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Paly Link
A PTSA publication HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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The Paly Link is distributed on Sundays, except during school breaks and holidays. Changes will be highlighted as New/Updated/Corrected. To submit an article, see Submission Guidelines at the end.
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Calendar
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College Visits & Scholarship deadlines (
C&CC)
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| Tuesday |
Jan. 3 |
No School for Students (Teacher Work Day)
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| Wednesday |
Jan. 4 |
First Day of Semester Two ("C" day)
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| Tuesday |
Jan. 10 |
Freshman Assembly during FLEX
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| Wednesday |
January 11 |
Paly Sports Boosters Meeting, 7pm, Anderson/Look home, 1401 Parkinson Ave.
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| Thursday |
January 12
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What Your Teen Wants You To Know (Student Fishbowl) Parent Ed 7pm MAC
(more info to come)
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Wednesday
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Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25, Feb. 1, 15
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Brainstorm Book Club: Continuing the Conversation about the Teenage Brain
(PTSA) Choose Gunn or Paly campus |
Wednesday
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January 25
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PTSA Meeting, Principal Coffee,9 a.m Paly Library EWC
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PTSA Items
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Principal Coffee & General PTSA Meeting
January 25, 2017 9:00 am Paly Library EWC
Please join us for the third PTSA meeting and principal coffee of the school year. Agenda located on uptous, under file sharing. We will be electing the nominating committee, asking for approval of the budget revision and hearing the latest updates from Principal Kim Diorio. There will be an open forum for questions. All welcome to attend.
Brainstorm Book Club: Continuing the Conversation about the Teenage Brain
4 Wednesdays, same program offered morning and evening
Wed. Jan 11, Jan 18, and Feb. 1 and Feb.15, 8:30-10:00 am, Paly EWC (in the library)
Wed. Jan 4, Jan 25, Feb 1 and Feb 15, 7:00-8:30 pm, Gunn HS Library
Please come join us for a more in-depth discussion of Dr. Dan Siegel's book Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. Our goal will be to discuss the main ideas in the book, and how to apply these ideas to our own parenting. We will also try out some of Dr. Siegels "Mindsight tools".
The 4 sessions will each cover a section of the book, and the topics are as follows so you can plan your reading:
Session 1: The Essence of Adolescence (Part I of the book)
Session 2: The Brain (Part II of the book)
Session 3: Attachments (Part III)
Session 4: Staying Present through Changes and Challenges (Part IV)
The morning sessions will be held at Paly and led by Cari Anderson (psychologist/Paly parent), and the evening sessions will be held at Gunn led by Kirsten Daehler (educator/ Gunn parent) and Maria Daehler (child psychiatrist/Gunn parent). You are welcome to attend either at Paly or Gunn, whichever is more convenient for you. Free, no registration needed, come when you can! We will have a few copies of the book for purchase ($18.50, cash or check only). Please contact Cari Anderson, cari@sundy.net, if you have any questions.
Meals on Wheels Volunteers Needed: Throughout the School Year
Looking for a way to support others in an impactful, immediate and easy way? Please consider being a Meals on Wheels Volunteer for our Paly community! The Meals on Wheels program brings emergency meals to Paly families in crisis. If you would like to volunteer, please sign up here:
Are you a family in crisis and in need of help with some comforting dinners delivered to your door? That's what the Meals on Wheels volunteers are here for! They are ready and happy to help! Please contact Lori Merritt at
lomerritt@yahoo.com or call 650-644-6876. Include any dietary restrictions.
Americanized Chinese Parents of Paly
This is a group for Americanized Chinese Parents of Paly and Jordan students who embrace both the values of American culture and Chinese culture. Parents in this group speak English in their homes and value a balance of academics, social time, and extracurriculars. To be added to our mailing list, please email your name to:
americanized.chinese.parents@gmail.com
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Paly Items
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Call for Mentors! Rise Together Education (RTE)
relies on community members to inspire, motivate, and encourage students as they navigate the college preparation process. An RTE mentor may help a high school junior or senior:
- navigate nationalized testing (ACT or SAT)
- edit essays
- guide students through the application process
- apply for scholarships
- and other needs related to pursuing a college education
To ensure that students are able to foster strong relationships with their mentors, as well as to make sure students academic needs are met, we require all mentors to commit to at least 1-year with RTE. Of course, we'd love for mentors to follow students through the years and continue to provide support. Interested in Mentoring? Fill out this
form so we can learn more about you.
Paly Sports Booster Passes for Winter/Spring Sports, reduced rates!
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College & Career Center
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Interested in learning more about career options in the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering fields? The ACE Mentor Program is a free after-school program where groups of high school students meet with a team of mentors (professionals from these fields) for 15 weeks.
The Spring 2017 schedule includes: t
ours of local construction sites and
industry offices, p
resentations about the ACE fields from guest
speakers and mentors, g
roup design challenges including the CIRT
national design project.
No prerequisites or special skills required.
Paly Community Scholarship Program application for Seniors due Jan. 20
The sponsors of various community scholarships ask Paly's Scholarship Committee to nominate and/or select students to be considered for/receive awards. To be participate in this scholarship program, students must complete the Paly Community Scholarship Application and return it to Ms. Cernobori (hard copy) by January 20th.
A reminder that students who want to be considered for need-based scholarships in the program must provide family financial information on the last page of the application; in addition, these applicants are also required to submit a copy of the Student Aid Report (including the EFC) they receive after filing the FAFSA along with their scholarship application. This information is kept confidential. Samples of acceptable EFC documentation can be found here:
http://www.paly.net/sites/default/files/EFC_docs.pdf
Please refer to my Nov. 28 email for information about applying for need-based financial aid using the FAFSA. Be sure to check each campus website for deadlines and other forms required in addition to FAFSA, if applicable.
National Portfolio Day, Sat, Jan 14: Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf, 12:00pm - 4:00pm
This is an opportunity for those who wish to pursue an education in the visual and related arts to meet with representatives from colleges accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Representatives will be available to review your artwork, discuss their programs and answer questions about professional careers in art. For a list of participating colleges:
http://www.portfolioday.net/2016-17-schedule/event/83 For more info, see:
http://www.portfolioday.net/portfolio-day-faqs
Lunchtime Speaker Needed
The Paly Career Month Lunchtime Speaker Series Team is in the process of planning the March 2017 Career Month! As always, we need speakers from various fields so if you know anyone who you think would make a good speaker please email us at
palycareermonth@gmail.com
with recommendations and their contact information.
Additionally, an important part of the Career Month Speaker Series is the fact that we supply a free lunch to students who attend these talks. Unfortunately, this food is not free, so we need donations from parents to make this a possibility. The recommended donation is $10, but we appreciate any contribution.
For more info about this event, please visit
this page and click on "Career Education."
College Rep Visits for Seniors (and Juniors, if space is available)
Students must have their teacher's permission one day in advance if missing class. Pick up a form in the C&CC, or download it at admit-class-form-college-and-career-center . Bring the signed form the day of the visit to ensure the absence from class is cleared and marked as an activity rather than a truancy. College visits scheduled for the next two weeks are listed below. For a full list of all visits through Spring, login to Naviance using your user ID and password; click on the "Colleges" tab then click "view all upcoming college visits" within the "my colleges" section. Or, you can check the calendar on www.paly.net/college .
Due to increased student attendance and limited space in the College Center, we are no longer able to permit parents to attend college representative visits, please click to read more information about this policy.
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PAUSD
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Renaming Schools Advisory Committee (RSAC) Survey
The PAUSD School Board created a Renaming Schools Advisory Committee (
RSAC
) and charged this committee to explore and recommend processes for naming or renaming schools based on community input and feedback. The community consists of students, parents, alumni, former parents, community members, and PAUSD teachers and staff. With this short
survey
, we would like to get your initial input concerning the criteria you consider to be most important for the naming of any district school. Your input will help the
RSAC
understand the community's values, and alongside other data, help inform the Committee's discussions and recommendations to the Board. The
survey
is very short and we appreciate you taking two or three minutes to give your input by completing and submitting this seven question survey
. Simply click the following link to begin
https://pausd.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8JuFGmlO3CJ3Qgd
Food Service Department Open Forums
Palo Alto USD invites parents, employees, students, and community members to a series of
Food Services Department Community Open Forums held throughout the 2016-17 school year. Please visit:
https://www.pausd.org/food-service-department-open-forum
Arts Education Volunteers Needed
The Palo Alto Council of PTA's
http://ptac.paloaltopta.org/
seeks Arts Education Volunteers to support high quality arts education for all students and to share best practices and programs. Goals might include communicating about visual and performing art programs taking place at PAUSD schools and encouraging collaborative opportunities. All PTA members (both parents and teachers) are welcome to volunteer. Please contact PTAC President Audrey Gold (
president@paloaltopta.org
) if interested.
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Community and Volunteer Service
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Community Service Online Class. Earn President's Award New
Looking for opportunities to match your student's interests and earn service hours with community impact? Check out Get Involved Palo Alto's free calendar, database of organizations and inspiring projects at
Getinvolvedpa.com. NEW: Online Community Service Class "Youth Changing the World." Winter cohort starts Feb. 1st. Students have up to one year to complete course and earn the President's Award for Volunteer Service. Involves personal and community assessments and reflection. Create a high-quality project, learn how to use project management tools, develop an electronic portfolio, receive personalized coaching for your project and how to write about it in college essays! SIGN UP TODAY. Tuition waivers for students with free or reduced lunch.
President's Volunteer Service Awards
(ongoing)
This year 200 students volunteered over 24,000 hours in a 12 month period. Congratulations! A big thank you to all the parents that supported the President's Award distribution. Students that haven't picked up their awards can stop by Karla Larson's office in Guidance.
Community Service and Service-Learning for High School Students
Get Involved Palo Alto is a 501(3)c organization that helps local students connect to their interests via community service, service-learning, internships, and career education. Looking for an organization that matches your student's interests? Check out our vetted
lists of nonprofits by interest category. Need to find an opportunity that matches your student's schedule? See the
Calendar of current projects. Visit the Get Involved Palo Alto website for more helpful resources:
Getinvolvedpa.com
Looking for an opportunity to help kids in need? Volunteer for DreamCatchers!
DreamCatchers runs an after-school enrichment program for low-income PAUSD middle school students - right here at Paly in the afternoons and evenings
Monday through Thursday. We are looking for the following:
- One-on-One Tutors (high school students) or Classroom Assistants (like a classroom aide - we need adults as well as high school students): contact Miguel Fittoria at
miguel@dreamcatchersyouth.org
- Adults or experienced high schoolers interested in helping with graphic design, web design, curriculum support, or general non-profit help, please contact Barbara Klausner at
barbara@dreamcatchersyouth.org
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Community
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Sign up for Paly Glass Weekend Workshops
Sat & Sun. Jan. 7-8, Feb. 4-5, March 4-5, April 1-2, May 6-7, June 3-4 9-3 pm at Paly's Glass Studio. The workshop will focus on beginning glass blowing techniques. It's an incredible, fun, hands-on experience and it benefits the Paly Fiery Arts Program. Repeating students progress from their last session. Advanced Sign up required. Class limit is 4. Teens and adults. $425 per person. Open to the public.
Contact: David Camner, founder of the Paly Fiery Arts,
Paly students and families welcome at MLK Celebration on Jan. 16
New
Paly students and families are invited to attend the MLK, Jr. Celebration on Monday, Jan. 16 at Mitchell Park Community Center, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Join Youth Community Service and City of Palo Alto in celebrating diversity through the words and inspiration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There will be youth-led music and dance, entertainment, guest speakers, service organizations, youth and teen activities, MLK Legacy Walk Display and Stanford King Paper's Project.
For more information, contact Leif Erickson,
leif@youthcommunityservice.org
650-858-8061
www.youthcommunityservice.org
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College for Students with Special Needs: What You Need to Know
Wed, Jan 18, 7-9pm
, Santa Rita Elementary School (MP Room)
, 700 Los Altos Avenue, Los Altos
Many high school students with special needs, learning challenges, or disabilities (on an IEP or 504) will consider post-secondary education. Options include community college, 4-year college, and universities with a variety of options and support. It can be overwhelming at first. Come find out more about what's available and how you can help prepare for your student's education after high school. Panelists: Sandra Cernobori (counselor from Paly), Foothill Community College and Kevin Shields, (disability services at UCB). Jointly sponsored by SELPA1 CAC and Palo Alto CAC. www.cacpaloalto.org
COLEGIO PARA ESTUDIANTES CON NECESIDADES ESPECIALES: LO QUE NECESITA SABER
Miércoles, Enero 18, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
, Santa Rita Elementary School, salón MP, 700 Los Altos Ave., Los Altos
Únase a nosotros! Muchos de los estudiantes de la preparatoria con necesidades especiales, retos de aprendizaje, o discapacidades ( en un PEI o 504) van a considerar educación postsecundaria. Opciones incluyen colegio comunitario, colegio de 4 años, y universidades con una variedad de opciones y apoyo. Ven infórmate mas sobre lo que esta disponible y como puedes ayudar preparar la educación de tu estudiante después de la preparatoria. Panelistas: Sandra Cernobori (consejera de Paly), Foothill Community College, Kevin Shields (servicios de discapacidades en UCB). www.cacpaloalto.org
Monthly Parent Support Meetings
Mon, Jan 9 10 AM - 12 PM, Los Altos Library (Conference Room), 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos.
A chance to ask questions and share ideas/resources with other parents of students with IEPs, 504s, learning differences, mental health challenges, etc. Parents with students of all ages are welcome, participants must respect confidentiality.
Parent Chat, Peer to Peer Support for Parents of Teens 14+
Tues Jan 10, 7-8:30PM, Orchard Room, Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos
Are you concerned about the emotional well-being of your child? Come join a support group hosted by the Mental Health subcommittee of SELPA1CAC. Contact Trudy Palmer, (650) 208-9116 or Donna Soo, (650) 828-0997 if you have questions. www.selpa1cac.org
Tai Chi (Chinese martial art) Class
Sat, Jan 7-Mar 11, 2:15-3:15PM (10 classes total), Dance Studio, Gunn High School
This course is taught by a junior at Gunn High School. As a member of the US team, she won two gold medals and one silver medal at the 2nd World Taijiquan Championships in Warsaw, Poland. She will teach 24 simplified Tai Chi styles. All profits will be donated to the Ravenswood City School District, East Palo Alto. Details/Sign up: http://www.siliconvalleyyouth.com/classes/2017/taichi.php. Contact: svyouth1@gmail.com
Tickets Now Available for Anne Lamott
Sat Mar 4, 9:30am-12:30pm, Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University, Palo Alto
Join us in conversation with award-winning author Anne Lamott. Tickets on sale now for the 2017 Mothers Symposium, a morning retreat for mothers with children of all ages to reflect on the profound undertaking of motherhood. Special Early Bird pricing: "Bring a Friend" and save $20 when you buy two tickets. Co-sponsored by the Palo Alto Council of PTAs. For tickets and information visit http://www.motherssymposium.org/
A Place For Your Child to Publish Their Writing! Scribere Online Literary Journal
Is your child aged 11 to 18? Do they love to write fiction, nonfiction, or poetry? Do they want to publish their writing? Then check out http://www.scribere.org/. Scribere is a non-profit, online literary journal for youth ages 11 to 18. Scribere's editorial board is comprised entirely of youth who are passionate about writing. Scribere is harnessing the power of the web to make the submission process simple, sustainable, efficient, and transparent. We are currently seeking submissions for our inaugural issue!
All Online. All Free. Our mission? To inspire youth creativity.
Check out our welcome video at http://www.scribere.org/blank
Kids and Teens Writing Contest
Entries accepted Dec 1, 2016-Jan 8 2017
Kids and teens grades 3-12 are invited to enter the library's annual writing contest! In 500 words or less, essays should answer the question "what would you do with a billion dollars?". Entries should be submitted online at
www.cityofpaloalto.org/library
Be Safe. Be Seen. Bike lights are required by law for riding after dusk.
With shorter days, students are bike commuting in the dark when bicycle lights and reflectors are required by law. Visibility begins to decline at dusk, so bicyclists should turn on their lights as soon as light begins to fade. A handlebar headlight makes a bicycle visible to others and illuminates the road so the rider can see. Higher powered lights do a better job. Tail lights and reflectors should be mounted on something stable where they won't be obscured by bags, panniers or other gear on the bike. Lights are vastly superior to reflectors, so a rear red light is recommended for maximum visibility.
Make a difference: Tutor Low Income East Palo Alto 5
th
Graders in Reading or Writing - 8 one hour sessions
If you've enjoyed helping in your own child's classroom, or just love literacy, please consider tutoring 5th graders at Brentwood School in East Palo Alto (near IKEA). It is a special project to work with low income students from February 6th - March 31st. Volunteers would work in the same classroom one day per week, for an hour either at 9:45 am (reading) or 11:40 am (writing). All Students Matter provides a brief training in January and coordinates all details. You can make a real difference! To sign up, visit
www.allstudentsmatter.org
or to learn more contact Keri Tully at
keritully@gmail.com
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Walk & Roll to Palo Alto Libraries
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NEW Suggested Walking & Bicycling Routes Map
Check out City of Palo Alto 's new Walk & Roll map with suggested walking and bicycling routes to Palo Alto libraries from every neighborhood citywide. Palo Alto libraries are popular after-school destinations and they often are the center of fun family outings. Walking and bicycling is an active, healthy, fun way to get there! See the new Walk & Roll to Libraries brochure with map here
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/documents/PASRTL_Map_Brochure_092116.pdf
Sleep Study for Youth 18-21
The Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University is recruiting 18-21 year old youth to participate in a paid research study on sleep and mood. You and your youth will receive up to $215 for completing the study. For more information about this study, please contact
dailyrest@stanford.edu
or (650) 736-2689 or go to
http://med.stanford.edu/psychiatry/research/dailyreststudy.html.
For general information about participant rights, contact 1-866-680-2906.
How To Get A Bike License
In Palo Alto bicycle licenses are required. Bike licenses help PAPD connect recovered stolen bikes to their owners and also can help emergency responders connect a bicyclist with family after an accident if the cyclist isn't carrying ID. You can get a license at any Palo Alto Fire Station between 4:00-5:00 pm. As long as they are not out on an emergency call, someone will be available to issue a license to you.
Check Your Student's Helmet!
Bicycle helmets should be replaced every five years, even if they appear undamaged because the rigid foam in the helmet will break down with time and won't protect your head in a collision. Helmets with cracks in the outer plastic shell should be replaced, as should helmets that are too small. (The helmet should touch the top of your student's head. To find out if it touches, put your finger in an air vent at the top of the helmet.) For tips on getting the helmet adjusted properly, see our new helmet
flyer.
Love Art and Art History?
Interested in O'Keeffe, Rivera, Thiebaud, or Jacob Lawrence?
Volunteer docents needed to give presentations about the lives and work of Master Artists to PAUSD elementary students. Training provided by Arts Coordinator, Sharon Ferguson. Art History background preferred but not required. Flexible hours. Volunteer docent meetings/training at held at Art Education, 25F Churchill Ave. For more information contact Emily at Art Education (650) 329-3939
Classroom Volunteers Needed - An Hour a Week Could Change a Student's Life
If you've enjoyed spending time in your child's classroom, please join other parents volunteering in east Menlo Park or East Palo Alto schools where there are virtually no parent volunteers. You'll help tutor kids in grades K-4. Over 80% of students are performing below grade level in reading and math. Work once a week in the same classroom for about an hour, building relationships with students. All Students Matter provides training and coordinates everything. We start in mid-September. You can make a real difference! To learn more or sign up, visit www.allstudentsmatter.org or contact Keri Tully at
keritully@gmail.com.
Trail Closure/Tree Removal Along San Francisquito Creek
As part of the
San Francisquito Creek flood control project, the Bay/San Francisquito Creek trail that runs from Geng and Embarcadero Road to the Friendship Bridge (through the Baylands Athletic Center, along the Golf Course) will soon be closed. The flood control project is scheduled to begin September 1, but the trail may be closed as early as mid-August. On the Palo Alto side of the creek, the trail is expected to be closed for the entire two-year duration of the project. Signs are being posted along the trail in advance to warn users about the upcoming closure and tree removals that are required for the construction project
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About the Paly Link
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The Paly Link is a Paly PTSA publication, emailed on Sundays, except during school breaks and holidays. Changes will be highlighted as
New/
Updated/
Corrected.
Deadline for submissions: noon on Saturday, the day before publication. Flyers must be submitted by noon on Thursday. Items run no earlier than 3 weeks before the event.
To submit an item, send to palylink@paloaltopta.org. Include a header or title line, then a line listing the date, time and location of the event. Follow with a brief (2-4 sentence) description of the activity, with the most important information first. List email, contact information and web links last. Items are published at the discretion of the editors.
--Shuchi Grover, Pavan Bakshi, and Anh Quan Paly Link Editors
--Bala Aiyar, Paly Link List Manager and Gordon Craig, Paly Link Webmaster
Click Here to sign up a new email address to receive the Link. Click on the "Update Profile/Email Address" link below to update an existing address.
Paly Link on the Web, Paly PTSA Web Site,
Paly Web Site, Paly Sports
Palo Alto PTA Council Web Site, Parent Education Events,
Community Service, Community Sports |
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