Official Student Newspaper of Henry M. Gunn High School

The Oracle

Official Student Newspaper of Henry M. Gunn High School

The Oracle

Official Student Newspaper of Henry M. Gunn High School

The Oracle

Students return to new safety guidelines, bell schedule

Students return to new safety guidelines, bell schedule

Raphael Semeria, Managing Editor August 20, 2021

After a year of online classes, Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) schools are reopening at full capacity, welcoming new and familiar faces back to the hustle and bustle of in-person school. Students will return to campus, experiencing the many changes made to the 2021-2022 school year compared...

Are we out of the woods: Vaccination and the future of the pandemic

Are we out of the woods: Vaccination and the future of the pandemic

Raphael Semeria, Managing Editor June 1, 2021

On March 11, during his first Prime-Time address, President Biden announced his intentions to bring the nation closer to normal by July 4. Despite that goal, many doctors believe that we are far from seeing the last of COVID-19. With this in mind, are we really out of the woods when it comes to the...

Freshman Lise Desveaux attends classes behind plexiglas.

Students Return On Campus

Raphael Semeria, Managing Editor April 25, 2021

Since March 9, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) has reopened its secondary  schools, allowing staff to resume working from campus while giving students the option to attend Zoom classes on campus or at home. The initiative, first mentioned during a board meeting in February, hopes to bring...

Missed the reopening town hall? Here are the details.

Missed the reopening town hall? Here are the details.

Julianna Chang and Catherine Chu February 18, 2021

Along with the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) board member Jesse Ladomirak and School Board Representative Thomas Li, school administrators Wendy Stratton, Michalis Gordon, Harvey Newland and Leonel Argumedo answered student questions about the new reopening plan at the town hall meeting on...

Teachers express concern, disapproval over revised reopening plan: It does not feel like [the district has] our safety as the first priority.

Teachers express concern, disapproval over revised reopening plan: “It does not feel like [the district has] our safety as the first priority.”

Raphael Semeria, Managing Editor February 11, 2021

Following the announcement of the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD)’s revised reopening plan on Tuesday night, staff members expressed shock and disapproval. By dividing the student body into two groups and allowing them the option of attending classes over Zoom while on campus or staying...

The mental health pandemic: Reopening and high school campuses amidst a rise in COVID-19 cases presents the unique challenge of weighing students mental health needs against their physical health needs.

The mental health pandemic: Reopening and high school campuses amidst a rise in COVID-19 cases presents the unique challenge of weighing students’ mental health needs against their physical health needs.

Catherine Chu and Haley Pflasterer December 17, 2020

Almost nine months after schools shut down in March, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of teenagers’ lives. Education and day-to-day life have been relegated to the virtual sidelines while opportunities for face-to-face socialization with friends have plummeted after the issuance...

Superintendent Don Austin cautions secondary schools highly unlikely to reopen given Santa Clara Countys purple tier status

Superintendent Don Austin cautions secondary schools “highly unlikely” to reopen given Santa Clara County’s purple tier status

Julianna Chang, Managing Editor November 17, 2020

In a Tuesday press conference with The Oracle staff, Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Superintendent Don Austin cautioned it was “highly unlikely” secondary schools would be reopening due to Santa Clara County’s recent move into the purple tier of COVID-19 cases. According to Austin, middle...

Over 500 students, parents and teachers sign petition opposing PAUSD secondary schools reopening plan

Over 500 students, parents and teachers sign petition opposing PAUSD secondary schools reopening plan

Mia Knezevic, Forum Editor, Photo Editor and Oracle-SEC Liaison November 16, 2020

Over the weekend, Palo Alto High School students released a petition protesting Palo Alto Unified School District’s (PAUSD) decision to reopen middle and high schools. The petition follows a similar letter released by Gunn English, social studies and special education teachers on Friday.  As of...

English, social studies and special education teachers release open letter asking PAUSD board to reconsider reopening plan

English, social studies and special education teachers release open letter asking PAUSD board to reconsider reopening plan

Jessica Wang, Editor-in-Chief November 13, 2020

This afternoon, English, social studies and special education teachers sent an open letter to Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Superintendent Don Austin, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Sharon Ofek, Director of Secondary Education Services Kathie Laurence and the Board of Education...

Editorial: We can do better. The school board should vote no on reopening elementary schools.

Editorial: We can do better. The school board should vote “no” on reopening elementary schools.

September 28, 2020

Given both the disproportionately large number of elementary school teachers reluctant to return to campus and the safety concerns surrounding reopening campuses, The Oracle urges the school board to vote tomorrow against reopening all school campuses until it is safe. This editorial comes in response...

Update: Santa Clara county one step closer to school reopenings

Update: Santa Clara county one step closer to school reopenings

Julianna Chang, Catherine Chu and Nikki Suzani September 8, 2020

As of Sept. 8, Santa Clara County has moved from a “purple” to “red” status on the California COVID-19 monitoring system, a status that, if maintained for 14 days, could allow schools to reopen in the fall. However, district guidelines guarantee that schools will stay closed until Oct. 12—at...

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