Moving into the 2020-21 School Year Together
PUSD E-Connection
December 5, 2020
New Bay Area Health Order: Regional Stay-at-Home Order Effective Monday, December 7
Dear PUSD Community,

Alameda County, alongside the City of Berkeley and the counties of Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and Santa Clara, announced an early adoption of the State’s Regional Stay-at-Home order effective Monday, December 7 through January 4, 2021 (watch the joint media conference here). 

The new orders do not change the guidelines for schools. Currently, our current operation of small student cohort supervision programs will not be affected.

Please find a summary of changes related to this order here. We will continue to prioritize the safety and health of our students and staff as we move forward and make adjustments as necessary.

It is important to understand that this proactive strategy by our Bay Area Counties’ is intended to bend the curve, save lives by ensuring availability of ICU beds, and provide the opportunity to enter 2021 with more stability. 

We know the challenges these shifting orders present to our staff and students, and appreciate the sacrifices being made by many. We are in this together. 

Gratefully, 

David Haglund, Ed.D. 
Superintendent of Schools
Updates, Resources & Quicklinks
Mental Health and Wellness Supports for Students
We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and families. We expect that with the unprecedented challenges of 2020, that more of us may be in need of additional support. The holiday season can already be a challenging time and this year we anticipate it will be more difficult for many of us, our students and families. 

To provide ease in connecting to resourceso please see this informational handout for more ways to access support: PUSD Mental Health Resources 2020. As we approach winter break, we urge you to save these resources so you can easily reference them should you or someone you know need help.

Whatever you are managing; we want you to know you are not alone. Help is available for you, your friends and your families. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, please encourage them to seek help and call or text one of the following crisis support numbers listed below:
  • CALL: National Suicide Hotline (800) 784-2433
  • CALL: YouthLine (877) 968-8491
  • CALL: Alameda County Crisis Line (800) 309-2131
  • CALL: LGBTQ Crisis Support (866) 488-7386
  • TEXT: "HOME" to 741741 (to text with a crisis counselor)
  • TEXT: “TEEN” to 839863 (Teen Crisis Line)
  • TEXT: "START" to 678678 (for LGBTQ Crisis Support)

If you or someone you love is experiencing an emergency, contact the Pleasanton Police Department at (925) 931-5100, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible to get help.
Valley View Elementary Dual Language Immersion Program Information Night
January 27, 5 - 6 p.m.
Valley View's Dual Language Immersion Program will host an information night for parents of incoming Kindergarteners for the 2021-22 school year on January 27, 2021, 5 - 6 p.m.

Share and join the conversation: pusdedu.info/DLI21
High School Seniors: Apply for a $1000 Juanita Haugen Memorial Scholarship
The Community of Character Collaborative invites all High School seniors in Pleasanton to apply for the annual Juanita Haugen Memorial Scholarship. Long time school board member, trustee and president of the Pleasanton Unified School District, Juanita Haugen inspired the Pleasanton Community of Character initiative. In her honor, annual $1,000 scholarships will recognize students who have a strong record of civic engagement and have demonstrated exceptional character by role modeling the traits of Compassion, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Integrity and Self-Discipline.

An award will be presented to a student in each of Pleasanton’s three high schools. Applications are being taken for Foothill and Amador Valley students, Village will be presented at a later date.

The Hanger is Back: Open for Donations of Gently Used or New Clothing
The Hanger is once again accepting donations of gently used or new clothing items for infant to adult sizes.  The Hanger provides these items to members of the Pleasanton community that are in need. Due to Covid-19, this is done by appointment only.  We accept clothing, shoes, accessories such as men's belts, women's purses/scarves,  

We would like to collect the following items no later than November 20: We have a specific call for donations of hats, gloves, scarves, new underwear and new socks, and we would like to collect PJ's for infant-14 sizes for children only.

Please email thehanger@pleasantonusd.net to make an appointment to drop off donations or to schedule a pick up from PUSD staff located at the District Office. At this time the available days for drop off or pick up are on Monday, Wednesday or Fridays between the hours of 9:30 am - 2:30 pm. 

Please understand we only handle clothing and can't accept household items, school supplies or other items. 

We would also ask that donations are not left at our doorstep, this has been a problem in the past.

We appreciate your support!
The Hanger
Village High School RM 703b
4665 Bernal Avenue
Pleasanton, CA 94566

Parenting Tips from your School Social Worker Team
Encouraging Students to Maintain Healthy, Balanced Lifestyle
Individuals who first used an addictive substance before age 15 develop addiction at a rate 6.5 times higher than those who did not begin until age 21 or older. In an effort to address many of the root causes for student use while they are still young, PUSD has partnered with Axis Community Health so that their health educators are able to provide primary prevention drug and alcohol services at all three of our middle schools here in Pleasanton. Axis utilizes the Lions Quest Social Emotional Curriculum to prevent youth drug addiction. Lions Quest is an evidence-based and proven effective social emotional (SEL) program. Lessons are provided in the classroom by the Axis Health Educator on the topics of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. To learn more about how you can be proactive in preventing substance use with your student, check out the Online Drug & Alcohol Series: What’s the High About developed by your School Social Workers. Brought to you by your PBIS School Social Workers.
Celebrating our pUSd Community
Celebrate 2020-21 Teacher of the Year Josh Hill & Bridging the Distance Honoree Lourdes Luy on December 9
We have TWO reasons to watch this year's Alameda County Teacher of the Year Awards: our 2020-21 Teacher of the Year, Foothill Highs' Josh Hill and Valley View Elementary's Lourdes Luy who will be honored with the County's newest recognition, 'Bridging the Distance'! Read more and watch on Wednesday, December 9, at 7 p.m. at acoe.org/teacheroftheyear!
Fairlands Elementary Continues Outdoor Education Tradition Through Pandemic With V-Camp
Our Fairlands Elementary 5th grade team with Science Specialist Stacey Holder brought the mountains to their students by creating an immersive virtual week-long 'V-Camp'. Learn more about this incredible story here.
2020-21 Amador Valley High School Virtual Field Show
While separated by distance, nothing can stop our Don Marching Band & Color Guard from putting together an incredible performance. Watch their field show below. Enormous thanks to Amador Valley Band Director Jonathan Grantham, Patrick Dandrea, the amazing teachers and coaches who help guide our student musicians and the incredible families that support them. Watch below and enjoy!
Sharing Gratitude: PUSD Child Nutrition Services Team Provides Meals to Nearly 1,000 Families in Need
Our Child Nutrition Services team has been providing families with nutritious meals since the pandemic began in March 2020. On Monday, November 23, our CNS team provided nearly 1,000 families with meals for an entire week to ensure they had access to nutritious food over the holiday break. We continue to be grateful to this dedicated team of amazing individuals!
Community Resources
Click the images and links below for more information on resources and opportunities from our community partners
Community Service Opportunities for PUSD Students
PUSD students looking for community service opportunities can find links to organizations where they can make a difference at justserve.org
Pleasanton Unified
School District
4665 Bernal Ave., Pleasanton, CA 94566
Phone: 925-462-5500