On Saturday, October 24, EPACS and EPAPA hosted our 9th Annual Pancake Breakfast. Hundreds of students, staff, families and community members gathered to celebrate our school's success and to acknowledge the volunteers who have contributed so much to our community. The event couldn't have happened without the help of the Silicon Valley Chapter of ARMA International, our event co-host. And we'd also like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Four Seasons Hotel, Hobee's Restaurant, Safeway, Starbucks, and EPACS and EPAPA families for donating food and beverages for the event. Thanks to everyone for making the event such a fantastic success! Check out some of the pictures from a fantastic morning.

• In August, Goal Posts were donated to EPACS to be used on the back field. This has been a very exciting development for our students, who now have a way to play soccer during recess and PE! As the year continues, we would like to work on getting funding to install irrigation, so that the field can be made safer for athletics during and after school. If you are interested in helping us raise funds to develop the back field, please be in touch with Monika Nagy, Director of Development at monika.nagy@aspirepublicschools.org, or call the school at 650-614-9100.
• Our own PE teacher, Stephen Ashford, spreads the word about education with a new music video about staying in school, produced with local bay area rap artists and Transvideo Studios.

• This year, Wolfram Alderson joins EPACS as the new Executive Director of Collective Roots, a nonprofit organization that uses school-based organic gardens to teach students about nutrition and the environment. Collective Roots has been located on the EPACS campus for several years, and we are lucky to have the Garden curriculum and Leadership opportunities that they provide. Wolfram comes to us from Los Angeles, California but has been in the Bay Area for a few years. He earned a B.A. in Organizational Leadership, and is finishing up an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from the University of San Francisco. Wolfram has worked in Social Services for over 30 years, focusing largely on garden-based programming, environmental restoration, and urban agriculture. He joined EPACS in 2007 he is looking forward to continuing to work and provide opportunities for students in such a wonderful community.
• In 2007, we opened our first 9th grade class with 22 students who are working hard to meet the requirements to go to college. Thomas Madson, our former site coordinator, and Nick Romagnolo, our former middle school lead math teacher, are the teachers/directors of the high school. This year, the high school will continue to grow, adding a 10th grade, and 4 new teachers.
• In 2006, 97% of our seventh graders were proficient or above on the California STAR test in mathematics.
• In language arts, 53% of the seventh graders were proficient and above on their tests in 2006.

• Weekly Holiday Fund tops $3 million mark: Multi-year grants launched to help agencies achieve greater impact on community needs
  Palo Alto Weekly, May 1, 2007
• Rappers Spread the Word
  Palo Alto Daily News, February 25, 2007
• Digging into Nature: Environmental Volunteers lets kids get their hands dirty learning natural science
  Palo Alto Weekly, January 17, 2007
• "Ravenswood Board Rejects High School: Supporters Disappointed; Appeal Pondered."
  San Jose Mercury News, May 13, 2006
• East Palo Alto 'Aspires' for New High School
  Palo Alto Daily News, Wednesday, April 12, 2006
• Swing Kids: Rock steps, turns and even the electric slide are all in an afternoon's work for fledging ballroom dancers
  Palo Alto Online, March 24, 2006
• Sex ed classes help Ravenswood students make healthy choices: Extracurricular program aims to prevent teen pregnancy
  Palo Alto Weekly, January 12, 2005
• Community, Volunteers at E. Palo Alto School Cleanup Get A for Effort
  San Francisco Chronicle, May 7, 2004
• E. Palo Alto School Wins PG&E Grant
  The Oakland Tribune, August 22, 2005
• Off the Wall: East Palo Alto Mural Project teaches kids about art, history and community
  Palo Alto Weekly, July 26, 2002
• New school charts course for future: East Palo Alto Charter School opens Sept. 2 with a focus on student and parent involvement
  Palo Alto Weekly, August 20, 1997
• SCHOOLS: Charter school proposed in Ravenswood
  Palo Alto Weekly, April 16, 1997
• Palo Alto downplays impact of test scores
  Palo Alto Weekly, January 23, 2002
• Meeting the teaching challenge: A new nonprofit hopes to channel talent and energy into schools that need it most
  Palo Alto Weekly, April 25, 2001
• The charter school challenge: Notes from two pioneering California charter schools — one a success story, the other a failure
  Salon.com, May 30, 2000