The Slice – November 2012
Innovations Helping Palo Alto Schools Feel Personal
Being big, while feeling small, is a balancing act for a large public school district like Palo Alto Unified. Our growing student population provides the scale to support a rich array of classes and programs. Being a UNIFIED district enables principals and teachers to coordinate curriculum and special programs all the way from kindergarten to high school. But, how do we make our growing schools feel smaller? With financial support from generous donors through Partners in Education (PiE), innovations in Palo Alto schools are helping schools feel personal at every age level.
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IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Big Advancements for our Littlest Learners
They enter as kinders and exit as fifth graders. And in between those years, our elementary-aged kids are learning in increasingly innovative ways – many of which are made possible through PiE programs. Two Palo Alto schools, Addison and Barron Park, opened their doors and shared stories of some very novel programs taking root on their campuses.
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IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Tight-Knit Teams: Fostering Student Achievement & Professional Growth
With Palo Alto middle school class sizes growing, how can teachers give students the individual feedback they need to improve future performance and adapt their own teaching style to help? Ask any middle school principal in the PAUSD this question and they will give the same answer: the “team approach.”
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IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS
The Not-So-Big High School
Palo Alto’s two public high schools continue to excel in national merit scholar count, test scores, sports championships and science competitions. And they continue to attract new families to the school district.