The RAMbler

Welcome to September. We are well into the school year now and have had some wonderful events. Clubbin in Quad was a great success; we had our first Video Announcements today and our Friday Rampaging Readers program is in its second week. Next Wednesday, a few select 8th graders are headed to a hands-on field trip to the Building Trades Union, and the 6th graders are headed to an exciting field trip on the 28th of this month. Tomorrow is the citywide Community Service Day. Here at Pleasant Hill Middle, we will be doing some general cleanup and weeding so all will be fresh for our students on Monday.

Last Friday, we had our annual Clubbin' in the Quad, where students get to create clubs based on their interests and adults volunteer to sponsor. As of today, we have twenty-seven clubs, ranging from Robotics to Pokémon to Multicultural. There is something for everyone!

"For years, MDUSD has been working with the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) to strengthen its instructional strategies to ensure that all students are receiving a high quality education. After MDUSD schools implement initiatives intended to achieve this goal, experts from the CCEE and County Office of Education visit to observe the strategies in action.

Pleasant Hill MS hosted two of these experts on Friday. Principal Terry McCormick and Vice Principal Veronica Picazo spent about 3 1/2 hours touring classrooms with County Office of Education Director of District and School Supports Debra Pettric, and Craig Wheaton, the Tulare County Deputy Superintendent, who is a CCEE "expert."
"I think we had a great visit," McCormick said. "I’m really proud of what my teachers are doing." For example, math teachers are "building thinking classrooms" in terms of math tasks and problem-solving, using collaboration in groups where students take the lead in their learning instead of relying on teachers to tell them what to do. Also, all classes were using District-adopted curriculum materials, including all special education students, who were reading the same story in the Special Day Class as the students in the core class. "It was really good session," McCormick said, adding that the experts also planned to visit Oak Grove and El Dorado middle schools, and Mt. Diablo and Northgate high schools."

View in ParentSquare

September 19 - Community Service Day

*September 28 - 6th Grade Field Trip to Motion with Bobby McFerrin at Freight and Salvage in Berkeley

September 29 - Pleasant Hill Community Services Block Party

October 1 - Picture Make-Up Day

*October 2 - 6th Grade Pancake Breakfast

- End Of 1st Quarter

- Minimum Day

*October 5 - October 12 - Fall Recess

*October 13 - School Resumes

*October 22 - Off The Grid

*October 26 - Teacher In-Service Day

*October 29 - Halloween Concert

*November 9 - 13 - STAR Testing

*November 11 - Veterans Day Holiday

*November 18 - PTSA General Meeting

*November 20 - Minimum Day

- Turkey Trot

*November 23 - 27 - Thanksgiving Break

*November 30- School Resumes

*December 1 - Minimum Day

*December 8 - Winter Concert

*December 10 - Winter Concert

*December 16 - 17 - Parent Education Meetings

*December 16 - 19 Minimum Days

* New Addition This Week