The Palo Alto PTA Council Health & Wellness Committee invites you to hear our expert panelist: Jeanie Chang, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, this Thursday April 2 at 7:00pm offer her insights on how we can engage in ‘family closening’ during this time of social distancing of a pandemic situation. This time of navigating the unknown understandably leaves parents stressed, worried and even scared.

Click on the link to join the Zoom webinar: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14O6jLe-F14wLELkcNTpuXEg_lxKZ33Zo3xbcs0bGVHQ/edit?usp=sharing

This webinar is limited to 100 participants. If you are unable to join us live, you may listen at a later date as it will be recorded and posted online on Palo Alto Council Website.

Thank you all for your patience and flexibility as we transition from Phase I (first week) to Phase II (next two weeks) of our closure.  We are planning now for a likely Phase III (closure beyond Spring Break).  Each phase is described in the links below and increases expectations for staff and students.  

• https://www.pausd.org/school-closure
• https://www.pausd.org/coronavirus/plain-talk-faq

Mass communications from the District Office will subside and site messages and direction will increase.  Our principals at all levels will push updates to families each Wednesday throughout the closure.  The plan could shift if significant events occur or conditions change.  Students should expect routine communication from parents beginning in Phase II and escalating in Phase III.

Thank you for your understanding and partnership.  We are all in this together and appreciate our teachers for learning a completely different method of delivering instruction.  We will get better each day through professional development, identification of best practices, and student feedback.

Sincerely,

Don Austin, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

School will be closed from March 16-April 10. Stay healthy and stay tuned for more details!

Note to parents: Be sure to read the Superintendent’s Update Regarding Coronavirus dated March 9, 2020. Things are changing by the day. The district will make every attempt to keep you informed and updated here.

Reminders for parents:

• Volunteer parents & visitors will not be permitted on school grounds during the school day (see exceptions below). Should any parent have a question regarding whether or not they can participate in an activity, please contact Gunn administration.
• If families travel to any affected international locations over the upcoming spring break, they will be subject to the quarantine guidelines and any new guidelines that may be implemented. 

Specific FAQs regarding Gunn’s updated policies/guidelines:

1. YCS Service Days: Both Service Days – Thurs 3/12 and Fri 3/13 – are cancelled.
2. Events over 100 people: These will be decided on a case by case basis.
3. Parents on campus:
   • Parents can come onto campus for SST, 504 and IEP meetings.
   • Parents coming to campus for PTSA meetings need to cancel, postpone, meet off campus, or meet by phone/video.
4. Athletics:
   • For indoor events the limit is 100 spectators.
   • For outdoor events (track and field, swimming), no limit on spectators but there needs to be distance between people.
5. Attendance/Absence Policy:
   • The current policy is that parents need to send in written notification that they are voluntarily pulling their student out of school due to concerns regarding the coronavirus.  The note needs to include the specific dates their child will be out of school and it cannot exceed 10 days. If the parent wants to keep the child out longer than 10 days, they will need to send in another notification.  Upon receipt of the note, the Attendance Office will mark the absence AD (Administrative Discretion). It is an excused absence.
   • We are not providing online learning for students who are not at school.
6. Senior Events: Currently all end-of year senior activities are ON. We will let you know if that changes.
7. Prom: Prom is postponed (final decision pending).
8. Testing:
   • AP tests will continue as usual.
   • CAASPP and CAST tests are postponed (final decision pending).
9. PTSA Events and Meetings:
   • PTSA meetings need to be canceled, postponed, or meet off campus or by phone/video.
   • International Week Food Tastings are cancelled.
10. Staff Volunteer/Appreciation:
    • Staff appreciation is pending.

Fri, Mar 13 during lunch in front of the guidance building

Come and meet local businesses who are interested in recruiting your child to be their next employee! For more information, please contact Rachael Kaci, the PAUSD work experience teacher, at rkaci@pausd.org