Piedmont Pulse

August 1, 2025

Dear PUSD Families & Staff:

Welcome to the 2025–26 school year! I hope this summer has provided your family with time to relax, recharge, and enjoy time together. We are going to have a great year together, and I cannot wait to share it with you.

It’s hard to believe we begin in a little over a week on August 11th, but here we are, and I look forward to seeing students and families on the first day of school. This year, we will continue to emphasize the value of building meaningful connections between our students, staff, families, and the broader community. Our strategic plan includes the priority: Creating an Environment to Thrive. My commitment to our families and staff is to deepen connections and understanding across our campuses. I am planning to join morning drop-off, visit classrooms, attend staff meetings, offer lunch visits, and hear directly from students, parents and educators. We will continue to build schools where this priority is threaded throughout our community.

We will also take more time on our academic priority: Investing in Outstanding Academics, bringing together staff, students, and parents to discuss academic topics. We will engage our community in discussions of academic rigor, Academy, student achievement on state and local assessments, the world language initiative, elementary performing arts, our new English Language Arts adoption, and many other academic topics where we look forward to bringing our wise school community together to enhance opportunities for students to reach their full potential. Your insights strengthen our work together, and I look forward to connecting in these meetings. Below, you will see a list of community engagement opportunities, and we encourage you to save the dates.

I am also pleased to welcome our new leadership team members, including Principal Susanne Reed at Havens, Principal Amy Fry at Wildwood, and Kim Randlett in her new role as Director of Human Resources.

Thank you for your partnership in building the finest schools available. We really are better together. See you on August 11th!

In Partnership,

Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.

Superintendent

This year, our schools will implement our new Board-approved Board policy about use of mobile communication devices, including cell phones, BP 5131.8, which includes the following language:

The Board of Education recognizes that student use of smartphones and other mobile communication devices on campus may be harmful and disruptive to the instructional program. When on campus or when under the supervision of district employees, students may use smartphones and other mobile communication devices only as permitted under this policy.

Smartphones and other mobile communication devices shall not be used in any manner that infringes on the privacy rights of any other person.

• Primary and middle school students shall have their personal devices off, or silenced, and stored during the instructional day.

• High School students shall have their phones, smartphones, and smart devices turned off, or silenced, during instructional time unless instructed by a school administrator, or teacher or authorized by the district. High School Students shall be able to use their devices before school, during lunch, and after school.

However, a student shall not be prohibited from possessing or using a mobile communication device under any of the following circumstances: (Education Code 48901.5, 48901.7)

1. In the case of an emergency, or in response to a perceived threat of danger;

2. When a teacher or administrator grants permission to the student to possess or use a mobile communication device, subject to any reasonable limitation imposed by that teacher or administrator;

3. When a licensed physician or surgeon determines that the possession or use is necessary for the student's health and well-being;

4. When the possession or use is required by the student's individualized education program.

Please be on the lookout for more information from your school Principal before school starts. We look forward to continuing our efforts to gather feedback from students, staff, and families this year in order to inform our policy development for future years. Stay tuned for more information on opportunities to provide feedback.

We will continue our focus this year on community engagement opportunities, including meetings planned throughout the school year on topics related to our District goals. We invite you to consider joining any of the meetings below, which will be held online and in person.

Business Advisory Committee (BAC), facilitated by Ruth Alahydoian, CBO:

Curriculum and LCAP Meetings, facilitated by Ariel Dolowich, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services:

• September 4 - Curriculum Committee - World Language Design Teams: 4:00-5:30pm
• October 1 - Parent Education Night - ELA Adoption Implementation: 6:00-7:30pm
• October 23 - Curriculum Committee - Elementary Performing Arts: 4:00-5:30pm
• November 6 - LCAP Update & Community Input: 4:00-5:30pm
• December 4 - Curriculum Committee -- Behavior Matrix & Revisions: 4:00-5:30pm
• January 8 - Curriculum Committee -- Field Trips: 4:00-5:30pm
• February 5 - LCAP Mid-Year Update: 4:00-5:30pm
• March 5 - Curriculum Committee - Math Pathways: 4:00-5:30pm
• April 1 - Curriculum Committee - Topic TBD: 4:00-5:30pm

Special Education Committee Meetings, facilitated by Jean Fagin, Director of Special Education:

• September 2 - SPED Community Meeting - Programming Overview & Goals: 4:00-5:30pm
• November 18 - SPED Community Meeting (Topic TBD): 4:00-5:30pm
• February 3 - SPED Community Meeting - Transition Planning: 4:00-5:30pm
• April 14 - SPED Community Meeting - Data Review: 4:00-5:30pm

District Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC) Meetings, facilitated by Stephanie Griffin, Director of Instructional Technology:

• September 8 - DTAC - Ai and Technology Plan Development: 4:00-5:30pm
• October 6 - DTAC - Tech Plan: 4:00-5:30pm
• November 3 - DTAC - Tech Plan: 4:00-5:30pm
• December 8 - DTAC - Tech Plan and AI: 4:00-5:30pm
• February 2 - DTAC - Tech Plan, Online Forms Usability: 4:00-5:30pm
• March 30 - DTAC - National AI Literacy Day (3/27): 4:00-5:30pm

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Community Meetings, facilitated by Jean Chen Takazawa, Director of DEIB, topics TBA:

• September 29 - DEIB: 4:00-5:30pm
• November 10 - DEIB: 4:00-5:30pm
• March 2 - DEIB: 4:00-5:30pm
• May 4 - DEIB: 4:00-5:30pm

Superintendent's Advisory Committee (SAC) Meetings, facilitated by Jennifer Hawn, Superintendent. Topics are still to be determined; however, tentative topics are included below:

The purpose of this letter is to inform and to remind parents and legal guardians of all students in the Piedmont Unified School District of their responsibilities for keeping firearms out of the hands of children as required by California law, including annual notification to families per SB 906 and AB 452. Thank you to the Piedmont Police Department and firearm safety partners, including the Brady organization and Everytown for Gun Safety who coordinate with our school district on effective firearm safety measures.

To help everyone understand their legal responsibilities, this letter spells out California law regarding the storage of firearms, including the following:

• With very limited exceptions, California makes a person criminally liable for keeping any firearm, loaded or unloaded, within any premises that are under their custody and control where that person knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian, and the child obtains access to the firearm and thereby (1) causes death or injury to the child or any other person; (2) carries the firearm off the premises or to a public place, including to any preschool or school grades kindergarten through twelfth grade, or to any school-sponsored event, activity, or performance; or (3) unlawfully brandishes the firearm to others.[1] Note: The criminal penalty may be significantly greater if someone dies or suffers great bodily injury as a result of the child gaining access to the firearm.

• With very limited exceptions, California also makes it a crime for a person to negligently store or leave any firearm, loaded or unloaded, on their premises in a location where the person knows or reasonably should know that a child is likely to gain access to it without the permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian, unless reasonable action is taken to secure the firearm against access by the child, even where a minor never actually accesses the firearm.[2]

• In addition to potential fines and terms of imprisonment, as of January 1, 2020, a gun owner found criminally liable under these California laws faces prohibitions from possessing, controlling, owning, receiving, or purchasing a firearm for 10 years.[3]

• Finally, a parent or guardian may also be civilly liable for damages resulting from the discharge of a firearm by that person’s child or ward.[4] Note: The City and County may have additional restrictions regarding the safe storage of firearms.

Thank you for helping to keep our children and schools safe. Remember that the easiest and safest way to comply with the law is to keep firearms in a locked container or secured with a locking device that renders the firearm inoperable.

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[1] See California Penal Code sections 25100 through 25125 and 25200 through 25220.

[2] See California Penal Code section 25100(c).

[3] See California Civil Code Section 29805.

[4] See California Civil Code Section 1714.3.

Magnolia Closure This Saturday & Next Saturday: Saturday, 8/2 starting at 7am and next Saturday, 8/9 starting at 7am, Magnolia Avenue in front of PUSD (PHS/MHS/PMS) will be closed for road work.

Independent Study at PHS/MHS: Is your child a professional athlete? In the entertainment industry? Or, of need of an online independent study program? More information is linked HERE. For additional questions, please contact Principal Irma Muñoz Daniels at imunozdaniels@piedmont.k12.ca.us. Please note that MHS is also open for in-person enrollment.

Piedmont Portal - For all of the latest school and community events, please visit the Piedmont Portal linked HERE

Piedmont Alumni Network: Last spring, we launched the Piedmont Alumni Network! Linked HERE is a page on our PUSD website to invite alumni of PHS and MHS to sign up. Whether you graduated many years ago, or recently, we would love to have you sign up HERE.

Community Pool Construction Update - Safety measures around the Community Pool Project construction site on Magnolia Avenue across from PHS/MHS are currently in effect. Magnolia Avenue is open to traffic during school hours; however, we recommend avoiding the area when possible due to heavy truck traffic due to construction. Visit the City of Piedmont's website for details.

Follow PUSD - Please read our school newsletters sent out weekly for update to date information. The District Facebook (@piedmontunified) and Instagram (@piedmontusd)

Email: communication@piedmont.k12.ca.us
Website: www.piedmont.k12.ca.us
Location: 760 Magnolia Avenue, Piedmont, CA, USA
Phone: 510-594-2600