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Published on 04/28/1999 All articles from this issue

Schools Roundup

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

Homestead junior named as participant in elite scholar-athlete games

os Altos resident Tommy Williams is used to playing percussion alongside his peers - the 17-year-old has been playing music since grade 3. But he never expected to be invited to perform in a symphony with some of the best high school musicians in the United States, he said.

The Homestead High School junior was among the approximately 1,600 students nationwide selected this month to participate in the inaugural United States Scholar-Athlete Games this June in Rhode Island.

As a participant, Williams will play percussion with the scholar game's symphony as part of the scholar-fine artists portion of the program.

"I couldn't believe it," said Williams about being accepted into the program. "Not many people in the country have the chance to go and participate in whatever they're best in."

Sponsored by the Institute for International Sport since 1993, the Scholar-Athlete Games bring together students worldwide to participate in athletic and cultural activities as a way to promote leadership skills, sportsmanship and community service.

"The program brings in a high caliber of students from different areas of the country to work together and learn from each other and share a camaraderie," said Williams' mother, Liz. "I think it's rewarding."

This is not Williams' first leadership program. He participated in the National Young Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. last year, and earned the HOBY award - the Hugh O'Brien award for leadership.

Williams is currently ranked first in his class at Homestead and is a member of the school's advanced band. He has three years of experience in the Homestead competitive marching band and the wind ensemble. He is the percussion section leader and took first place in the percussion section of the 1998 Napa Vintage Review. He is a volunteer at a local Jewish Community Center and is involved with his school's key club.

Students elected him vice president this month for the next school year.

Two days after Williams returns from the scholar program, he will leave for Australia to perform with his school's wind ensemble.

New play structure at Loyola School

The playground at Loyola School will get a new face lift at the end of this school year. The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees approved the demolition and replacement of the nearly 20-year-old wooden play structure at the front of the school during their regular meeting, April 5.

Superintendent Marge Gratiot said parents had concerns about the safety of the wooden structure, which was rotting.

"As parts were deemed unsafe, they would get removed so the structure kept shrinking in size," said parent Suzanne Montgomery.

The project will cost about $60,000 for the demolition, installation and purchase of the new equipment, Montgomery said.

The Parent-Teacher Association raised about $29,000 for the new Ross Recreation play structure at its silent auction March 20 at the Fremont Hills Country Club in Los Altos Hills.

The association had raised an additional $20,000 at the previous year's auction.

Montgomery said parents will pitch in the additional needed funds.

She said the Los Altos School District will also help to fund the demolition of the structure and the installation of ground cover.

The new structure will feature climbing bars, ladders, bridges and a spiral slide.

Montgomery said the new piece, which is for students in grades 1-3, is scheduled to be completed by June 30.

LASD selects 5 firms for architectural pool

The Los Altos School District chose five potential architectural firms April 16 for upcoming renovation projects at each of its nine school sites over the next six years. Bill Gould Design of Los Gatos; Gelfand/RNP Architects of San Francisco; HMC of San Jose; Kwan Henmi Architecture Planning, Inc. of San Francisco; and PJHM of San Jose will make up a candidate's pool from which the district will select firms for work on specific projects during the course of its renovations.

District officials received applications from about 26 firms. They interviewed the top eight firms April 8 and 15.

"All of the firms we interviewed were excellent," Superintendent Marge Gratiot said. "We chose the ones that we thought were a good fit for the district."

Randy Kenyon, assistant superintendent of business services, said having a pool of firms

will allow the district to continue on its schedule should difficulties occur with a particular architect.

Community members from each school site will be able to choose a firm from the pool that best fits their site's needs, he added.

Gratiot said the district plans to choose two architects over the next three weeks to work on the first phase of construction at Egan and Covington schools.

The construction is part of the $94.7 million bond that voters passed last November to upgrade and renovate the district's aging schools.

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