Welcome!

Gunn Connection eNews is a weekly Gunn PTSA publication that contains important information, announcements, and event notifications from Gunn High School, Gunn PTSA, PAUSD and the Palo Alto PTA Council. Welcome to our first edition! Please also check out the Gunn PTSA website and Gunn High School website for valuable news and information about Gunn.

Gunn Back-to-School Information - Save the Dates!

Note: All meetings will be online. For phone or computer access, check email, eNews or https://gunn.pausd.org/ or http://gunn.paloaltopta.org/.

Secondary School Virtual Town Hall Meeting

Tue, August 4 at 5:30 PM

https://youtu.be/-6q223x9KFU 

Join the town hall meeting hosted by The Palo Alto Council of PTAs (PTAC), in collaboration with the School PTAs. Superintendent Dr. Don Austin will be the guest speaker with members of his Cabinet Leadership.  Spanish translation. Chinese translation.

Gunn Online Back-to-School Packet

Opens Thu, August 6, 8:00 AM

www.tinyurl.com/GunnBackToSchool

Access the Gunn Back-to-School packet beginning August 6 to view important information and complete forms for Gunn School, PTSA, Gunn Foundation, Boosters, and Partners in Education (PiE). You may also pay for items/make donations by credit card. Access the Gunn Back-to-School packet here .

Principal’s Welcome for Parents at Each Grade Level PLEASE NOTE: START TIME 6:30PM for all Grade Level Zoom Meetings

Freshman (9th Grade) and NEW Parents - Thu, Aug 6, 6:30-7:30 PM

Sophomore (10th Grade) Parents - Mon, Aug 10, 6:30-7:30 PM

Junior (11th Grade) Parents - Tue, Aug 11, 6:30-7:30 PM

Senior (12th Grade) Parents - Wed, Aug 12, 6:30-7:30 PM

"All sessions will be recorded and made available for those parents who can't attend."

Please join Principal Wendy Stratton’s Virtual Welcomes for Gunn parents. She will host a Welcome on Zoom for all parents, followed by Zoom welcome sessions for the parents of each grade level later in the week. Wendy is excited to share her vision and information about the new school year. The school will send out Zoom links prior to the sessions.

Please submit 1-2 questions to our new principal, Wendy Stratton, and she will do her best to answer them during the Parent Network Meetings on August 10-12, or in upcoming correspondences and communications. Access the question survey here.

Update on Gunn Sports Schedule

CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) has delayed the start of sports in the state of California until January due to COVID-19. Because of these changes CCS (Central Coast Section) has put out a tentative calendar for the Fall and Spring sports. For more information on tentative start dates click here .

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.

Back-to-School Volunteer Pool

Volunteer here

Gunn School needs our help getting ready for students' Return to Learn. We are looking for a pool of volunteers willing to help over the next few weeks. All volunteer activities will be carefully designed with social distancing and safety in mind, and consistent with public health & safety guidance. Details and times are still being finalized, but examples include: assembling Freshman Orientation bags, assembling art supply bags for students to work at home, keeping students socially distant on Photo Day, and teacher and student appreciation. Once an event is scheduled we will send an email to the pool asking for help at a specific date and time. Click here to sign-up. THANK YOU!

Superintendent Friday Update - 7/31/2020

Read Superintendent Don Austin's message here.

PAUSD "Return to Learn - Fall 2020"

The most current Reopening Schools information for PAUSD can be found here: https://www.pausd.org/covid-19/return-to-learn-fall-2020

PAUSD "Let's Talk"

Do you need information about your child's school? Do you want to know more about state and District testing, or student safety programs? Do you have questions about District policy, the budgeting process, or the latest on school construction? Do you have an issue, concern or compliment you would like addressed? Most often, you can get the information you are seeking by speaking with a staff member from a specific school or department. To contact the District Office, click on a topic below and make a submission, the appropriate person or department will be notified. https://www.pausd.org/school-life/participate/lets-talk

AAR Needs Volunteers for 2020-2021

Do you have experience in STEAM, humanities, Business or Social Sciences? Do you have 1-2 hrs per month you can give to share your expertise? Mentor students 10-12 grade. All interactions are virtual or via email. Your time commitment would be for the entire academic year 20-21/ Sign up here https://aar.pausd.org/mentor/register or email [email protected] . 

Work Permit Renewal Process

Work permits must be renewed within 5 days of the start of every school year; follow this link for information about how to renew a student work permit during distance learning. Reminder that every minor must have a valid work permit to legally work in California. Contact the Work Experience Teacher Rachael Kaci: [email protected] for more info, and visit this site for job postings.

Student Jobs

5 tips on landing a job during the coronavirus pandemic: The coronavirus pandemic makes landing a job right now even more complicated, but that doesn’t have to stop you. Watch this 2 minute video, which is applicable for any age in any industry. Students should be encouraged to visit the PAUSD job postings site for information on both volunteer and paid work experience opportunities because “hiring managers will be looking at the entire resume, including volunteer experience." For more information: Rachael Kaci, Work Experience Teacher: [email protected].

YCS Presents Youth Rising Up

Thu, Aug 6 from 7:00 - 8:30 PM. Register by following this link.

Two months after youth organized the June 6th protest at Palo Alto City Hall, youth leaders will come together to build upon the conversation in the online forum moderated by YCS friend, Julie Lythcott-Haims. During the discussion, the youth leaders will speak to their proactive solutions for a better future that holds our community accountable for change and justice. Youth panelist include; Ayinde Bomar Olukotun (Menlo School, Class of 2020), Divya Ganesan (Castilleja Class of 2021), Cleo Goodwin (Gunn Class of 2018), Hele'ine Grewe (MA Class of 2021), and Makayla Miller (Paly Class of 2020).