Curious Minds Newsletter | June/July 2025

June/July 2025

PACCC Survey Says...

PACCC’s Annual Family Surveys wrapped up in May! We would like to thank all our families for taking the time to provide such valuable and constructive feedback. This feedback helps us continue to provide exceptional education and care for Palo Alto’s children.

Our families shared that PACCC’s most important asset is the PACCC staff! We also heard that the children love attending our programs and that 96% of our families would recommend PACCC to family and friends. The Program Team is also utilizing the Family Survey feedback to create and refine the center goals, which include an increased focus on communication through the Learning Genie app, active supervision techniques and a stronger focus on curriculum and development!

Thank You to Our Outgoing Board Members!

It is with deep appreciation that we bid farewell to our outgoing board members, Hilary McDaniel who served as Board Chair for 2024-2025, and Chris Torres, Kimberly Bausback, and Andrew Dinh.

PACCC is one of the largest non-profit organizations in Palo Alto with program delivery contracts with the City of Palo Alto and Palo Alto Unified School District. Each board member serves a 3-year term, without compensation, and is highly dedicated to PACCC’s mission to provide and advocate for exceptional and accessible childhood education and care.

We couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you!

Learn more about PACCC Board and Committee positions here!

2024-2025 PACCC Board & Administration Leaders

Hilary McDaniel

2019-2025

Chris Torres

2022-2025

Kimberly Bausback

2018-2025

Andrew Dinh

2022-2025

Parks Make Life (So Much) Better!

What better place to celebrate the warm summer days, than Palo Alto’s local parks? Sarah Robustelli, Division Manager for Palo Alto Open Space, Parks, and Golf, has some excellent suggestions!

This April, Magical Bridge Playground celebrated its 10th anniversary. Stop by to enjoy the upgrade to the inclusive space and celebrate this milestone!

Ventura Community Center will welcome a new Bike Safety Park later this summer, offering a fun, kid-friendly course to help children practice real-world biking skills including navigating roundabouts and exiting driveways!

New playgrounds are ready for play and exploration at Cameron, Ramos, and Boulware Parks.

Mitchell Park Dog Park was recently expanded and upgraded. Yay for our canine companions!

Heritage and Greer Park are currently getting site amenities upgrades.

Plus, don't miss out on the Foothills Nature Preserve Library Pass. Available through the library, this FREE vehicle pass gives access to explore one of Palo Alto’s most beautiful open space preserves. With sunny days ahead, now is the perfect time to enjoy all your parks and open spaces have to offer!

What if Your Child Doesn't Want to Go Outside?

Sunshine and longer days doesn’t guarantee that your child will want to go outside. For parents and caregivers – that can result in a very long day spent inside the house! From the PACCC Resources Page, here are some suggestions from our partner at JFCS Center for Children and Youth on 10 Ways to Ease Reluctant Children Outdoors – including turning walks and outings into a thrilling scavenger hunt, or making a game out of spotting birds and creatures.

More Family Fun This Summer

Palo Alto is PACCC’d with family fun this summer! Enjoy the return of Summer Hot Dog Season with the magical productions of Hansel and Gretel and Dragons Love Tacos brought to you by Palo Alto Children’s Theatre. Kick back under the stars for Family Movie Nights at Mitchell Park. Sing along to your favorite songs at the Twilight Concert Series.

Check out the City of Palo Alto Events Calendar for more ideas to enjoy in this city we call home! Share your summer excursions with us on IG at paccckids!

It’s hard to believe that the 2024-2025 school year is wrapping up! We asked some of the PACCC staff to share some of their highlights, accomplishments and favorite moments of the year:

Danny Singh

Regional Coordinator

Oversight of: CTC, ECKC, EKC, ETCC, PVKC

Looking ahead, one of our key goals is to enhance our security measures, especially at our infant-toddler, preschool, and main office sites. These improvements will help ensure our spaces are not only welcoming and nurturing, but also secure and resilient.

Finally, to elevate PACCC’s visibility and deepen our community connections, I am working to expand our seasonal, community, and family-based events. These gatherings not only celebrate our values, but also strengthen the relationships that make our programs so impactful. Some of those events are: Be Our Guest Pumpkin Event, Christmas in the Park and Movies in the Park events.”

- Danny Singh

Melissa Roth

Director of Programs

Melissa Stephens

Regional Coordinator

Oversight of: AKC, DCC, DKC, WHKC

Lee Pfab

Chief Executive Officer

We enjoyed these reflections so much, we’re including it as a regular feature of Curious Minds in the fall! Thank you to every PACCC educator and staff member who help us achieve our ongoing vision as a “community where children thrive, educators are valued and families are supported.”

PACCC in the Community

As a community leader in Palo Alto, and in keeping with our Strategic Plan and commitment to build and foster community, PACCC partners with families and regional agencies to provide and advocate for exceptional and accessible childhood care and education. You will find PACCC engaged in the following advocacy and early education efforts and events this month: