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The final Gunn Connection for the year will be published next Friday, May 27th. The first issue of the 2016-17 school year will be on Friday, August 5th. Please plan your announcements accordingly.
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Calendar
Fri, May 20
Alternate Schedule (see Calendar)
Band Pops Concert and Senior Awards, 7 PM, Spangenberg
May 20-21
One-Act Plays, Little Theatre (Info)
Mon, May 23
Senior Awards Night, 6:30 PM, Spangenberg
Tue, May 24
Percussion Ensemble Concert, 7:30 PM, Spangenberg
Thu, May 26
Choir Concert and Awards, 7:30 PM, Spangenberg
Fri, May 27
Alternate Schedule (see Calendar)
Sun, May 29
Baccalaureate, 2 PM, Spangenberg
Mon, May 30
NO SCHOOL-Memorial Day Holiday
Tue-Thu, May 31-Jun 2
Finals Alternate Schedule (see Calendar)
Wed, Jun 1
Graduation, 6 PM, Football Field
Thu, Jun 2
Last Day of School
For a complete calendar of all school events, go to the Gunn Calendar. For corrections or additions to the Calendar, contact Martha Elderon.
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Gunn
MUCH Volunteer Help Needed for Textbook Check-In
daily, Mon, May 23-Thu, Jun 2, various shifts
Many volunteers had fun checking textbooks out to students last fall. Well, what's checked out must be checked in. Many hands are needed. If you can work a shift or two to help the librarians click here. Questions? Mvictor@pausd.org or nhesterman@pausd.org.
Gunn Choir Spring Concert & Awards
Thu, May 26, 7:30 PM, Spangenberg
Fresh off of unanimous superior ratings at the California Music Educators Association Choral Festival, please join the Gunn Choir in a fond musical farewell to the Class of 2016. Tickets are $7 ($5 for students in high school or younger) and can be purchased at the door. Don't miss it!
All-School BBQ
Fri, May 27, 10 AM-2 PM, Staff Lounge and Quad
PTSA and PAUSD Food Services are hosting a school-wide BBQ for all Gunn students and staff on May 27. We need parents between 10 AM and 2 PM to help set up, prep food, grill, serve, and clean up for our BBQ. Please sign up here. Contact Keri Wagner with questions: keriwagner@gmail.com.
REMINDERS: For Seniors and Parents of Seniors
Baccalaureate is May 29th at 2:00 PM in Spangenberg Theatre. The doors will open at 1:45 PM. Please arrive with your family dressed in the following recommended attire: graduation gown plus dressy casual attire (no jeans/ sneakers). Leave your caps at home-you will not need them for this event. The program will begin exactly at 2:00 PM--out of respect for the performers, please do not be late!
Graduation rehearsal is Tuesday, May 31st at 8:00 AM in Spangenberg Theatre. All Seniors need to be on time as the rehearsal will start promptly. Students who are attending the picnic will head to the check in area immediately following the rehearsal. Students speaking at graduation will need to stay after the rehearsal for a few minutes for sound check. Again, the rehearsal is at 8:00 AM--please remind your senior to not be late!
Graduation is Wednesday, June 1st at 6:00 PM on the Football Athletic Field. All Graduating Seniors will meet in Spangenberg Theatre no later than 5:30 PM for final instructions before the ceremony. Attire for graduates is dressy casual with cap, tassel and gown zipped up. Seniors need to be on time, as the start of the ceremony will not be held for late arrivals. Parking is limited on campus, so plan accordingly.
Graduation Photos! GradImages will be there to capture your images during the ceremony. Don't forget to Pre-Register prior to the event to share your photos with loved ones and to receive a coupon code for $5 off an order of $25 or more!
POSTPONED TO FALL - Junior Families Final Social
Due to very few people signing up for the potluck and the general feeling of folks being busy, we have decided to postpone the potluck to fall of 2016-2017. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused. Have a fun and restful summer! If you have any questions or suggestions please contact Ani_Gnanalingam@Hotmail.com or BarbaraBest@gmail.com.
Results of Site Council Parent Alternate Runoff Election
Welcome to Sunita Verma, who narrowly defeated Kathy Veit for the position of Site Council Parent Alternate for 2016-17. The parent alternate serves on Site Council in case one of the four parents must leave his/her position before his/her term is up, or if one of them cannot attend a meeting. Thank you to Kathy Veit for serving as Parent Alternate this past year.
Site Council Meeting Schedule for 2016-17
All Meetings are on Mondays in the Staff Lounge, 4-6 PM, except for one 7-9 PM meeting in the library, so that parents or the public who are unable to attend a meeting during the day can attend this one.
September 12
October 10
November 7 (7 PM in the library)
December 5
January 9
February 6
March 6
April 10
May 8
Calling All Gunn Parents--Stay Connected by Volunteering!
Did you know that over 500 parents and community members volunteer at Gunn every year? There are three great reasons to be one of them: 1) Studies show that students are more engaged with their school when their parents are active participants at the school; 2) parents experience greater satisfaction and connection with their school when they participate in on-campus events; and 3) it is fun! There are opportunities to work in Gunn classes, service departments, and with the PTSA. We are eager to fill the following positions for next year:
- Inclusion rep
- Student appreciation events
- Homecoming BBQ helpers
- Staff appreciation events
- Turkey Feast helpers
- International Potluck helpers
- Forms sorting
- Data entry
Click here to see a list of opportunities and check all that interest you. We will contact you to help you decide if you'd like to join us! Questions? Contact the Gunn PTSA co-presidents: Barbara Best ( barbarabest@gmail.com) or Keri Wagner ( keriwagner@gmail.com).
FROM THE PREVIOUS ISSUE:
Upcoming Gunn Music Concerts! Don't miss this last opportunity of the year to hear the CMEA Unanimous Superior Gunn music groups! All concerts are free and open to the public with donations accepted at the door.
Senior Band Pops Concert Honoring Graduating Seniors
Fri, May 20, 7 PM (special time), Spangenberg
Come hear the final concert of the year for the Unanimous Superior Rated Gunn Bands! We will be honoring 38 amazing band seniors! The "Pops" concert will feature music from Broadway (Wicked & Lion King) and pop/rock legends Prince & Chicago (recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), and movies (The Incredibles and the music of John Williams).
Gunn Percussion Ensemble
Tue, May 24, 7:30 PM, Spangenberg
Trash cans, marimbas, and woodblocks, oh my! Come hear the Gunn Percussion Ensemble perform works by Bach, Mozart, Crockerell, and more. It's time to show you how musical our car parts and kitchen supplies can be!
Senior Jazz Concert
Fri, May 27, 7:30 PM, Spangenberg
Come hear the final concert of the year for the award winning jazz bands! We will be honoring and featuring our nine amazing jazz seniors! The concert will feature music selected, rehearsed, and performed by the following outstanding seniors: Nikhil Ghosh, Anthony Su, Ajay Raj, Zach Steuer, Micah Roschelle, Robin Peter, Arnav Joshi, Miya Miller.
Senior Picnic and Grad Night Party-Don't miss the bus!
Deadline: Fri, May 20
Procrastinators-you are in luck! Registration deadline for the Senior Picnic and Grad Night Party, the last two amazing end-of-year events at Gunn, has been extended to Friday, May 20th. Click on the Registration Forms link for more information. Paper Registration Forms are also available in the SAC. Please mail in your signed (by parent and student) registration form and check right away! You may also drop off the form at the SAC desk by Friday. Both events are voluntary. And remember to check the Senior Class Information tab in Student Events and Activities on the Gunn Website. It will take you to a page of important dates and descriptions of graduation information.
Parents of Gunn Athletes: Support Gunn Athletics-Make Your Athletic Participation Donation Today!
It's not too late to make your Athletic Participation Donation!! If you have a student/athlete that participated in a Fall, Winter or Spring sport and have not made your donation, Gunn Athletics needs your support. This year 1,048 student/athletes participated in a sport, but only 745 have made the donation. Our goal is 100% participation from all sports teams, and currently our overall percentage is 71%. The suggested donation amount is $200 per athlete/per sport played. You can make your donation online at www.gunnsportsboosters.com or by check payable to Gunn Sports Boosters. Please include your athlete's name and sport played when donating. Questions, contact Jill Spain at spainsdj@comcast.net.
IN THE GUNN CONNECTION EXTRA: 
Gunn-Paly Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) Program Showcase...read more.
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PAUSD / PTAC
Survey (All Grades) from PAUSD Student Services
You are asked to participate in a survey through which you can provide important feedback on PAUSD's support services for students. The Harvard Systems Review Survey of our Supports for students with disabilities will only remain open until Tuesday, May 24th. Teachers and administrators also are being asked to participate. Access the survey HERE in English, Spanish and Chinese. The original request, sent through our PAUSD research department, came from Dr. Tom Hehir, a senior faculty member at Harvard University who is leading this research. Your responses will influence their recommendations to the School Board in mid-late June. There will also be several open town hall meetings to review the results. If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact Monica Ng, the study director, at monica.alice.ng@gmail.com.
Project Safety Net Community Collaborative Meeting
Wed, May 25, 4-6 PM, Lucie Stern Center Community Ballroom,1305 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto
Please RSVP via Eventbrite. Are you interested in reducing youth mental health stigma and supporting youth voice? Please join us at our next Project Safety Net Community Collaborative (PSN) meeting. At this month's meeting, PSN is celebrating May is Mental Health Matters Month with a lime green ribbon activity. We will be featuring two presentations: Bryant Street Garage Fund, and Vic and Mary Ojakian will talk about their suicide prevention activities. Project Safety Net is a collaborative community network working together in the interest of fostering youth well-being in Palo Alto. Newsletter sign-up here.
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Community
Girl Scout Annual Garage and Bake Sale
Sat, May 21, 8:30 AM-1 PM, 3476 Waverley St, Palo Alto
Hosted by Gunn 9th grade GS Troop 61420 who are saving for a 2017 Service Trip. Lots of yummy treats and great bargains! Please contact drhuston@aol.com with any questions or donations.
Finals Cram Slam
Wed & Thu, May 25 & 26, 6-10 PM, Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto
The library and the Teen Center will be open until 10 PM for high school students studying for finals. Must show valid student ID. Snacks and activities to de-stress will be offered in between studying, including visits from therapy dogs.
Summer Reading Kickoff Party
Sat, May 28, 2-3 PM, Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middefield Rd, Palo Alto
The Summer Reading Program is designed to encourage everyone to read-babies, children, teens, and adults. This year's theme is "On your Mark, Get Set, Read!" Sign up here and set a reading goal, log or review your books online, and at the end of the summer, after you have met your goal, come back to the library for your prize!
Meet the Author--The Anti-Depressant Book: A Practical Guide for Teens
Thu, Jun 2, 7-8:30 PM, Rinconada Library, 1213 Newell Rd, Palo Alto
Please join us as local author, Dr. Jacob Towery, shares and discusses his new book, The Anti-Depressant Book: A Practical Guide for Teen and Young Adults to Overcome Depression and Stay Healthy. This FREE program is for teens and adults. More information is available here.
Teen DIY Bath Bombs and Lip Balms
Tue, Jun 7, 2-4 PM, Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto
Learn how to make bath soaps, sugar scrubs and more using natural ingredients. Keep your own creations! Registration required. More information is available here.
2016 Adolescent Mental Wellness Conference: "Breaking Down Stigma, Building Support for Youth Mental Health"
Aug 5-6, South San Francisco Conference Center
Bringing policymakers, educators, clinicians, youth and family members together to explore approaches for supporting the mental health needs of children adolescents and young adults. Register here.
Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA) Swimming Lessons
Stanford Cardinal Swimming offers a range of swimming opportunities for the beginning swimmer to the elite athlete. Find the best fit for you! Start dates: May- August. Contact swim@pasacardinal.com to find out about options at Avery Pool (Stanford) and in Palo Alto. Programs include high school, age group, competitive, developmental and swim lessons. PASA - Cardinal is a year-round United States Swimming Team: www.pasacardinal.com. All Levels: https://goo.gl/pahsbq. High School: https://goo.gl/Fw1T2S
Looking for an internship opportunity connected to your interests?
Get Involved Palo Alto connects students with month-long service-learning internships in June! Schedules are flexible. Tell us about your interests and skills when you sign up, then we'll match you with a local nonprofit organization or city agency. Earn community service hours and the President's Award while doing something you enjoy. Lead, collaborate, share your interests and talents to create impact in the community. Open to all current high school students, check it out and sign up at Getinvolvedpa.com. Tuition waivers available for students with free and reduced lunch. Questions? Email internships@getinvolvedpa.com.
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Gunn Connection Publication Guidelines:
- The Gunn Connection is published ONCE a week, every Friday. Deadline is noon the day before publication.
- Please submit ANNOUNCEMENTS ONLY to the Gunn Connection at gunnconnection@paloaltopta.org. Only announcements specific to the Gunn community will be published. Any other announcements from outside the Gunn community must first be submitted for review to the PTA eNews (enews@paloaltopta.org), which will then distribute it to the relevant schools in the district.
- Announcements will be limited to 100 words or less. Any lengthier or more in-depth articles or news should be submitted to the Gunn Connection Extra (GunnNews@gmail.com).
- Announcements will be published in two consecutive issues. To have further announcements made after that, please submit your announcement again.
- Please use the words "Gunn Connection" in the subject line. Items should include a title, the date, time and location of the event, and a brief (100 words or less) description of the activity. List email, contact information and web links at the end. Content should be in the body of your email as unformatted text. Attachments subject to approval by the editors.
- Items are published at the discretion of the editors.
Thank you,
Shari Arensdorf & Rita Lee
Gunn Connection Editors & Parent Volunteers
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