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  • 🎆 PCS Newsletter January 20, 2023 🎆

    PCS Newsletter: January 20, 2023 Dear PCS Community, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating winter break. January is a good time to take a moment to reset, refocus, and develop goals for our health and wellness. As we move into 2023, PCS is focused on making sure every student in our District has a trusted adult on campus and that all students and staff feel inspired and supported to be their best.  I want to appreciate all of you who took the time to join us this week at the  Footsteps to Freedom  evening events we held at Casa Grande and Petaluma High School. Developing empathy through a historical perspective was a powerful experience for me personally, and I hope that it was meaningful for you as well. I was impressed with our presenter, Mr. Hardy Brown, and particularly moved by his ability to tell stories from the myriad of authentic artifacts he brought, primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries. Reading a law from the 1800s that privileged my right to an education and outlawed others, based on the color of their skin, struck a chord deep inside of me as an educator. Mr. Brown left us with some compelling questions that may benefit you in conversations with your family:  How did your own family come to live in Sonoma County? Two hundred years from now, what will historians be saying about our community? What will your personal legacy be? What stories will your great, great grandchildren hear about you? One place to begin is to spend some time learning and talking about your family history and how your family settled in Sonoma County. Each person and every family has a story, and it is these stories that remind us that we have many more similarities than differences. I have seen great examples of this deeply meaningful work happening throughout PCS and I hope you are able to take some time, perhaps around the dinner table, to reflect on these questions.  Have a great weekend, PCS! In partnership, Matthew Harris Superintendent, Petaluma City Schools PCS IN THE NEWS Did you miss these articles in Argus Courier?  Casa Grande builds bang-up Esports program Petaluma native, 1st Native American woman in space, steps out on spacewalk New look for Petaluma High diamond Every Gaucho wrestler medals in Albany tournament YouthTruth FAMILY SURVEY: 7 Days Left to Complete! It is very important to us to hear from our educational partners. Not only do we want to hear your feedback, but we want to be responsive to it! Your participation matters. Thank you to the 18% of PCS families who have completed the YouthTruth Family Survey! Please help us get this number much higher by sharing a few moments of your time with us  now .  If you have not completed the survey yet, you still have seven days to share your feedback by visiting  ytsurvey.org/petalumafamily23 . For more information, please refer to the  ParentSquare message  sent out on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.  MARK YOUR CALENDARS! On  February 13th and 14th , PCS staff will be hard at work diving deeper into our learning around restorative practices, equity, English Language Development, and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. These are non-student days. In addition, on  February 20th , all students and staff will celebrate a three-day weekend in honor of Presidents’ Day.  STUDENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Elementary Soccer League is Here! Registration is OPEN! We are excited to announce the opening of our 2023 PCS Elementary Soccer League !  No previous experience is required to participate. All are welcome! Beginning on February 21st, school-based teams will practice and scrimmage at each school site each week throughout February and March and participate in a final tournament with all PCS schools in April. Practices will be held on either Tuesdays or Thursdays right after school at your child’s school site. We are hoping to form multiple teams at each school and group students by grade level. If you are interested in signing your child up for their school team , please fill out the  registration form  and  liability waiver  (one per child) no later than January 31st. You may print this form or stop by your school office for a copy of the liability waiver. Please return all waiver forms to Brian Dufour ( bdufour@petk12.org ) or return them to your school office along with the $40 suggested donation (checks should be made payable to Petaluma City Schools). The esteemed, super fun PCS soccer league is made possible only through the generosity of parent volunteers to coach the kids , so we need your help. We are looking for volunteers at each elementary school to help coach teams. What better way to bring our community together than by coaching students in a teambuilding sport and having them laugh and play together with schools across our District. Just like our players, coaches do not need any prior coaching experience as we will train you and support you along the way. If you are interested in coaching or if you have any questions, please contact Brian Dufour at  bdufour@petk12.org  for assistance.  NEW DATE: PCS Family Fun Run - February 4th! Our December 10th Family Fun Run was postponed due to inclement weather and has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 4th . For all who picked up packets, hang on to your materials! For those who did not pick up packets, we’ll offer another packet pick-up on Thursday, February 2nd from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM at our District Office. We look forward to this incredible PCS community event with over 600 participants registered! If you would like to register and have not done so, please email Amy Fadeji ( afadeji@petk12.org ). WELLNESS CORNER FREE/GRATIS! Immunization Clinic/Clinica de Vacunacion To ensure our students are up to date with their State-required immunizations, Petaluma City Schools is partnering with the Petaluma Health Center to provide a free immunization clinic to our families on  Thursday, January 26th from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM . We hope you benefit from our partnership by taking advantage of this opportunity. RSVP  here  today! COVID-19 Reminders  Please refer to the  PCS FAQ , the  COVID-19 Student & Family Handbook , and the  COVID-19 Dashboard  as needed. For additional inquiries, please call the COVID Information Line (707) 778-4626.  Please note that on January 25th, the Sonoma Office of Education  and the County of Sonoma are hosting an after-school  COVID and Flu vaccine clinic on the Casa Grande campus  from 3:00 - 5:00 PM. ENROLLMENT 2023-24 UPDATES This week, 6th graders from across PCS and other neighboring districts took field trips during the school day to Kenilworth Junior High School to see what being a 7th grader is all about. Next week, 6th grade students on the west side of town will take field trips to Petaluma Junior High School. In the coming weeks, our 8th graders will also have the opportunity during the school day to visit either Petaluma High School or Casa Grande High School to learn more about their future alma maters.  Thank you to all our PCS families who came out to  Trojan Preview Night and/or Gaucho Preview Night  this week! 9th-grade Preview Nights are always exciting! You can catch a glimpse of both events on our PCS  Instagram  or  Facebook  pages. We hope to see you soon on an upcoming tour! Elementary School Tours Grant Elementary 1/26 @ 8:30 AM Mary Collins at Cherry Valley 1/26 @ 9:00 AM McDowell Elementary 1/24 @ 9:00 AM McKinley Elementary 1/26 @ 9:00 AM McNear Elementary 1/24 @ 9:00 AM Penngrove Elementary 1/26 9:00 AM Valley Vista Elementary 1/26 @ 10:30 AM Junior High School Tours Kenilworth Junior High 1/31 @ 8:30 AM Petaluma Junior High 2/1 @ 9:00 AM PACS at McKinley (Petaluma Accelerated Charter School) 1/24 @ 1:30 PM Mary Collins at Cherry Valley 1/26 @ 9:00 AM High School Tours Casa Grande High School 2/17 @ 9:00 AM Petaluma High School 2/1 @ 11:00 AM Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Window  For the 2023-24 school year, students who turn five between  September 2 and May 2  are eligible for TK in Petaluma City Schools. Priority will be given to those students who turn five between  September 2 and April 2  (the State defined TK window). If you have a TK eligible child (a student who turns five between September 2 - May 2), we encourage you to fill out a  SchoolMint application .  If your child turns five after May 2, 2023  and you are interested in being placed on our TK waitlist, you may fill out our  TK Interest Form . Should there be space in one of our TK classrooms across the District, we will invite families who have completed the TK Interest Form to complete an official application to TK via  SchoolMint  in order of date of birth. ENGLISH LEARNERS CORNER Every English Learner student in grades TK – 12 at Petaluma City Schools will be taking the  Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)  test during the Spring. The window for ELPAC testing is  February 1 – May 31, 2023 You are an important part of your child’s education. To make sure your child feels comfortable taking the ELPAC test, you can: Explain to your child that the test is a tool to help them learn and to not be anxious or scared. Remind your child that you and their teacher want them to try their very best. Explore a practice test with your child so they are familiar with the platform and setup. elpac.org/resources/online-practice-and-training-test/ Talk with your child’s teacher about their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills to help support their learning. You will receive your child’s test results at or before the beginning of the next school year. The results will identify how your child is doing and where they may need more help, so you can better support their learning at home and teachers can better support their learning in the classroom. NEW PCS LOGO FOR THE NEW YEAR! It’s not just the new year that’s looking fresh around here! Our PCS logo has an updated look that’s sure to turn heads...and this is just the beginning. Stay tuned for exciting updates to our PCS website that will make it easier for you to: Navigate our programs and access community resources Learn more about our incredible schools and students Engage with a variety of events and learning opportunities We plan to roll these changes out slowly, updating signs, printing items, etc. as needed, so while you may still spot the old logo here and there, know that we are stepping into a new era of PCS in 2023! MAKE A DIFFERENCE; JOIN OUR TEAM! If you are interested in making a difference and impacting our community’s future, Petaluma City Schools is the place to be. We are looking for new team members who are ready to make a difference in the lives of our student scholars. It is our mission to recruit, retain, and support a diverse, qualified workforce in order to support success for all students. We do this by fostering a service-oriented environment of teamwork, mutual respect, and continuous improvement.  We have multiple openings in a variety of jobs throughout our District, including both full-time and part-time opportunities. Linked here is a list of our  Open Positions . You can also find our  Jobs on Indeed . Check out this week's highlighted jobs below: Guidance Specialist, McDowell Elementary Spanish Teacher, McKinley Elementary & Petaluma Accelerated Charter School Instructional Assistant (1:1 RSP) Special Education, Grant Elementary Bilingual Instructional Assistant, Casa Grande High If you have any questions regarding any of our open positions, please contact our Human Resources Department at 707-778-4795 or email  hrinfo@petk12.org . FUN EXTRAS PHS Students Request the Community’s Vote! Petaluma High School will be celebrating their 150th year over the next two semesters. So exciting! Some PHS students have designed possible logos to use for the 150th anniversary celebrations and they are asking the community to vote on your favorites. Please cast your vote  here  and feel free to share the link with any other member of our community! Coming Soon! LumaCon! January 28, 2023 from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at the Petaluma Community Center LumaCon  is a FREE  comic convention  for youth that celebrates creativity and literacy for all. The librarians of Casa Grande High School, Petaluma High School, and Petaluma Regional Library (Sonoma County Library) have been producing LumaCon since 2015 with the support of the Friends of the Petaluma Library, the Teen Advisory Council, and members of our community.  The LumaCon  Drabble contest  is a great way to have your students participating in the event! A Drabble is a fanfiction or story that is 100 words long. You can write a Drabble about a fandom, a pairing, a character, a genre, or anything you can dream up! Great prizes will be awarded to the best drabblers! Calling All Artists! Save the Date for the Youth Arts Exhibit in March & April Sharing Magical Moments Across PCS via Social Media  There are so many incredible things happening within our PCS community. We enjoy sharing these magical moments to give you a glimpse of what we’re all about.  We’re here! Be here with us! Follow Petaluma City Schools on social media.

    Saturday, Jan 21 2023

  • All PCS schools are OPEN today - PG&E report looking...

    Happy Friday, PCS Community! Earlier this morning, there was a power outage on the west side of Petaluma that impacted some of our school sites. Power has been restored to all PCS sites except for Mary Collins at Cherry Valley. We have been collaborating with PG&E this morning and power will be restored to MCCV no later than 10:30 AM.  All PCS schools are OPEN! We know you'll be refreshing your email all day to see when that PCS Newsletter comes out, but sit tight until 4:30 PM and enjoy all the happenings in our amazing PCS community! Make it a great day! Petaluma City Schools

    Friday, Jan 20 2023

  • TONIGHT! You're Invited! Don't Miss Out!

    Looking for a deep and meaningful way to build empathy with your student(s) or family? Please come join PCS this evening from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM in the Petaluma High School library for a Districtwide event with  Footsteps to Freedom .  All PCS families are welcome and encouraged to attend. Not sure what to expect? Watch the 1 minute video below from last night's impactful experience at Casa Grande. We look forward to seeing you tonight!

    Thursday, Jan 19 2023

  • All PCS Schools Open Today, January 9, 2023

    Dear PCS Families, Good morning and Happy New Year! Our campuses weathered last night’s storm and  all Petaluma City Schools are open today, Monday, January 9th.  With that said, there are some  considerations  for you as you drive to school this morning. Please give yourself extra time and drive cautiously as there is some local street flooding and a lot of standing water.  For our students in Penngrove, please avoid the railroad crossing at Redwood Highway and Old Adobe due to flooding.  Let’s have a great first day back, PCS! In partnership, Matthew Harris Superintendent, Petaluma City Schools

    Monday, Jan 09 2023

  • Friday Reminders!

    Happy Friday! We look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Monday, January 9th . Don’t forget to take advantage of the rapid COVID tests we sent home in December and test your student(s) prior to arriving at school on Monday.  If you missed our last  PCS Newsletter  during the rush of the holiday season, be sure to read about the  Footsteps to Freedom  learning experience coming to Petaluma City Schools the week of January 17th. During the school day, our junior high and high school students will be given the opportunity to participate in Footsteps to Freedom, and we highly encourage all PCS families to come as a family on either January 18th (Casa Grande High School Library) or January 19th (Petaluma High School Library) from 5:00 - 7:00 PM.  Enjoy the rainy weekend ahead and we’ll see you on Monday, PCS! 

    Friday, Jan 06 2023

  • PCS Newsletter December 16, 2022

    PCS Newsletter Dear PCS Community, As 2022 comes to a close and I have had a chance to reflect on the first half of the school year, I continue to be amazed by our PCS family. Once again, this year has been challenging on many fronts for student scholars, staff, and families. Having a caring, supportive, and generous community of learners has made all the difference. As our final exams and projects wind down, please keep that in mind and give each other and yourselves an extra dose of grace and kindness in anticipation of the holiday season.  I want to take a moment to share some great news about a historic and forward-thinking  PCS Promise  between Sonoma State University (SSU) and our District that will eventually provide automatic acceptance into SSU for any PCS graduate, who meets a set of clear requirements. We still have some details to finalize and work to do, but we announced our partnership at this week’s Board meeting.  Growing up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I have been familiar with the  Kalamazoo Promise  for many years. While the Kalamazoo Promise is more structured around a large philanthropic donation with financial benefits for graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools to attend university, the PCS Promise will benefit our scholars in several ways.  Over the course of the past 5 years, our local Sonoma State University has been the most popular 4-year university for PCS students. The PCS Promise will break down barriers for students who may be on the fence about attending a 4-year university and will make acceptance automatic for any PCS student who meets the PCS Promise requirements. The PCS Promise will set clear and high expectations and will raise the bar for students, starting in their freshman year. When rolled out, we will share the criteria about how students can receive automatic acceptance upon graduation. These clear and high expectations will benefit all PCS students, whether they decide to attend Sonoma State University, another university, or choose to pursue a trade school or directly join the workforce.  Lastly, the PCS Promise will ensure that all students have the opportunity to visit and explore a university campus before graduating. This shift in mindset will prepare our high school students for life beyond PCS and give a hands-on experience to students, showing them that university is well within their reach. As I shared at this week’s Board meeting, our goal is to support all students in graduating high school  college and career ready . We fully recognize that university is only one of many exciting pathways for our scholars, and the PCS Promise will help prepare all students for the rigors of life beyond high school. In January, we have planned a unique, Districtwide event to support our ongoing work of strengthening empathy in our community. Hardy Brown, emeritus chairman of the Black Voice Foundation, and his organization  Footsteps to Freedom , are coming to Petaluma City Schools. Footsteps to Freedom will do a short presentation, followed by an interactive, hands-on, immersive learning experience. This experience will allow us to learn together in a way that is aligned to  our core values , to live out our belief that all students have value and infinite potential, and to celebrate that diversity is an asset that strengthens and enriches our community. The Footsteps to Freedom experience will be on our four comprehensive secondary campuses between January 18th - 20th. In addition, we will host two evening family experiences that will be open to  all PCS families , one at Petaluma High School and one at Casa Grande High School.  Casa Grande library on  Wednesday, January 18th from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Petaluma High library on  Thursday, January 19th from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM I am wishing you all a wonderful Winter Break and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year! In partnership, Matthew Harris Superintendent, Petaluma City Schools PCS in the News Did you miss these articles in Argus Courier?  Petaluma schools, Sonoma State sign ‘Promise’ Petaluma schools’ Joanna Paun receives ‘Golden Gavel’ Award  JJ says: The story behind Casa’s Callan Tournament STUDENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Hour of Code Ann Belove's 5th grade students at  Valley Vista  jumped into the  Hour of Code  (celebrated each year during Computer Science Education Week) by learning how to program their own animations, games and stories with  Scratch  coding. After a brief introduction to the Scratch workspace and coding blocks, students were off and running, programming their characters to dance, run, play musical instruments and catch a doughnut as it fell from the sky. In just two one-hour sessions, these students learned some computational thinking concepts like sequence, loops and conditionals, while also flexing their experimenting, iterating and problem-solving muscles. The Hour of Code might have ended, but these students have only just begun to program. PHS NaNoWriMo Congratulations to the 85 students in Krista O'Connor's Honors English 9 classes at  Petaluma High School  who participated in NaNoWriMo National Novel Writing Month during November. The students set their own word goals of 10,000 or more words and 85% of them met their goals by midnight on November 30th. Special shout-outs to the following freshmen: Bella Hudson, Makoa Gonzalez, Jazz Mejia, Sabrina Penman, Kaia Li Kircher, and Sawyer St. John who all wrote novels of 20,000 or more words. Karly Nazar's novel reached 31,000 words, and Veronica Navarro wrote 39,000 words. Collectively, Ms. O'Connor's three classes wrote 978,452 words. Every single novel is a stunning piece of fiction, and while not all are completely finished, the students made tremendous effort to reach their goals. Reflections from some students include: "writing grew to be my escape place where I could lose myself in my headspace and enjoy myself," "[writing my novel] was helpful to use as a pros and cons list to help me decide what to do in the future with my career," and "now that I have completed my novel, I have much more confidence in my writing." Way to go, Trojan Authors! Magical Moments Dress like a teacher day, Fri-YAY carts, building with buddies, lung, heart, and trachea dissection, student led tours/discussion panels, learning from a Holocaust descendant, basketball with special education/general education buddies, creative PE lessons, Petaluma Transition Program craft fundraiser and more! At PCS, we do it all! #itswhoweare NEW DATE: PCS Family Fun Run - February 4th! Our December 10th Family Fun Run was postponed due to inclement weather and has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 4th. For all who picked up packets, hang on to your materials! For those who did not pick up packets, we’ll offer another packet pick-up on Thursday, February 2nd from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM at the District Office. We look forward to this incredible PCS community event with over 600 participants registered! If you would like to register and have not done so, please email Amy Fadeji ( afadeji@petk12.org ). Extended Learning Opportunities Over Winter Break If you are looking for an extended learning opportunity for your PCS students over the break, we still have limited open spots in the YMCA program at Grant Elementary (all other school sites are now full)! Students from all over our District are welcome to join and scholarships are available for qualifying families. For information or to register, contact Jeremy at jhodgdon@scfymca.org Dates: December 23 - January 6 (weekdays only)  Hours: 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM LumaCon! January 28, 2023 from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at the Petaluma Community Center LumaCon  is a FREE  comic convention  for youth that celebrates creativity and literacy for all. The librarians of Casa Grande High School, Petaluma High School, and Petaluma Regional Library (Sonoma County Library) have been producing LumaCon since 2015 with the support of the Friends of the Petaluma Library, the Teen Advisory Council, and members of our community.  The LumaCon  Drabble contest  is a great way to keep your students who may enjoy writing busy over the winter break! A Drabble is a fanfiction or story that is 100 words long. You can write a Drabble about a fandom, a pairing, a character, a genre, or anything you can dream up! 2023-24 SCHOOL CALENDARS APPROVED The Calendar Committee, consisting of representatives of Administration, Petaluma Federation of Teachers (PFT), California School Employees Association (CSEA), Petaluma Confidential Employees (PCE), and a representative from the Waugh School District, have worked together to survey families and develop the traditional and year round school calendars for the 2023-2024 school year. The calendar committee considered extensive input from staff and family members in the development of the calendar. This new calendar reduces the number of Emergency School Closure days from five (5) days to three (3) days in alignment with the demonstrated need and with other districts in the area. It also establishes three distinct "Intersession" blocks for students interested in school programming during the following school breaks: Winter Break, Mid-Winter Break, and Spring Break.  To view the 2023-24 school calendars, please visit our  Petaluma City Schools website . WELLNESS CORNER The holidays often bring up a mixture of emotions. Joy, sorrow, wonder, excitement, worry...the list goes on. As you engage in community activities, plan celebrations, and connect with others, stop and listen to those around you. Reach out to those who may not be experiencing the same sense of joy as others. Look for loved ones who may be feeling isolated and remind them they are not alone. Our community is stronger when we take the time to share and acknowledge each other through kindness and gratitude.  MAKE A DIFFERENCE & JOIN OUR TEAM If you are interested in making a difference and impacting our community’s future, Petaluma City Schools is the place to be. We are looking for new team members who are ready to make a difference in the lives of our student scholars. It is our mission to recruit, retain, and support a diverse, qualified workforce in order to support success for all students. We do this by fostering a service-oriented environment of teamwork, mutual respect, and continuous improvement.  We have multiple openings in a variety of jobs throughout our District, including both full-time and part-time opportunities. Linked here is a list of our  Open Positions . You can also find our  Jobs on Indeed . Check out this week's highlighted jobs below: Executive Assistant to the Superintendent   School Account Clerk, Casa Grande High School Instructional Assistant RSP, Special Education - Casa Grande High School Lead Guidance Specialist - Carpe Diem High School / San Antonio High School If you have any questions regarding any of our open positions, please contact our Human Resources Department at 707-778-4795 or email  hrinfo@petk12.org . ENROLLMENT FOR THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR It has been such a joy to have so many families visiting our campuses recently! Tours led by principals, packed information nights, and student led discussions have us feeling pretty excited about the 2023-24 school year. In January, our elementary campuses will begin hosting daytime tours for prospective families. By the end of next week, these tour dates will be available on individual school websites and our PCS  School Tours and Informational Events  page. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or have any questions, please email our Communications Coordinator, Amy Fadeji, at communications@petk12.org If you have an incoming TK or Kindergarten student, we will be hosting a virtual information night on Monday, December 19th at 7:30 PM. Join our panel of teachers and administrators to hear more about TK and Kindergarten in Petaluma City Schools! See the graphic below for details THANK YOU PETALUMA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION (PEF)! Recently, PEF awarded $245,000 to local schools which included many of our PCS schools and teachers who applied for impact grants. We are so extremely grateful to PEF, the generous donors that make these grants possible, and our educators for taking the time to write such outstanding grants. Congratulations to the following grant recipients and thank you again, PEF! 1) "Social Emotional Expansion" - Grant School - Saranya Sureshkumar and Amanda Beavers - $8,995 2) "PHS Broadcast Studio & Location Upgrade" - Petaluma High School - Jamil Dawsari - $14,998 3) "Care Solace For All" - Petaluma City Schools - Maite Iturri - $10,000 4) "McDowell Library Upgrade" - McDowell School - Jessica Grajeda & Ruth Miller - $15,000 5) "McNear Library Upgrade" - McNear School - Melissa Becker & Carli Merrill - $15,000 6) "OLE Expansion" - Casa Grande High School - John Shribbs & Dan Ostermann - $8,000 7) "Unlocking Early Literacy and Foundational Reading Skills" - Mary Collins at Cherry Valley - Liza Eichert & Dan Gottlieb - $15,000 8) "Robotics and Engineering Classroom Upgrade" - Kenilworth Junior High School - Kate Rennie - $14,566. 9) "Cameras for The Yearbook Classroom and Beyond" - Kenilworth Junior High School - Kacy Romano - $5,875 10) “Maker Space & STEAM Dream” - Valley Vista Elementary School - $15,000 COVID-19 UPDATE Winter Break At-Home Rapid COVID Tests Available for all PCS Students and Staff In an effort to ensure we all return to school safely after Winter Break, we are offering free, at-home, rapid COVID test kits to all students and staff - we kindly asking that you administer a test for your student(s) prior to returning to school on Monday, January 9, 2023. Elementary sites will distribute an at-home test kit to each student, so please keep an eye on those backpacks! Secondary students / families may pick up test kits in any school office or at the District Office. IMPORTANT REMINDER:  If your student DOES have  any COVID-19 symptoms  or has had  close contact  with  someone with COVID-19, please get a PCR, a professionally-administered rapid antigen test, or an at-home rapid antigen test. If your student tests positive, report it to your school.  Distribution at Petaluma City Schools District Office ( 200 Douglas Street, Petaluma CA 94952) Pick up is around the corner from Keny's Donuts, next to the PCS Boardroom. Wednesday, December 21, 2022 9:00am - 12:00pm  1:00pm - 4:00pm Thursday, December 21, 2022 9:00am - 12:00pm  1:00pm - 4:00pm Beginning  Monday, January 9, 2022 , we are happy to announce our PCS COVID testing site will re-open for professional-administered rapid antigen tests thanks to a partnership with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Free at-home tests will also be available for pick-up at the testing site location. Hours of operation: 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions  Q: What Covid-19 guidelines does PCS adhere to?  A:  PCS adheres to Covid-19 guidelines from California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Sonoma County Department of Health Services, Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE), PCS Board of Trustees and PCS Administration.  Q:What is the definition of an "outbreak" and what are PCS outbreak protocols? A:  Current “outbreak” definition: At least three probable or confirmed Covid-19 Cases (that are epidemiologically linked) within a 14-day period.  Elementary Protocols:  Communication to parents regarding testing date and information will be sent the day prior to morning of testing.  Day 1 and 3 student testing on site by Covid-19 team  + If the entire classroom tests negative on day 3, then masking returns to strongly recommended. + If testing identifies a positive case, masks will continue to be required. Students will be tested again every three days until results indicate 0 positive results. Once the entire class tests negative, masking returns to strongly recommended.  Secondary Protocols:  Communication to parents informing an increase in COVID-19 cases, masks strongly recommended. Q: Do I have to inform the school if my child is positive? A:  Yes, inform your school of attendance. A student COVID Absence Timeline will be emailed to parent/guardian with return to school dates.  Q: Do I need to show a negative test to return to school?  A:  Yes, a negative test result needs to be submitted to the school site after testing positive.   Q: Is there a difference in isolation and quarantine times for vaccinated and unvaccinated? A:  No, regardless of vaccination status, isolation and quarantine timeline are the same.  Q: When are masks required for students? A:  We follow CDPH and Sonoma County guidelines when it comes to mask mandate recommendations. Currently, when there is an outbreak, best practice does require masks. (Please see Outbreak Protocols Question above) Q: If a sibling tests positive? Can the other sibling come to school? Do they have to wear a mask? A:  In this case, masks are strongly recommended. Siblings may continue to attend school unless Covid-19 like symptoms or a positive test result are present. Q: Do families have to report if a family member is positive? A:  It is not required to report if a family member is positive. We ask that families monitor for Covid like symptoms and report student positive cases. Please refer to the  PCS FAQ   and  COVID-19 Student & Family Handbook   as needed. For additional inquiries, please call the COVID Information Line (707) 778-4626. WE'RE HERE! BE HERE WITH US! Sharing the Magical Moments Across PCS via Social Media  There are so many incredible things happening within our PCS community. We thoroughly enjoy sharing these magical moments with you to give you just a glimpse of what we’re all about.  #petk12 #pcspromise #itswhoweare @petalumacityschools @petalumacityschools @petk12schools

    Saturday, Dec 17 2022

  • ☀️ PCS Newsletter December 2, 2022 ☀️

    PCS Newsletter Dear PCS Community, I hope you all had a restful and peaceful Thanksgiving Break surrounded by family and friends and that you were able to enjoy this beautiful part of the world that we call home. Yesterday at the  California School Board Association’s Annual Conference , Petaluma City Schools’ Board President, Ms. Joanna Paun, was  recognized as the School Board member of the year for the State of California . School Board members are locally-elected officials who volunteer their time to govern school districts and ensure that their district is responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of the community. Throughout California, there are more than 5,000 school board members governing approximately 1,000 districts. We are incredibly fortunate and grateful to have President Paun leading the way for PCS. Congratulations, Joanna, and thank you for your service to our community! Enjoy your weekend, and I look forward to seeing this year’s group of over 600 participants who signed up to run in the  2nd Annual PCS Family Holiday Fun Run at Shollenberger Park  on December 10th. In partnership, Matthew Harris Superintendent, Petaluma City Schools STUDENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Kenilworth’s Very Own Boy Band Makes Lunch Appearance  Sometimes all you need is a short and sweet reminder of how having fun can have a positive impact on those around you. Take this boyband for example. Teachers at Kenilworth Junior High showcased their Novembeards at lunch on Tuesday for students to enjoy some laughs. The votes are still coming in but we’re pretty sure Mr. Stuelpe receives honorable mention. If you’re not following  Kenilworth on Instagram , you're missing out.  Students at Grant Elementary Review Positive Behavior Expectations On Wednesday, students at Grant Elementary School participated in three rotations to review the behavior expectations of various locations on campus. Knowing what’s expected on campus in order to be safe, respectful, and responsible, is a key ingredient to positive behavior management. Grant Shamrocks are now experts at modeling positive behaviors when at recess, during lunch, when using the restroom, and when on campus before and after school. Way to go, Shamrocks! Volunteer Opportunity: 2nd Annual PCS Family Fun Run! Come help! We are looking for volunteers to help with our 2nd Annual PCS Family Fun Run! We have opportunities during the following times.  Wednesday, December 7th 4:30 - 6:30 PM Packet Pickup at the District Office Thursday, December 8th 3:30 - 5:30 PM Packet Pickup at the District Office Friday, December 9th 9:00 - 10:00 AM Packet Pickup at the District Office Saturday, December 10th - The Big Day! Set-up (7:30 - 8:30 AM) Check-in (8:15 - 10:15 AM) Course guide (8:45 - 11:00 AM) Parking guide (8:15 - 9:00 AM) Clean-up (10:30 - 11:30 AM) Please email Gina Roberts groberts@petk12.org to sign-up for a volunteer position.   Extended Learning Opportunities Over Thanksgiving Break Students from all over PCS had fun over the break thanks to our partners Boys and Girls Club, Champions, and the YMCA! Through the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program funding, we are able to open up programs before school, after school, and during school breaks to  all  kids including those who may not have been able to access those opportunities in the past. For questions, please email JJ Lynch at jlynch@petk12.org. WE'RE HERE! BE HERE WITH US! Sharing the Magical Moments Across PCS via Social Media  There are so many incredible things happening within our PCS community. We thoroughly enjoy sharing these magical moments with you to give you just a glimpse of what we’re all about.  #petk12 #pcspromise #itswhoweare @petalumacityschools @petalumacityschools @petk12schools ENROLLMENT FOR THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR! Enrollment season is here! This Fall, our secondary schools have seen an impressive turnout for campus tours. Thanks to all of you who have shown up to share in the great things happening on our PCS campuses. We want to make sure all 6th-grade families know they are welcome to attend tours and information nights at Petaluma Junior High School, Kenilworth Junior High School, Mary Collins at Cherry Valley and Petaluma Accelerated Charter School at McKinley. 6th-grade students will have the opportunity to visit one or both of our junior high schools during the school day in early 2023. We’re planning some big field trips! Additionally, our 8th-grade families are encouraged to attend tours and information nights at Petaluma High School and Casa Grande High School. 8th-grade students will also have the opportunity to visit their feeder high school during the school day in early 2023. More information to come. Our seven elementary schools will begin hosting daytime tours in January 2023, but there’s no need to wait until January to get connected. TK/Kindergarten Information Nights will be held at our elementary schools in December. Check out our schools on social media as well to catch a glimpse of campus life.  The priority registration window for elementary schools is January 9 - February 28, 2022. Applications will be accepted via SchoolMint beginning January 9, 2022. A TK/Kindergarten Virtual Webinar will be held on December 19th at 7:30 PM for families who are interested in general information about PCS and to hear about the enrollment process. This event is hosted by PCS administrators and teachers and is intended for families who are unable to attend in-person events, or who may have preschool-aged children and are looking ahead to future years. Please help us spread the word about all our enrollment events to neighbors, community members, co-workers and friends! We’re so excited to be welcoming current and prospective families onto our campuses. The PCS website has  enrollment information , details on  upcoming events and school tours , and is constantly being updated. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or have any questions, please email our Communications Coordinator, Amy Fadeji, at  communications@petk12.org . MAKE A DIFFERENCE & JOIN OUR TEAM! If you are interested in making a difference and impacting our community’s future, Petaluma City Schools is the place to be. We are looking for new team members who are ready to make a difference in the lives of our student scholars. It is our mission to recruit, retain, and support a diverse, qualified workforce in order to support success for all students. We do this by fostering a service-oriented environment of teamwork, mutual respect, and continuous improvement.  We have multiple openings in a variety of jobs throughout our District, including both full-time and part-time opportunities. Linked here is a list of our  Open Positions . You can also find our  Jobs on Indeed . Check out this week's highlighted jobs below: Math Teacher (1.0 FTE) Petaluma High School Science Teacher - Carpe Diem/Sonoma Mountain High School Instructional Assistant, Special Education (RSP) Petaluma High School Bus Driver II School, Secretary II If you have any questions regarding any of our open positions, please contact our Human Resources Department at (707) 778-4795 or email hrinfo@petk12.org. WELLNESS CORNER Care Solace: Available Throughout the Holidays The holidays can be a difficult time for some families and students. Please be reminded that Care Solace services provided by Petaluma City Schools will continue to be available even when schools are closed for winter break. Petaluma City Schools partners with Care Solace to support the well-being of students and their family members. Care Solace is a complimentary and confidential coordination service that can help you quickly find mental health or substance use treatment options matched to your needs.  If you or a family member are looking for help with mental health or substance use and would like to use Care Solace to find a provider: Call 888-515-0595. Support is available 24/7/365 in any language or visit our  PCS Website . PCS IN THE NEWS Did you miss these articles in Argus Courier?  Casa shines in Redwood rumble More focused Trojan girls ready for an improved basketball season The Chalkboard: Students create creeks, structures, newspaper  (November 10) McDowell Elementary 5th graders create creeks McNear Elementary performing arts shows Casa Grande senior gives back to his Penngrove Elementary community San Antonio High School co-ed intramural soccer league Casa Grande Wellness Week Petaluma Adult School’s ESL Leadership Class inspires all The Chalkboard: Schools busy as holidays near  (December 1) Grant Elementary School Heritage Night     Petaluma Junior embraces Be Bantam Motto (Brave, Authentic, Neighborly, Trustworthy, Accepting and Mindful) Mary Collins  students host monthly donation drive

    Saturday, Dec 03 2022

  • Update re: Alarming Statement at Kenilworth Junior H...

    Dear PCS Community, As was previously shared, last night we received a report from a Kenilworth student that, during morning snack break, he overheard another student comment that he was “going to bring a gun to school (Kenilworth)” today, December 2, 2022.  District administration and our law enforcement partners started the investigation last night and were on campus this morning to support students, families, and staff. Throughout the day, our administrative team has continued to investigate any and all leads in order to identify the student who made this extremely upsetting and disruptive comment. Once identified, we will take appropriate administrative action to correct the behavior and keep our students and staff safe. We appreciate your support and the support of our law enforcement partners during this time. Once again, this is a good reminder for everyone that if you see something out of the ordinary, say something to an adult or helper on campus as soon as possible. We remain vigilant and focused on the safety of our students and staff and look forward to seeing you all at school on Monday, December 5th.    In partnership,   Matthew Harris Superintendent, Petaluma City Schools

    Friday, Dec 02 2022

  • Alarming message regarding Kenilworth Junior High Sc...

    Dear PCS Community,   This evening at 9:04pm we received a Stop It report stating that they heard someone say he “was going to bring a gun to school tomorrow.” We were able to speak with the reporting party to gather more details and are working in collaboration with the Petaluma Police Department.  If you are aware of any other details or have heard similar messages in regards to this report please call the Petaluma Police Department at 707-778-4372.    At this time we will continue with a regular school day tomorrow with regular school activities at KJHS and all PCS campuses. The Petaluma Police Department and our District administrators will be on KJHS’s campus before school starts to support the school administration and staff. Should we receive any new information, we will communicate with families as soon as possible.     This message is being sent to the entire PCS community to ensure consistent communication; however, this threat is specific to KJHS and  no other campus is involved in this particular threat .   We realize that messages like these in our community are scary and can generate a high level of anxiety and distress in students. If you or your child would like to speak with a counselor, please call (707) 778-4959 and leave a message - someone will get back to you. Alternatively, you can reach out directly to your child’s principal or school-based mental health counselors who are on-site at every campus supporting students. For community services, we encourage you to reach out to your healthcare provider or  Petaluma People Services Center .    We take any and all threats perceived or otherwise seriously and  the well-being of all our students and staff is of the utmost importance. We remain vigilant and focused on the safety of our students and staff.   In partnership,   Matthew Harris Superintendent, Petaluma City Schools  

    Friday, Dec 02 2022

  • Threat of Violence at Petaluma Junior High School

    Dear PCS Community, This afternoon at approximately 2:45 PM, it was reported that a student at Petaluma Junior High School (PJHS), who was wearing a black or gray hoodie sweatshirt, told another student in the bathroom that he was “going to bring a gun to school tomorrow.” We are working in collaboration with the Petaluma Police Department to identify the student and, at this time, the Petaluma Police Department considers this to be an ongoing investigation.  PJHS families, please speak with your student and if you have any information related to this threat, please call the Petaluma Police Department at 707-778-4372.  Tomorrow, we plan to continue with a regular school day and regular school activities at PJHS and all PCS campuses. The Petaluma Police Department and our District administrative team will be on PJHS’s campus before school starts. Should we receive any new information, we will communicate with families as soon as possible.     This message is being sent to the entire PCS community to ensure consistent communication; however, this threat is specific to PJHS and  no other campus is involved in this particular threat .   During a time like this, we must all hold each other with a little more care and grace than usual. We realize that any threat in our community is scary and can generate a high level of anxiety and distress in students. If you or your child would like to speak with a counselor, please call (707) 778-4959 and leave a message - someone will get back to you. Alternatively, you can reach out directly to your child’s principal or school-based mental health counselors who are on-site at every campus supporting students. For community services, we encourage you to reach out to your healthcare provider or  Petaluma People Services Center .    We take any and all threats seriously and  the well-being of all our students and staff is of the utmost importance. We remain vigilant and focused on the safety of our students and staff.   In partnership,   Matthew Harris Superintendent, Petaluma City Schools    

    Wednesday, Nov 30 2022