#ThankATeacher next Week!
Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques.
The teacher is the heart of the educational system.  
Sidney Hook
May 5 - 11 is National Teacher Appreciation Week and there are so many passionate and dedicated teachers in the PUSD.

Teacher Appreciation Week offers the opportunity for our community to reaffirm its commitment to our teachers. The decision to teach often comes with lower pay with more hours than most jobs with a similar level of education and experience. Now is the perfect time to personally thank your students’ teachers for their sacrifices and support for children throughout the year.

Join in thanking teachers this week, and every day, for igniting our students’ curiosity for learning. PUSD's talented and dedicated teachers are preparing our children to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Extra Credit - In addition to letting teachers know their efforts are not going unnoticed, ask a teacher what you can do to help them either in or outside the classroom. Make sure you follow through on that offer!

Click here to watch the stories of some of PUSD's extraordinary teachers, the 2018 Rotary Club Teachers of Excellence Award winners.
The Vision | The children of Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre all grow up in a safe, stable,
                        and supportive environment that prepares them for success in school and life.
PUSD's Parent School Climate Survey
Your voice - with the voices of other parents from your child's school and other PUSD schools - is essential to ensure that limited resources are spent wisely, for the maximum benefit of your child and all children in our community. This is  YOUR chance to be HEARD.  Our district and our state depend on the results of this survey to make important decisions about how to improve school climate and safety, eliminate barriers to learning, and promote the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of all students. Please set aside 15-20 minutes to take this survey . It will be available to take until the end of May.

Click here to find the link for the survey for your child's school.

The California School Parent Survey (CSPS), along with the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) and the California School Staff Survey (CSSS) is a service of the California Department of Education (CDE). These three surveys form the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys (CalSCHLS) System, the largest, most comprehensive state effort in the nation to regularly assess students, staff, and parents at the local level to provide key data on school climate and safety, learning supports and barriers, and stakeholder engagement, as well as youth development, health, and well-being.

These surveys grew out of CDE’s commitment to helping schools promote the successful cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of all students; create more positive, engaging school environments for students, staff, and parents; and ensure college and career readiness. They provide a wealth of information to guide school improvement and Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) efforts, particularly in regard to the state priorities of enhancing school climate, pupil engagement, parent involvement, and addressing the needs of vulnerable groups. 
LevelUP3 Coming in July Learn | Grow | Lead
An exciting event for youth is coming back to Pasadena this summer -- levelUP3 -- a two-day Youth Leadership Conference presented by the Youth Leadership Network, a collaborative group of youth-serving organizations in Pasadena. The conference will be held at Pacific Oaks College on Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 19, for youth ages 12-18 at no cost to them, featuring top speakers and trainers in the Pasadena area. Last year, more than 100 young people participated and we anticipate doubling that number this year!

Goals of the conference include:
  • To educate students about the amazing diversity of leadership opportunities in our region and the skills they need to pursue those opportunities; and
  • To provide them with connections to organizations with volunteer and community service activities that they might pursue to gain valuable experience

Events of the 2-day experience will include guest speakers, hands-on workshops, small-group experiences, a College Fair and Resource Fair; lunch will also be provided each day.

All youth may register by clicking here.
Our Leadership Council is looking for Student Members
The Collaborate PASadena Leadership Council was established in April of 2015 to serve as an advisory body for the initiative which is designed to bring the community together to create positive outcomes for children, youth and families. We are looking for student leaders to fill two positions on our Leadership Council.

The positions are o pen to all high school (ages 15-18) and community college students (ages 16-24) with a preference given to those students who will have the ability to serve for two years (i.e. High School Juniors). Serving on the leadership council will qualify you for a minimum of 2 hours of community service a month. The applicant must be willing to make a one-year commitment to serve on the Leadership Council and must live or attend school within the Pasadena Unified School District boundaries.


2019 Application due: Wednesday, July 10, 2019
On Friday, April 12, approximately 200 Pasadena Unified School District middle school robotics students took over the Rose Bowl Stadium’s end-zone to compete for this year’s prize in the deep-sea exploration themed robotics competition, the Pasadena Educational Foundation’s Robo Rally Driven by Honda . The 9th annual competition showcased the student teams’ robotic skills while combining the practical application of science and technology with the fun, intense energy of a championship-style sporting event.

Students were challenged to program their robots to explore newly discovered underwater ruins that are too deep and dangerous for human divers. To complete the course challenge, robots were required to autonomously scan key structures as an exploratory probe then retrieve valuable artifacts for later analysis.

“Now more than ever, students need a background in STEM to help them succeed in school and prepare for future careers,” said Steve Morikawa, vice president, Corporate Relations & Social Responsibility, American Honda. “Robo Rally is more than just a STEM competition, it’s an opportunity for students to learn other valuable skills, such as teamwork and problem-solving, that help them reach their full potential.”

The Annual Robo Rally Competition is the culmination of the hard work the students have done throughout the year in their respective robotics classes.
Pasadena Educational Foundation, in partnership with the Pasadena Unified School District, has supported middle school robotics for over 9 years.

Students in the Middle School Robotics program learn the core skills necessary to design, build, and program the robots of our future. With a focus on autonomous decision-making and friendly competition, students discover their ability to solve real-world problems faced in disaster relief, industrial automation, healthcare, and more.

The robots used in class are the LEGO Mindstorms NXT robot, and the programming languages taught is either RobotC or NXT-G, depending on the school. Classes are taught by PUSD math or science teachers. The teachers go through training supported by PEF. Classes are offered as electives during the day or as part of an after school club.

“The Pasadena Educational Foundation has been building dynamic community partnerships to support our PUSD schools for almost 50 years,” said PEF Executive Director Patrick Conyers. “We are thrilled to have Honda and the Rose Bowl help us drive innovation, creativity, and imagination in our schools.” 
M.A. in Education Scholarship

More than 75 percent of boys in California public schools are minorities, but only 9 percent of male public school teachers identify as minority.

Pacific Oaks College is committed to diversity in its student body, and together with the Broady Foundation, are working to help students of color reach their full potential by increasing the number of teachers who can be their role models. The Broady Foundation's $60,000 grant will be matched by Pacific Oaks to cover the education for two recipients to receive an M.A. in Education, including the preparation for either the Elementary Education or Special Education teaching credential. Apply here today .

Leadership 101 for HS student

Who are the leaders you admire, and how does change happen? These are questions that will be addressed in this introduction to leadership class. Topics including self-branding, mentorship, and personal goal setting.

Dates: June 8 - July 11
Time: 9:00 - 12:00 pm
Location: Eliot Arts Magnet
Grades: Incoming 9-12 grade

Apply here today for this class, and other summer opportunities, available through the Pasadena Education Foundation
News and Events
Click here to find the latest news and events on the Collaborate PASadena website! We happily post partner news and events on our site and on our Facebook page and Instagram. Submit to info@collpas.org .
Partner Praise
On Tuesday, April 9, 2019, the Pasadena-Foothills Association of REALTORS® (PFAR) unveiled their Pasadena Unified School District REALTOR® Certification Program . The in-house Certification program, geared towards real estate professionals, covered public schools open enrollment strategies, education support programs, historical information and other pertinent details; to serve as a valuable resource to address client’s needs. A local school tour at Hamilton Elementary School followed the workshop.

Due to the course demand, PFAR is currently in discussions to offer an encore certification session in the Fall 2019.
am-pluh-fahy
v. to make stronger; enlarge; extend