PAUSD Weekly Update - April 3, 2026
PAUSD Weekly Update - April 3, 2026
PAUSD Weekly Update
Superintendent Search
We want to keep our community informed every step of the way. Find the latest updates, timelines, and opportunities to get involved, all in one place: www.pausd.org/search
Spring Break Next Week!
Have a safe Spring Break, see you when we return on April 13.
Elevating Student Voice to Build a Sense of Belonging
Across our middle schools, JLS, Greene, and Fletcher are prioritizing student voice in building a deeper sense of belonging and well-being. By centering the perspectives of our 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-graders, we are ensuring that school improvement efforts are authentically shaped by the students they serve.
JLS: Dream Week and Wellness
JLS recently celebrated "Dream Week," a mental health awareness initiative hosted by the wellness team. Each day featured themed activities designed to support the campus community and gather student insights. JLS is using this feedback to improve mental health awareness and ensure every student feels a sense of belonging at school.
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Monday (Dream): Setting intentions and focusing on student well-being
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Tuesday (De-stress): Finding calm with "animal therapy" from visiting barnyard animals
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Wednesday (Develop): Strengthening personal growth and community resilience
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Thursday (Diversity): Sharing student insights on belonging with Youth Community Service
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Friday (Dabble): Exploring new interests to improve school-wide mental health awareness
Greene: School Culture Chatter
On Wednesday, March 25, Greene students participated in a special "School Culture Chatter" lesson during their Advisory period. This interactive session put student voices at the center of school improvement, focusing specifically on connectedness and belonging. Working in small groups, students provided candid feedback on several key areas:
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Positive Environment: What helps maintain a positive mood at school
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Rules & Community: What motivates students to contribute to a respectful campus
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Teacher Connection: How staff show they care and demonstrate excitement for teaching
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Safety & Support: What helps students feel physically and emotionally safe on campus
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Trusted Adults: Defining the qualities that make an adult on campus approachable and easy to talk to
Fletcher: Student-Led Collaboration
At Fletcher, the Student Council is actively gathering student voices to shape student-centered, community-building experiences. Through surveys, peer conversations, and feedback loops, students are currently:
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Designing and leading unique grade-level activities that reflect the specific interests of their classmates
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Fostering leadership and peer-to-peer connection
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Ensuring that student-led collaboration is at the heart of their school-wide sense of belonging
Next Steps: Middle school staff are reviewing this invaluable student input to identify trends and areas for growth. We are proud of our middle schoolers for their honesty and engagement. Their insights serve as a roadmap to ensure that every student feels they truly belong and can learn and grow in our schools.
Event Recap: It’s Okay to Say Suicide Workshop
On Wednesday, March 18, PAUSD partnered with The Jed Foundation to host a meaningful workshop at Palo Alto High School. The session, "It’s Okay to Say Suicide," provided essential suicide prevention education and support for high school students and families across the district.
Led by mental health educator Jahi Gordon, MSW, the evening featured rich content and thoughtful dialogue regarding an essential, yet often stigmatized, conversation for our community.
Because PAUSD cares deeply about student well-being, the goal of the session was to provide a space where families and students could receive the same life-saving messaging and a shared language for support. By building these skills together, we strengthen our safety net and ensure that every member of our community feels empowered to notice, connect, and help.
Workshop Takeaways
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Recognizing Intense Moments: These are moments when emotions feel overwhelming, heavy, or out of control. Identifying these specific windows is essential for timely support and intervention.
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Noticing the Shifts: Suicide prevention starts with observation. We look for changes in "normal" patterns, such as shifts in mood, personality, or a withdrawal from friends and typical interests.
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The "Notice, Connect, Help" Model: The most effective way to respond to these changes is to acknowledge what you see, listen with empathy, and then actively help the person get to a professional resource.
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Understanding the 10-Minute Window: Data shows that nearly half of attempt survivors (48%) first thought about a specific attempt within 10 minutes of acting. Because these feelings are often short-lived, slowing the moment down is a primary life-saving strategy.
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The Myth of Outward Calm: A person can appear composed on the outside while experiencing an intense moment internally. We cannot rely on a "calm" appearance to assume someone is safe.
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The Power of Direct Questions: Asking "Have you thought about suicide?" does not plant the idea. Instead, it creates an honest, safe space for someone in pain to speak their truth.
Action Steps for Families and Students:
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Slow the Moment: Creating a pause helps the nervous system settle and allows the peak of the emotional intensity to fade.
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Create Physical Distance: Increasing the distance between a person in an intense moment and any dangerous items or situations is a highly effective way to reduce immediate risk.
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Stay Connected: Do not leave the person alone; the presence of a supportive person is a critical buffer.
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Involve Adults Early: While students are often the "first responders" who notice a peer's struggle, adults and professionals are responsible for formal safety planning.
The Jed Foundation (JED) Resources*:
*Due to intellectual property guidelines, JED is unable to provide the slides from the event, and provided the above resources for the community.
How We Support Student Safety & Well-Being in PAUSD
To ensure that suicide prevention is an active, daily priority, PAUSD maintains a multi-layered system of professional support:
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Integrated Mental Health Teams: Every PAUSD campus is staffed by professionals dedicated to student well-being. Each comprehensive high school features three Mental Health and Wellness Associates, a licensed coordinator, and school psychologists. These teams also include Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS) therapists who provide intensive support for students with individualized needs (IEPs). Middle and elementary sites are similarly supported by dedicated associates and psychologists to ensure early intervention.
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School-Based Support Systems: Beyond specialized clinical staff, our teachers, school counselors, and administrators serve as the first line of support. These professionals are trained to notice changes in student behavior, build trusting relationships, and connect students to the appropriate mental health resources.
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Wellness Centers: Located at all secondary sites, these centers offer a supportive environment for drop-in support, individual therapy, and mental health resources. Our Mental Health and Wellness Associates utilize these spaces as a central hub for student education and prevention outreach. The centers ensure immediate care for students in distress and offer a dedicated space for any student to connect with help. This model is currently being adapted to meet the unique needs of our elementary schools.
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Uwill Virtual Therapy: To ensure support is never out of reach, all students have free, 24/7 access to the Uwill teletherapy platform via Classlink. This provides a critical bridge for mental health care during evenings, weekends, and all school breaks, including summer.
High School Wellness Pages
Immediate Help Resources
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988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (Available 24/7)
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Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
SAVE THE DATES - PAUSD Parent Series: Building a Culture of Care
In Partnership with The JED Foundation
Join us for the next two virtual sessions in our series dedicated to supporting student mental health and well-being. These webinars provide expert insights and actionable tools for our families and students. Full registration links and detailed descriptions will be sent via ParentSquare. We look forward to seeing you there!
SESSION 2: Getting Youth to Talk: Unraveling the Stigma and Supporting Honest Conversations
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Date: April 30, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Webinar (virtual)
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Audience: Students & Parents/Guardians
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Focus: Normalizing help-seeking as a strength, breaking down the specific stigmas that keep teens silent, and equipping families and schools with tools to encourage honest, supportive conversations.
SESSION 3: Proud and Thriving: Supporting the Mental Health & Well-being of LGBTQIA+ Students
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Date: May 18, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Webinar (virtual)
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Audience: Parents/Guardians Only
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Focus: Understanding and celebrating the mental wellness of LGBTQIA+ students, preparing for a confident transition to life after high school, and sharing actionable ways to create affirming, safe environments at home.
2026 ArtNow Annual Santa Clara County Juried High School Visual Art Exhibition
Congratulations to the 14 PAUSD high school Visual Art students selected for the prestigious ArtNow 2026 juried exhibition at the New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU). This award-winning annual program showcases outstanding student work from across Santa Clara County and provides young artists with the valuable experience of exhibiting in a professional museum setting.
Karen A, Palo Alto High School
Angela F, Palo Alto High School
Adam F, Palo Alto High School
Ava L, Palo Alto High School
Sophia L, Palo Alto High School
Charlotte L, Palo Alto High School
Hudson P, Palo Alto High School
Hailey S, Palo Alto High School
River W, Palo Alto High School
Amy Z, Palo Alto High School
Ellie C, Henry M. Gunn High School
Emerson C, Henry M. Gunn High School
Kai K, Henry M. Gunn High School
Priyanka R, Henry M. Gunn High School
This year’s exhibition, themed Before / Between / Beyond, invited students to explore these ideas individually or in combination. More than 600 submissions were received from 53 high schools, reflecting an exceptional caliber of work. From these, just 97 pieces by students from 36 schools were selected for display, highlighting the significance of this achievement.
We also extend our sincere gratitude to our PAUSD Visual Arts educators for their dedication, guidance, and encouragement. Their support plays a vital role in helping students develop their artistic voices!
Gunn High School Instrumental participates in the Pacific Basin Music Festival
Congratulations to the Gunn Instrumental Music Program on an outstanding trip to Hawai‘i for the 41st Annual Pacific Basin Music Festival! A group of 160 students representing two bands and two orchestras traveled alongside 20 parent chaperones for this unforgettable experience. Both band and orchestra students performed beautifully, representing Gunn High School with excellence, professionalism, and pride. Students performed at the Ala Moana Centerstage, participated in a side-by-side rehearsal with another school, and worked in a clinic with a professional conductor. Each ensemble took part in an adjudicated performance featuring written and recorded feedback.
The Wind Ensemble was selected for the final Command Performance Concert, and the Spangenberg Orchestra performed a world premiere commission at the same event. The combined Freshman Concert Band and Symphonic Band earned a Silver Award, narrowly missing Gold. The Wind Ensemble received a Gold Award and achieved the festival's highest average score. Both string orchestras also earned Gold Awards. Orchestra students collaborated with a composer and premiered a new work during the Command Performance.
Beyond their musical success, students visited Pearl Harbor, attended a traditional lūʻau, and explored the island. We are incredibly proud of their artistry and the way they represented Gunn throughout this memorable experience.
Student Nutrition Services
Student Nutrition Services staff are required to be Food Safety Certified under the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals.
The Food Safety Class and exam were held on Staff Development Day, March 10th, and the entire PAUSD Team in the class passed and was certified.
Congratulations, Rosaura Lopez-Walter Hays, Maria Corona De Ahumada-JLS, Petya Georgieva & Sara Mankarios-Fletcher, Karen Ann Quero-Duveneck, and Jerry Dolores Luna-Palo Alto High!!
Innovation in Action: Connecting with Partners and Educators
The Innovation Office had several opportunities to share updates across the District this week, including a presentation at the PiE Leadership Circle meeting and hosting educators from multiple school districts in Illinois and locally who were interested in learning more about our work. This visit was co-hosted with the Stanford Accelerator for Learning and included discussions on future-ready skills, career pathways, artificial intelligence, and visual and performing arts.
