This story contains discussion of topics that may be triggering, such as sexual assault and harassment.
On Aug. 25, 2020, former math tutor and Palo Alto resident Mark Hodes was arrested by the Palo Alto Police Department after two girls that he had tutored came forward with accounts that he had molested...
Math teacher Daniel Hahn tries his best to work around the limitations of his broken SMART Board. “My [SMART] board does not write,” he said. “I can’t use the pens, and the projection image is very blurry. I only use one of the lights in my room, along with larger fonts, so that the board is...
On Feb. 28, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a plan to loosen the state’s current mask mandates. Unvaccinated individuals will no longer be required to wear masks in most indoor settings starting on March 1. On March 12, the mask mandate in schools and other child care facilities will be lifted for all...
Following the recent Omicron variant surge, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) has faced a substitute teacher shortage due to increased staff absences. To continue in-person instruction, the district has implemented new measures to address the shortage, including calling for parent volunteers...
This semester, rising case numbers and the recent Omicron variant have forced the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) to adapt rapidly to new challenges, including a surge in district cases that has contributed to student and staff absences.
While the Omicron variant has not been found to cause...
On a typical weekday, English teacher Kate Zavack begins her morning at 6:00 a.m. at her home in Gilroy, 48 miles away from Gunn. She scrambles to brush her teeth, get dressed, cook lunch and load the car before her son Jude wakes up. By 7:15 a.m., the two are on their way to Jude’s preschool in San...
In recent months, both seniors and juniors have faced challenges finding functioning Bay Area standardized testing locations for the college admission process. Many previously functioning locations have closed following heightened COVID-19 safety protocols.
While colleges might remain test-optional for...
Jessica Zang, Features Editor and Assistant Business Manager
• October 22, 2021
As students return to in-person learning, the influx of trash left on campus has drastically increased the workload for the custodial staff, leading to less time allotted for customary responsibilities. Day Shift Custodial Supervisor Luciano Hernandez has been a part of the custodial staff for 22 years....
It has been about a month since the “devious licks” TikTok trend emerged in early September, and although Internet trends usually fade as quickly as they surface, students are still vandalizing school property. Spraying graffiti on the bathroom walls, stealing pencil sharpeners and shattering...
The Delta variant is a highly infectious strain of COVID-19 that has continued to new levels of uncertainty among Palo Alto Unified School district (PAUSD) students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC), rising cases have largely been attributed to the variant, with over...
Since June, Gunn’s main parking lot has been under construction in order to create a bike path, add additional parking spaces and improve the flow of traffic. Because construction has continued into the beginning of the school year, parking permits have been restricted to staff and visitors only.
The...
