Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Gunn High School Choir's Winter Concert

Submitted by Sharon Dally


The Gunn Choir invites you to join us in celebrating the holiday season with a spectacular choral concert featuring the Gunn Concert Choir, Women's Choir, Treble Choir and Chamber Singers, under the direction of William Liberatore.

The choirs will be performing Angel's Voices, a collection of songs based on poems about angels by Canadian composer John Burge, Emma Lou Diemer's Gloria and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms with outstanding percussionists from Gunn's Wind Ensemble, and the Vivaldi Gloria with the award winning Gunn Chamber Orchestra.

Don't miss this exciting evening of choral masterpieces!

When: Wednesday, December 14th, 7:30 PM
Where: Spangenberg Theatre
Tickets: $7.00 Adults, $5.00 Students
Tickets available at the door, or at www.gunnchoir.org

The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra’s 46th Season

submitted by Kim Nguyen


Second Concert, December 17,
Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University


Benjamin Simon, Music Director

The Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra will perform their second concert of the season on Saturday, December 17, celebrating two famous Viennese composers of the Classical and Romantic eras. The program features PACO talented alumna Dina Glendening-Keller performing Beethoven’s titanic Piano Concerto #5 (“Emperor”), coupled with his Coriolan Overture. The concert also presents Felix Mendelssohn’s brilliant Italian Symphony, which warmly and charmingly balances the stern beauty of Beethoven’s works. For this special program, the Sinfonia Orchestra and Senior PACO are combined to create our largest ensemble of the season. In addition, several movements from the great chamber music masterpieces will be performed by our most advanced players. The concert, to be conducted by PACO Music Director Benjamin Simon, will take place at 8:00 p.m. at Dinkelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University. Admission is free. For more information, call 650-856-3848 or visit www.pacomusic.org

The following talented Gunn student musicians will be performing in our program:

Last name First Name Instrument Grade
Moalem Haleli Cello 11
Liang Yilin Cello 12
Munro Zachary violin 11
Woo Max Violin 10

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Gunn Grad Night 2012 Scholarship Fund Fundraiser…

Did Cyber Monday pass you by? Shop Mixed Bag Designs online and support Gunn’s Grad Night 2012 Scholarship Fund! In one fell swoop, solve your Holiday shopping challenges with environmentally conscious gifts and provide critical scholarship funds for Gunn seniors that might otherwise miss Grad Night activities! Grocery bags, shopping bags, duffels, lunch boxes and the all important sandwich wraps, you name it! Shop here: http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com/

At the end of your order, enter school fundraiser ID# 82177 and the Gunn Grad Night 2012 Scholarship Fund will benefit from your order. Place your orders by December 12th to ensure Holiday delivery. Questions? Contact Diane Downend at ddownend@yahoo.com.

Monday, November 14, 2011

** TURKEY FEAST 2011**

Submitted by Kathryn Latour

Helpers and Donations Needed!!

Gunn’s annual Turkey Feast will be held on Thursday, Nov. 17th during lunch and we have begun recruiting food donations and volunteers. We need over 60 volunteers to assist on the day of the event and another 100 to donate food and money. We plan to feed 1400 people in 50 minutes so we need all of these volunteers! Please check the Jooners list for the way in which you can help at: www.jooners.com This is one of Gunn's most popular events where we not only serve a delicious luncheon to the students and staff, but the proceeds are donated to a local charity. Each year we have donated nearly $5000 and several barrels of canned food to local food banks!

For families who are new to Gunn, here is how it works. The week of the Turkey Feast, Gunn students and staff may purchase their Feast ticket either by paying $5 or by bringing 3 cans of food plus $1. Please note: this is a change to the earlier announcement of 4 cans and $1. Posters will be up around school to help students remember their “lunch money.” Lunch includes turkey, dressing, gravy, salad, cranberry sauce, rolls and pie. This year lasagna and quiche will be available for vegetarians. Here is what we need donated:

1. 60 Turkeys, each weighing at least 14 lbs.
Turkeys should be cooked, carved, and delivered by 9:30am on 11/17. Turkeys can be cooked a day ahead, then carved and refrigerated. If you would like to donate a turkey and have no time to cook, consider purchasing a cooked turkey or turkey breasts at Draegers, Piazzas, JJ&F, or Safeway and then carve it yourself.

2. 200 Pies!

3. Quiche and Lasagna for vegetarians. (Quantities TBA.)



4. Volunteer hours on November 17th:
Food Prep -10:30am to 12:00pm
Set-up and serve – 12:30pm to 1:30pm 
Ticket Sales – 12:15pm to 1:30pm
Clean-up – 1:30pm to 3:00pm



5. Monetary donations are gladly accepted to help purchase salad, rolls, stuffing and gravy. Please make out your check to Gunn High School PTSA, write Turkey Feast on the memo line, and mail it to Donna Pioppi at 3920 El Cerrito Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306.

Please sign up quickly! We are in need of
more food items and volunteers! 



Turkey Questions: Kathryn Latour


Pie Questions: Andrea Miner 


Volunteers: Donna Pioppi

2nd Annual Crab Feed November 20th, Benefiting Gunn Basketball!

Submitted by Sheryl Humble

Join Us for Great Food and Fun, and Help Support
Gunn Boys and Girls Basketball

Our Boys and Girls Basketball teams are hosting the 2nd Annual Crab and Pasta Feed at the Gunn gym on Sunday, November 20th, starting at 5:30 pm. This was a wonderful event last year and we are happy to announce that The Fish Market will be providing the fabulous food again and the Varsity Boys and Girls teams will be providing the exceptional service with a smile! There will also be door prizes and fun surprises! Please reserve your spot now as space is limited. You can reserve your spot online by clicking here.

Cost: $40 per person, RSVP by November 14th. Please make checks payable to Gunn Basketball and send to Gunn, Attn: Coach Sarah Stapp, 780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94306, or drop it off in her box in the Main Office at Gunn. Questions? Contact Coach Sarah Stapp

The Gunn Basketball Teams appreciate your support and they are looking forward to hosting you at this tasty and fun event.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Sports Update

Submitted by Miriam Rotman

X-country -
SCVAL Division Championships - Gunn sophomore Sarah Robinson kept her
perfect season intact by winning her 4th race and becoming the No. 2
performer in school history while racing to victory in 17:32 at the
cross-country championships on Tuesday at Crystal Springs in Belmont.
Robinson should be favored for the CCS title and will have her teammates
there with her when the Titans go after a state berth at the section finals
on Nov. 12, also at Crystal Springs. The Lady Titans finished 2nd to
Mountain View and qualified to compete at CCS as a team. Kieran Gallagher,
Christine Prior, Melia Dunbar, and Eliana Ribbe put together a strong effort
and placed 9th - 20:04, 12th - 20:32, 19th - 21:02 , and 20th - 21:15,
respectively, to help the girls beat rival Palo Alto by just a few points.
With senior Andrew Prior clocking a personal best of 15:50, improving last
years time by over 20 seconds the Gunn boys' cross-country team also
finished second at the Championships. Peter Chen, Daniel Krigel and Michael
Underwood held nothing back and all had personal records finishing and
placing, 6th - 16:16, 12th - 16:36, and 15th - 16:47 respectively. Shaun Lee
returning from an injury helped round out the top five by placing 24th in a
time of 17:21. The Titans qualified for the Central Coast Section
championships, while finishing only eight points behind division champ Los
Altos.

Water Polo
Girls - With senior Elizabeth Anderson pouring in nine goals, the Gunn
girls' water polo team capped an outstanding league season by romping to a
17-9 victory over defending champ and No. 2 seed Los Altos in the SCVAL De
Anza Division Tournament finals on Saturday night at Monta Vista High. "Nine
goals for Elizabeth, probably the most dominant performance I've ever seen
in a championship game," said Gunn teacher and coach Mark Hernandez, whose
top-seeded team improved to 20-6. Anderson, who scored 16 goals in the two
playoff victories, now has 131 goals this season. Her sister, Sophomore
Caroline Anderson added five goals, Senior Soumya Kannan -2 and senior Missy
Barr another goal for Gunn, which topped Los Altos twice after losing the
teams' first meeting in overtime. Elizabeth will be playing water polo at
Santa Clara U. next year joining her older sister Jennie. We wish the
Anderson sisters success!!

Boys - Gunn beat Monta Vista 9-6 in the first round of the SCVAL
championships and followed that with a tough loss to the #1 ranked team Los
Altos. In the following game for 3rd place, Gunn found itself down 10-12 to
cross town rival Palo Alto with 2 minutes of regulation left and came back
in breath taking fashion to win 15-14 and take 3rd at the Championships.
Sophomore Coby Wayne scored 2 goals to tie the game and send it into
overtime. In the first overtime, the Titans were also behind and scored
with 13 seconds remaining to send the game to sudden death. Then, in sudden
death overtime, Gunn freshman Ari Wayne scored the game winning goal and was
instantly mobbed by his teammates celebrating the hard fought victory.
Scoring - Senior Gavin Kerr 5 goals, the Wayne brothers (Ari and Coby) - 4
goals apiece. Senior Tyler Wilson - 2 goals, to cap off a fantastic and
historic win for the Gunn Titans!


Football - Senior night Gunn beats Fremont 44-6
This game against visiting Fremont represented the final time these Gunn
seniors would take the field and two of them, Skyler Larson with 3 amazing
catches and J.J. Strnad, who scored 4 touchdowns, made sure it was a winning
night for Gunn as they combined for seven touchdowns in Gunn's 44-6 win
making sure that their feats will be remembered on the football field. Other
seniors who left their mark include Robert Kato who recovered two turnovers
and had an interception in the second quarter, offensive lineman Malik Gill
and "huge" Keenan Venuti who stopped all running efforts by Fremont and
backs Abel Abraha and Nick De LA Paz.

Gunn Library Holiday Wishlist

Submitted by Meg Omainsky
This holiday season support Gunn Library and local Palo Alto independent bookstore, Books INC by making a purchase from the Gunn Library Holiday Wishlist! http://tinyurl.com/7yjsfrv

Gunn Library has set a goal to bring in 1,000 new fiction and nonfiction titles. What better place to buy these books than at our local store, Books INC? Each title on the list is linked to the Books INC online store. Please consider giving the gift of reading to a Gunn student this holiday season. There are three simple steps.

Step 1- Visit the wishlist at http://tinyurl.com/7yjsfrv or from the Gunn Library website
Step 2- Make a purchase online and have the book sent to Gunn Library
Step 3- Send an email to Cynthia Easton letting us know which title you have purchased (in order to avoid duplication) Cynthia Easton

You can also deliver a book or
cash donation in person if you would like. Checks can be made payable to Gunn High School and sent to the ATTN: library wishlist.
Thanks for continuing to support the efforts of Gunn Library.

Communicating with Your Teen

Submitted by Karen Johnston

Thursday, Dec 1, 7:30-9:30 pm, Gunn Library; Communicating with Your Teen: strategies for healthy communication during the teen age years.

Do you ever have difficulty talking to your teen? Simple comments escalate into unforeseen arguments? Or perhaps you feel shut out, that your child no longer confides in you? Please join us for an evening with Susan Stone Belton, BSE, who will present a workshop designed to give parents effective strategies for communicating with their teens. Get tips on how to keep the doors to communication wide open, how best to talk (and listen) to your teen, how to keep those channels healthy and strong.

This workshop is presented in collaboration with The Parents Place. Ms. Belton is a certified Special Education Teacher with over 40 years experience working with children and families. She has taught teenagers with emotional and behavioral problems, managed crisis hotlines for parents and teens, and is a proud mother herself. Sponsored by the PTSA

Thursday, November 3, 2011

SELPA 1 CAC November Parent Education Event

Submitted by Karen Mueller

Identifying and Supporting Learning Differences
This workshop by Beth Powell of the Reading Clinic will cover the warning signs of a child who is having difficulties with learning to read, understanding what is read, and developing as a writer. Ways to recognize and support weakness in these areas will be presented. The connections between reading and writing difficulties will also be discussed.
Wednesday, Nov 16, 2011 - meeting is 9 to 11 am. Hospitality begins at 8:45am. Covington Elementary School Multi, 205 Covington, Los Altos 94024. (please note special day and time)
This parent education event is sponsored by the SELPA 1 CAC ( www.selpaca1cac.org ) All of our events are free and open to anyone who feels they might benefit. No registration is necessary.

SINFONIA OF THE PALO ALTO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA TO PERFORM 46TH SEASON FIRST CONCERT

Submitted by Kim Nguyen

Under the direction of PACO music director Benjamin Simon, PACO's Sinfonia Orchestra will present the first concert of the season on Sunday, November 13, 3:00PM at Cubberley Theatre in Palo Alto. The concert will feature PACO’s 2010 Concerto Competition Winners, violinist Angela Thé and violist Tessera Chin, performing Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major for Violin and Viola, K. 364. The program will also present baroque favorite Concerto Grosso, Op. 6 #1 in. and contemporary master Graham Fitkin’s drivingly postminimalist Servant for Strings (1998). Admission is free. For more information, contact Hans Hoffer at 650-856-3848 or info@pacomusic.org www.pacomusic.org

San Jose Youth Symphony (SJYS) Philharmonic Orchestra

Submitted by sean hartman

San Jose Youth Symphony (SJYS) Philharmonic Orchestra, under the artistic leadership of Maestro Yair Samet, presents its 60th Anniversary Season opening concert to be held on Saturday, December 3, 2011, at 2:30 pm at the California Theatre.

This concert will showcase outstanding musicians, including a featured solo by cellist, Iris Liu, the winner of the 2011 Philharmonic Young Artist Competition, proudly sponsored by the San Jose Symphony Foundation. The concert program will include works of Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, Gould, and Liszt.

Program:
Tchaikovsky - March Slave
Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No. 1
Iris Liu - Cello
Khachaturian - Masquerade Suite
Gould - Symphony No. 2
Liszt - Les Preludes

TURKEY FEAST 2011

Submitted by Kathryn Latours

Helpers Wanted!!

Gunn's annual Turkey Feast will be held on Thursday, Nov. 17th during lunch
and we need to start recruiting food donations and volunteers now. This is
one of Gunn's most popular events where we not only serve a delicious
lunch to the students and staff, but the proceeds are donated to a local
charity. Each year we have donated nearly $2000 to the Ecumenical Hunger
Program in East Palo Alto!

In the past, we have needed over 60 volunteers to assist on the day of the
event and another 100 who donated food and money. The volunteers work in
conjunction with the Student Executive Council and Lisa Hall, our Student
Activities Director. We plan to feed 1400 people in 50 minutes so we need
all of these volunteers this year as well!

For families who are new to Gunn, here is how it works. The week of the
Turkey Feast, Gunn students and staff may purchase their Feast ticket either
by paying $5 or by bringing 4 cans of food plus $1. Posters will be up
around school to help students remember their "lunch money."
Lunch includes turkey, dressing, gravy, salad, cranberry sauce, rolls and
pie. This year lasagna and quiche will be available for vegetarians. Here is
what we need donated:

1. 60 Turkeys, each weighing at least 14 lbs.
Turkeys should be cooked, carved, and delivered by 9:30am on 11/17. Turkeys
can be cooked a day ahead, then carved and refrigerated. If you would like
to donate a turkey and have no time to cook, consider purchasing a cooked
turkey or turkey breasts at Draegers, Piazzas, JJ&F, or Safeway and then
carve it yourself.

2. 200 Pies!
3. Quiche and Lasagna for vegetarians. (Quantities TBA.)

4. Volunteer hours on November 17th:
Food Prep -10:30am to 12:00pm
Set-up and serve - 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Ticket Sales - 12:15pm to 1:30pm
Clean-up - 1:30pm to 3:00pm

5. Monetary donations are gladly accepted to help purchase salad, rolls,
stuffing and gravy

A Jooners link will be available by Monday, October 31, 2011 to sign up for
the above needs. Please sign up quickly! And thanks in advance for your
generosity!

Turkey Questions: Kathryn Latours

Pie Questions: Andrea Miner

Volunteers: Donna Pioppi