PAUSD Weekly Update - May 29, 2026
PAUSD Weekly Update - May 29, 2026
Board Agenda Calendar
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
Elementary Educational Services
Screen-Free Summer Activities
Looking for engaging, family-friendly, screen-free summer fun for your TK-5th-grade child?
View this For Families: Screen-Free Summer Activities video. This slide deck also includes access to the resources.
Secondary Educational Services
Congratulations Biliterate Seniors!
Palo Alto Unified School District is proud to announce that 397 Seniors have earned the California Seal of Biliteracy. This seal, awarded in all 50 states, celebrates the demonstrated proficiency of our students in English and another language (sometimes more than one). To denote this achievement, a seal is affixed to the student's diploma. This year, a total of 414 seals were awarded to PAUSD graduates, as multilingual students can earn the seal in more than one language. Our seniors earned seals in Spanish, Mandarin, French, Japanese, German, Italian, and Hebrew. This achievement represents the combined efforts of the many language teachers in our district--ranging from the educators in the elementary immersion programs at Escondido and Ohlone, through the middle school programs at all three of our middle schools, and all of the World Languages, English Language Development, and English teachers at our three high schools. Palo Alto supports languages and congratulates our seniors on this important achievement!
Building Cultures of Belonging: Paly’s First Annual Pride Celebration
Palo Alto High School recently hosted its first annual PRIDE at Paly celebration during lunch, bringing students together in a welcoming and affirming community space. The event featured community resource organizations, snacks, balloon art, face painting, an affirmation chalk walk, and a photo booth, providing students with opportunities to connect, engage, and celebrate.
This new Paly tradition reflects PAUSD’s commitment to ensuring every student feels safe, seen, and supported and experiences a true sense of belonging every day.
Proud and Thriving: Supporting the Mental Health and Wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ Students
On May 18, PAUSD partnered with The Jed Foundation for a virtual workshop led by JED experts Kiana Davis and Michael King. The session provided parents and caregivers with a close look at recent data and research, along with practical strategies to clarify the unique challenges LGBTQIA+ students face and to offer actionable steps for creating affirming, supportive environments where youth can succeed and feel safe.
Key Takeaways for our Community
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The Mental Health Continuum: Mental health is fluid, shifting between thriving and distress. With 1 in 3 young adults experiencing mental health challenges, and the typical age of onset falling between 15–24, early awareness allows families to recognize when a student is sliding from everyday stress into distress.
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Why LGBTQIA+ Youth Are Disproportionately Impacted: Presenters emphasized that elevated mental health risks are not inherent to being LGBTQIA+, but are instead the result of external stressors. These include genderism (e.g., limited gender-affirming facilities, pressure to present in gender normative ways, gender normative curriculum), bullying, discrimination, and family or peer rejection.
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Internalized Stigma: When youth face hostile environments, it often leads to internalized stigmatization, which can drive a perceived need to conceal their identity, causing chronic stress, hypervigilance, and hesitancy to reach out for help when they need it most.
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Affirmation and Protective Factors: Cultivating gender euphoria is a powerful, lifesaving protective factor. Actively using a youth's preferred pronouns and encouraging authentic self-expression aligned with their identity results in a 47% lower risk of depression and a 37% lower risk of suicidal ideation.
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Building Inclusive Environments: Support is most effective when it is structural and proactive. Building inclusive environments involves ensuring access to informed peers and adults (parents, teachers, and school staff), providing paths to gender-affirming mental health care, and actively counteracting peer harassment.
Resources
We invite all families to explore the following resources and insights referenced during the session:
LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources (The Jed Foundation)
I Want to Help My Teen/Young Adult
Mental Health and Suicide Statistics
Trevor Project Resources - The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people.
Guest Chef Series Serves Up Hands-On Learning and Community Connection
Fletcher and Greene Middle School Foods and Nutrition classes, led by Ekta Kapur, recently wrapped up an exciting Guest Chef series. Teachers from other disciplines and community members graciously donated their time and unique culinary expertise to lead hands-on food labs, introducing students to new cuisines and techniques.
Ms. Kapur shared her appreciation for the teamwork: "A heartfelt thank you to our guest chefs this year, Mr. Bark, Ms. Lee, Mr. Spira, Ms. Payne, Ms. Hull, Mr. Havey, Ms. Shoemaker, Ms. Ryan, Ms. Howell, Ms.Blockhus, Mr. Ourthiague, Ms. Sutherland, Ms. Young, Mr. Laufer, Ms. Grigerova, and others, for leading engaging food labs and creating such meaningful learning experiences for our students. We truly appreciate the extra time and effort you put in."
This initiative is a fantastic example of how our staff and families go above and beyond to enrich student learning and build a vibrant, supportive school community!
Showcasing the W.I.S.E. Way: PAUSD Celebrates Equity & Excellence
On May 20, the Equity & Excellence Alliance gathered for its annual Showcase, celebrating the powerful work happening across Palo Alto Unified in the areas of Wellbeing, Inclusion, Sense of Belonging, and Equity. The event featured opening remarks and awards presented by Assistant Superintendent Lana Conaway, a guest address from Margaret Dunlap of Challenge Success, and showcase presentations from Multicultural Affairs Liaisons and school principals highlighting equity-centered work across our campuses.
This year's honorees were recognized across four awards:
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Equity Stewardship Award: Presented to individuals demonstrating enduring commitment to equity learning and action
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Equity Champion Award: Celebrating extraordinary dedication to advancing equity and inspiring positive change
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Distinguished Equity Leadership Award: Presented to Escondido Elementary School and Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School for their collective commitment to equity, inclusion, and systemic transformation
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No Place for Hate Campaign Trailblazer Award: Presented to Escondido Elementary School, Henry M. Gunn High School, and Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School for outstanding leadership in advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging
A sincere thank you to our 40+ Equity & Excellence Alliance members whose dedication drives this work forward, and to all who joined us in celebrating the progress our community continues to make together.
Message from The City of Palo Alto
Middle School Bike Skills Classes — Registration Now Open City of Palo Alto | Week of May 26
Rising 5th, 6th, and 7th-graders, this one's for you! Wheel Kids, in partnership with the City of Palo Alto Safe Routes to School Program, is offering weekend bike safety classes on three dates: Sunday, June 21, Sunday, July 19, and Saturday, August 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is $170 and covers both the student and one parent or guardian. Financial assistance is available, and classes can be offered in Spanish. Register today at wheelkids.com/msbs.
