The Slice – Spring 2024

Palo Alto’s Popular Dad Band, The Wildcats, Will Perform at The Guild Theatre on May 10th

Long-time supporters of PiE, The Wildcats, are coming to The Guild Theatre in Menlo Park on Friday, May 10th, at 7:30pm! (Scan the QR code on the poster above or click here for tickets.) We sat down with original band member Jeff Scheel for a little Q&A about the history of the band and their upcoming PiE fundraiser.

How did you and your Palo Alto dad friends get the idea to form a band?

Back in 2000, fundraising was still specific to each individual school. When our kids were 1st and 2nd graders at Walter Hays, some of our wives were involved in planning the annual PTA fundraiser. The original plan was to hire some musical entertainment for the event. But a few of us dads got to talking and realized that we had a core group that had played in bands in college. Some in the group had even played professionally. So, we offered to form a band and perform for the fundraiser instead of hiring entertainment. Even though we had a limited set list at this first gig, we were a hit and The Wildcats were born!

Did PiE exist back then?

It did not!  However, there was a healthy dialog among parents about the benefits of moving from school-specific to district-wide fundraising. Moving to a district-wide foundation would enable the schools to attract more substantial contributions from corporations (like HP) that have an interest in supporting the local community. Ultimately PiE was created in response to a 2002 PAUSD Board of Trustees decision to equalize funding for every school in the district, and several wives of band members were  early members of the PiE Board. After the formation of PiE, The Wildcats started playing the majority of their gigs in support of the foundation.

Tell us a bit about the band.

We’re a classic rock band and we don’t take ourselves too seriously! We like to joke during our intro that “We’re the band that puts the hip in hip replacement,” hehe. And, we like to say:  “One day the only place you’ll be able to find classic rock is  in the classical music section of your local library!”

Who was in the band back then and who’s in it now?

Some of our original members are still in the band today!  Hank Barry (drums, vocals), Michael Brown (keyboards, vocals), Al Kenrick (rhythm guitar, vocals), and myself (rhythm guitar, vocals) are original members who still perform in the band. Newer members include John Hiss (bass) and Kevin Mandia (lead guitar). Others—like Karen Salveson, who founded Children’s Musical Theatre (CMT)—have played with us in the past.

What kind of music do you play?

We play rock ‘n’ roll covers (think “Born to be Wild” and “China Grove’”), dance and disco tunes (“Love Train,” “Disco Inferno”), a mini Rolling Stones set, and also more current songs like “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. We cover a range of artists including The Beatles, Van Morrison, Steppenwolf, and Tom Petty, as well as one-hit-wonders like Tommy Tutone (“867-5309/Jenny”) and The Romantics (“What I Like About You”).

Where do you perform?

We love performing at PiE fundraisers! We’ve raised over $300,000 for PiE over the years and we were formally recognized as a “major donor” to PiE by the Palo Alto Council of PTAs (PTAC). We’ve also performed at Foothills Tennis & Swimming Club, University Club, weddings, and numerous private parties. Whenever we play it is for the benefit of PiE or another local charity.  We can perform about 2.5 hours of music and we often add new hits or special requests to our set right before a gig. 

What’s the most fun gig you’ve ever played?

During the spring of 2015 we made a surprise appearance before 3,000 people at a Symantec sales conference at the Hakkasan Nightclub, in Las Vegas. That was something else!

Tell us about your upcoming gigs.

We welcome the entire Palo Alto community to come out and have fun with us at our PiE Benefit at The Guild Theatre in Menlo Park on May 10th! Doors open at 7:00pm and the gig starts around 8:00pm. They’ll have a full bar (no food). It’s open to all ages. We’re also playing at Club Fox in Redwood City on October 12th.

What inspires you to continue performing at PiE events even though your children have already graduated?

PiE makes the experience of being in the Palo Alto schools that much richer. We continue to think it’s a very important cause even after our kids have graduated. Most of us still live in and around Palo Alto and we see a lot of value in supporting excellence in our schools.

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Winners of 2024 Innovation Grants Funded by PiE

This spring, PiE received several strong applications for its Innovation Grants Program, and funded seven projects across PAUSD totalling $27,450.

Here are the excellent projects that were funded:

Elementary schools

• Play Invitations in TK – all eight TK classes in the district:  This project will provide open-ended materials to spark creativity and inquiry, and create play invitation opportunities, in TK classrooms throughout PAUSD. 

• Accessible Play for All – Special Ed district-wide – This project will equip classrooms with toys and games that allow students in Special Education to socially engage with peers and develop the ability to play independently without adult support. Mainstream toys and games will be made accessible to all students, creating increased self-esteem, new friendships, and partnerships between special and general education.

• Ozobot-Powered Learning – Palo Verde: STEM – This project will use Ozobots—small, programmable robots—to create an interactive and innovative learning environment. Students will be able to integrate computer science with math, reading, writing, science, and social studies via hands-on activities that deepen their understanding, increase engagement, and boost creativity and critical thinking skills.

• World Drumming and SEL – El Carmelo: Arts program – This project will give all students at El Carmelo—including students with IEPs, 504s, and various differences—the opportunity to participate in drum circles, World folk music and dancing, active accompaniment, steady beat, call and response, and exciting and diverse music making. Students will experience music and culture from around the world. This program also ties into SEL (social-emotional learning) curricula.

Middle schools

• Sensory Intervention/Regulation Space for Tier 2 and 3 Interventions – all three middle schools: This project will create a quiet, calm, welcoming space with trusted adult supervision and sensory intervention/regulatory strategies that promote the health and well being of all students. Students will be able to spend time in this sensory space which will support their engagement, regulation, focus, and attendance in class.

• Cameras for New Middle School Multimedia Arts Class: Digital Art & Photography – Fletcher: These cameras will bring Fletcher up to parity with the other two middle schools by providing equipment for Fletcher’s new Multimedia: Digital Art and Photography elective. Fletcher’s course will be created in collaboration with the existing multimedia courses at Greene and JLS. Students will learn digital photography and editing skills, and use Ipads/Macbook Pros, digital cameras/dslr, photoshop, lightroom, and Procreate, among other applications.

High schools

• Meditation Support – Gunn: Wellness initiative includes a set of noise-canceling headphones that connect to a transmitter, so the teacher can teach yoga and lead guided meditations, and the students can be fully present and focus without distraction, tuning out the world around them and tuning into themselves.

Since 1987, the PiE Innovation Grants Program has emphasized new ideas and collaboration, and awarded over $1.4 million in grants. We welcome applications from teachers and other staff who are seeking to innovate, create, and work together with others. Applications for next year will be open from December 2, 2024, to February 11, 2025, with decisions being announced in April 2025.