40
1 Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential. TO: Board of Education FROM: Glenn “Max” McGee, Ph.D. RE: Weekly DATE: August 14, 2015 A mighty thank you to the Board members who attended the Chow Down yesterday and to our Board President, Melissa Baten Caswell, for a sincere, important video message. Our themes certainly intertwined, and I spoke with several teachers throughout the day who were appreciative of the focus on instruction, the stories, and both the substance and sincerity of our message points. I wrote a similar message for our website, which should be posted in the next day or two. Also, given how busy we all were Thursday morning, it is likely you did not get to see Chris Nosek’s (ELA TOSA) slides which were looping as folks entered the auditorium. Here is a link if you are interested: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3GKo3RvazX6RUd0dzRTenp1c2s/view?usp=sharing The high school students return Monday, and our middle and elementary school students on Tuesday. Members of the Board will visit as many schools as possible during the first week, with a focus on their liaison schools. Staff from the District Office also will be out visiting sites the first week. These campus visits continue throughout the school year to connect with students, teachers, and administrators. As you know, this week was almost entirely spent in preparation for the opening of school, but a few updates follow below. Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I met with the Palantir team this year. They will, again, be hosting a weekly coding class and mentoring session with Historically Underrepresented (HUR) students. This will be their third session as last spring they “graduated” twenty students, about half of whom were girls. This partnership is so successful and so active, and we are deeply appreciative to Mehdi Alhassani, whom you may recall worked on Measure A as well. We will be sending a letter expressing our appreciation to Mehdi. Project Safety Net As the new school year begins, the District is excited to continue to partner with Project Safety Net (PSN). District leadership, Dr. Holly Wade, Assistant Superintendent--Chief Academic Officer of Student Services, and Brenda Carrillo, Director of Student Services, met with City staff, Minka Van Der Zwaag and Rob de Geus on August 7 to engage in a discussion that would lend PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 25 Churchill Avenue • Palo Alto, CA 94306 Telephone: (650) 329-3737 • FAX: (650) 321-3810 OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

1 Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.

TO: Board of Education FROM: Glenn “Max” McGee, Ph.D. RE: Weekly DATE: August 14, 2015 A mighty thank you to the Board members who attended the Chow Down yesterday and to our Board President, Melissa Baten Caswell, for a sincere, important video message. Our themes certainly intertwined, and I spoke with several teachers throughout the day who were appreciative of the focus on instruction, the stories, and both the substance and sincerity of our message points. I wrote a similar message for our website, which should be posted in the next day or two. Also, given how busy we all were Thursday morning, it is likely you did not get to see Chris Nosek’s (ELA TOSA) slides which were looping as folks entered the auditorium. Here is a link if you are interested: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3GKo3RvazX6RUd0dzRTenp1c2s/view?usp=sharing The high school students return Monday, and our middle and elementary school students on Tuesday. Members of the Board will visit as many schools as possible during the first week, with a focus on their liaison schools. Staff from the District Office also will be out visiting sites the first week. These campus visits continue throughout the school year to connect with students, teachers, and administrators. As you know, this week was almost entirely spent in preparation for the opening of school, but a few updates follow below. Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I met with the Palantir team this year. They will, again, be hosting a weekly coding class and mentoring session with Historically Underrepresented (HUR) students. This will be their third session as last spring they “graduated” twenty students, about half of whom were girls. This partnership is so successful and so active, and we are deeply appreciative to Mehdi Alhassani, whom you may recall worked on Measure A as well. We will be sending a letter expressing our appreciation to Mehdi. Project Safety Net As the new school year begins, the District is excited to continue to partner with Project Safety Net (PSN). District leadership, Dr. Holly Wade, Assistant Superintendent--Chief Academic Officer of Student Services, and Brenda Carrillo, Director of Student Services, met with City staff, Minka Van Der Zwaag and Rob de Geus on August 7 to engage in a discussion that would lend

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 25 Churchill Avenue • Palo Alto, CA 94306 Telephone: (650) 329-3737 • FAX: (650) 321-3810

OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Page 2: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

2 Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.

more clarity to the existing partnership, and leverage a deepening of the collaboration. From this conversation emerged a common interest in having a PSN Leadership Retreat to better define the work, purpose, and goals of the collaborative. The retreat is planned for this month, though an exact date is yet to be set. The retreat will be facilitated by Dr. Wade and Mr. Markus Autrey, Associate Superintendent—Educational Services. Results of the retreat will be shared with the PSN Collaborative at a subsequent meeting. Website The new website launched, and despite a few glitches, it has gone well. We are still moving some information, so if you cannot find what you need, you can use this link to the old site: http://pausd-web.pausd.org/ I hope you like how we feature student photos so prominently (yes, we checked releases for every student), and I think it reflects our student-centered spirit. In keeping with the theme, our K-12 Leadership Team meeting on September 1 will include a discussion of how we can have more frequent and open District and Board communication with students and staff. Elementary Summer School Reports Duveneck: Approximately 200 students in grades K-5 attended summer school at Duveneck Elementary. The summer school staff at Duveneck included 22 certificated teachers (19 general education and 3 special education), an instructional coach, a special education TOSA, special education aides, and parent and high school student volunteers from Gunn and Paly. The goal of summer school was to provide students with a highly engaging hands-on curriculum integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) aligned with the New Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Students rotated through three different classes: literacy, math, and an elective class, each approximately 65 minutes long. Using a project-based learning approach, students engaged and collaborated with their peers to solve problems in their environments by identifying problems, proposing and developing possible solutions, and testing their solutions. In addition, every student was assigned an iPad so they could integrate technology into their projects. Prior to the start of summer school, teachers received twenty hours of professional development including implementing best practices using Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) strategies, number talks, and providing an identity-safe learning environment. Teachers were also given time to collaborate with their peers to plan, design, and develop a curriculum map to support the learning of information in reading, writing, and math problem-solving focused around STEAM. Each summer school site had an instructional coach who provided additional professional development to the teachers during the summer school period. The coaches also supported teachers in the development of the summer school curriculum and arranged for classroom learning walks and peer observations. Some highlights of summer school included the participation of over fifty families at Open House. Students showed a lot of excitement and pride as they shared their culminating projects with their families. Also, students overwhelmingly reported on the student survey their summer school experience was fun and they felt their teachers cared about them. Fairmeadow: STEAM summer school provided at Fairmeadow Elementary School brought a

Page 3: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

3 Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.

unique experience for our students who have been traditionally underserved in our public schools. Throughout these four weeks, 196 students were engaged in our STEAM curriculum designed around the theme of Identifying Problems in Our Local Environment and Designing Solutions. The data we gathered from the parents and students through surveys suggested the overwhelming majority had a very positive experience this summer. Fifteen dedicated general education teachers and four special education teachers worked collaboratively to design enriching, project-based learning with a lot of technology integration to appeal to our student demographics. The top three highlights from this summer included built-in collaboration time for our academic teachers, each individual student having access to an iPad, and STEAM classes. Every day teachers had the opportunity to go on learning walks, to engage in reflective conversations with colleagues, and to adjust lessons to meet the needs of our students. According to one teacher’s feedback, “I had the rare opportunity to focus on one subject and to reteach it with improvements. It also allowed for observations and a lot of effective collaboration.” Another teacher wrote, “I enjoyed the continuous professional development throughout the program, especially because it also allowed us to improve and adjust our curriculum maps.” Students took full advantage of having iPads throughout their time at summer school. They used them primarily to share their work through Schoology, to make presentations with Explain Everything and Toontastic applications, and to create iMovies documenting their learning about the drought in California. A final highlight was every child got to experience a STEAM elective and an art elective during these four weeks, which seventy percent of the students identified on their surveys as a very positive experience. On July 7, 2015, approximately forty families gathered at Fairmeadow for our annual Summer School Open House to participate in their student’s learning as well as to view culminating projects and iPad presentations. Overall, the Leadership Team, teachers, and students found this summer to be an incredibly engaging experience they hope to carry over to the fall. Ninety-eight percent of the parents who filled out their surveys were happy with the STEAM curriculum and thought their child(ren) were engaged in their learning this summer! What’s Ahead There are a couple of events on Saturday I plan to attend and, of course, you are always welcome. The Buena Vista Appreciation Picnic begins at noon at Mitchell Park, and there is a Maker Space open house from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Barron Park. Looking forward to next week, we have our Board workshop on Friday. Ideally, we can finalize the goals so we can put them on the agenda for August 25 for discussion with approval at the following meeting. I trust we will also make progress on the measures and deliverables, so please give them some thought in advance. The high school principals and District Leadership Team met yesterday to discuss additional measures for the Consistency goal. Also, I have not yet heard back from Dr. Steve Adelsheim or Dr. Shashank Joshi regarding better and/or additional measures and deliverables for the wellness goal, but I know they will have some ideas prior to the retreat. As for the next regular Board meeting, while we have not finalized either the August 25 or September 8 agendas, I hope to have the Hanover Alignment Report presentation at the first meeting as it is an important companion piece to our goals and their measures and deliverables. Melissa Baten Caswell, Heidi Emberling, and I will be meeting next week to finalize the agenda.

Page 4: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

4 Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.

I hope you have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you during the coming week.

BOARD CALENDAR 2015-16 ACADEMIC YEAR

MONTH DATE EVENT AUGUST 17 First Day of School, 9-12 Only 17 Teacher Work Day, K-8 18 First Day of School, K-8 (9-12, day two) 25 Board Meeting SEPTEMBER 7 Labor Day 8 Board Meeting 29 Board Meeting OCTOBER 8 End of First Quarter 9 Staff Development Day – No School 13 Elementary SPSAs 13 Board Meeting 27 Board Meeting NOVEMBER 10 Board Meeting 11 Veterans Day 17 Middle School SPSAs 25-27 Thanksgiving Break DECEMBER 3-5 CSBA Annual Conference 8 Board Meeting 16-18 Finals Testing Day 18 End of Semester 18 District-Wide Minimum Day 21-31 Winter Break JANUARY 1 Winter Break 4 Return to School, K-8 Only 4 Teacher Work Day, High School 5 Return to School, 9-12 Only 12 Board Meeting 18 Martin Luther King’s Birthday 26 High School SPSAs 26 Board Meeting FEBRUARY 9 Board Meeting 11 Staff Development Day – No School 12 Washington’s Birthday 15 Lincoln’s Birthday 23 Board Meeting MARCH 8 Board Meeting 9 End of Third Quarter 11 Local Holiday

Page 5: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

5 Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.

22 Board Meeting APRIL 1-8 Spring Break 19 Board Meeting MAY 10 Board Meeting 24 Board Meeting 30 Memorial Day JUNE 1-2 Finals Testing Day 2 End of Semester 2 District-Wide Minimum Day 2 Last Day of School for Students 3 Teacher Work Day 7 Board Meeting 21 Board Meeting

SCHOOL EVENTS CALENDAR 2015-16 ACADEMIC YEAR

MONTH DATE EVENT LOCATION TIME AUGUST 14 Kindergarten Potluck Addison 4:00-7:00 p.m. 14 Welcome Back Social Fairmeadow 4:30-6:30 p.m. 15 Meet the Instruments JLS 9:00 a.m.-noon 15 Kinder Playdate Hoover 10:00 a.m.-noon 15 Incoming Kinder Playdate Ohlone 10:00 a.m.-noon 16 New Families Ice Cream Social El Carmelo 2:00-4:00 p.m. 16 Kinder Playdate Duveneck

Fairmeadow 3:00-5:00 p.m.

16 Welcome Back Party Briones 4:00-6:00 p.m. 17 Kinder Visitation Briones 9:00-9:40 a.m. 17 Kindergarten Open House Barron Park Begins 3:00 p.m. 17 Ice Cream Party Barron Park Begins 4:00 p.m. 17 Back to School, Ice Cream Social,

Spirit Gear Palo Verde 4:00-6:00 p.m.

17 Popsicle Welcome Walter Hays 4:00-5:00 p.m. 18 Principal’s Welcome Back Coffee Terman 7:45-8:15 a.m. 18 Welcome Back Breakfast & Coffee

Cart Hoover 8:00-9:30 a.m.

18 Back to School Coffee Addison 8:15-9:15 a.m. 18 First Day Coffee for Parents JLS 8:15-9:15 a.m. 18 First Day Coffee & PTA Meeting Briones 8:15-9:30 a.m. 18 Principal’s Coffee Social Palo Verde 8:20-9:00 a.m. 18 Back to School Coffee El Carmelo 8:30-9:30 a.m. 18 2, 3, 4, & 5 Opening Ceremony &

Parent Coffee Ohlone 8:30-9:30 a.m.

18 PTA Back to School Coffee Walter Hays 8:45-11:00 a.m.

Page 6: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

6 Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.

18 PTA First Day Parent Coffee Barron Park Begins 8:45 a.m. 18 Freshman Ice Cream Social Gunn 2:40-3:40 p.m. 19 Principal’s Welcome Back Second

Coffee Terman 7:45-8:15 a.m.

19 Kinder Parent Coffee El Carmelo 8:30-9:30 a.m. K & 1 Opening Ceremony &

Parent Coffee Ohlone 8:30-9:30 a.m.

19 Back to School BBQ Jordan 5:00-7:30p.m. 20 Welcome Back Dinner Paly 5:00-7:30 p.m. 20 Back to School Escondido Begins 5:30 p.m. 21 Principal’s Coffee Gunn 8:30-10:00 a.m. 22 International Welcome Dinner El Carmelo 5:30-7:30 p.m. 24 Back to School Picnic Ohlone 5:30-7:00 p.m. 24 Back to School Night Briones 6:00-8:00 p.m. 25 Ice Cream Social Hoover 5:30-7:00 p.m. 26 Back to School Night Terman 5:00-8:30 p.m. 26 Back to School Night JLS

Jordan 7:00-9:00 p.m.

27 Gunn Back to School Night Gunn 6:30-9:00 p.m. 27 PTA Latte Cart for Staff JLS 7:30-10:30 a.m. 28 Principal’s Coffee Nixon 8:00-9:00 a.m. 28 Welcome Back Picnic Palo Verde 6:00-7:30 p.m. 28 Kinder Potluck Walter Hays Begins 12:00 p.m. 30 Kinder Playdate Duveneck 3:00-5:00 p.m. 31 Kinder BTS Night Walter Hays 6:00-7:30 p.m. SEPTEMBER 1 Back to School Night Ohlone 5:30-9:00 p.m. 1 Back to School Night Palo Verde 5:45-8:00 p.m. 1 Back to School Night Addison

Barron Park Duveneck Fairmeadow Hoover

6:00-8:00 p.m.

1 Grades 1-5 BTS Night Walter Hays TBD 2 Back to School Pizza Dinner JLS 6:00-8:00 p.m. 3 Back to School Night Paly 6:30-9:00 p.m. 4 First Friday Coffee & PTA General

Meeting Ohlone 8:00-9:30 a.m.

4 PTSA/Food Services BBQ Gunn 12:35-1:15 p.m. 5 New Families Potluck Gunn 5:30-6:30 p.m. 10 Latte Guy Jordan 8:30-10:30 a.m. 10 Principal’s Coffee with All Grades JLS 8:30-10:00 a.m. 10 Principal’s Coffee Jordan 6:00-7:00 p.m. 11 Principal’s Coffee Addison 8:15-9:15 a.m. 11 Principal’s Coffee Fairmeadow 8:45-10:00 a.m. 11 Summer Reading Pizza Party Terman 12:30-1:00 p.m.

Page 7: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

7 Palo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students’ knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her fullest intellectual, social, and creative potential.

15 Back to School Picnic Nixon 5:30-7:30 p.m. 15 Cultural Festival Walter Hays TBD 16 Latte Cart – PTSA Treats Paly 7:30-10:30 a.m. 16 Welcome Back Social Terman 5:30-6:30 p.m. 17 Freshman Concert Band Gunn Begins 7:00 p.m. 18 International Potluck Duveneck

Palo Verde 6:00-8:00 p.m.

19 Harvest Festival Ohlone 12:00-4:00 p.m. 20 Choir Concert Gunn Begins 4:00 p.m. 22 Parent Coffee: Meet the Special

Education Staff Ohlone 8:30-10:00 a.m.

22 Ice Cream Social Briones 5:30-7:00 p.m. 23 Patxi’s Pizza Ohlone Fundraiser Patxi’s Pizza 11:00 a.m.-

9:00 p.m. 24 Grand Opening Ohlone Farmer’s

Market Ohlone 2:40-3:40 p.m.

24 Instrumental Music Concert Gunn Begins 7:30 p.m. 25 Fiery Arts Fall Glass Sale Paly 3:00-6:00 p.m. 25 Hoover Playdate Hoover 5:00-7:00 p.m. 25 Hoedown/4th Grade Bake Sale Addison 5:30-8:30 p.m. 25 Coffee with Mary Bussman Walter Hays TBD 26 Fiery Arts Fall Glass Sale Paly 11:00 a.m. –

4:00 p.m. 30 Principal’s Coffee Jordan 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Page 8: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

1

Page 9: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

2

Page 10: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

3

“Newton’s derivative was basically a Eudoxian‐type limit of these increments’ ratio as they got arbitrarily small.  Leibniz, a lawyer/diplomat/courtier/philosopher for whom math was sort of an offshoot hobby 8   had an aforementionedly idiosyncratic metaphysics that involved certain weird, fundamental, infinitely small constituents of reality, and he pretty much built his calculus around relations between them.”

Light Summer Reading: Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity

Footnote 8

8 Surely we all hate people like this.

Page 11: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

4

Only in Palo Alto

• SEAN

• RISE

• Eldora

• “Production of a Low‐Cost Dressing Treatment of Burns in Developing Countries”

Page 12: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

5

PAUSD VISION STATEMENT

“We support all PAUSD students as they prepare themselves to thrive as global citizens in a rapidly changing world. We develop our students' knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, and nurture their curiosity, creativity, and resilience, empowering every child to reach his or her full intellectual, social, and creative potential.”

Preparing Students for careers that do not yet exist in fields we have not yet imagined

“65% of grade school kids will end up in jobs that are not yet invented.”

‐ U.S. Department of 

Labor, Futurework

Page 13: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

6

Page 14: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

7

Page 15: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

8

Page 16: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

9

Encourage and support teachers to design, implement and evaluate innovative teaching methods that will deepen conceptual knowledge, understanding, and applications for every child and assure that every student’s individual educational experience is engaging, challenging, purposeful, and ensures mastery. 

Page 17: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

10

Significantly raise the achievement of historically underrepresented (HUR) students by ensuring equity of preparation, access, opportunity, and support from Pre‐K to 12th grade and by implementing essential recommendations of the Minority Achievement and Talent Development Advisory Committee with fidelity. 

Page 18: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

11

Page 19: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

12

One Minute Interview

• Interview someone sitting near you about his or her most memorable (in a good way) or best teacher.

• Find out the name and grade of that teacher.

• Learn what made that teacher special to him or her.

• Use the paper to jot down any notes.

Page 20: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

13

That One 

Teacher

Video Start

Page 21: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

14

That face is saying …

1. Let’s Be Students of Our Students

“Classrooms that teach up function from the premise that student potential is like an iceberg‐most of it is obscured from view‐and that high trust, high expectations, and a high‐support environment will reveal in time what’s hidden.”

“Teach UP for Excellence”- by Carol Tomlinson and Edwin Javius

Page 22: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

15

“For teachers who teach up, understanding how individual students learn most efficiently and effectively is the driving force behind instructional planning and delivery.”

“Teachers who understand that some students may feel racially and culturally isolated in their classes find multiple ways for students to display their insights for the group.”

“Seek first to understand”

Page 23: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

16

See Beyond Themselves

Page 24: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

17

“Through words, actions, and caring, the teacher conveys to students, ‘I know you have the capacity to do what’s required for success; therefore I expect much of you.  Because I expect much, I’ll support your efforts in every way I can.  I’m here to be your partner in your success.’”

2. Let’s Share High Expectations for ALL Students (all means all)

Breaking the Cycle of Mistrust: Wise Interventions to Provide CriticalFeedback Across the Racial Divide

• The wise feedback treatment note stated, “I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.” 

• By contrast, the placebo control note stated, “I’m giving you these comments so that you’ll have feedback on your paper.”

Page 25: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

18

Journal of Experimental PsychologyAmerican Psychological Association2014, Vol. 143, No. 2, 804–824

• “An estimated 71% of African American students who received the wise feedback note revised their essays, compared with 17% of students who received the control note.”

• “Although White students also showed a trend in the same direction, this effect was not significant 87% revised in the wise criticism condition vs. 62% in the control condition.”

The Other Wes Moore

300 × 205 -middlewisconsin.org

Page 26: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

19

3. Let’s Assure a Sense of Purpose

“Teachers who teach up ensure that students develop the skills of independence, self‐direction, collaboration, and production that are necessary for success … they demonstrate to learners the satisfaction that comes from accepting a challenge and investing one’s best effort in achieving it.”

Young people are hungry for purpose and meaning in their life.

“We chalk the problem up to stress caused by the heavy burdens of schoolwork and competition … But hard work and competition have never broken the spirits of young people, as long as they believe in what they are doing.”

‐ William Damon, The Path to Purpose

Page 27: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

20

4. Teaching Targets for Every Student Every Day

• Be Intentional– I can help students develop deep knowledge

– I can make the most of every minute

– I can help students do something with their learning

• Be Demanding– I can make performance expectations clear

– I can measure understanding against high expectations

• Be Supportive– I can  engage student interest with every lesson

– I can interact meaningfully with every studentFrom The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching

- Goodwin and Hubbell

Page 28: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/14/2015

21

And so … 

“I wish you way more than luck …”

Page 29: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT - HUMAN RESOURCES Date: Friday, August 14, 2015 To: Max McGee, Superintendent From: Scott Bowers Re: Weekly NEW TEACHER BREAKFAST Last Friday morning we held another successful new teacher breakfast—lots of enthusiasm and energy. This year was almost as busy as last year for certificated hires—we have 83 new certificated staff members, with one more teacher to hire. The past four years hiring has been 79, 57, 44, 85 new teachers/administrators. STAFFING We have been very busy this summer. As you know we finally have an Associate Superintendent on board beginning August 1—Markus Autrey from Los Gatos High School. Just this morning, we hired an Executive Assistant to replace Kathleen. We will provide information about this hire once the person has time to notify her employer. Our job posting for General Council and the 60% communications coordinator position will close on August 21. The job posting for HR Director closes on September 13. Currently we have five applicants for General Council, nine candidates for the part-time coordinator position, and no applicants for the director position. We usually see those numbers increase as we near the deadline, so I am hopeful we will have a good pool from which to choose. We were very fortunate to have David Johnson, our former HR Director prior to Eric Goddard, available to come in and help us out while we search for Eric’s replacement. He has been a godsend for the classified side of the department—August is one of the busiest hiring times for classified staff given all the ten-month staff who find other jobs over the summer and don’t return. New Members of the Leadership Team 2015-16

Victoria Luke Coordinator II Special Education Alma Ellis Coordinator II Special Education Lissette Moore Coordinator I Student Services Miriam Stevenson Gunn Assistant Principal Jack Balland Gunn Assistant Principal Debra Matthews Terman Assistant Principal Dawn Yoshinaga Greendell Principal Charles Rohrbach Terman Dean Iris Wong JLS Dean Mimi Kwon Jordan Assistant Principal

Page 30: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

New Positions for Current Members of the Team

Katherine Baker CAO-Secondary Ed Barbara Harris CAO-Elementary Education Chiara Perry Director II Special Education James Cox Jordan Assistant Principal James Lubbe Jordan Dean Tom Jacoubowsky Jordan Interim Principal Chuck Merritt Escondido Principal Anne Brown Barron Park Principal Danae Reynolds El Carmelo Principal Tonya Bailey Palo Verde Interim Principal Holly Wade Chief Student Services Officer Jeong Choe Coordinator 1—AAR Judy Argumedo Director 1—Academic Support Brenda Carrillo Director 1—Health and Wellness Magdalena Fittoria Principal on Special Assignment

Page 31: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

August 14, 2015 To: Glenn “Max” McGee Superintendent of Schools From: Cathy Mak (CBO) & Bob Golton (Bond Manager) Subject: Weekly Report Paly Athletic Center It is great to start reporting on actual construction for this project. At this point, Vance Brown has put the usual green fencing around their site. There is also their construction trailer in place. This coming weekend, a flooring contractor will be on site to “harvest” the current gym floors. Hazardous materials abatement on the old gyms will start next week and will extend another couple of weeks. Then, sometime early in September, the existing gyms will be taken down!

Paly Performing Arts Center Things are really starting to take shape at the site . . . literally; the curved front of the lobby area is now visible in the foreground of the picture below. Stucco at the stage started today. Power to the new transformer is now completed and electrical and fire sprinkler installation is ongoing.

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 25 Churchill Avenue • Palo Alto, CA 94306 Telephone: (650) 329-3980 • FAX: (650) 329-3803

BUSINESS SERVICES

1

Page 32: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

In preparation for Monday’s school opening, striping and signage at the parking lot/drop-off area is being worked on and the asphalt pathway along Haymarket will be finished by the end of the week. As we did during the opening of school last year, we will all be out there on Monday morning to ensure a safe, smooth traffic flow.

Bond Projects Timelines We currently have five projects, totaling over $100 million, which are either in design or under actual construction. I am attaching the PowerPoint I presented at the Leadership meeting last week. The one page summary on page 13 provides a useful overall timeline so that progress can be followed.

2

Page 33: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/13/2015

1

Palo Alto Unified School DistrictStrong Schools Bond

Status Report

Presented at:

Leadership Team Retreat

August 4, 2015

1

Strong Schools BondActive Major Projects - Three Year Timeline

2015 2016 2017 2018

Project $ Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun

Paly Theatre $29.4M

Project Negotiations DSA

Schematic Design Bid and Award

Design Development & Construction Documents Construction

Move-In and Occupancy

2

Page 34: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/13/2015

2

Paly Performing Arts Center

3

Paly Performing Arts Center

4

Page 35: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/13/2015

3

Strong Schools BondActive Major Projects - Three Year Timeline

2015 2016 2017 2018

Project $ Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun

Paly Theatre $29.4M

Paly New Gyms $41.0M*

* $23.4M donated

Project Negotiations DSA

Schematic Design Bid and Award

Design Development & Construction Documents Construction

Move-In and Occupancy

5

Paly Athletic Center

6

Page 36: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/13/2015

4

Paly Athletic Center

7

Strong Schools BondActive Major Projects - Three Year Timeline

2015 2016 2017 2018

Project $ Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun

Paly Theatre $29.4M

Paly New Gyms $41.0M*

Paly Science Addition $5.5M

* $23.4M donated

Project Negotiations DSA

Schematic Design Bid and Award

Design Development & Construction Documents Construction

Move-In and Occupancy

8

Page 37: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/13/2015

5

Paly Science Addition

9

Strong Schools BondActive Major Projects - Three Year Timeline

2015 2016 2017 2018

Project $ Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun

Paly Theatre $29.4M

Paly New Gyms $41.0M*

Paly Science Addition $5.5M

Paly Library $10.4M

* $23.4M donated

Project Negotiations DSA

Schematic Design Bid and Award

Design Development & Construction Documents Construction

Move-In and Occupancy

10

Page 38: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/13/2015

6

Paly Library 

11

Paly Library 

12

Page 39: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/13/2015

7

Strong Schools BondActive Major Projects - Three Year Timeline

2015 2016 2017 2018

Project $ Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar Apr-Jun

Paly Theatre $29.4M

Paly New Gyms $41.0M*

Paly Science Addition $5.5M

Paly Library $10.4M

Gunn Central Project $21.1M

* $23.4M donated

Project Negotiations DSA

Schematic Design Bid and Award

Design Development & Construction Documents Construction

Move-In and Occupancy

13

Gunn Central Building Project

14

Page 40: PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE OF · PDF filePalo Alto Unified School District Vision Statement: ... Palantir Judy Argumedo, Director of Academic Support Programs, and I

8/13/2015

8

Gunn Central Building Project

15

Other Major Available Dollars

• $60 Million ‐ Reserved pool of funds for additional elementary school

• $7 Million – Gunn Reserve ‐ Available for Central Building Project contingencies and then other uses.

• $3 Million – Paly Reserve ‐ Just arrived State funds, needed for Science Building & Library contingencies.

• $3 Million – Available for Technology

16