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Published on 02/15/1999 All articles from this issue

Foundation awards Santa Rita $12,000

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

Schools Roundup

he Community Foundation Silicon Valley recently awarded Santa Rita School in Los Altos a $12,000 Early Literacy grant.

Principal Steve Peck said the grant will be used to complement the school's existing literacy program with the Highly Individualized Program in Reading and the Cross-Age Tutoring Computer Lab Program.

Peck described the reading intervention program as a "booster shot" for students who need additional support. There are currently 19 students from grades 1 and 2 participating in the program, he said. Through the program, students meet four days a week for 30 minutes during a nine-week session.

The school first launched the program last year and with funds from the grant will be able to continue it through this school year. The grant is used to fund two assistants and a specialist who trains a team of volunteers. There are currently 13 volunteers, Peck said.

Data collected over the past two years indicates that students who complete the program demonstrate about one year of growth within the nine-week session, Peck said.

"Volunteers are really being taught how to teach specific skills to those who need attention," Peck said.

He said the school's goal is to have every regular education student exit the third grade reading above the 50th percentile as measured by standardized tests.

Santa Rita is one of 16 schools to receive a grant from the foundation.

Dick Liewer, assistant superintendent of curriculum, said the program could serve as a model under the district's new promotion/retention policies, which will be released next month.

LASD kindergarten enrollment numbers

Kindergarten registration at the Los Altos School District was marked with the usual early morning long lines of parents waiting to sign their children up for fall classes.

According to numbers released by the district, 397 children enrolled for kindergarten during the first day of registration. Almond School in Los Altos reported the highest enrollment of the district's six elementary schools, with 93 students signed up for classes. Bullis-Purissima School in Los Altos Hills reported the lowest enrollment, with 39 children. Enrollment at each of the other schools is as follows: Loyola, 70; Oak, 55; Santa Rita, 63; Springer, 77.

The first day of registration last year brought in 392 students. Springer School reported the highest enrollment during the first day of registration last year with 91 students. Bullis-Purissima recorded the lowest enrollment, with 42 students.

During the 1990-91 school year, 230 students signed up for kindergarten during the first day of registration.

Mtn. View students take part in Ground Hog Day

Students at Crittenden Middle School in Mountain View got a first-hand look at the corporate world this month during Ground Hog Day - a national job shadowing event Junior Achievement launched last year to promote the link between education and employment. More than 5,000 students participated in the event locally.

The corporate experience was something new for many of the 30 Crittenden eighth graders who spent the day at Silicon Graphics in Mountain View, where they worked along side assigned "corporate buddies."

Debbie Gale, vice president of education for Junior Achievement Santa Clara County, Inc., said the students helped their partners do everything from installing and copying hard drives to answering voice mail messages.

Gale said the intent of the program is to make students aware of what types of skills they need to enter the work force.

"We want to give students a better understanding that what they do in school does have relevance in the career world, so they go back to school and say 'Oh, this is why we're studying this,'" Gale said.

Gale said about 200 local businesses participated in the event.