The Schools First Federal Employee Credit Union will be conducting a retirement workshop, regarding 403 B and 457 B savings plans for all interested employees at the Education Center, 351 S. Hudson Avenue, Pasadena on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 from 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. and again from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. in the Board Room 236.

For more information, see flyer or call Adam Koyanagi at 800 462-8328.

The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) announced commencement ceremony dates, times and locations for the graduating classes of 2009.

Seniors at PUSD’s five high schools will don gowns and mortar boards to receive their high school diplomas June 13-17. Family members are invited to attend although students should contact their campus graduation coordinators to obtain tickets. The ceremony schedule follows:

District English Language Arts Scores Nearly Doubled Since 2002

The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) announced that it has received the “California Pride of SRA Academic Recognition Award” from educational publisher SRA McGraw-Hill in recognition of outstanding improvement and achievement in reading and language arts over the past seven years.

"This award represents our elementary schools’ commitment to a standards-based curriculum, high-quality instruction and research-based professional development to raise student achievement," said Superintendent Edwin Diaz. "I am very proud of their hard work to accelerate student performance District-wide."

Community Performance Scheduled May 17

Students throughout the Pasadena Unified School District will have the opportunity to participate in a workshop with The Young Americans, an internationally-recognized music and performing arts group, on May 15 at Daniel Webster School. The workshop will include classes in voice, choral singing, dance, acting/improvisation., musical theater, and performance techniques. The workshop will culminate in a community performance at the Marshall Fundamental auditorium on Sunday, May 17 at 5 p.m.

First PUSD Student Police Interns Presented at Joint Meeting

On Monday, May 11, 2009, seven students selected to participate in an internship program in the Pasadena Police Department will be introduced to the Pasadena City Council and the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education at a joint meeting to be held at the Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E Holly Street at 6:30 p.m.

Tom Selinske re-elected Board President, Scott Phelps selected Vice President

Recently-elected members of the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education were sworn in Monday evening at the annual organizational board meeting. Superior Court Judge Philip Soto administered the oath of office to new members Ramon Miramontes and Elizabeth Pomeroy, along with Ed Honowitz and Scott Phelps, both beginning another four-year term.

The Board voted unanimously to elect Tom Selinske to a second term as Board President for the 2009-10 school year, and selected Scott Phelps as Vice President.

Ramon Miramontes is Dean of Academic Affairs at Los Angeles Southwest College. Miramontes’ priorities include expanding career and technical education programs, and working with local municipalities to bring additional funding to PUSD. Elizabeth Pomeroy is an English professor at Pasadena City College and an author. Dr. Pomeroy is interested in expanding partnerships with community organizations to strengthen fields of study, and allocating resources to struggling contingents of students and schools not keeping pace with the rate of improvement elsewhere in the District.

Board members also appointed delegates to regional associations and established the membership of board subcommittees.

No Confirmed Cases in Pasadena Unified Schools

Edwin Díaz, Superintendente del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Pasadena (PUSD), emitió el siguiente comunicado a nombre del Distrito como respuesta a las preocupaciones surgidas por los casos de influenza porcina que se han reportado:

"Deseamos informarles a nuestros estudiantes, personal y padres y madres de familia que en Pasadena no se ha detectado ningún caso de Influenza porcina. El personal del sector salud del PUSD se ha mantenido en constante comunicación con el Departamento de Salud Pública de esta ciudad, y el personal a cargo de nuestros planteles escolares h a recibido instrucciones precisas, información y asesoría para mantenernos alertas ante esta situación."

Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Superintendent Edwin Diaz today issued the following statement regarding the District’s response to concerns about reported cases of the swine flu:

"I want to assure students, staff and families that we have no reported cases of the swine flu in Pasadena. PUSD health officials are maintaining constant contact with the City of Pasadena Public Health Department, and our school sites have been provided specific directions, information and guidance to assist them in monitoring this situation."

Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) announced today that two seniors from John Muir High School were awarded the highly-coveted Gates Millennium Scholarship for outstanding minority high school students. The scholarship is awarded to students with significant financial needs so that they can attend the undergraduate and graduate institutions of their choice. John Muir High School seniors Claudia Lima-Rocha and Breana Powell were among 1,000 students nationwide to be designated as Gates Millennium Scholars.