Parents of preschool-aged children who are looking at kindergarten options in the Pasadena Unified School Districthave an opportunity to atten d Pasadena Education Network’s (PEN) popular “Choosing an Elementary School” virtual program on Wednesday, September 28 at 7 pm.
PUSD is an open enrollment district, meaning that families have an assigned neighborhood school based on where they live — but if they decide that there is another school that has a program that they are interested in, or the school is a better fit for their family, they do have the option of submitting an application to attend another school, explained Nancy Rose Dufford, Executive Director at PEN.
“The program is really about how to choose the right schools for your family, not the ‘best’ school,” said Dufford about the upcoming virtual forum.
“What we try to do is give parents all the information that they need so that they know what their options are.”
At the virtual program, Dr. Jennifer Miyake-Trapp, Assistant Professor of Education at Pepperdine University and a PUSD parent, will provide parents of pre-school-aged children with valuable information about what to look for when evaluating an elementary school.
Parents will learn about the new look of classrooms, about the dual language immersion programs which will help students become bilingual by the time they are in fifth grade as well as the math academy, where students can finish calculus by the time they are in eighth grade, among other PUSD programs, according to Dufford.
“PUSD is also an ‘arts for all’ district. So students have opportunities in music and fine art and performing arts at every grade level. And third graders even get swim lessons at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center. So there are a lot of really great opportunities in our district, and there’s a school that’s right for every student,” Dufford said.
Aside from parents with young children, Dufford said the program is also designed for families who are new to Pasadena, Altadena, or Sierra Madre, and know little about the programs and options available for them at PUSD sites.
“A lot of people when they come into Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre will be told that it’s ‘a great community, but we’re really not sure about the public schools.’ Well what we really want families to know is that the public schools have great opportunities for students.”
“The most important thing that we give to parents at this program is a framework for how to think about what’s important to them and what their values are so that they can identify schools that align with their values.”
To join the program, register at this link, https://www.penfamilies.org/calendar/2021/9/28/pen-choosing-an-elementary-school-4mlrx
For more information about PEN, visit www.penfamilies.org or find PEN on Facebook.
