|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Mirjam Dijkxhoorn
As a parent of a Pleasanton Middle School student and the Parent Teacher Student Association president the last two years, I would like to share my experience spanning several years at the school with the Pleasanton community, which is shared by many other parents.
The school was in the news a few years ago because of a serious incident at the library. It would be unfortunate if this incident defines the reputation of the school for years to come, because as an involved parent, I have seen how everyone at the school works hard to provide a safe and engaging learning environment for the students.
I have observed that the PMS team, consisting of a new and proactive principal, an engaged admin team, caring counselors and dedicated teachers, have made for a positive experience. Is middle school a tough age? Yes! Does PMS provide an environment where children can thrive? The answer is also yes.
PMS earned the prestigious Distinguished School label from the California Department of Education in 2024, as well as a Gold Medal for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which is led by very engaged intervention specialists. One of the three counselors at PMS focuses on wellness and conflict resolution amongst students, a position which is partly funded by the PTSA.
One of PMS’s strengths is the many student-led clubs. Students can explore their interests at one of the 27 clubs, ranging from 3D printing, making music and performing plays to Dungeons & Dragons and baking. All the clubs are led by students and teachers. In addition, school dances are organized every quarter to have fun with friends and for leadership students to practice their organizational skills.
The school has an excellent music program where students can play in band, jazz band, choir or orchestra. Music students even had the chance to travel to Washington, D.C. in March, where they performed in front of the Lincoln Memorial, as the only middle school from Pleasanton.
Lastly, PMS has an engaged PTSA community of parents and guardians, who contribute to the community through grants, campus improvements and other financial contributions, as well as through volunteer hours to organize events such as Reflections Art Competition, PantherFest (the annual club showcase) and an active garden where students can spend time unwinding and learning about nature.
The first middle school athletics boosters within Pleasanton Unified School District is in the process of being registered, which will contribute to offering more afterschool sports activities.
I am a proud parent of a Pleasanton Middle School student and am highly appreciative of everyone working at school to get our middle schoolers ready for high school and the rest of their lives.
Editor’s note: Mirjam Dijkxhoorn is the current president of the Pleasanton Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association, the mother of an eighth grader and a fifth grader, and an anthropologist.
Searching for Eryn: Remembering Tri-Valley educator who drowned in American RiverMarch 6, 2026 6:27 am