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Published on 10/06/1999 All articles from this issue

LAHS music dept. gets new director

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

Schools Roundup

Fremont names new assoc. superintendent

After a rigorous statewide search, the Fremont Union High School District named Mary Stone, Monta Vista High School principal, as its new Associate Superintendent for Educational Planning and Development Sept. 21. Stone replaces Maribeth Smith who retired last month.

Superintendent Joe Hamilton said Stone stood out as the best candidate because of her extensive background in curriculum and instruction.

"Mary is recognized as one of the top curriculum and instruction minds in the educational community. She is known for her ability to recognize and develop educational leaders. And her personnel skills in nurturing new teachers are exceptional," Hamilton said. "We are very excited to have her join our team as associate superintendent."

Stone received her bachelor's degree in arts-social studies from the University of Michigan, her master's in education from Stanford University and her doctorate in education from the University of Southern California.

She has served at all levels in education, including an elementary principal and middle school teacher. She came to the Fremont Union High School District as the coordinator of curriculum and staff development in 1989. She became a director in 1991 and principal in 1994.

Stone is also active in the community, serving as president of the Quota International of Cupertino and participating in Rotary of Cupertino, Leadership Cupertino, 5Cs and the Cupertino-Hsinchu City Association Youth & Education Committee.

"I am greatly honored to be selected for this position," Stone said. Stone plans to maintain the high level of excellence for which the district is already known, she said.

Cupertino school granted accreditation

Los Altos High School's band will be marching to a different beat this year - Texas transplant Ted Ferrucci recently was named instrumental music director for the music department's marching, concert, symphonic, orchestra and jazz bands, and wind ensemble. Former directors Vicki Christensen and Don Miller will teach health and computer classes, respectively.

Ferrucci said he hopes to build awareness and community enthusiasm for all of the school's instrumental bands as well as encourage his students to become patrons of the arts.

"I want to encourage (students) to really enjoy what they're doing and to love music," Ferrucci said. "I'm not going to make concert musicians out of all of my students. But I want those who want to continue in music to have an experience that will nurture that and give those who are in it for the high school experience something they can look back on later in life and be glad that they did it."

Ferrucci, a graduate of Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, Conn., has been a music director for the past eight years.

Ferrucci said he has been involved in music since he was in fourth grade, playing woodwinds in various bands and performing as a vocalist in theater productions in his hometown in Connecticut.

He came to Los Altos from Fort Worth, Texas, where he directed high school and junior high school marching bands.

Ferrucci said his experience marching in his high school band on the East Coast was much different from Texas and California, where football is more popular and marching bands are more competitive. Ferrucci said he performed at few football games while in high school.

"It wasn't nearly as high energy," he said.

The marching band will perform songs from "Westside Story" this season. Residents may catch a performance during the Homecoming Parade at noon, this Friday on Main Street in downtown Los Altos.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children recently granted accreditation to the Cupertino Co-op Nursery School. Only 7 percent - or about 6,215 - of early childhood programs nationwide have achieved this recognition. The Co-op was the first child-care center in Sunnyvale to earn accreditation and has been re-accredited twice. Each accreditation is valid for three years.

The association's accreditation is a rigorous, voluntary process that requires early childhood programs to demonstrate that they meet national standards of excellence. The process includes self-study and a review by a team of national experts. The process analyzes all aspects of a program, including health and safety, staffing and physical environment.

"I am so proud of the program ... These are critical areas for children's success in school as well as in life," said school director Lynne Noel.

The Co-op , located at 563 W. Fremont Ave. in Sunnyvale, serves 88 children 3-5 years old. The school functions as part of the Adult Education Program of the Fremont Union High School District.

For more information about the Cupertino Co-op Nursery School, call (408) 739-8963.

IN BRIEF: The Fremont Union High School District swept the national Future Business Leaders of America competition in Chicago over the summer, winning 12 different awards. Of the 20 district students who won awards, 13 were from Homestead High School. The students competed against thousands of their peers nationwide before ranking in the top 75-90 students eligible to compete.

Homestead winners include, Steve Chae, Rahul Mehta, Lan Nguyen, Garrett Kuramoto, Connie Young, Vickie Chiang, Lee Pang, Jennifer Yen, Angel Chao, Marni Landes, Jonathon Chong, Michael Lew and Sam Lee.