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Published on 03/31/1999 All articles from this issue

Fremont opens new, central technology department

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

Student artists move

on to state competition

Sherri Bakos said she wasn't surprised when her daughter Jennifer entered an art contest sponsored by the Federated Woman's Club of Los Altos.

"She loves to paint," Bakos said. "Anytime there's any kind of contest, she has to participate."

Bakos said the surprise came earlier this month when she discovered her first grader's depiction of dolphins swimming in front of a sunset had won first place in the Los Altos School District, first place at the regional Loma Prieta District contest, and will be entered in the state competition this May.

"She was competing with third graders," Bakos said proudly.

Amasa West Warner will also compete in the state competition. She won first place for fourth grade in the Los Altos School District and first place in the Loma Prieta contest.

"There were really some spectacular pieces. It's amazing what they can do," said Doe Melrose, art chairwoman for the Los Altos woman's group.

Although the competition doesn't specify subject matter, Melrose said animal themes were popular in the school district's competition. She said students used everything from charcoal and watercolors to colored pencils.

"We try not to limit them," she said. "We like a varied competition."

Melrose said the woman's club started the competition five years ago to help supplement the Los Altos School District's curriculum and to provide an avenue in which children could explore their artistic potential.

"The club wanted to sponsor young artists early in their education," she said.

Melrose said the response has been positive, with most competitions drawing about 50 contestants. The competition is open to students in grades 1-6 in the Los Altos School District. The first-place winners from each grade level in the district compete in a regional contest with winners from other branches of the Federated Woman's Club. Those winner move on to the state competition, she said.

Winners in the Los Altos School District include: Olivia Drobny and Katelyn Stangi, honorable mention for first grade; Mike Riso, first place for second grade; Bradley Green and Michelle Boyers, honorable mention for second grade; Jessica Lundaren, first place for third grade; Sam Vesuna, honorable mention for third grade; Elise Tarens, first place for fifth grade; Maria Romanousky, honorable mention for fifth grade; Cari Levay, first place for sixth grade; and Kentaro Mizuyama, honorable mention for sixth grade.

The Fremont Union High School District launched a new technology department at the district office this month that will provide technical support to teachers at all of its school sites.

This is the first department of its kind to be established in the district.

"The new Technology Department's charge is to take the lead in the district for moving the use of technology in classrooms forward to new levels where it will be a learning tool for all students," said Superintendent Joe Hamilton.

He said the new department will enable the district to make available assignments, grades, attendance records and test data to parents via the computer.

The department, which includes a director, a coordinator of information services, a systems analyst, a senior secretary and a client service help desk specialist, also will provide telephone and e-mail support to teachers who experience software, hardware and other technical problems in the classroom.

Michael Isbutt, director of educational technology, said the department's initial thrust will be to standardize hardware and software purchases districtwide in order to provide better support systems. Training staff members on ways to integrate technology into the curriculum will also be a priority, Isbutt said.

"We're here to help teachers take advantage of technology when it is beneficial to teaching and student learning," Isbutt said.

IN BRIEF: The Los Altos Educational Foundation exceeded its fund-raising goal of $500,000 this academic year to support educational programs in the Los Altos School District. Foundation members established a new grant with the additional funds for the Reading Recovery program - a program that provides training for reading tutors to help children who are struggling. Students at Bullis-Purissima School in Los Altos Hills took home trees earlier this month to plant and grow at home as part of the Magic's Fruition project, which promotes sustainable communities. Pat Hillman, a descendant of the Donner party, which crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains by wagon train in the mid-1800s, visited students at Springer School recently to talk about her family's infamous journey west.