On Oct. 8, PUSD’s Board of Education voted to approve new courses to be offered for the 2026-27 school year and held the first reading of a proposal to change graduation requirements. The new courses to be offered are AP Business with Personal Finance, AP Research, Honors English 3-4 for sophomores, Honors Art, and Honors Ceramics. The decision to add AP World History was tabled for later voting. The first reading of BP 6146.1, the proposal to change graduation requirements, included removing Health, Ethnic Studies, and computer science as graduation requirements. These classes would remain in the course catalog as electives. It also included aligning graduation requirements with the A-G requirements used by UC schools, which meant adding a third year of math and a second year of world language to the current requirements.
On Oct. 22nd, at 7:00 pm, the board will hold a second reading and approval of the proposal for High School Graduation Requirements. In this meeting, members will vote and finalize the proposal to change graduation requirements. Health, Ethnic Studies, and computer science will be changed from required classes to electives. The proposal also includes changes to the math requirements, requiring three years instead of two for graduation. World language requirements will also be changed to require an additional second year.
TPH collected responses from more than 250 Piedmont students on what they want adults to know. Here are their responses.
“I want adults to know that being a student at PHS is a privilege because we are blessed by so many great teachers every day. I love everyone around me and how they push me to be my best.”
Sophomore Aaron Bennett
“I want adults to realize that there’s a lot more pressure on students from parents and other students than they realize, and it’s a lot harder to say no than people think. ‘you can just say no to that’, but that’s not really the truth. Because it matters for your college applications, because if you don’t take the most courses, then you can’t get into good colleges. Even if you do, you still feel like you’re constantly behind, and you feel kind of stupid. Someone’s like, ‘oh, you’re not taking AP bio, you [explicative] dimwit’. It makes you feel kind of stupid, and I think what adults don’t realize is that when they’re adding these new AP classes, it’s just gonna make it worse for everyone, even teachers, because classes are getting more overcrowded, and it just becomes impossible to actually get a good learning experience. And as someone who, you know, I’ve struggled with a learning disability through all my life and I’ve had support, but as [classes] become more crowded and more APs are being added, the stress is piling down on students, there’s gonna be backlash and people don’t tell the truth on the surveys and if they think that they’re telling the truth, they’re being naive. Students are gonna suffer because of this choice, and I’m just worried that there’s going to be like, it’s gonna have to be a really, really bad thing to happen for someone to care.”
Senior Abby Cothran
“Everything is just about taking APs.“ “I think that adding APs is making it more stressful for students just because there are fewer classes that are easier and less course load.” “We need more APs and we need stronger physics classes.“ “I think it’s important for adults to know that balancing so much schoolwork and homework and extracurricular activities as well as being a senior and working on college apps, does have a lot of stress to it, but it’s important to understand that kids kind of know when they could work on stuff and manage their own time, and it’s important for us to learn how to manage our own time this year.” “I think there are both positive and negative experiences at PHS. There’s a ton of stress in relationships, grades, and what classes you take, especially in college applications, too. However, I do think Piedmont exposes you to a vast variety of opinions. I know when you look at the metrics, Piedmont’s not considered super diverse, but I think the diversity of opinions and where people come from and how they view the world is very diverse. It’s very interesting to get to know people and learn about how their experiences have impacted how they view the world.” “There is so much work, it’s very, very stressful, and dividing up your time and persevering doesn’t always work, and sometimes our teachers are really unfair.” “I think that it’s very fun, except as you go up in years, or especially next year, for the class of 2029 and the ones that will come after us, that it’s going to be very challenging, especially because they’re adding more sophomore weighted classes, like sophomore [Honors] English. And I don’t think that they should add it because it’s going to cause too much stress for people who are so young.” “Given the outcome of the recent board meeting, I don’t think they should add all of those APs and honors classes, because there’s already a lot of pressure, and it would just increase the stigma around harder classes.” “I would want adults to know that it is a very competitive environment in terms of academics. In Piedmont, everyone is always comparing themselves to each other, and it’s a very stressful environment to be in.” “Being a student at Piedmont can be harder than it looks due to the pressures from peers when it comes to academics and extracurriculars, while juggling a social life.” “I’ve been able to make a lot of really good friends here and have had a pretty good Piedmont experience. It’s also really nice because Piedmont is a tight-knit community.” “Sports take a lot of time, and everyone does sports. and then there’s also a lot of pressure to be in the best class possible, which is a bit stressful, and also skipping classes, there’s a lot of pressure on that.” “I would want adults to know about all the things we do outside of school, like sports, and how much time that takes up.” “Piedmont is so small, I think there is a heavy microculture and students don’t get to experience a lot of the things they will face in college and beyond.” “Adults should know that PHS students already have a lot of academic pressure from their peers and are doing their best so it is not always needed for parents to also be really pushy about school and getting good grades.” “I think that it’s important for adults and parents to know more about how Piedmont is actually a very competitive community of students and everyone’s trying to do their best.” “Being a student at PHS is fun, but it can also be very stressful. I understand high school is supposed to be hard, but for those balancing school, social life, and sports, getting your work done without going to bed super late and getting good grades is nearly impossible. I’m glad we have many spaces for help and belonging, but I feel that what is expected of us is too much at times. I do really enjoy the community we have built at PHS, and I appreciate the teachers’ and adults’ help in that, along with all the exciting events that our school runs each year. I also appreciate all of the freedom that we are given at this school, such as having an open campus at lunch and being able to share whatever views one might believe without judgment. Overall, being a student at PHS is enjoyable, but sometimes school days can start to feel like a job and can limit important rest.” “It is really competitive, and when students aren’t taking several AP or honors courses, they might feel like they’re behind other students and off track.” “I’d like adults to know that Piedmont High School is really an amazing school with such a supportive community and that real students are capable of becoming the people that we want to be, and trust us a little bit more.” “I think that PHS has a lot of opportunities, but I also think that classes are really stressful and breaks are good.” “I would say that I noticed a lot of people this year taking two courses, which I think is pretty good, because with college apps, it almost equates to another course. So it’s good that people are trying to find balance in their lives. But I think that just adding more APs is almost reversing any positive progress, and students are trying to see what’s right for them, because it just adds more pressure to taking these APs. If it’s offered, it’s gonna push more students. In that direction, they need to take on more than they can handle, and I think that it’s just gonna reverse any positive change.” “There is a lot of pressure on us to do well, which can be very stressful.” “We have a lot of classes, so even if one teacher doesn’t give a lot of homework, the work stacks up.” “I wish adults understood that we need time to do the things we enjoy doing and to explore parts of our identities that we find important outside of school, I also wish adults understood that when students work hard to keep up their grades they lose sleep and time for other things they enjoy which in the long run can be as important to happiness and success as academic success.” “I think it’s a lot nicer than middle school. We have a lot more freedom, and the campus is overall a lot better.” “I would say that it’s a relatively good experience and that it’s pretty normal compared to what people think about high school experiences. I’d say that the curriculum is definitely slightly more rigorous, probably just in comparison to the rest of the country. But that’s a good thing.” “I think they should know that schoolwork takes up a lot of time, and so does homework. So maybe limiting after-school classes or after-school activities would be nice in terms of homework. Also, be understanding that not a lot of kids, especially new kids like myself, know about technology and the way that things work around here.” “The school Piedmont is great because you can excel in so many different aspects of the school. I think it’s great for Piedmont that right now, it’s all equal, but it’s turning into only academics.” “I want adults to know that while students are very academically focused and a lot of people that sign up to take hard classes, enjoy taking hard classes and are interested in learning, that we’re still stressed all the time, and just because people are smart and interested in learning, doesn’t mean that we want to be so academically focused all the time. We still want to have lives outside school, and being so academically focused detracts from that.” “Homework takes a lot of time, and combining that with extracurriculars like sports can be very hard.” “I think overall it’s a great experience. I mean, you have so many more new opportunities than in middle school, when there are more options for classes. But I do think that sometimes so many classes can be stressful because you don’t know what to take, and you don’t know what you need to graduate. Sometimes I’m not sure. And also, the new edition of a lot of AP classes can sometimes stress people out. But I think overall, it’s a great experience with new opportunities.” “As a senior, I’m a little bit remorseful. I’ve pursued many of my academic interests, I‘ve explored many extracurriculars, I’ve been very busy, but I feel like, as a result, my social life has been a little underdeveloped, and there’s so much pressure to perform and be busy for colleges that you miss out on some of the high school spirit.” “It’s really stressful. There’s a lot of academic pressure from the surroundings and the environment. It is a really competitive school and one that people really care about where they get into, the colleges they’re applying to. It becomes a really stressful environment.” “I’d like to focus on the math department. Right when I entered high school, I had the option to double compress. I took the test, but I ran out of time while taking it, so I didn’t finish. I probably would’ve passed. The reason why I’m bringing this up is that I feel that test was a bit needless, as the content I would be skipping is really simple, and I’d like there to be more easy access to IM2/3, as just IM2 and IM3 have a lot of reviews in them. The whole first semester of sophomore year in IM3, I was just doing a review of the past year, and I feel like that was really needless. So, I’d appreciate it if you could waive the test.” “Well, I just feel like here there is so much pressure on students to take the most academically rigorous courses they possibly can, to push themselves to the extreme of what they can handle with the classes they take. I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to take as many APS as possible, as many hours as possible.” “School can be stressful.“ “I want adults to know that being a student at PHS can be both exciting and challenging. We have so many opportunities— clubs, academics, and activities— but sometimes it feels like we’re expected to do everything perfectly. Most of us are trying to figure out who we are and what matters to us, so a little understanding and flexibility goes a long way.” “I feel very included in my community, and the staff and work environment are very good.” “Adults think that we are always on our phones, but we are really more than that.” “I believe that adults should know about the stress of both academics and athletes, which can be combined to make more stress.” “I feel like it’s been pretty good for me. I feel like there’s a lot of different groups you can join.” “It’s pretty normal.“ “I think teachers should focus more on the skills of unbiased critical thinking in their students.” “I think as a PHS student, there’s a lot of pressure, not just by teachers but also by friends and classmates to do well in things. And I think that could be good sometimes, it holds other people accountable in their work, getting homework done, stuff like that. But I think at the same time, sometimes it can be another pressure we have as teens.” “I think that it’s a great school, but there is definitely a lot of work.” “I want teachers to understand that the amount of work and the amount of homework they give us just isn’t sustainable, especially with sports. I think I heard that at least 90% of people at Piedmont do sports, and it’s not sustainable because we have so much homework every night. They talk about mental health, and they talk about getting sleep, but then they provide us with so much homework that we don’t have time to live our own lives. That’s the most stressful part of school, personally, we go to school for 6 hours and then we come home and there’s a constant amount of homework that just doesn’t let us have time for ourselves, and it’s the main factor for most people’s stress.” “I think it’s pretty stressful, but it’s also fun, because I have a lot of friends here.” “Being a student at PHS is very fun and I feel very fortunate to have so many opportunities, but it is very stressful and there’s a lot of pressure to succeed.” “We have a lot of weighted classes, and it’s not as easy as people think. But it is a good school.” “I think it can be very, very tough when they keep adding more and more classes, as colleges will start to see that. I don’t think Honors English should be added because I feel like that will cause a lot of stress, because people feel very inclined to take that class, even if they don’t feel ready to take it.” “It’s a really competitive atmosphere because everyone at Piedmont wants to get really good grades.” “I want grown-ups to know that there’s a lot of community here, but I think sometimes there’s still community problems, and I think we need to work towards solving those.” “I think I’d want them to know that I think they think about it in terms of numbers. And, they want to, especially adults and parents that don’t have kids that are upperclassmen or in high school at all, they think, oh, of course we want more AP classes, and of course we want things like that, because it sounds right, but it actually adds a lot of extra stress and raises the bar higher than it actually is. And I think that’s not great.” “The workload definitely increases from freshman to sophomore year, and I feel like it continues to increase after that as well. Being a student athlete and having extracurriculars makes a big difference.” “I wish we had more classes that were more tailored to our interests.” “Phones aren’t as harmful as [adults] think“ “They expect you to be better than me. And then you take a bunch of AP classes. So it’s really stressful for people and I don’t think they prioritized mental health.” “Students at Piedmont face pressure to take hard classes more so than in other schools. I think that’s partially because a lot of parents went to prestigious schools, and parents have a lot of pressure for students.” “I wish adults realized that sometimes it’s actually hard to eat because the lunch line is super long, or sometimes the food just isn’t that good. Sometimes you have to skip brunch because you have an assignment or something due next class.” “Adults need to understand that with a lot of homework, you have to stay up late studying for tests, and as a result, it’s hard to get up in the morning on time for school.” “It’s stressful trying to balance school, sports, and life outside of class. Sometimes it feels like adults forget how much pressure students are under every day.” “I think what I want adults to know about the true experience of being a student at PHS is how hard it is to balance all of the extracurriculars along with all the added schoolwork that’s at home. I think it’s really hard for adults, like you work a 9 to 5, you’re done with work at 5 o’clock, you don’t have to do anything at home, maybe you have to answer an email or two, but I think with being a student at PHS or a student anywhere, you still have like this added extra time after school where you have to do more work and it’s just like a constant like loop of work and work and work.” “I really try hard to stay on top of my schoolwork, but studying for tests and everything else can be very hard.” “I think that it’s good to have a lot of options for courses because people are still trying to discover what they want to do later on in life, and they’re not really sure of who they are yet. So I think it’s good to have a lot of options so that they can explore each area and get a good idea of what they like.” “There are classes that I’ve wanted to take because of other people. What they thought I should take, but there are other classes where I felt like I would enjoy them more and they would be really helpful just for me to be in it, or it’s like something I’m really interested in, instead of just doing something just for college or something.” “Some teachers don’t listen to your opinion about course load or homework and stuff.” “A lot of the time we can get pretty overwhelmed, and that hurts our performance a lot.” “It’s a really supportive community, and there are great teachers who are there to help students.” “Homework and extracurriculars take up a lot of our time, so it can be hard to find time to relax.” “With great preparation, it’s not that hard.” “I like Mr. Hartford. Teachers are supportive. I like how good the STEM program is. There are a lot of options. I code. I like her vice. I’m just gonna say, I like how supportive the teachers are, and how understanding they are of certain things. I love good things like extending deadlines, and they do do.” “I want them to know it is a little bit unfair to have super high expectations, especially for very ambitious students and college-wise, to balance school life with multiple extracurriculars, clubs, and stuff, and nonprofits, and also a really competitive sport. So, my parents, for instance, ask, “Are you done with your homework yet?” Like, “How much homework could you really have?” You know what I mean, it’s like, “It’s just high school, just wait until college!” I wish they could just know. It’s a lot of homework. For APUSH, they tell you sophomore year, as a warning, “It’s gonna be three hours of homework a week, right?” And you’re like, “Alright, fire. It probably won’t be that much.” It can be that much. And then, you have to take it, though, because your parents are like, “You have to take APUSH.” And you take it, and you have three hours a week. And then, you have seven hours of sports you have to do every week, plus something like that, and then you also have a reading assignment, math homework, tests – at least three tests a week. It’s insane to expect me to balance that with also forming a nonprofit and becoming president. I can’t do all of that! I have mental health!“ “Freshman year is really easy, and they should allow us to do more.” “They prepare me for the world in a great way. They don’t just make us do boring stuff from textbooks and whatever. They actually show us things that matter for when we’re older, and also they help us figure out how to actually use what we learn instead of just forgetting it after the test for life after high school.” “It’s been stressful. It’s been pretty stressful with the expectations at Piedmont, the pressure just from the town, and the environment. Everyone expects us to do really well academically. And if you don’t, you’re kind of an outsider, I guess. So I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to do well. And academics, it’s really stressful to kind of keep up.” “I wish adults understood how difficult it is to balance social life and your academics and sports, and how much academic pressure there is to take the harder classes and to succeed in them.” “I would say that I think for a lot of the classes at PHS, the difficulty varies a lot, and I think that some of the classes are a lot harder than adults would expect, and other ones might be a lot easier than could be expected. I think adults often assume the specific difficulties for each class, and I think it’s often inaccurate.” “I really like Piedmont, I don’t think anything needs to be improved.” “I would like adults to know about students’ social pressures, which can be intense when dealing with friendships, social media, and peer expectations. It can honestly be a bit overwhelming.” “There’s so much competition at Piedmont, it’s such a toxic environment that it’s gotten to a point where people lie to each other about the amount of time they spend studying, or how much effort they’re putting into stuff to kind of get other people to put in less effort, and one up them, and get better grades than them, and that’s a really harsh community be in when it feels like other people are trying to tear you down instead of uplift.” “I think adults should know that being a student at PHS is really great because there are so many good classes that they offer, but it’s also really challenging, and lots of classes, especially the AP classes, take up a lot of time with their homework.” “Students work very hard. We balance academics, extracurriculars, jobs, and personal lives, and it can be stressful. Trying to balance all of it can pile up on us, making our lives very stressful.” “It’s fun and all, being with my friends and stuff. But I think also, especially seeing some friends who are in different grades, go through school. I feel the pressure to take, hard classes just for the sake of, boosting your GPA and stuff can be a bit much, especially now that more AP classes are potentially being added, I feel for me as well, I don’t know, the pressure to just take more classes for the sake of boosting GPA, or just for the sake of taking a hard class, is becoming a bit much, I guess. But as a freshman, the classes have been really easy. So I’m kind of just, I don’t know right now, at least, I think it’s just really all fun and games, kind of honestly, but I think once I go through like 10th and 11th grade, it’s gonna get harder.” “I want adults like parents and coaches to understand that tardies don’t harm you as a student. And the way the brunch system is set up, you are automatically late if you don’t cut lines.” “It’s super stressful doing sports after school. Our schedule is super tough, and I get home at 7:30 every day.” “We work hard here at Piedmont, so we gotta play hard.” “I want adults to know that there is a lot of academic pressure on students at PHS, maybe that they don’t exactly realize, because I know when my mom asks me about how school’s going, how my grades are going, I usually just respond with ‘fine’ just so she doesn’t try to interfere more. I mean, I’m not super stressed personally, I feel like I have a pretty good school schedule, but I do spend some late nights working on homework and studying, and I want parents to know that you might not see, truly, what your kids are doing to meet all of the academic requirements of their classes.” “Overall, really good. But a lot of times when we tell problems about problems, they kind of just overlook it, or they don’t really adjust to it.” “I think adults should know that being a student at Piedmont is very competitive, and not so much, honestly, about learning, but being better than someone else. Especially in middle school, the thought of being in compression or not compression, and then, especially as you get older, taking AP classes, it’s not so much about actually what you’re learning about, but about what the label of the class is that you’re in.” “Parents should realize that at Piedmont, junior year is much harder in comparison to sophomore year than sophomore year is compared to freshman year. Nothing can prepare you for the workload in junior year, but in general, having a good group of friends and classmates who can help you through it is very beneficial.” “One thing I think is pretty prevalent is when you have AP versions and other courses that aren’t just additionally offered. When you have an honors or AP class, and then the leftover classes, you end up with unenthusiastic students, which I think is unfair to the students who want a proper education experience, and they’re getting clumped into these classes with unenthusiastic students. I’m saying that all the enthusiastic students are taking AP classes, and the non-AP classes are left with unenthusiastic students as a majority, and the minority of enthusiastic students in those classes have a worse education experience, just because they didn’t want to have the extra workload of taking even more AP classes. And then you kind of alluded to another problem: is there also the same problem in AP classes, where a portion of them could be taken just for the main bump as well? So I think in both classes, really, about enthusiastic students.” “I think that adults need to recognize that five or six tests a week is unacceptable, especially when I’m doing sports as well. It’s unachievable to have to be able to hang out, to be able to have time to myself, to sleep, to do my sport, to study, do homework, and play games. I’m spending over 10 hours a week, or 12, maybe on sports alone. And at that time, after I get home, all of it is studying and doing homework, and I’m getting six, seven hours of sleep, and I think that’s unreasonable.” “I’d say that there’s a really heavy workload, and I don’t think parents are really that understanding of how damaging to mental health it can be, especially with all of the AP classes that they’re offering.” “Adults need to understand that juniors have lots more homework and lots of parents always want their kids to be doing more work and harder classes, but they don’t necessarily understand how hard it already is for students.” “I wish they understood that sometimes we are not perfect, and so if we get a bad grade on a test or something, it won’t reflect what will happen for the rest of the semester.” “I think that, for me, it’s the perfect difficulty. I take challenging classes, but it’s not overwhelming, and I think that for them to say it’s not hard enough and we need to do more or whatever, I don’t remember exactly what they said, I just think that’s kinda silly because a lot of people are way too into APs and they’re killing themselves doing it.” “So I’ve only been here for a few months, but I definitely have noticed that there’s a lot more pressure on high school students than there is on middle school students. And for freshmen, there aren’t even choices in advanced classes. There aren’t even choices to take an advanced class. But there’s still so much pressure, and I just think that adding even more APs to our to our selections are just going to add so much pressure onto every student’s lives, because we’re all kids, so we don’t really have good enough judgment to choose not to take these classes, because at the end of the day, everyone’s just trying to get into a good college.” “It’s already hard enough, don’t make it harder with your expectations. Also, it’s one community.” “There is a lot of academic pressure, and lots of pressure to take APs and harder classes.” “There is a lot of pressure to take hard classes, and there isn’t a focus on artistic values.” “That the workload is sometimes stressful with taking honors and AP classes, and that sometimes, homework isn’t really important, especially if you have extracurriculars, like a sport or something, it’s just hard to balance everything, and we kind of need our own space.” “While they try to add to the competitiveness of the school, it really just causes children to raise their expectations for themselves and others, which causes stress within their own lives, and as the pressure is already built on sports that the kids may be part of, of course. A few people I know, just the stress on top of sports and extracurriculars, it’s a cause for sadness, maybe even depression for people.” “High school now is different from when they [adults] were in high school. Things have changed, courses have gotten more rigorous, and it’s not as easy as they were in high school. It’s not as easy to get into college anymore, and it’s a lot harder than they think, and I think adults should know the difference between us now and then.” “I think the kind of stressful experience that comes with that, and there are a lot of academic expectations from people, and I look across from a lot of different people and groups. I think that also, sometimes, it’s hard to do some of the material in class. I don’t know if that’s just me. So I kind of need to teach myself at home a little bit too, and it just takes up a lot more time lately.” “I want them to know that being a high school student is a lot more stressful than they might remember it, especially with the competitive environment that we have at Piedmont.” “I think the school is a really good school, but a lot of students feel a lot of pressure coming from their parents or teachers, because of their grades. So there are a lot of required things you have to do for a sport. So, sometimes it can feel like a lot.” “I want adults to know that being a student at PHS is a lot more mentally and physically draining than what we show on the outside.” “I think that adults need to know that Piedmont High School is hard.
It is a struggle. A lot of other schools give easier opportunities, and I want all adults to know that it’s tough to be working so hard at a school that doesn’t give back as much.” “I think parents should know that being a student is really hard and stressful, and you have a lot of hard classes. And I think a lot of parents think that it feels easier, like when they went to school, but now it’s a lot harder and more competitive.” “I would like them to know that there are a lot more pressure factors than I think are known. I think a lot, not only from home, but you have pressure from other students just because of how competitive people are at the school. So you are always striving to find time, even when there’s no time. So it ends up making your life very chaotic.” “It’s really competitive and stressful.” “I want them to know that we already try to strive for a lot here. And we are a small school. I really like it here, and I know that my friends do. We already strive for a lot. Having more AP classes would make it harder.” “I think one thing adults should know is that a lot of students, including myself, feel like there’s not actually a lack of AP classes and honors classes and that there’s actually many opportunities to take that and that when more APs and honors are added, it becomes more of a feeling of ‘I have to take it because it’s available, not because I want to take it‘. When systems like the college application process review your school in terms of the classes you have available to you, it actually becomes like you have to [take more weighted classes to have] a better profile as a student because you took more. You have a worse one because you took less in the context of what your school offered. Because at a certain point, you just don’t have space or energy or time to take that many AP classes.” “I think all adults should know that the students really do try their best, and they listen to all the teachers have to say. And I think that if a student wants to do something, it should be completely their own decision, and they shouldn’t be pressured to do anything that they don’t want to do.” “I get a lot of homework, and that takes up a lot of time.” “The teachers at the school make it really engaging. The way they present the material keeps you interested and wanting to learn more. It’s not just lecturing at us—they actually involve us in discussions and activities. Plus, they’re always willing to help if you’re struggling with something.” “At PHS, success is often seen through a very narrow lens, mostly focused on grades, test scores, and college admissions. What many adults don’t realize is that this creates a lot of silent pressure. A student who might be doing fine by normal standards can feel like they are struggling here. In other communities, getting a B or even a C might be considered solid progress, but at PHS, it can feel like you’re falling behind.” “I like the school, and the teachers are pretty great, and the homework is not too bad. I like the school. I think it’s pretty great, and I think the pressure’s a little bit hard with APs and taking APS, especially now that we have a lot more APs getting put into our school, but I also like the advancement of it.” “Because our school runs in a system where grades are easily available at any time, parents can often see low grades at the beginning of the year, which are caused by the lack of assignments at that time, which causes stress for both parents who think their students are failing and students who have to explain it.” “I think it’s students and parents that pressure students more than teachers pressure students, and teachers’ expectations are overall lower, in general, for students, than themselves and parents.” “I think that something I would want to tell my parents about PHS and its culture is probably that it’s very motivating to encourage students to try things that a lot of schools don’t offer, like arts programs and sports programs and different languages and courses that you probably wouldn’t associate with vibing with, but then they encourage you to try everything.” “I would like them to know that most of the classes are a lot of work. However, we learn a lot. Our classes are hard, and we learn a wide variety of subjects and topics that also relate to our world today.” “It’s a lot more stressful than people might think, especially as a senior when college applications are happening.” “I want adults to know that PHS students are already stressed enough with their current course load, and adding additional AP and honors classes will only contribute even more. And all of this, all in all, will lead to a worsening mental health environment at our school.” “Just acknowledging the stress in high school. I feel like it’s really downplayed sometimes, or we’re pushed to do certain things that we’re not ready for, but we want to meet certain expectations, so we do it.” “People think that PHS is a really academic school, but the classes we offer aren’t actually that special. So you don’t have to be the best at what you’re doing, just do it.” “I think that adults don’t necessarily always see that there are things going on behind the scenes, not just education. I guess it’s like a balance of education and learning, but also like going through social situations and things like that.” “I think Piedmont has a competitive atmosphere. There’s a lot of pressure to be the number one. And I feel like people come from a lot of competitive, different backgrounds. places compared to those girls. But I also think it’s more of a private school.” “I think being a student at PHS gives a lot of high expectations compared to other high schools, and it also sets a lot of competitive aspects for future life.” “There’s too much work, and it’s a lot of stress for the students.” “I don’t think they fully understand the stress level we’re under. I mean, they understand a portion of it, but I think they could give us more time, maybe an academy or other opportunities to work, or they could set up things after school where you can go see your teacher more. But I think the adults are doing a pretty good job, but they just don’t understand all of it.” “It’s a really hard and stressful experience, especially with the school board planning to add more AP courses. I think that is going to make the workload a lot heavier.” “One thing that I wish adults knew about my experience at Piedmont High School is how overwhelming and stressful it can be at certain moments, and adding on more APs and more honors classes is a good idea for those who can handle it, but a majority of students here are already struggling with the amount of rigorous classes. It’s hard to balance AP and honors classes with extracurriculars, sports, family, and friends, so adding more to that can be very stressful, and I think that adults need to know the perspectives of students from Piedmont High School.” “I wish they knew that I am putting in my all for school, so when adults dump things they want me to do on me, it’s hard sometimes. I just really want them to know that I am always doing my best.” “Everyone has the opportunity to challenge themselves, with APs, which lead to a lot of stress, but people are also able to limit their workload pretty easily as you choose your courses.” “I often find myself with a lot of homework, and often parents don’t understand that and think that maybe I am being inefficient with my time.” “I think adults should know the students don’t want more APs. We just want the school to exist because they’ve been so focused on adding more APs, making it so academic, but they’ve been kind of losing the point that makes Piedmont Piedmont, and makes it so people actually want to be here. and since they’ve been so focused on adding all the weighted classes, all the AP classes, it’s just making it worse than a student because everyone’s doing more and more stuff, just burning happiness.” “When a class is difficult, and the teacher is difficult as well, it’s not very helpful.” “It gives you a lot of school spirit and you feel included everywhere, and there are a lot of classes and new things to learn.” “It’s a funny experience, but it’s also a very rigorous experience with the academics, and there’s a lot of competition, especially with your peers and the number of AP classes you’re taking.” “I think parents should know that the workload is hard, and it is a stressful environment for students. And the pressure can build on them, taking a toll on their social lives, making them have little to no social lives or time to be a kid.” “We’re really hard-working students and we put a lot of effort into our work when it is hard and difficult.” “I think that parents really need to understand that they have a huge influence on their kids, and so not only do their kids shape the culture of Piedmont High School, but the parents are fostering the environment through their kids, so I think that if we want to grow as a community, parents really need to know that they are involved with their kids’ lives and the culture at the highschool.” “I think PHS has a lot to offer for students, and it’s a very positive environment for our school. I think that the courses they have set up to push kids into college are very helpful and successful. Overall, I’m having a good time in high school.” “I hope they know how stressful it is and how taking breaks is very necessary for us. Sometimes we won’t feel up to doing everything, and we need rest.” Your donation will support the student journalists of Piedmont High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
Freshman Abe Mandel
Senior Akash Bornstein
Junior Alex Schleuning
Senior Allison Atanasio
Sophomore Annalise Gudiksen
Senior Arrietty Pereira-Elliott
Freshman Asha Dev
Senior Ava Rivera
Junior Avedis Gourjian
Junior Bailey Gentman
Sophomore Beatrice Hatch
Freshman Ben Gitter
Senior Bryan Heafey
Junior Carmen Botero
Sophomore Cassidy Carter
Senior Celeste Dickason
Freshman Charlotte Phung
Sophomore Chloe Hong
Senior Chloe Koh
Junior Chloe Toyoma
Junior Colby Hong
Junior Colin Amen
Freshman Connor Carnazzo
Junior Cora Brozowski Schrader
Freshman Dahlia Edelson-Evans
Senior Dahlia Osman
Junior Dahlia Strub
Junior Daniel King
Freshman Danilo Titterton
Senior Darcy McKee
Senior Dash Worthen
Junior David Ackerman
Sophomore Dean Kvoriak
Junior Dev Nabizadeh
Junior Diego Hurwitz
Senior Dillon Casey
Senior Dimitri Secor
Sophomore Dresden Schulte-Sasse
Senior Drew Kobal
Senior Duncan Eng
Freshman Dylan Wallway
Junior Ed Balasingham
Freshman Eliza Hupp
Sophomore Ella Thomasson
Junior Ellie Olsen
Junior Elliot Hondorp
Senior Elspeth Grippando
Freshman Emi Angulo
Junior Emma Chan
Sophomore Emme Scott
Junior Esme Krumins
Sophomore Ethan Block
Sophomore Ethan Hammond
Senior Evrim Duramsoy
Sophomore Gabby Caranza
Senior George Bishop
Junior Gianluca Richmond
Junior Grey Sanford
Junior Gus Lenard
Sophomore Hannah Joerger
Junior Heiko Sexton Bar
Freshman Henry Van den Boss
Senior Ian Nguyen
Sophomore Iris Feng
Freshman Isabelle Ahearn
Sophomore Jack Mendelsohn
Junior Jackson Van-Kleeck
Senior Jasper Schuetz
Senior Juan Lopez Cortez
Junior Julia Aires
Freshman Kelsey Coleman
Senior Kian Ghaderi
Junior Kirstin Fedor
Sophomore Leela Sivakumar
Junior Leo Kansal
Freshman Leo Maltz
Junior Leyton Poole
Senior Lila Rosen
Junior Lily Horton
Junior Lily Izakson
Freshman Lisa Treichler
Junior Lucian Fang-Ring
Sophomore Lukas Toth
Senior Maddox Ma
Junior Madeline Booth
Freshman Mai Pham
Freshman Makenna Small
Junior Matias Seelenberger
Senior Matt Steimle
Sophomore Mia Bechtel
Junior Milana Milner
Junior Miles Lee
Junior Milo Stevenson
Junior Muriel Crawford-Jakubiak
Freshman Naomi Jerez
Sophomore Nate Spong
Senior Nick Riordan
Senior Nicolas Kaltenecker
Sophomore Nikita Gorelik
Sophomore Noah Baldwin
Junior Noah Hussain
Sophomore Nylah Kim
Junior Olivia Britt
Sophomore Olivia Kaltenecker
Sophomore Olivia Stevens
Sophomore Orion Sachs
Sophomore Paige Chin
Sophomore Paige Young
Freshman Penelope Hopper
Freshman Poppy Ashford
Senior Quincy Antaya
Sophomore Rabia Mahmood
Junior Rachel Luskin
Senior Raey Yalew
Junior Ruben Cohen
Junior Ruby Yasar
Senior Ryan Dickies
Senior Ryan Graham
Senior Sacha Andrews
Sophomore Sadie Hartman
Senior Sam Antanasio
Senior Samantha Huynh
Senior Samara Levi
Junior Sebastien Swain
Sophomore Sofia Meyer
Sophomore Sophia Puckett
Sophomore Sophie Lajugie
Sophomore Sophie Paynter
Senior Stella Wilk
Sophomore Teah Suhr
Junior Theo Ferguson
Junior Thomas Ero
Junior Thomas Moison
Senior Trenton Downing
Sophomore Tsukasa Sano
Senior Walden Pan
Junior Will Hinman
Freshman William Bleharski
Junior Xia Synder
Freshman Zayda Weber
Sophomore Zoya Schulze
