The Slice – Spring 2015
Thank You
Thank you. Two simple words that sum up our strong feeling of gratitude at this time of year. Thank you to all the amazing PiE donors—over 4,500 of us—who helped PiE reach our ambitious target and give $5.3 million to Palo Alto Unified School District. Thank you also to the hundreds of wonderful PiE volunteers who helped make our campaign so successful.
With your support, Palo Alto Unified can continue funding the people and programs that help make our schools not just effective, but also personal, warm, and special environments in which children can learn and grow.
We are so happy to thank our donors, but we think an even more effective way to thank you all is to let you hear from Palo Alto students about their experience with the people and programs that are made possible only with funding from PiE.
So please take a minute from your busy spring to connect with these student voices and join us in appreciating our wonderful community here in Palo Alto, which values our children and supports our thriving and dynamic schools.
- Gratitude to PiE from High School Students
- Gratitude to PiE from Middle School Students
- Gratitude to PiE from Elementary School Students
In addition, we would like to thank our most recent alumni parents and donors, Jenny Kuan and Larry Yang, for their commitment to PiE. For the Yang family, supporting PiE comes from their belief that Palo Alto students need help from counselors and other caring adults to make appropriate course choices, persevere through difficulties, and build community. You can read more about all our donors, including the Yang family, on our Donor Profiles page.
Gratitude to PiE from High School Students
We’ve highlighted just a few of the thousands of students at our eighteen school sites that have been directly impacted by donations to PiE from caring parents, grandparents, community members, businesses and others. As we head into summer, we wish you a wonderful restful break and an exciting start to your next school year. And please know that the programs and services, the enrichment and connections, the support and caring provided by staff funded by PiE donations will be here awaiting your children when you return. Have a wonderful summer, and thank you for being part of the PiE community this year!
Gunn: Thanks to PiE for engaging electives and counseling support
At Gunn, PiE funds PiE funds guidance counselors that help students make appropriate course choices, as well as college and career counselors that support students on the road to and through graduation. PiE also funds engaging electives and the language lab, which allows students to practice key language skills to reinforce and extend classroom lessons.
— Carolyn, Gunn freshman
— Brianna, Gunn
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Paly: Thanks to PiE for STEM electives that help students build real world skills
At Paly, PiE funds elective classes that give students real world experiences and that carry over into college and beyond, as well as guidance counselors and career and college counselors.
— Gillian, Paly sophomore
— Jacob, Paly freshman, on Video Production Elective
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Gratitude to PiE from Middle School Students
JLS: Thanks for exciting electives, music and language
At JLS, PiE funds pay for exciting electives such as video production and broadcast media, which open new doors for students and ‘hook’ them into learning.
— Charlie, seventh grader, JLS
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Jordan: Thanks for exciting electives, music and language
At Jordan, PiE funds allow the school to offer a broad range of electives such as world languages, music and video production and to reduce class size so that students get more attention from elective teachers.
— Paige, seventh grader, Jordan
— Eve, sixth grader, Jordan
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Gratitude to PiE from Palo Alto Elementary Students
Hoover: Thanks for hands on science, art and classroom aides
At Hoover, PiE pays for Spectra art teachers that help kids learn visual arts, as well as instructional assistants that plan and teach hands on science lessons to all students.
“We do science four days a week. I liked when we got to dissect a sheep’s heart. And we get to make rock candy, too!”
— Rishi and Kenji, twins in 5th grade
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Fairmeadow: Thanks for hands on science, art and classroom aides
At Fairmeadow, PiE pays for a full time science lab instructor to create engaging, hands on lessons on science.
— Ava, 4th grade
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Duveneck: Thanks for hands on science, art and classroom aides
At Duveneck, PiE pays for 80% of the aides who lower the adult-student ratio in the classroom and give students additional help where needed.
— Thayer, 5th grade