Back to School Tips from PUSD

With the first day of school for Pasadena Unified students coming up on August 14, the district has released the following tips for parents sending their kids back for the year:

1)    Make sure your child is registered for school. Elementary school registration resumed August 7. Registration for middle and high school began in late July and continues into August. Preschool registration is ongoing throughout the year. Contact your school for specific information. For more information on PUSD schools visit www.gopusd.com/schoolguide.

2)    Show up at school on time and ready to learn Wednesday, August 14. PUSD families are reminded that when it comes to school attendance, every day really does count—starting with the first day of school. Every day absent is lost classroom time, a lost opportunity to learn and lost funding for PUSD. Children suffer academically if they miss school, the school district suffers financially and, according to state law, a child with three unexcused absences in a school year is classified as truant. Parents and guardians have a legal responsibility to get their children to school.

3)    Be sure children are ready for the first day of school with required vaccinations. In order to attend school, state law requires that all students entering school to be up to date with their immunizations and that seventh grade students have proof of a TDAP (Whooping Cough) vaccination. Visit www.shotsforschool.org for information on immunization requirements. PUSD’s Wellness Clinic is offering immunizations Monday, August 12 from 8:30 a.m. until noonfor students who are uninsured or on Medi-Cal. The clinic is located at 351 South Hudson Avenue in Pasadena. Immunizations will also be available for uninsured or Medi-Cal students throughout the school year every Monday beginning August 19 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the PUSD clinic.

4)    Have a nutritious breakfast and lunch. PUSD Food Services serves healthy and nutritious meals including fresh fruit and vegetables at every PUSD campus. Applications for the federal free and reduced meal program were mailed to district families and are available at school offices. Visit www.gopusd.com/schoolmeals for more information including menus, nutrition and fitness tips and instructions on how to obtain a free and reduced meal program application.

5)    Learn about transportation options to get to school. That bus that your child rode on last year may have a different stop or different pickup time. Last winter, district transportation options were changed to reflect district priorities as well as to serve as many students as possible. Visitwww.transportation.pasadenausd.org to see routes and schools served. These changes do not affect transportation for special education students. High school students can check with their school office to obtain an application for a TAP card.