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PSAT canceled on campus this October

The PSAT, which juniors typically take in October, is cancelled this school year at Palo Alto High School due to current COVID-19 regulations.

Due to current Santa Clara County restrictions, Paly is prohibited from administering the PSAT test in October, according to Assistant Principal Margaret Reynolds.

However, improving conditions could mean that testing will be a possibility in the coming months.

“PSAT is offering a test in January that we might be able to give, should restrictions be lessened or lifted,” Reynolds said.

This year’s pandemic has left students with limited options regarding standardized testing, which changes the process of college admissions. The PSAT is the benchmark for the National Merit Scholarship Program, a prestigious academic competition for scholarships.

However, many students think of the PSAT as a “practice” test rather than an important one to prepare for. Among these is junior Bill Xia.

“I think it would be pretty helpful [with] … understanding how the test works and … having hands-on experience,” Xia said.

Juniors often have their hands full studying for bigger tests like the SAT and ACT, and the PSAT is considered an afterthought for many students.

“[The] PSAT doesn’t seem as necessary,” junior Aaron Yuan said.

Regardless, administrators are still hoping for an opportunity to offer the PSAT this year.

VOTE TO RETURN — The Palo Alto Unified School District board members deliberated for over four hours on Sept.29 whether to approve a plan to return to school . “I do think we have a responsibility to open for the many, many families that have been waiting for this and are ready for it,” board member Jennifer DiBrienza said. Photo: PAUSD

Teachers oppose board’s decision to reopen schools

THE PALO ALTO UNIFIED meeting why she was not in support of the School District board autho- plan to reopen schools in October. rized the reopening of schools on “The hybrid model puts all staff at Sept.29, despite the teachers ‘resistance. a high level of stress that is unnecessary,”

The school board unanimously ap- Tolerba said. “Teachers want what is best proved the plan to return to schools after for our students, our families and we don’t over 100 teachers voiced their concerns. want to be first, we want to be safe.” While the board members took these According to Superintendent Don worries into account, according to school Austin, the teacher’s union and the school board member Jennifer DiBrienza, they ul- board are in agreement on every element timately decided they had a duty to reopen of the plan that has been brought forward, schools as soon as it was declared safe by the but, according to a letter from the teacher’s county health officials. union, this is false.

In California and across the country, “What have we not done that would schools that have begun reopening have sway the percentage [of teachers against reported that despite initial reluctance to returning to schools]?” Austin said. “And return, students and teachers become more the answer I was given [from the teacher’s comfortable with hybrid learning, and are union] was nothing. So if there’s nothing happy with the switch. left that would sway the number, I don’t

“I don’t regret the decision, I regret know how to respond to that.” that we don’t have the faith of the teach- Secondary schools are set to return to ers yet.” DiBrienza said. “And I am hopeful school in January, but a plan detailing what that what happens here is what happened that will look like has not yet been made everywhere else.” public.

Walter Hays Elementary School teacher Jessica Tolerba, explained at the board by PAISLEY ANNES

PAUSD+ offers students additional help

PAUSD+, AN INITIATIVE created pandemic or have a situation at home that by the Palo Alto Unified School Dis- is not optimal for learning. trict, works to improve student out- Students are separated into cohorts of comes for those particularly affected by the 14 and complete a COVID-19 screening pandemic. every morning before in-person learning.

The program officially began on Sept. 8 “Physical distancing between children for students in PAUSD secondary schools, in the same cohort will be balanced with and offers workspaces and individualized developmental and socio‐emotional needs support to students. of the age group,” the Superintendent’s Up “The program is designed to reduce date stated. the impact of school closures on our fam- Finding the students who would best ilies during distance learning,” Superin- utilize the program has been one of the tendent Don Austin wrote in a September greatest challenges, according to Assistant Superintendent’s Update. Principal Jerry Berkson.

Students in PAUSD+ have access to “Students who may not have a need homework and technology support, a safe now, could have one later,” Berkson said. and quiet place to work, free internet access and tutoring services. The goal is to prevent any long-term academic fallout for students by ANYA MONDRAGON who are disproportionately affected by the and SOPHIE MATLOF

COMMUNITY BUILDING — One of Palo Alto’s local student bands, Good Fast Cheap, holds a socially distanced concert in a band member’s backyard. The response to the band’s performance was overwhelmingly positive. “I think seeing other people happy and full of life sort of induces that in yourself as well,” Paly senior Alex Washburn said. Photo: Anna Oft (Paly Class of `19)

Student bands perform outdoor concerts

LOCAL TEEN BANDS Good Fast audience members must wear a mask at all Cheap and Metro are holding social- times and sit six feet apart. ly distanced concerts during quaran- Good Fast Cheap continues to hold tine to unite the community. concerts every other week to make live mu-

In May, six Palo Alto High School sic accessible for community members. students and alumni decided to assemble Metro, an acclaimed local teen band a small band and play music for others in Palo Alto has also hosted concerts since during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of shelter-in-place orders, then, Good Fast Cheap has played over 10 and are planning a bigger socially distanced socially distanced concerts in driveways and concert soon. in downtown Palo Alto.

To attend these quarantine concerts, by OLIVIA MILNE Sports games to start in December

Official school sports practices will begin on Dec. 14, and competitions will start two weeks after each sport’s first practice, according to a Central Coast Section sports calendar.

Instead of the usual fall, winter and spring seasons, most fall sports are forming “Season 1,” and winter and spring sports have been consolidated into “Season 2.”

Currently, Season 1 sports are hosting socially distanced workouts in cohorts of 14 to prepare for the official season’s start.

These workouts are not mandatory, and the Paly Athletics Department is providing free access to Volt, an app that provides remote workout plans catered to specific sports and activities for those who choose not to attend the in-person practices.

This year, the Athletics Department has partnered with ASB as part of an effort to make the department completely student-run.

“Before, the budget was set by the coaches, Sports Boosters and the athletics department; now in ASB, students have to be involved,” Athletics Director Nelson Gifford said.

by SEBASTIAN BONNARD

JUST JUMPING — Football athletes leap across the field at one of their first pre-season workouts. “I’m glad that we are still able to do sports this year, and I’m excited to see all my teammates,” junior Agnes Mar said. Photo: Emma Wu

Pandemic creates poll worker shortage STUDENTS SIGN UP TO WORK THE POLLS

DUE TO COVID-19 RISKS, old- COVID-19 complications. They are also well help people who can.” er poll workers are participating the demographic that historically makes Additionally, Bard urged his extended in lower numbers than usual, but up the majority of workers at polling family members in other areas of the UnitPalo Alto High School students are step- places. The U.S. Election Administration ed States to sign up. ping up to help fill the shortage. and Voting Survey found that “more than “It’s just a good way to help out — esPaly students such as junior John Bard have turned to social media as a platform to inform their peers of the opportunity to be a poll worker and “It [poll working] is not hard at all. I can’t vote yet, so I might as well two-thirds [of election workers] were 61 years or older.” As a result, many older, experipecially in areas with a lot of low-income people, it helps to have more workers so there are shorter lines,” Bard said. “Then they don’t have to take as much time off work.” While being a worker serves the combring attention to the current shortage. help people who can.” enced poll workers are choosing to stay munity, the opportunity also brings benefits to the worker. “I knew a lot of people knew it was an issue, — BRADEN LEUNG, junior home this November. Their absence “I think it will be a fun learning experience,” Leung said. “I’ll probably also get but I don’t think they re- has created an un- paid a lot or a lot of service hours too.” alized that they could help directly,” Bard precedented demand. According to the California Secretary said. Paly junior Braden Leung is working of State, students can choose between re-

The COVID-19 case numbers contin- at a nearby voting center in November to ceiving service hours or a stipend that genue to grow, showing no signs of stopping help fill this demand. erally ranges between $65 and $150, debefore the November elections. “It [poll working] is not hard at all,” pending on the county.

Older people are at higher risk of Leung said. “I can’t vote yet, so I might as by EMILY YAO

Paly’s positions on upcoming elections

by ZANDER LEONG

The data presented here comes from an opt-in Verde Magazine survey of 290 Palo Alto high school students through all four grades. Verde conducted the survey from Sept. 19 to Sept. 24 through a digital form published on school social media and Schoology pages. Responses were anonymous and participation for all questions was optional.

Who would Paly vote for? What are Paly’s party affiliations?

What are Paly’s top priorities for:

School board?

Mental health and wellness

Closing the opportunity gap

City council?

Environmental sustainability

COVID-19 financial recovery

Affordable housing/urban development

National government?

Climate change and sustainability

Racial justice