Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: Will Palo Alto teens finally get multivariable calculus during the school day?
Make time for Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA! on the Palo Alto Patch calendar

Hey there, Palo Alto! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- Will Palo Alto teens finally get multivariable calculus during the school day?
- What will change under Palo Alto’s new school board leadership?
- Why are so many new Peninsula restaurants suddenly going beige?
Also on today's calendar: Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA! and 9 more events.
Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Today's riddle: My brother swallowed a box of firecrackers. - Is he all right now? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Palo Altofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Thursday: Foggy in the morning, with a high of 61 and low of 51 degrees.
- Friday: A little afternoon rain, temps: high: 61, low: 54.
- Saturday: A little afternoon rain, with a high of 64 and low of 54 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• Palo Alto school board green lights multivariable calculus amid community debate (paloaltoonline.com) — Palo Alto’s school board has approved two new advanced math honors courses—multivariable calculus/linear algebra and introduction to proofs—that could launch in the 2026-27 school year if high schools opt in. The move follows years of debate over on-campus access to higher-level math, with students and staff from Palo Alto and Gunn high schools pushing for a full four-year honors pathway beyond AP Calculus BC.
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• Shounak Dharap picked as Palo Alto school board president, Rowena Chiu as VP (paloaltoonline.com) — Palo Alto’s Board of Education has chosen Shounak Dharap as its new president and Rowena Chiu as vice president, continuing the tradition of elevating the sitting VP. Local union leaders urged the pair to stay closely connected with teachers, while colleagues reflected on outgoing President Shana Segal’s leadership through debates over ethnic studies and honors biology.
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• What's up with these colorless restaurants? (mv-voice.com) — Peninsula Foodist, a sister publication of Palo Alto Online, explores why so many new Peninsula restaurants are embracing minimalist, beige interiors, from Town & Country’s Horsefeather to Menlo Park’s latest spots. The newsletter also highlights new dining options from Portola Valley to San Mateo, plus a tiki-style brunch escape in South San Francisco and a call to support local food journalism.
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📸 Around Palo Alto
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Palo Alto
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Crossing Over with Psychic Medium John Edward live in San Francisco, CA!
The Westin San Francisco Airport, 1 Old Bayshore Hwy, Millbrae
7:00 pm
Friday January 9
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Goddess Gatherings 2025
Palo Alto Reiki , 3837 Carlson Ct , Palo Alto
7:00 pm - Fridays for Future Climate Vigil
King Plaza , 250 Hamilton Ave , Palo Alto
12:00 pm - Fine Dining in INDO, Restaurant & Lounge, Palo Alto
INDO Restaurant & Lounge , 3295 El Camino Real , Palo Alto
6:00 pm - Eight-Hour Meditation — Ananda
Ananda Temple of Palo Alto , 2171 El Camino Real , Palo Alto
10:00 am - Meditation with Sara
Palo Alto City Library , 1213 Newell Road , Palo Alto
10:15 am - Quilting Basics with local Artists Mik and May Gaspay
Mitchell Park Library , 3700 Middlefield Road , Palo Alto
11:00 am - U.S. Citizenship Test Class
East Palo Alto Library , 2415 University Avenue , East Palo Alto
11:00 am - Santa Paws at Dogma!
Dogma , 149 2nd Street , Los Altos
12:00 pm - Objective Morality
Los Altos Community Center , 97 Hillview Ave , Los Altos
11:00 am - J-Camp: Winter Break Sessions
OFJCC Campus, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303
8:30 am - Future Filmmakers Film Camp
Oshman Family JCC , 3921 Fabian Way , Palo Alto
10:00 am
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
Saturday December 20
Sunday December 21
Monday December 22
📣 Palo Alto Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Palo Alto PatchAM possible:
- Cool Aid Air Conditioning and Refrigeration — (800) 266-5243
Voted Best HVAC & Refrigeration Company in the Bay Area - The Harker School — (408) 345-9200
Magic Happens at Harker - Super Brothers Plumbing, Heating and Air - San Jose — (408) 351-1994
Serving San Jose & Bay Area – HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical - Housekeeping With Maria — (650) 400-0715
Family Owned Cleaning Business - Amara — (650) 486-1703
A California cuisine restaurant with mediterranean leaning. - Flores Electric — (408) 899-8450
Electrical Safety & Savings for Silicon Valley Homeowners
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- FOUND: The yellow feral cat I care for in College Terrace has returned!
He'd been gone for 9 days and must not have eaten very much during that time, because he ate two big bowls of food. Then he sat there and hung out… (Nextdoor College Terrace) - Me gustaría encontrar a alguien para practicar español.
Estoy en un nivel intermedio temprano (B1). Idealmente, eres un hablante nativo de español al que le gustaría practicar su inglés y podemos… (Nextdoor Old Palo Alto)
- Palo Alto Unified School District posted a job opening for Athletic Coach - Assistant Baseball Head Coach- Gunn High School in Palo Alto. Apply here.
- Macy's, Inc. posted a job opening for Macy's Summer Internship, Store Management - Palo Alto, CA in Palo Alto. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Palo Alto here.
🗞 Nearby News
Los Altos Hills
- Los Altos Hills increases traffic enforcement to reduce speeding (losaltosonline.com)
- Greetings from California: Greeting cards highlight local landmarks (losaltosonline.com)
- Cupertino school district looks at budget as layoffs loom (losaltosonline.com)
Stanford
- Stanford Radiology to Collaborate with Novartis to Advance Innovation in Translational Imaging Research (stanford.edu)
- Stanford CB Collin Wright declares for 2026 NFL Draft (on3.com)
Menlo Park
Ok Palo Alto! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I haven’t heard the last report.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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