PCSD/WCSD September 2021 Newsletter
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SEPTEMBER 2021
In this Issue
SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: FENTON CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FEATURED VIDEO: A PCSD INTERN'S PERSPECTIVE
CA CHARTER SCHOOLS GET 2 YEAR EXTENSION
STAFF UPDATES
PROJECT UPDATES
Greetings friends and colleagues,
With a new school year comes the delivery of new facilities projects. This fall, we delivered 5 projects providing 1,363 seats in all three regions. You can learn more about one of our long-time Los Angeles school partners, Fenton Charter Public Schools, in our school highlight.
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to host an intern in our Bay Area office this summer. You can learn more about Rafael Rodriguez in our featured video: “An Intern’s Perspective”.
Welcome aboard to Deniz Ilgen and Mary Grace Houlihan, our newest PCSD team members!
Warmly,
John Sun
Fenton co-founders Irene Sumida and Joe Lucente
School Highlight: Fenton Charter Public Schools
Over the past nine years, PCSD has partnered with Fenton Charter Public Schools to manage the development of three new school facilities projects for a total of 1,952 new charter seats, and with the current one at Fenton Academies due to be completed in early 2022. We asked Irene Sumida, co-founder, to tell us a bit about Fenton, how they have been impacted during the pandemic, and what has been their relationship with PCSD.
Featured Video: A PCSD Intern's Perspective
PCSD had the opportunity of working with Construction Industry Workforce Initiative (CIWI) on providing a paid summer internship for a college student. We were thrilled to have Rafael Rodriguez join us for the summer in our Bay Area office. Rafael is a Leadership Public Schools: Oakland R&D (a PCSD client!) graduate and currently a junior at UC Davis studying Civil Engineering. Watch the Zoom interview with Rafael where he talks about his summer internship.
Two Year Extension for CA Charter Schools
This summer, California state Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB130, the education trailer, which includes a two year extension for charter school renewals. Due to the pandemic, statewide testing was suspended. The extension will allow charter schools additional time to provide academic assessment data.
Staff Updates
PCSD welcomed Deniz Ilgen and Mary Grace Houlihan as our newest team members.
Deniz Ilgen, Project Manager, Los Angeles
Mary Grace Houlihan, Project Director, Bay Area
Project Updates
PCSD/WCSD recently delivered on several new facility projects just in time for the start of a new school year.
Congratulations to Impact Public Schools on the official ribbon cutting and opening of Salish Sea Elementary School in Seattle at Othello Square. More to come on this exciting project in the coming months.
The Annex at Fenton Academies opened in August 2021. The project will provide for a unique and separate space for the 5th and 6th grade students.
PCSD partnered with Alpha Blanca Alvarado on the expansion of Alpha: Blanca Alvarado Middle School in the Alum Rock area of San Jose. The campus now has 4 new modular classrooms accommodating 120 additional students.
