The last year of High School is a very special time for our Seniors.  Let's fill this year with celebrations and joyful memories. PTSA is looking for a parents to organize Senior Activities for the 2016/2017 school year.  These positions include:

Whether you're experienced in speaking up for children or you are interested in learning about key issues and legislation that impacts education, children and families, the California State PTA Legislation Conference is for you.

Join other PTA volunteers to:

• Be a part of the statewide effort to strengthen education, health and safety for all children by engaging in PTA's advocacy goals and legislative priorities;
• Get the latest information from legislators and key officials about the most important issues for children and families including the continuing need for adequate funding for schools, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs), and learn what legislators see on the horizon for CA schools; and
• Visit directly with the legislators who represent your community.

The Paly Meals on Wheels program needs more volunteers to bring emergency meals to Paly families in crisis. If you're interested in being on the Meals on Wheels' list of volunteers, please email Liz Lee, Meals on Wheels Volunteer Coordinator at liz@funghi.com. Please include your day and evening phone number(s).

Are you a family in crisis and in need of help with some dinners delivered to your door? Send an email and we'll try to help. Please include any dietary restrictions. Questions? Call me at 650 843-0413.

Keep up-to-date with Paly College and Career Center news and events by "liking" us on Facebook. The C&CC holds an open-house after each parent night in the Fall. There is also a wealth of information in Naviance and on the C&CC page

Meetings With College And Career Advisors 

Juniors may now schedule individual meetings with college and career advisors. Students will be required to complete the POST HIGH SCHOOL PLANNING SURVEY in Naviance (click the "About Me" tab in the top navigation panel, then look under the "Surveys to Take" section in the left-hand navigation panel), print it out, and present this form to the C&CC before they can schedule their first appointment by stopping by the C&CC.  If you've misplaced your Naviance login information or need your password reset, please contact Ms. Larson (klarson@pausd.org) or drop by Guidance or the C&CC.

At the College Center, students wanting to schedule 1st (or repeat) appointments will be asked to complete an appointment request form; within 1 week, they will receive an email from their College Advisor notifying them of their scheduled meeting date and time. Students should add their College Advisor's email address (scernobori@pausd.org or aerber@pausd.org) in their contact list so the email doesn't get filtered to their email provider's  SPAM folder.  If students don't receive an email appointment within a week, please email your College Advisor.  Students using an email provider that offers a calendar feature (like Yahoo or Google) should verify the calendar is set to the Pacific time zone, rather than another default time zone, so the emailed appointment indicates the correct time.

Students can meet with college advisors during their prep period, during Tutorial, or after school.

Any student-in any grade level--can drop in at brunch and/or lunch Advisory to ask advisors questions.

Since the months of April and May are very busy in the C&CC, it is advisable to make an appointment in advance. During the first meeting with a college advisor, it is preferable to meet with just the student (parents might want to attend subsequent meetings).

Representative from Carleton College   New

Paly alum, Emma Chiu, Dartmouth College Visit  New

Dartmouth College 3/17/16 10:45am
OFF CAMPUS:
University of Toronto, Undergraduate only   3/15/16   7:00 PM   San Francisco  New

Paly deadlines may be 2-4 weeks prior to public scholarship deadlines to allow for Paly TA and Guidance lead times. To learn about scholarships listed below and others login to Naviance using your user ID and password or login as a Guest with no password.  Click the "Colleges" tab, scroll to the  "scholarships and money" section, then click on the "scholarship list" link.   Click for more information about scholarship resources.

Parent-Child Communication Workshop 

The workshop will begin with scripted vignettes about teen stressors.  Moderators will guide discussion to provide parents with different strategies, skills and advice for communicating and connecting with their child.  Mandarin translation provided. Sponsors: Stanford Department of Behavioral Sciences and PAUSD.  Questions:  Harrison123@stanford.edu

The annual Paly Service Day is just around the corner! New

Have you enjoyed volunteering in your child's classroom? Then consider visiting a classroom in east Menlo Park or East Palo Alto.  Our All Students Matter volunteers work once a week for about an hour on reading and math skills with kids in grades K-4.  Sign up now to start in September. Training will be provided. To learn more or sign up, visit www.allstudentsmatter.org or contact Keri Tully at keritully@gmail.com.

Check out the resources from **Get Involved Project below (including opportunities calendar), also posted at Paly.net/service. Service-learning is supported by scholarly research as a way for students to find meaning, purpose, and Developmental Assets while navigating high school and beyond. 

Website:Getinvolvedpa.com

New Teen Program at Palo Alto Art Center 

COMPOSE YOURSELF is a new teen initiative structured in modules that offer participants access to a range of workshops around a central theme or concept over a two month period. The first Compose Yourself module, Shape Your Story, focuses on visual storytelling and provides workshops in photography, book-making, graphic novels and more. The module is comprised of seven artmaking workshops Thursday evenings at the Art Center, a weekend fieldtrip, an artist statement workshop, and an opportunity to display work at a public reception at the Art Center.  Students can enroll in the entire module or pick and choose the workshops that interest them! For more information and to register, please visithttp://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/csd/artcenter/classes/teens/classes_n_workshops.asp

Are you concerned about the emotional wellness of your child?  Join Parent Chat: Peer to Peer Support hosted by the Mental Health Subcommittee of SELPA 1 CAC.  All parents welcome to talk about children 14+.  Professional guidance by Monique Kane LMFT.

Questions: Contact Donna Soo (650)-823-0997 or Trudy Palmer (650)-208-9116 

Dr. Robert Brooks of Harvard Medical School will describe (a) why some children from birth have an easier time developing a positive self-image and resilience than others, (b) the importance of identifying and reinforcing each child's "islands of competence," and (c) specific strategies for nurturing self-discipline, problem-solving skills, responsibility, caring, hope, and resilience in our children. Presented by Friends of PreSchool Family. Register for your free tickets at:  http://drrobertbrooks.eventbrite.com

Full STEAM Ahead: Adaptation - Teen Program at Palo Alto Art Center  

This workshop invites teens to expand their understanding and creativity around the interaction between science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) when it comes to adaptation. Participants begin in the gallery, learning about Creative Ecology artist-in-residence David Tomb and considering examples of avian, and other species, adaptation. Afterwards, teens enter the studio to develop individual projects combining elements of STEAM to explore and propose new ideas for means of human adaptation.

Registration opens March 3 for Palo Alto Residents, March 10 for non-residents. For more information and to register, please visit

Calling all teens: flex your creativity, network and compete for a chance to win cash prizes!  
Adults: sign up to be a mentor/coach or help brainstorm and champion for a need or problem challenge.
Students will have fun identifying issues and creatively problem solving all the while building networks and connecting with local builders, coders and mentors. Over the course of an action-packed two and a half days, they'll apply design-thinking and build cool things that matter!
The weekend culminates with team pitches to a VIP panel and awarding of two grand prizes, one for best social-good idea and one for best product (or service)-to-market idea.  Each member of each winning team will receive a cash prize.
Visit www.thedfarm.org  for event details and registration.  Also, check out our summer camps!  
If you're interested in being a mentor, helping sponsor, or volunteer for this event, also visit us at www.thedfarm.org

Stanford Sleep Study

The Stanford University Department of Psychiatry is currently conducting a study to help teens (14-18) go to bed earlier and wake up earlier.  The treatment involves use of a light device that is placed by the child's bedside and flashes periodically throughout the night. Teens also meet for four sessions with a licensed psychologist or doctoral therapist under the supervision of a licensed psychologist at Stanford University to learn about sleep and strategies to improve sleep. The paid study requires completing a sleep diary daily for five weeks. Please contact the Teen Sleep Study at teensleep@stanford.edu or (650) 725-7767.

Americanized Chinese Parents

This is a club for Americanized Chinese Parents who embrace both the values of American culture and Chinese culture. In general, parents in this club 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

Don't miss out on an opportunity to experience Palo Alto High School's state-of-the-art Media Arts Center facilities this summer by participating in Camp MAC! Led by students of Paly's nationally recognized journalism program, Camp MAC introduces journalism to rising eighth and ninth grade students. Campers will learn 21st century literacy skills while building friendships across schools. Camp MAC is running a one-week session the week of Aug. 1-5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  All proceeds support Paly's Media Arts Boosters Program. For registration, prices, and more information, visit http://paly.io/campmac or contact palyjournalismcamp@gmail.com

Mid pen Media Center's - MC Sports Summer Broadcasting Camp  

Calling all Bay Area students who love sports, sports broadcasting or TV production! Students are invited to join us for a week-long Sports Broadcasting Camp. The Media Center's 5^thannual MC Sports Broadcasting Summer Camp will be held in Palo Alto California at the Midpen Media Center.

Space is Limited, these camps fill quickly! There are Six Sessions located in Palo Alto. Camp cost is $560 per student. To register go to: http://midpenmedia.org/youth/digiquest/

Students will have the opportunity to learn everything about Live Sports Broadcasting. No one offers such hands-on TV media broadcasting training and experience with access to professional equipment. Students learn valuable broadcasting skills from industry professionals, using our mobile TV production truck. Everyone will learn all crew positions; Directing, Graphics, Audio, Playback, Camera and on air Announcing. At the end of the week-long training the student crew will shoot a live local sporting event, which will be shown on local TV.

And the fun doesn't stop there! All MC Sports Broadcasting Workshop graduates will be invited to join the MC Sports Crew to cover local high school sporting events during the school year. Games are broadcast "Live" on TV and simultaneously streamed on our website. MC Sports crew members receive valuable Community Service hours, a free meal and real-time hands-on "Live" sports broadcasting experience.

Camp cost is $560 per student

Discover the wonders of public speaking! Conquer your fears once and for all! Learn to think on your feet! Registration for the Palo Alto Speech and Debate Camp is now open! For our eleventh year, we expect the best camp we have ever had, and we are expanding our program to fit this goal. We now offer not only Public Speaking and Debate programs, but also Impromptu Speech and Advanced LD Debate for returning students. The Palo Alto Speech and Debate Camp is the only summer camp in the San Francisco Bay Area that provides rising 6th through 10th graders with the best public speaking learning experience year after year. If you want to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to acquire valuable life skills, register today! More Info: http://palyspeechanddebatecamp.weebly.com/Contact: palyspeechanddebate@gmail.com

Do you want your child to experience what it is like to design and build robots?  Or how about learning how to program and create 3D animations? What about creating a business plan and promoting it with a website? This year, Paly Robotics will be hosting our annual summer camp for incoming middle school students (incoming 6th - 9th). There are three sessions to choose from - Robot Design and Hardware; Programming and 3D Animation; and Entrepreneurship and Website Design. For more information about our camp and the different sessions, visit palyrobotics.com/summercamp.