Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, January 8, 2022

9

EDUCATION AND YOUTH

Mountain View News Saturday, January 8, 2022 

PASADENA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT COVID-19 UPDATE

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

Dear PUSD Community,

This week was a new beginning with some familiar challenges for our community. We are grateful to 
all Pasadena Unified employees for stepping up to open our campuses. The energy and commitment 
to serving our students has been truly inspiring, and the support from our community has been 
invaluable.

We have taken steps to increase safety in light of the spike in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron 
variant. As always, it is our top priority to continue in-person learning safely and in order to do so, 
we are following guidelines from state and local health officials. Guidelines from public health authorities 
are being issued almost every day, and we know it has been confusing for everyone. Below 
are some key points:

MASKS

Universal masking is still required indoors and for all outdoor activities where physical distancing is 
not feasible, except while eating or drinking.

Cloth face coverings alone do not provide the same level of personal protection as a proper surgical 
mask or higher level PPE. Better options include a double mask (cloth mask worn over a surgical 
mask), a fitted medical mask (surgical mask). The best protection is offered by N95, KN95, or KF94 
masks which are not recommended for small children. The new masking options are not required 
but strongly recommended for our students at this time.

We’ve made 3-ply surgical masks with nose wires available at every school to meet the new mask 
guidance for students and employees.

Please refer to the LA County update for more details. Masking Updates for Students

PUSD IN-PERSON PARENT MEETINGS NOW VIRTUAL

In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and in consultation with local public health, PUSD 
has opted to move all in-person parent meetings to virtual until further notice.

QUARANTINE/ ISOLATION

We are reminding parents and guardians to keep students home if they are experiencing any symptoms. 
Until further notice, our schools are following the PUSD isolation and quarantine procedures 
that have been in place for several months and are stricter than the newest local, LA County and 
State guidelines. We are working with Pasadena Public Health officials to determine the best way 
to implement the recently released local, LA county and state guidelines. We will work together to 
create a plan that can be implemented safely and we will communicate the changes as soon as they 
are made available. We are continuing to follow our guidelines as these guidelines reduce the risk of 
transmission.

As a reminder, here are PUSD’s current quarantine and isolation protocols:

ISOLATION - Any student with COVID-19 may not return to school until they have met criteria to 
discontinue home isolation, including at least 24 hours with no fever and no use of fever-reducing 
medication, other symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first 
appeared. For persons who never developed symptoms, isolation can be discontinued 10 days after 
the date of testing positive.

QUARANTINE - Any student who is not fully vaccinated and boosted if eligible and has been exposed 
to an individual with a confirmed case of COVID-19 may return to school after 10 days, if they 
do not test. However, if your child takes a laboratory-confirmed FDA authorized viral COVID-19 
test on or after the 5th day post exposure and receives a negative result AND they have no symptoms, 
they can return after the 7th day past exposure. Test results must be verified by school personnel. 
These tests are offered at our District Health Clinic everyday M-F 8:00 am-3:30 pm, no appointment 
necessary.

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Students sent home for isolation or quarantine may be engaged in short-term independent study. 
They can access their class content and assignments through the Canvas platform. Please contact 
your child’s teacher and school site for specific information, if needed. We need to keep instruction 
at the forefront and continue to support students in every way possible.

ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SUPPORT

PUSD’s Office of Student Wellness and Support Services works to ensure that students have the necessary 
resources to access learning

These resources include:

Student Wellness and Support Services: Access PUSD’s School Support Referral form to help children 
get the support and services. For Mental Health services, please contact Lara Choulakian, Manager 
of Mental Health, for further information at x 88233 or choulakian.lara@pusd.us.

Resources for Supporting Pasadena Unified Students and Families during Safe Return to School 
(Summer/Fall 2021) (English/Espanol)

PUSD Families in Transition (FIT) is PUSD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance program for 
student and family support addressing socioeconomic barriers to student success like housing and 
food insecurities, lack of access to health and mental health care, recent immigration, and other 
educational challenges. For assistance or an appointment, please call 626.396.5782 or text the FIT 
cell at 626.720.2476.

TESTING AND VACCINE CLINICS

Since the beginning of the school year, PUSD has conducted thousands of tests each week through 
our robust PUSD COVID-19 Testing Program, which includes weekly tests at mobile testing clinics 
at each school. We have also held weekly drive-through testing/vaccination clinics at the PUSD 
Education Center since August. Weekly Mobile Testing Clinic

In addition to the testing clinic held January 3, PUSD Health Programs staff held three testing clinics 
between Christmas and New Year’s Day. We also held successful vaccine clinics at Willard Elementary 
and at Madison Elementary this week.

Students and staff can get tested at regularly scheduled weekly mobile testing at their campuses. If 
you cannot attend one of our District or mobile testing clinics, there are several local options for 
testing and vaccinations.

https://www.albertsons.com/pharmacy/covid-19.html

https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine

https://www.riteaid.com/covid-19

https://www.vons.com/pharmacy/covid-19.html

Appointments are available through myturn.ca.gov.

Thank you for all you are doing to support our students. It has been a challenging week for everyone, 
and I am grateful for the PUSD team who have worked so hard to offer our students an opportunity 
to learn in-person.

**CLARIFICATION: The paragraph on in-person meetings refers to parent meetings. Schools will 
continue in-person learning.

Sincerely,

Dr. Elizabeth J. Blanco, Ed.D.

Chief Academic Officer

Alverno Heights Academy

200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3463 Head of School: Julia V. Fanara

E-mail address: jfanara@alvernoheights.org

Arcadia High School

180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007

Phone: (626) 821-8370, Principal: Brent Forsee

bforsee@ausd.net

Arroyo Pacific Academy

41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca, 

(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil Clarke

E-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org

Barnhart School

240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626) 446-5588 

Head of School: Ethan Williamson

Kindergarten - 8th grade

website: www.barnhartschool.org

Bethany Christian School

93 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3527 

Preschool-TK-8th Grade

Principal: Jonathon Hawes

website: www. bcslions.org

Clairbourn School

8400 Huntington Drive

San Gabriel, CA 91775

Phone: 626-286-3108 ext. 172

FAX: 626-286-1528

E-mail: jhawes@clairbourn.org

Foothill Oaks Academy

822 E. Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010

(626) 301-9809

Principal: Nancy Lopez

www.foothilloaksacademy.org

office@foothilloaksacademy.org

Frostig School

971 N. Altadena Drive Pasadena, CA 91107

(626) 791-1255

Head of School: Jenny Janetzke

Email: jenny@frostig.org

The Gooden School

192 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-2410 

Head of School, Jo-Anne Woolner

website: www.goodenschool.org

High Point Academy

1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road 

Pasadena, Ca. 91107 

Head of School: Gary Stern 626-798-8989

website: www.highpointacademy.org

La Salle College Preparatory

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 351-8951 website: www.lasallehs.org

Principal Dr. Jamal Adams

Monrovia High School

325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016 

(626) 471-2800 Principal Darvin Jackson

Email: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us

Odyssey Charter School

725 W. Altadena Dr. Altadena, Ca. 91001

(626) 229-0993 Head of School: Lauren O’Neill

website: www.odysseycharterschool.org

Pasadena High School

2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 396-5880 Principal: Roberto Hernandez

website: http://phs.pusd.us

St. Rita Catholic School

322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

Principal: Adela Solis (626) 355-6114 

solis@st-ritaschool.org

Website: www.st-ritaschool.org

Sierra Madre Elementary School

141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-1428 Principal: Lindsay LUIS

E-mail address: LUIS.lindsay@pusd.us

Sierra Madre Middle School 

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 836-2947 Principal: Garrett Newsom

E-mail address: newsom.garrett@pusd.us

Walden School

74 S San Gabriel Blvd

Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166 

www.waldenschool.net

Weizmann Day School

1434 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 797-0204

Lisa Feldman: Head of School

Wilson Middle School

300 S. Madre St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth Esseln

E-mail address: resseln@pusd.us

Pasadena Unified School District

351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Ca. 91109

(626) 396-3600 Website: www.pusd@pusd.us

Arcadia Unified School District

234 Campus Dr., Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626) 821-8300 Website: www.ausd.net

Monrovia Unified School District

325 E. Huntington Dr., Monrovia, Ca. 91016

(626) 471-2000 

Website: www.monroviaschools.net

Duarte Unified School District

1620 Huntington Dr., Duarte, Ca. 91010

(626)599-5000 

Website: www.duarte.k12.ca.us

Arcadia Christian School

1900 S. Santa Anita Avenue Arcadia, CA 91006

Preschool - and TK - 8th Grade

626-574-8229/626-574-0805

Email: inquiry@acslions.com

Principal: Cindy Harmon

website: www.acslions.com

USC ORTHOPAEDIC SPECIALIST DR. PAUL GILBERT TO SPEAK 
ON JANUARY 13

 Assistant Professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery, USC Verdugo Hospital, Dr. Paul Gilbert, M.D. will 
speak on “Computers & Technology in Orthopaedic Surgery” to the USC Trojan Affiliates on Thursday, January 
13, 2022 at a private home in San Marino. The meeting will begin with social time at 6:30 p.m. followed by the 
program at 7:00 p.m.

 Dr. Gilbert is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Keck Medical 
School of USC. He specializes in hip and knee replacement and preservation. He has performed thousands of joint 
replacements over the past twenty years. Dr. Gilbert has pioneered computer navigation, minimally invasive techniques 
and advanced pain management programs. His fascination with the application of computer technology in 
surgery and the benefit of sophisticated instruments for procedural accuracy has led Dr. Gilbert to adopt robotics 
for his partial knee replacements. Recent advances in orthorobotics allows for the successful implantation of 
single compartment knee replacements in appropriate cases. Dr. Gilbert has used computer navigation in over five 
hundred joint replacement procedures. Areas of current research capturing his attention are the use of tourniquets 
in knee replacement surgery and the success of partial knee replacements. Dr. Gilbert is board certified by the 
American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He 
completed undergraduate work at the University of California San Diego and received his BA in 1977. He earned 
his medical degree from the USC School of Medicine and went on to complete his internship and residency in 
orthopedic surgery at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center

 USC Trojan Affiliates, a women’s organization located in the San Gabriel Valley, supports the University 
of Southern California and welcomes all interested women to attend its meetings and events. All women parents, 
alumni, and friends of USC are encouraged to attend. Gentleman, are of course, welcome to attend the meeting as 
well. The group usually meets five times a year at various homes and locations within the San Gabriel Valley and 
hosts additional social and cultural events while raising needed scholarship funds for USC students. It currently 
supports fourteen students who attended local San Gabriel Valley high schools. The application deadline is February 
1, 2022 and additional information is available via email at scholarships@alumnicenter.usc.edu.

 USC Trojan Affiliates is in its sixth year of contributing money to its first scholarship endowment fund 
of $100,000, (now well over the initial funded amount) using these dollars to support its scholars. Money is also 
raised from selling unique USC products --- jewelry, scarves, clothing, tablecloths, towels, handmade signs, and 
more. Their newest product item is a custom designed scarf by USC Alumna and famed artist, Gayle Garner Roski 
. Members also volunteer at the Pasadena Showcase House to earn funds and participate in the USC SCupper, USC 
Day of SCervice, USC Homecoming, and Swim With Mike, and other programs to support the University and its 
students.

 If a community member has an interest in being a speaker at an upcoming Trojan Affiliates meeting, 
please contact Program Chairman, Jacqueline Goodman, at jtgoodman@aol.com.

 First year Trojan Affiliates President Ann Palmer of Sierra Madre, looks forward to welcoming prospective 
members to this meeting.

 For information, reservations, and the location information for the meeting, please contact Trojan Affiliates 
Reservations Chairman Sarah Sismondo by January 10th at sisarah@verizon.net or (626) 303-7284


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com