GunnTogether Times
Aug. 4, 2021
Welcome Back & Return to school Updates
Please review the content below for important updates regarding the opening of school this year. Note that all parent events (Parent Orientation, Back to School Night, etc) will take place virtually until further notice.
Warmly,
Principal Stratton
The Gunn Administration
Please meet our amazing Gunn Administrative Team. Listed below are their responsibilities:
Wendy Stratton—Principal
• School Visionary, Budget, Equity
• Certificated Staff, Administrative Team, Instructional Leaders
Leonel Argumedo – Assistant Principal
• Equity, Student Activities, Athletics, Facilities
• AVID, FOS, ELL, Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), World Languages
Courtney Carlomagno – Assistant Principal
• Equity, Title IX, Attendance, Classified
• English, Special Education, SELF
Michalis Gordon – Assistant Principal
• Equity, Counseling, Wellness
• Career Tech Education (CTE), Social Studies, SELF
Harvey Newland – Assistant Principal
• Equity, Budget, Testing, Title IX
• Math, Physical Education, Science
Back To School Information Packets
Back-to-School informational packets were posted online on August 4, thanks to the efforts of our PTSA. www.tinyurl.com/GunnBackToSchool
Updates are being made with regard to which events will be held in person, and which events will take place online.
Bell Schedules
AB 104 Retention and Grade Changes from 2020-2021 School Year
Senior Photo Update
Any students who are unable to make an appointment and go to the studio, located in Los Gatos, can choose from 3 opportunities to have their photo taken here at Gunn. Those dates will be published shortly by the yearbook staff.
If your student already pursued their senior photo through another vendor (due to the communication earlier this summer indicating that option), please contact our yearbook teacher, Kristy Blackburn (kblackburn@pausd), so that she can access your photo.
Upcoming Parent Events
Monday, August 9th – Principal’s Welcome for 9th and 10th Grade Parents – 6:30 pm (Zoom link coming soon)
Monday, August 9th – Principal’s Welcome for 11th and 12th Grade Parents – 7:30 pm (Zoom link coming soon)
Thursday, September 2nd - Back to School Night (Virtual) (Details to come)UPCOMING EVENTS
- Online Back-to-School packets available
- 9th Grade Orientation/Photos (2:00-5:30 pm)
- 10th Grade Orientation (2:30-4:30 pm)
- Principal's Welcome for Freshman/Sophomore Parents (On Zoom, 6:30 pm)
- Principal's Welcome for Junior/Senior Parents (On Zoom, 7:30 pm)
Aug 10th
- Staff & 10th-12th Grade Photos
Aug 11th-13th
- WELCOME BACK! (Alternate schedules)
Aug 25th
- Back-to-School Social on Freshman Quad (students and staff only), 5:30-7:30 pm.
- Back-to-School Night via zoom (6-9pm)
Sept 3rd (Minimum Day)
First Week of School (Wednesday, August 11 – Friday, August 13)
Wednesday, August 11 – 7 Period Day
Zero Period (7:55-8:50)
Period 1 (9:00-9:45)
Period 2 (9:55-10:40)
Brunch (10:40-10:55)
Period 3 (10:55-11:40)
Period 4 (11:50-12:35)
Lunch (12:35-1:05)
Period 5 (1:15-2:00)
Period 6 (2:10-2:55)
Period 7 (3:05-3:50)
Period 8 (4:00-4:45)
Thursday, August 12 – Regular Thursday
Zero Period (7:55 - 8:50)
Period 1 (9:00 - 10:35)
Brunch (10:35 -10:50)
Period 2 (10:50 - 12:20)
Lunch (12:20 - 1:00)
Period 3 (1:00 - 2:30)
Period 4 (2:40 - 4:10)
Period 8 (4:20 - 5:55)
Friday, August 13 – Regular Friday
Period 5 (9:00 - 10:35)
Brunch (10:35 - 10:50)
Period 6 (10:50 - 12:20)
Welcome Back Rally @ Lunch (12:20 - 1:00)
SELF (1:00 - 1:50)
Period 7 (2:00- 3:30)
Student Schedules
Requests for course changes should be made through the Schedule Correction Request Form through the Counseling Electronic Forms page (found on our website). For PE, Prep, and period requests, please use the PE (4th,7th, Zero, and Prep) Request form.
Schedule Correction Days are scheduled for August 8 & 9 via Zoom. See the counseling website for times and links for drop-ins and appointments.
Gunn High School will consider schedule correction requests that fall within approved district guidelines and fit with master schedule constraints. For more information, please reference the 2021-2022 Gunn High School Course Catalog. Schedule Corrections requests will only be made for the following reasons:
- Courses already completed through Kick Start or other means.
- Duplicate classes on the schedule
- Missing grade-level Graduation requirement
- Incorrect level placement.
- Two classes scheduled in the same period
- Registered for less than 5 periods
PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to accommodate requests based on teacher preference, learning style, or when on the academic day a class meets.
Due to changes in counseling personnel we are going through a restructuring of counselor assignments by Alpha list, so grades 9-11 will likely be reassigned a counselor; however, for consistency, most Seniors will remain with their original counselors where personnel changes have not happened. Counselor assignments will be published with course schedules.
Safety on Campus
The Santa Clara County Office of Public Health and Safety and Palo Alto Unified has issued safety guidelines for all public schools. All student events will be held in person, with limited adult presence. All events for adults and families will be virtual, as of now. Students and parents will need to wear face coverings at all times and in all locations on campus.
School Photos/Student ID cards
Monday, August 9 – 9th grade during orientation
Tuesday, August 10th – 10th – 12th, Bow Gym
- 10th Grade: 9:00 am – 11:00 am – Last names A – L arrive between 9:00 am – 10:00 am, Last names M-Z arrive between 10:00 am – 11:00 am
- 11th Grade: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Last names A – L arrive between 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, Last names M-Z arrive between 12:00 – 1:00 pm
- 12th Grade: 1:00 – 3:00 pm – Last name A – L arrive between 1:00 – 2:00 pm, Last name M-Z arrive between 2:00 – 3:00 pm
9th & 10th Grade Orientation
All details are on Parent Square. Contact Lisa Hall (Student Activities Director) and SELF Coordinators, Tara Firenzi and Kat Catalano, with any questions.
· 9th Grade Orientation – 2:00 – 5:30 pm
· 10th Grade Orientation – 2:30 – 4:00 pm
PARENT RESOURCES
- Our Wellness Center is ready to help students and families deal with the stresses of high school life. Email gunn-wellness@pausd.org or Genavae Dixon (gdixon@pausd.org).
- Titan Talk -- a bi-weekly e-newsletter from the Guidance and College & Career Departments with information on grade-level focus, visiting college reps, etc.
- The Gunn Connection - a weekly e-newsletter published on Sundays by PTSA volunteers with events information from Gunn and the community.
- Schoology - e-messages sent to students; homework assignments; current graded work
- Infinite Campus - e-messages sent to parents/guardians.
- Parent Networks - grade-level parent groups, organized by the PTSA, who meet at various times and locations. Network coordinators are listed on every GunnConnection e-newsletter in the left column.
- The Oracle - Gunn's student-run newspaper published monthly under the supervision of Kristy Blackburn (kblackburn@pausd.org)
"Navigating the Return to School: Tips, Expectations, and Answers"
Join PiE (Partners in Education) and CASSY (Counseling and Support Services for Youth) for information on how best to navigate the return to campus. Many of our students have spent very little or no time on campus this past year and it will take some adjustment to being back. Even those who were back on campus may need some assistance after being away for the summer.
CASSY's licensed professional therapists will explain what to expect in the first weeks of school and provide tips on how best to support your children. At the end of the session there will be a Q&A for parents who have additional questions.
Secondary Families
Thursday, August 19th
7:00 p.m.
Zoom Link
PiE
PTSA
Gunn Foundation
Henry M. Gunn High School
Email: wstratton@pausd.org
Website: gunn.pausd.org
Location: 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Twitter: @GunnHighPrin