Class notes

Actors will fly across the stage as they present the exciting adventures of Peter, Wendy, Michael, John, Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, Tiger Lily and, of course, the delightfully villainous Captain Hook. The enchanting score contains many memorable classics, including "I Gotta Crow,” " I’m Flying” and "Neverland.”

Shows run Jan. 30 through Feb. 8 with 8 p.m. shows on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. performances on Sunday all at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center, 600 N. Delaware in San Mateo. Tickets for this family-friendly show are $10 for children, students and seniors, and $15 for adults. For more information call 558-2375 or visit www.smhsdrama.org.

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NDNU’s Ralston Performers Series begins the year with a rousing piano concert as the university’s director of piano studies showcases his award-winning talents in "Piano Fantastique: Michael Schmitz in Concert” at 3 p.m., Jan. 25 in the Ralston Hall Mansion Ballroom.

Renowned as a performer and pedagogue in the San Francisco Bay Area, Schmitz gives frequent recitals and master classes throughout the Peninsula.

Tickets are $20 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors. The Ralston Hall Mansion is located on campus at 1500 Ralston Ave. in Belmont. For more information call NDNU’s department of music and vocal arts box office at 508-3729 or concerts@ndnu.edu.

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The San Mateo-Foster City School District and Horrall Elementary Visual and Performing Arts and Technology Integration Magnet School are proud to present "Willy Wonka Junior.” All Horrall Elementary students were given the opportunity to be a part of the play and over 350 students from kindergarten through fifth grade will be performing in one of the two productions. Performances will take place at the Bayside Performing Arts Center located at 2025 Kehoe Ave. in San Mateo 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29 and Friday, Jan. 30. Tickets can be purchased at the door — adult tickets are $4 and children’s tickets are $2. For more information call 655-3351.

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Burlingame High School students are planning to raise $18,000 in the community to build a school in Malawi.

The school’s Associated Student Body Government and leadership classes are planning to sponsor a community-wide fundraiser, "ODFL,” which stands for One Dollar for Life. The goal of ODFL is to raise money for high impact projects in the third world and developing countries.

The project Burlingame students want to take on is the building of a high school in Manyesa, Malawi. The construction costs for this project are estimated to be $18,000 for a two-room high school classroom.

The students of Malawi are currently learning under the shade of a tree and a single teacher instructs nearly over a hundred students at a time. In addition to the two classrooms, the $18,000 will help provide the construction of a science lab, library and an administration room at the school. It will also provide scholarships to train two additional teachers at a cost of $600 each.

Last year, BHS raised $1,300 to provide the students in this village’s newly constructed elementary school with desks. This year, Student Activities Director Steve Mills and the ASB Service Learning Liaison Brittany Reyes wanted to raise the bar and set a goal to collect $1 for each person who lives in the Burlingame community, potentially over $25,000.

Leadership students already began working on ways to raise money. A fashion show with performers and a speaker is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. All proceeds will go directly to support ODFL.

Informational letters were sent to local schools and community organizations inviting them to join the effort. The drive will run from Feb. 17 through Feb. 27. To make a donation contact Steve Mills and smills@smuhsd.org or Brittany Reyes at breyes09@gmail.com.

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In January, Carlmont High’s Dominic Ferrario was selected as one of two students in San Mateo County, and one of 24 in Northern California, to be honored with a Scholar Athlete Award and $1,000 by the National Football Foundation. Ferrario was also chosen as the one athlete to give a speech at the awards dinner on Feb. 19 at the Burlingame Marriott Hotel.

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Sister Helen Prejean, author of "Dead Man Walking,” visited the College of San Mateo recently as a featured guest speaker. Joining Prejean at her presentation were Hannah Ruwe, a junior at Notre Dame High School in Belmont, who played Prejean in the recent Tri-School Production of "Dead Man Walking,” and Principal Rita Gleason. Prejean spoke to several hundred guests on Nov. 21. Following her presentation, a reception was held in Prejean’s honor on campus.

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Through the generosity of a national grant, the Sequoia Union High School District has created the Built to Last Collaborative, designed to help sophomore high school students in the district succeed through to graduation in 2011 and become accepted to college or university.

Woodside, Sequoia, Menlo-Atherton and Carlmont high schools have enlisted site-supervisors and academic coaches to join with administrators, teachers and parents to ensure success with the program. The Built to Last Collaborative will also provide volunteer tutors to help students meet the requirements for graduation. Academic coaches will visit their students’ school and classroom and maintain contact with teachers regarding homework and behavior, and will work with parents/guardians to encourage and support quality classroom instruction, and a safe campus climate. There will also be efforts to ensure that teachers are best suited to accommodate students’ individual learning styles.

Class notes is a weekly column dedicated to school news. It is compiled by education reporter Heather Murtagh. You can contact her at (650) 344-5200, ext. 105 or at heather@smdailyjournal.com.