Announce

THIS WEEK AT DUVENECK 8-20-2023

No School This Monday, August 21

Don’t forget folks that PAUSD schools are closed this Monday, August 21 for a staff development day. Stay safe, and enjoy the 3-day weekend!

International Potluck – Sign-up now

International Potluck is Duveneck’s first big event of the year! It is an occasion when we all come together and celebrate the school’s vibrant and diverse community through showcasing traditional dancing and making and sharing food from different countries and US locations/regions. It’s also an opportunity to decorate your stall with artifacts from your country.

It will be held at Duveneck on Friday, September 8 from 6:00-8:00 pm. That’s three whole weeks for us to plan and cook delicious food that represents the diversity of our community.

Shout out to all those who have signed up, and a “What are you waiting for?” to those who haven’t as yet. Add your name here to sign up for this always hugely popular event!

While it’s too early to give you a sneak peek at what’s to come, here’s a look back at how International Potluck has been one of the most successful events in the past.

Announce

PTA Meeting and Proposed Fall Budget

Everyone is encouraged to attend the PTA General Association Meeting on Monday, August 28 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. You will learn about the plans for the upcoming school year and it is a great opportunity to meet members of the PTA.

We will hold this meeting in the Flex Room next to the school library on the Duveneck Campus. We hope to see you there!

In addition, the PTA’s proposed fall budget is now available to view: FYE24 Proposed Fall Budget.

Announce

THIS WEEK AT DUVENECK – 8-6-23

Welcome back everyone! And a very warm welcome to our new families! We hope you all had a wonderful summer and are ready to begin the new school year. As this is the Duveneck PTA’s first “official” eNews of the 2023-24 school year, we thought we’d take a minute to introduce ourselves:

WHAT IS THE PTA?

Some say that the PTA stands for “Parents Talk A Lot.” But really, it stands for Parent Teacher Association. We are parents and teachers who support Duveneck Elementary School. As a community, we help create the school we want our children to have by providing funding for school equipment and materials, hosting community events, and providing enrichment programs for parents, teachers and students. 

Please scroll down for some important dates and key reminders for the first week of school. We look forward to seeing all of you on campus. Here’s to a fantastic school year!

REMINDER! Join the Duveneck PTA for School Spirit Welcome on Wednesday, August 9 from 4:00-5:30 pm!

Join the Duveneck PTA at School Spirit Welcome (SSW) THIS Wednesday, Aug 9th from 4:00-5:30 pm!

What is SSW? Returning families will know it as the day that students (and parents!) head to the Duveneck campus to find out who their teacher and classmates are for the school year. But this year, we are adding a little extra excitement!

Meet and greet our NEW Principal! Help us welcome Principal Gardner to Duveneck. She’ll be on campus during the event and is excited to meet our amazing Duveneck families. Be sure to say hi!

After you check the posted class assignment sheets outside Principal Gardner’s door (near the main entrance to the school), be sure to stop by the PTA tables on the black top to get more information about our PTA Back-to-School Online Donation Form, the Palo Alto PIE Donation Form, volunteer needs, and ways to stay connected and informed throughout the year.

And if that wasn’t enough excitement, we’re also giving away CANDY and a FREE T-SHIRT for Duveneck students, which were donated by a generous Duveneck parent (while supplies last)!

Join us and help kick off this school year in style with our terrific Duveneck community! Questions? Send us an email at pta@duveneck.org. We’ll see you on August 9th!

Back-to-School Kick-Off Events

The first day of school is this Thursday, August 10th. All grades will start at 8:05 am.

Please mark your calendars with these upcoming events:

First Day of School Principal’s Coffee

After you drop your children off, you’re invited to head to the MP room for our first Principal’s Coffee of the year, co-hosted by Principal Gardner and the PTA. This will be a casual mingling and Principal Gardner will join around 8:20 for questions and conversation.

Back-to-School Night

Duveneck will be hosting Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, August 15th. This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, understand more about the grade’s curriculum for the year, as well as ask any questions you may have. Additional details to follow.

Too many dates to keep track of?

Add the Duveneck PTA calendar to your personal calendar to help you out!  It contains all school wide-events as well as school holidays for your convenience.

Back-to-School Newsletter from the Principal

On Thursday, August 3rd you should have received a Welcome Newsletter from Principal Gardner via ParentSquare. The newsletter provided important information regarding the start of school, bell schedule, PAUSD attendance policy, school meals and more. In case you missed it, please find the link here: https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/21503530.  

Announce

Calling All New Kindergartners and Duveneck Families! Please Join the Duveneck PTA at the Kinder & New Family Summer Playdates!

Saturday, July 29th from 10 am – Noon

Sunday, August 6th from 3 – 5 pm

BOTH of these playdates are for new Kindergartners and new TK – 5th grade students. Families can choose to come to either one or both! We’ll have snacks and a few activities, and PTA Board Members will be on hand to answer any questions about the Duveneck campus and school life.

And current Duveneck families, if you have friends, neighbors, preschools, etc who would be interested in this info, please share it!

Happy Summer to you all!

Announce

THIS WEEK AT DUVENECK – 6-4-23

Have a Wonderful Summer! 

Wishing you all a happy and healthy summer! And looking forward to reconnecting with all Duveneck Dragons back on campus on Thursday, August 10th. Until then… all the best, and be well!

Ways to Keep in Touch

Just a reminder that you can still use the school directory this summer to connect with Duveneck students and families. Log in at www.parentsquare.com/ and click on Explore and then the Directory tab to look up other students. Other questions? Send an email to pta@duveneck.org.

Congratulations to Our New Graduates!

Congratulations 5th graders! We are so proud of you. We wish you all the best this summer and in your next phase of education at middle school. You will always be a Duveneck Dragon, and we can’t wait to see you whenever you come visit. We’ll miss you!

Thanks to and from the Yearbook Team!

A big thank you to this year’s yearbook team for their many hours gathering photos, creating pages, double-checking the order requests, drafting email announcements, and organizing the delivery! 

2022-23 Yearbook Team: Yvette Mangalindan, Joyce Fee and Chris Colohan

Thank you to Beth Hedge, Cecilia Perez, the PTA, and the teachers for logistical support. 

A limited number of extra yearbooks are still available for purchase. Please contact: yearbook@duveneck.org.

We hope you enjoy looking back at all the wonderful memories from throughout the school year. Thank you for allowing us to showcase our amazing community.

A MASSIVE Thanks for a Fantastic Just Parties Year!

Just Parties was a HUGE success this year, and we owe it all to YOU! Thank you for joining us and helping raise over $35,000 for our PTA. These funds allow the PTA to continue providing every student and classroom with school supplies, support the Science and Children’s Theatre program, and celebrate our graduating 5th graders! Thank you, Just Parties party-goers, for your generosity.

We want to give a huge shout-out of gratitude to our party hosts, who dedicated their time and resources to throw over 30 fun and memorable events! We saw favorites such as the Moms and Margaritas and Whiskey Tasting return this season plus a whole new set of events such as the Miami Latin Party, Duveneck Chess Tournament, Cocoa & Photos with Santa, and the Farm and Garden party!

Last but not least, we want to recognize the hard work of the Just Parties committee for coordinating this very special Duveneck tradition: Amanda Brough, Chris Colohan, Tawni Escudero, Lindsay Green, Yvette Mangalindan, Sidd Mundra, Hila Prescher, Rod Satterthwaite, and Rona Yang

Have a wonderful summer and see you all next year!

And to ALL of you — a final thanks

What an amazing year we’ve had!  We’re so grateful to be able to bring back our beloved Duveneck traditions from the International Potluck and Harvest Carnival to Math Night and everything in between.  Many of these programs and events would not have happened without volunteers like you. So thank you to our parents, caregivers, and Duveneck teachers and staff for sharing your passion, talents, financial support, and most importantly time. It takes a village!

To the families who are leaving us next year, know you will always be a Duveneck Dragon. For those who are coming back, we are looking forward to another fantastic year. Wishing you a wonderful, restful, and safe summer!

Jane Snyder and Yvette Mangalindan

2022-2023 PTA Co-Presidents

We are parents and teachers who support Duveneck Elementary School in Palo Alto, CA. As a community, we help create the school we want our children to have by providing funding for school equipment and materials, hosting community events, and providing enrichment programs for parents, teachers and students.