Education Commission to Fill Vacancy
The Pleasant Hill Education Commission is seeking to fill a vacancy and is asking interested parties to submit an application to the City Manager's office by August 31, 2013. Applicants must reside in one of two middle school attendance areas (for at least one year): Valley View or Pleasant Hill Middle Schools. Members need not be Pleasant Hill residents to qualify. Download an application.
State's Education Finance System Overhauled
Governor Jerry Brown recently signed into law the state's 2013-14 budget, which includes a massive overhaul of California's education finance system. Under this new "local control funding formula," the state will now funnel money directly to school districts with few strings attached.
While many earmarked "categorical" funds have been eliminated, the new formula includes supplemental money for low-income students, English language learners and foster youth, as well as a concentration grant for districts whose student population comprises 55 percent or more of students in these categories.
The state also approved $1.25 billion in one-time funding to help schools implement Common Core standards.
Schools to Host 'All-in-One' Days in August
Is your student excited to go back to school? Make sure he or she is ready to return by attending your school's fall orientation day. Get up-to-date information about school policies, join the PTA and learn your child's teacher assignment all at once! See below for specific information from each school:
College Park High School:
Tuesday, August 20, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for 9th and 12th graders
Wednesday, August 21, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for 10th and 11th graders
Wednesday, August 21, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. for those unable to make it during the assigned days and times.
Families with students scheduled on both days can come on each day or complete their walk-through for both students on Wednesday, August 21. Important: Students must attend walk-through to get their student ID and course schedule. If students are unavailable on these walk-through days, they must arrive early on the first day of school to get their student ID and schedule.
Valley View Middle School:
Wednesday, August 14
9 a.m.-11 a.m. for 6th graders; tours available
11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4 p.m.-6 p.m. for 7th & 8th graders
Pleasant Hill Middle School:
Tuesday, August 20. Packets will be mailed to your home to complete and bring with you.
Sequoia Middle School:
Tuesday, August 20, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Walk-Through Registration for 7th and 8th graders
Wednesday, August 21, 9 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Walk-Through Registration for incoming 6th graders, (Camp Sequoia)
Hidden Valley Elementary:
Thursday, August 22 - Details to come.
Valhalla Elementary:
Week of August 12th - Walk-through and orientation packet pick-up, Thor Hall/Parent Center
Tuesday, August 20 - Walk-though and orientation, Thor Hall, 2-7 p.m.
Tuesday, August 27 - Kindergarten Orientation, Thor Hall, 3 p.m.
Pleasant Hill Elementary:
Thursday, August 22, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday, August 27- Kindergarten Orientation: Early Friends 11-11:30 a.m.; Late Friends 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Sequoia Elementary:
Thursday, August 22 - Details to come.
Gregory Gardens Elementary:
No information currently available.
Learn About Navigating Middle School
Save the date: Wednesday evening, October 9. The Pleasant Hill Education Commission, in partnership with the Pleasant Hill Education Initiative, will bring together parents, teachers and principals from our three middle schools to explore how to navigate the middle school years.
You are invited to share your concerns, fears, questions and experience, and hear from families who have been there, from teachers who will guide your students through middle school and the principals who lead Pleasant Hill Middle, Sequoia Middle and Valley View Middle. Navigating Middle School is designed for parents of students in 4th through 8th grades, but all are welcome. You will hear accurate information and can participate in an open dialogue with school leaders.
Questions can be submitted before the event to Martin Nelis at [email protected] and will also be taken live at the event. Mark your calendars and set your iPhone reminders for October 9. Exact time and location are still TBD, so stay tuned for updates.
Update from the PH Education Initiative
The Initiative received a number of excellent submissions to the recent "Naming Contest". The Steering Committee will meet next week to review the entries and choose a winner.
The Initiative is still in the planning phase with six programs under development for implementation in the next school year. These programs are:
- Reading Readiness & Tutoring (see below)
- Career Readiness for High School Students
- Parent Education Forums (see above article on Navigation Middle School)
- Introduction of Junior Achievement to the Middle and high school programs
- Green Team - a project focusing on interdisciplinary education about organic gardening, healthy food & nutrition, sustainability and recycling
- 'Night of a 1,000 Inventions' - Pleasant Hill Library event on Tuesday, September 24th at 6:30 p.m. with students participating in interactive experiments and scientific projects
For more information on these programs and the Initiative go to www.pleasant-hill.net/phei or contact Martin Nelis at [email protected] or by phone at (925) 671-5229.
Where Great Stories Begin...
Books are more than the stories inside. They're a key to unlocking the potential in every child. Help a child learn to read by volunteering for the Pleasant Hill Education Initiative (PHEI) Reading Readiness program beginning this fall.
The Reading Readiness program will target students in grades K-2 at each elementary school in Pleasant Hill. Volunteers will be matched with young readers and will work one-on-one with students under a teacher's guidance to improve their reading skills and give them the confidence they need to thrive in the classroom. There is no previous experience necessary to volunteer, just a commitment of one hour a week to make a difference. Volunteers will need to be fingerprinted and TB tested.
The PHEI is also interested in partnering with businesses, civic and religious groups that are willing to create Reading Readiness teams to help out in the classroom.
For additional information, or to help out with this program, please go to the PHEI's web page and click on Sign up as a Volunteer Now.
"Volunteers don't necessarily have the time; they just have the heart!"-Elizabeth Andrew
MDUSD to Hold Board Meetings on Wednesdays
The Mt. Diablo Unified School District recently announced that it is changing the dates of its biweekly meetings from Mondays to Wednesdays beginning in August. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dent Center, 1936 Carlotta Dr. in Concord. You can find meeting agendas online here. These meetings are also broadcast on radio channel KVHS 90.5 FM and video recordings of the meetings can be viewed online at the district website.
MDUSD College Fair at YVHS
The MDUSD College Fair takes place on Wednesday October 30th at Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord from 6:30pm-8:30pm. The Fair is an opportunity for Juniors and Seniors from our school district to meet college reps and get information about Colleges and Universities in California and across the country. Listed below are some of the schools and vendors who will be attending:
Arizona State University
C2 Education
Cal State East Bay
California Baptist University
California College of the Arts
Colorado State University
Ex'pression College for Digital Arts
Hawaii Pacific University
Humboldt State
Johnson & Wales University
Kaplan Pre-College
Los Medanos College- Computer Science Dept
National Hispanic University
NCSA Athletic Recruiting
UC Berkeley
UC Santa Barbara
University of Alabama
University of Arizona
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
University of Idaho
University of Nevada, Reno
University of Oregon
University of Utah
University of Washinton, Bothell
