes are available in children and adult. We will need to have 12 items total before we can place the order with the vendor. It will then take about 10 business days to receive. The first order may be a little slower as we learn how to make this work. Please email PHS admin if you have any questions.

And for all you Σ Hunters, we have the gear for you. Check it out in the IC School Store as well and wear your apparel proudly. Only you get to participate in the Hunt!

Seniors, don't forget to buy your Prom tickets now! You don't want to miss out on this unforgettable night. Dinner, dancing, and entertainment. Transportation included. This year's theme is Masquerade Ball, so get ready for a night of mystery, glamour, and magic. Tickets on the Piedmont Store. Prom is Saturday, April 26th.

If your senior did not get their ticket at brunch this week, please contact Natalie Williamson - natalie.williamson@gmail.com.

Gather your team to create one of the novelty holes for Piedmont's 2nd annual Pop-Up Putt-Putt Course!

The 18-hole course will be set up in the Piedmont Park Parking Lot and feature community entries from neighborhoods, families, schools and local organizations. After the course is installed on the morning of April 27th, it will be open for community play from 12:00–4:00 pm!

How to Enter

Those interested in designing a hole for the course should fill out an entry the form (click the button below or HERE). Deadline to enter is April 10th. Get creative, clever and have fun with your design!

There will be prizes for Best Overall Entry, Most Creative, Most Clever and Best Use of Recycled Materials!

Piedmont Pop-Up Putt-Putt & Picnic in the Park

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Course Open for Play: 12:00–4:00 pm

Piedmont Park Parking Lot

In case you need a few ideas to get the ball a rollin’…

This week's student is Darcy McKee. Thank you for getting your responses to me. We start off by having Mr. Christensen share some thoughts on Darcy.

1. What quality(ies) best describes this student? Considerate and kind, politely tenacious, positive influence, ambitious and generous.
2. How long have you known the student? one semester, she joined APCSA at semester and caught herself up with cumulative curriculum already
3. What is the most memorable event you have of this student? Darcy always enters the room full of encouragement and with her constant regard for others' circumstances. One day when entering, her response to the standard greeting "How are you Darcy?", she sweetly said "I'm ok". When showered with faux overreaction "What's wrong Darcy?, Are you being bullied?, are you stressed out?" She lit up the room with her infectious smile and said "I'm great, I just chose a different adjective".
4. How does this student Achieve the Honorable? Darcy navigates the pressures and expectations of high school with consistent patience and kindness for her peers and the entire PHS community.
5. If there was one word to describe this student, what would it be? Delightful

And from Darcy herself:

1. So far this year, what has been your most memorable experience? My most memorable experience has been performing and sharing snacks with the pit orchestra for the musical this year.
2. If you were to describe PHS to someone who is thinking about coming, what would you say to them? PHS has high academic standards and friendly teachers. This school is a great place to collaborate with highly motivated peers and hear about the interesting things they do with their time.
3. If you were in charge at PHS, what is one action you might take to make it better? I would give underclassmen more opportunities to take challenging weighted classes so there is less of a pressure to cram them in Junior and Senior year. I would also look for more ways to prioritize support and compensation for teachers.
4. If you could share one sentence with your parents/guardians, what would you say? "Y'all are better parents than you think you are".
   
5. What is your favorite word? Sepulcher
   
6. What is your favorite song? Dream Girl Evil by Florence + the Machine
7. What is your favorite food? Popcorn of any type, especially white cheddar or caramel.
8. Can you share a photo of something from your summer and why it is special to you? This is a photo of my Spanish exchange partner Noa and I at the Oakland zoo. It was a blast sharing American culture with her and I can't wait to visit her during Spring Break.

• A shout out to Keri Elmquist and her work leading our Boosters group. Athletics is such a large part of our school culture, and she does yeoman's work leading this group and the diverse interest each month (and in-between). Thank you for all you do!
• Deep appreciation to Sally Baack for leading the Bird Calling Contest at such a late stage. Also thanks to Rebecca and Sandy for the technical support in AHT. Lastly, kudos to Trevor and all the jazz band students for the wonderful music to accompany.
• A huge "thank you" to Gillian and Hannah for the beautiful art presentation in the AHT lobby. I am so impressed by the quality of work of our students. Every Highlander in our art program was represented in this amazing exhibition.

Thanks to all those that participated in the Highlander Trivia question in the last newsletter. With the break, everyone got an extra week too.

The question for last week was: We are fortunate that our families and homeowners are so supportive of our schools. At the same time, we have limitations in what we can provide to our students in comparison to other schools. As a point of reference, all schools have a discretionary fund. For the current year, at the time of this trivia question, what is the budget of the schools (principal's) discretionary fund? The correct answer to this is $17,649.

We had good participation, and we have a repeat winner. Congratulations to Dennis Sidbury who got the closest with his answer of $25,000. Please come to the main office at your convenience to claim your prize!