Alumni
Continuing Tradition
Every year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, all past and present members of the Paly Choir program are invited to join together in song. The Alumni concert, a Paly tradition since 1980, draws singers from past decades to join in an outdoor concert celebrating the holidays, as well as the longevity and achievements of the program. After the concert, the offstage reunion of animated and enthusiastic choir members brings cheer to concert participants and audience members alike.
Staying in Touch
The Alumni concert provides an annual opportunity to meet together, reminisce and rekindle friendships. During the rest of the year, past and present choir members can stay in touch by joining the Paly Choir & Alums group on Facebook.
Giving to the PAHS Kaye Paugh Alumni Award
Kaye Paugh, the wonderful, dedicated, kind and generous teacher at Palo Alto High School will be retiring this June 2010. Mrs. Paugh has been a source of inspiration for the choir as one of its finest alums. Her mother, Gail Wells Petty, was an organist and accompanist who, according to Kaye, would often lend her talents to her church, her community and to any singers who needed it.
A graduate of Paly in 1961, Kaye was a choral student her entire high school career. She cites Marjorie Klein who gave her the love for choral music. Her brothers Richard and Scott and sister Jane were also members of the Paly Choral programs. It is no surprise then that her children Amy, Kevin, Keith and Emily have also been standout members of the Paly Choral program as Concert Choir members, Spectrum Singers, Presidents of the Choir and Madrigals Singers. Kaye and her siblings have extended their generosity to the choral program through the Gail Wells Petty Memorial Scholarship in memory of her mother. It has distributed more than $15,000 in support of Paly Choir students.
This award is funded by the many students and families who have been touched by Mrs. Paugh's grace. We look forward to honoring Kaye every year by acknowledging a senior student whom we believe will carry on the tradition of Paly Choral Program's commitment to community and generosity. Thank you Kaye for setting the example.
To contribute toward this award, alumni choir members and families may make tax-deductible donations of any amount at any time to Friends of the Palo Alto High School Choir. On the donation web page are instructions for mailing a check or donating online and specifying the PAHS Kaye Paugh Alumni Award for your donation.