Gunn Together Times
October 28, 2020
Re-opening Communications
The next few months will be full of reopening planning. PAUSD leadership is committed to communicating plans when they are settled. Here are the ways we will communicate with parents, students, and the community:
Board of Education meetings and minutes
Weekly Superintendent Reports
In case you missed it, here is PAUSD’s Superintendent Update from October 23. There is a lot of information coming out all the time.
Secondary Principals’ Bi-Monthy Community Email (Wednesdays)
Friday Principals’ Coffees (via zoom)
Attendance
Your child’s attendance is important. California Senate Bill 98 was signed into law by Governor Newsom in June 2020, resulting in additions to the California Education Code (the collection of California laws governing California public schools). The new laws governing attendance during distance learning are on the PAUSD “Return To Campus” FAQ web page, paragraphs 22 and 23. Specifically, the new law says: “Each (school district) shall document daily participation for each pupil on each school day, in whole or in part, for which distance learning is provided. A pupil who does not participate in distance learning on a school day shall be documented as absent for that school day."
TRUNK OR TREAT
Trunk Decorators Needed!
On Saturday, October 31 PTSA, YCS, and SEC are hosting a Trunk or Treat for the elementary schools in the Gunn Parking Lot. We need students to decorate their trunks for the event. The event is from 4-8 pm but if you are decorating a trunk you can come at 3 pm.
- Decorate your trunk or your parents
- Come and decorate with other students or bring your family to help decorate
- Deck out your trunk with Halloween decorations or design a theme
- Have fun with it, dress up, and wave to the elementary students and their family as they pass by!
Trunk decorators can sign up at tinyurl.com/ToTghs
If you need financial assistance for decorations or have any questions please reach out to kate.e.williams2021@gmail.com.
Please Donate To PiE!
Dear Gunn Families,
Funding from PiE makes a great impact on the entire Gunn community. Not only does it enable me to increase staffing in electives, counseling programs, and college and career counseling, it allows me to focus other funds on our core academics.
If you have already donated to PiE this year, I appreciate your support. If you have not, I ask you to please consider making a donation now. If you donate or pledge by November 16th, your donation may be matched by a Challenge Grant.
A donation, in any amount that is meaningful for your family, makes a difference to our community and our school.
You can find out all the ways to make a contribution to PiE's website at:
Thank you for being an important part of the Gunn community.
Warmly, Principal Stratton
Gunn Site Council
Gunn 2020-2021 Site Council
Although it is an understatement to call this a unique school year, the mission of our Gunn Site Council is to have a big picture view of our future school structure, with an emphasis on continuous improvement. This important leadership group is the only one comprised of students, parents, teachers, classified staff, and administrators. We have just begun focusing our time and energy on identifying and synthesizing the core issues of our major site goals: High-Quality Teaching & Learning, Equity & Access, and Wellness & Safety. For those more deeply interested, please explore the School Reports which guide our process—SPSA, WASC, and CAASPP reports.
There are many ways all stakeholders can be involved, and we welcome you to ponder these big issues and share your constructive solutions with your representatives found on our Gunn Site Council web page. You are also welcome to send your thoughts in through our Gunn Site Council Parent Feedback form.
Under the Site Council Meeting Materials tab, you will find meeting dates/times, zoom meeting links, agendas (both archived and upcoming), and approved minutes. Meeting agendas will be posted no later than 72 hours in advance and we do provide an opportunity for feedback on non-agenda items in our open forum. As always, please discuss important classroom issues directly with your student’s teacher, counselor, departmental instructional leaders, and administrators, and bring us feedback you feel is relevant to our over-arching site goals. There is no perfect school, but with a diversity of viewpoints, we can make it the best possible for everyone.
Upcoming Events
ELAC: Parents/Guardians and Families of English Learners
We invite all parents/guardians who have English learners at Gunn in their families to watch this linked video.
The video includes valuable information about the EL Program, the initial testing, and the reclassification process.
Our second ELAC meeting will be a Zoom meeting on October 7 at 4PM.
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
AP registration is ready! To complete registration students must be registered on Total Registration and the College Board. Please see the Gunn AP Webpage for more information. The plan is to have AP exams in-person, but this may be subject to change based on county public health regulations. If you have questions please reach out to Bridget Johnson bjohnson@pausd.org.
Support for Gunn Families
Parents Support Webinar Series: Families Connecting Across Generations Workshops
A parenting support webinar series on Families Connecting Across Generations Workshop sponsored by Palo Alto Unified School District’s Wellness and Support Services in partnership with Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) will start this Tuesday, October 13th.
This is a 9-week workshop that will be led by AACI counselors in Mandarin. While parts of the workshops are tailored specifically to families of middle school and high school age students, it is open to families of K-12 students. The series will focus on educating families on preparing for their children's future with culturally focused parenting and offer guidance under these uncertain times. Contact Yifan Wang, AMFT for more information, 650.329.3999 ext. 6975 or by email at ywang@pausd.org. Please register at Eventbrite. Once registered,
Quick Links
Quick Links
Parent Networks
| 12th Grade Class | 2021pncoordinator@gunnpta.org
Nisha Datta, Julie Dubrouillet & Laura Wingard
| 11th Grade Class | 2022pncoordinator@gunnpta.org
Claire Kirner, Leena Gill, & Gunjan Gupta
| 10th Grade Class | 2023pncoordinator@gunnpta.org
An nie Bedichek, Lili Nova-Roessig, & Mana Uchino
| 9th grade Class | 2024pncoordinator@gunnpta.org
Elizabeth Lam, Naomi Wang, & Michelle Chen
| Special Ed/Inclusion Rep | specialed@gunnpta.org
Momo Yanagihara & Yael Uziyel Navel
Palo Alto Partners in Education
PTSA
Gunn Foundation
Support Gunn Students via the Gunn Foundation
Since 1968, the Gunn Foundation has been granting need-based scholarships to college-bound seniors in the Gunn community. Scholarships fund essential expenses— deposits, textbooks, fees, and college costs that are often unmet by aid packages. Especially now with the impact of COVID, Gunn Foundation scholarships can make a huge difference in the future of a Gunn student.
Look for the Gunn Foundation on Step 4 of the online back-to-school packet or visit our website (gunnfound.org) and consider making a donation to support a Gunn student. Your support, at any level, will truly make a difference.
Henry M. Gunn High School
Email: wstratton@pausd.org
Website: gunn.pausd.org
Location: 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Phone: (650)354-8200