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Green Spaces: Creating an Environment to Thrive

Piedmont Unified School District

November 20, 2024

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  • Introductions
  • Creating an Environment to Thrive: Green Spaces
  • Beach
  • Havens
  • Wildwood
  • PMS
  • MHS/PHS - Amy Cupples: Principal Landscape Architect
  • Other

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Agenda

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PUSD Strategic Plan: Strategic Priorities

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Creating an Environment to Thrive

Cultivate a culture of caring, belonging, and trust that will provide students and staff with the support they need to foster connections and truly engage in meaningful learning.

GOALS

  1. Prioritize student and staff social and emotional well-being.
  2. Cultivate a culture of respect and connectedness among students, staff, and families.
  3. Lean into a restorative justice culture through aligned and consistent application of RJ practices.
  4. Provide green, open spaces for students and staff to unplug and recharge in a welcoming and natural setting.

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Review and adopt instructional materials

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Goal #4: Building for Operational Excellence

(Actions & Services)

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AI Guidelines

Translation

Services

New Employee

Mentoring & Support

Recruitment and

Hiring Practices

Student

Behavioral

Supports

Attendance

Initiatives

Facilities Updates,

Maintenance

Campus

Beautification

Projects

Technology

Infrastructure

Digitize Processes

PUSD Threat

Management

Team

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Green Space Priorities

  1. Student & Staff
  2. Perimeter
  3. Option for sponsor/volunteers

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Green Space Possibilities…

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Beach

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Beach

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Havens

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Havens

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Wildwood

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Wildwood

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PMS

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PMS

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MHS/PHS

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PHS

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PHS

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Amy Cupples, ASLA, LEED AP, ReScape Rater

Principal Landscape Architect

Amy has practiced landscape architecture for over 25 years with a special focus on schools and their outdoor environments. Amy believes that part of nurturing our children's educational development includes introducing them to the wonders of the outdoors, that learning comes in all shapes and sizes and outdoor learning allows them to experience learning in a way that is different than sitting inside in a classroom. Creation of diverse and inclusive outdoor spaces that allow for a variety of experiences from the football field to the small group seating in the round to the play structure to the raised garden bed, each environment allows different skill sets to grow and thrive. She is a careful listener and responsive to the needs of the project while balancing the needs of the environment and our natural resources. Amy strongly believes that good design is responsive to the users, site, climate, and surrounding environment and that all projects and people deserve good design and green spaces.

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REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS

CalFire Living School Yards Projects on Seven Campuses, Oakland

Site Improvements, East Oakland Pride Elementary School, Oakland

New School Campus, Napa Junction Elementary School, American Canyon

Campus Renovation, Frederiksen Elementary School, Dublin

Oakland USD Living School Yard Templates, Oakland

Orinda Unified Material and Outdoor Learning Environment Standards, Orinda

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EDUCATION

Master of Landscape Architecture, Harvard University

BA Landscape Architecture University of California, Berkeley

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PHS

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MHS/PHS

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Green Space Support

  • Volunteers & Sponsors
  • Individuals & Groups
  • Funding

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Ideas & Interest: https://forms.gle/CJtki9eyvGBJtezZ7

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Questions/ Discussion

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Do you want to contribute?

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Ideas & Interest: https://forms.gle/CJtki9eyvGBJtezZ7

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Director of Facilities:

Pete Palmer

ppalmer@piedmont.k12.ca.us

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Chief Business Official

Ruth Alahydoian

ralahydoian@piedmont.k12.ca.us

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Superintendent:

Jennifer Hawn

jhawn@piedmont.k12.ca.us

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