Pleasanton Middle School

Pleasanton Middle School, incorporated in 1894, is located in the town of Pleasanton, California, in Alameda County.

 

An earlier settlement, named Alisal, was there before Pleasanton was founded in the 1850s. It was situated near the site of an Indian rancher named El Alisal on the lands of Rancho Santa Rita. Alisal, known as "The Most Desperate Town in the West" was one of the towns along La Vereda del Monte that, in the era after the beginning of the California Gold Rush, was a haunt and refuge for bandits and desperate people. Shootouts on Main Street were not rare.

 

Pleasanton is built on the Mexican land grants of the Rancho Valle de San José and Rancho Santa Rita lands. Its name came from John W. Kottinger, Justice of the Peace of Alameda County, who named it after his friend, Major General Alfred Pleasonton of the Union Army Cavalry. A typographical mistake by a U.S. Employees of the Postal Service evidently contributed to the present spelling.

 

Pleasanton is a suburb located about 25 miles (40 km) east of Oakland and 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Livermore, in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the 2010 census, the population was 70,285.

 

In its 2014 "America's 50 best cities to live in" listing, Pleasanton was ranked number 4 by USA Today, number 63 in Money's list of "The Best Places to Live" in 2010, and was named one of Forbes' "Americans' Top Hometown Spots" in the United States in 2009.

 

Pleasanton Middle School (known as "PMS") is a middle school created for grades 6-8. Their school opened in 1991, and is a Distinguished School of California. Around 1,300 students and a staff of around 65 teachers are enrolled. Their mascot at school is the Panther. In different events and sports, including basketball, football, and wrestling, PMS plays with other schools such as Harvest Park Middle School and Hart Middle School. PMS is located next to Hearst Elementary School, and the public library and downtown Pleasanton are within walking distance. One of the outstanding parts of our school is its cultural diversity and acceptance. From the Bhangra Club to the Model United Nations Club, there are many activities available at this middle school.

 

At Pleasanton Middle, there is something to convey an enthusiasm or passion for learning in every student: the pre-school rock band recording sessions arranged by two staff members who are also skilled musicians; the journalism class where young journalists produce stories of human interest on the computer to be displayed on the closed-circuit television of their school, PMTV; the language arts classes These are only a sampling of the rich events that can fill the days of Pleasanton Middle School students.

 

Mission Statement

The goal of the Pleasanton Middle School stakeholders is to prepare our students for a life of continuing academic achievement, personal integrity, self-reliance, and responsible citizenship in order to meet the ever-changing challenges and demands of the twenty-first century.

 

Our comprehensive curriculum is designed to meet the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs of the young adolescent. The curriculum is formulated to emphasize academic achievement, encourage student responsibility, and enhance self-esteem. We are committed to providing positive support and guidance for students during these important transitional years.

 

Goals

• Improve student achievement as measured in common grade-level or district assessments and state achievement tests.

• Continue the process of refining and implementing the Character Education program which provides students with the skills and information they need to reflect the following core values: integrity, honesty, responsibility, respect for self and others, compassion, and self-discipline.

• Maintain an instructional program that address the unique social, emotional, and academic needs of each individual student—from those identified as at-risk, to students in the middle, to students identified as gifted.