Publication Date: Wednesday Jan 10, 1996



Blackboard



WHAT SHOULD SCHOOL DELIVER? . . . will be the topic of a Feb. 4 talk by

John Taylor Gatto, New York state's 1991 Teacher of the Year, and the

author of "Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Agenda of Compulsory Schooling." A

school reform advocate, Gatto will touch on topics including what needs of

children schools can meet, what makes a school progressive, and what are

the values and practices of schools that do deliver. Gatto will speak at

Foothill College in Forum F12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The talk is part of

Hidden Villa's 50th Anniversary Community Forum Series and is co-hosted by

Peninsula School of Menlo Park. Tickets are $10 and are available from

Peninsula School or at the door, although seating is limited. Tickets,

which include the supper reception afterward, are $30. Mail checks and

self-addressed envelopes to Peninsula School/Community Forum, 920 Peninsula

Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025.



READY TO RECEIVE . . . Thanks to a donation from CoitCom, a Redwood City

satellite reception systems company, Menlo-Atherton High School will be

installing a full satellite reception system which will enable the school

to receive educational and current event programming from more than 100

sources around the world on what is called the "electronic blackboard,"

allowing classrooms to expand beyond their four walls.



CHANGES PLANNED . . . Planners at Castilleja School on Bryant Street have

applied for a conditional use permit from the city to begin converting an

existing dormitory building into a library, classrooms, offices and other

uses. Structural engineers have found that the building is sound and that

there will be no need for a seismic upgrade during the renovation. The

school has already begun phasing out its boarding school program.



CASH AND COMPUTERS . . . Applications are due Jan. 15 for a Hewlett-Packard

Co. grant program awarding a total of $120,000 in cash and H-P equipment to

public and private K-12 schools and school districts in Santa Clara and

southeastern San Mateo counties. The grants will emphasize improving

science and math achievement, encouraging interest of female and minority

students in technical fields and encouraging literacy to improve students'

abilities. Individual schools may apply for grants, but HP will give

funding priority to districtwide programs and to groups of three or more

schools that submit a joint application. Districtwide programs may apply

for up to $20,000 in cash and/or equipment; individual schools may apply

for up to $10,000 each. The first round of applications is due Jan. 15, and

the second round is due May 15. For information call 857-2194.



YOUTHFUL ADVICE . . . Three seniors at Menlo School are part of a Student

Advisory Board for Rep. Anna Eshoo. They are: Shelly Gulati of San Jose,

Aisha Machtinger of Menlo Park and Matt Wilsey of Atherton. The board has

26 members who represent public and private schools throughout the 14th

Congressional District, which extends from Belmont to Sunnyvale. Board

members express student concerns to Eshoo, conduct surveys and research

issues that affect youth.





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