Class notes

Recently students at the Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School held a fundraising event along with students visiting from Reali to support the annual giving project done by the seventh grade class.

Teachers Robin Raphael-Simke and Dina Bedak generously donated their hair to worthy organizations and raffled off the opportunity for students and staff to do the cutting! Raphael-Simke’s hair will go to Pantene Beautiful Lengths Foundation, an organization that makes wigs for women stricken with cancer, while Bedak’s hair will go to Zichron Menachem, an Israeli organization that makes wigs for children stricken with cancer. The raffle was a great success, raising $110 which was then matched by visitors from the Reali School.

The students work on a philanthropy project all year, raising money to donate to a nonprofit they feel is worthy.

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In honor of the Burlingame Library centennial celebration, students at Hillsborough schools wrote a few pieces, some of which were read at the event.

Students had the option of writing a poem, article, letter or descriptive piece. A collection of the work is housed in a binder at the library. Other children are encouraged to write their own piece to include in the binder.

Mural Haiku by eighth grade students Christina and Genise

Colorful Pictures

Happily Dancing Sisters

Awaiting Misters

Burlingame Centennial Celebration by eighth grade student Katie

Sounds of laughter

Interest

And wonder,

Ideas come to life,

Elephants, wolves,

And even flounder,

"A-weemba-weh”

Cannot even measure

The level of enjoyment

Excitement and pleasure

"Wonder & Wisdom” guard the door

From any discomfort

That could be in store.

Magical murals, colors,

And pictures

Tell stories that

Give a mixture

Of the wonderful world

Not beyond the door

But within a book

The only thing you must do

Is look.

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Notre Dame de Namur University’s department of theatre and dance and the performing arts company has offered "The Gift” to the community free of charge welcoming all to the 55-year-old landmark NDNU Theatre for the past 23 years. As the longest running musical version of "A Christmas Carol” in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is estimated that more than 100,000 people have attended these performances.

All but the opening night performance is offered to the public free of charge. The opening night is the only performance for which tickets are sold. Proceeds from the single performance help fund the entire show. Dozens of Bay Area businesses and individuals support the annual event by donating goods, services, and funding.

Audience members, who are able, are encouraged to bring their gifts of non-perishable food or new toys to those in need during the holidays.

The gala performance is at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 for $40 for adults and $20 for children. Performances are also scheduled for 2 p.m. Dec. 6, Dec. 7, Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, Dec. 11, Dec. 12 and Dec. 13. All performances will be at the NDNU theatre on campus at 1500 Ralston Ave. in Belmont.

Ticket order forms and information are available at www.christmascarolthegift.org.

For more information call 508-3456 or e-mail boxoffice@ndnu.edu.

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The Notre Dame de Namur University’s department of music and vocal arts will hold a free performance 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the Taube Conference Center on campus at 1500 Ralston Ave. in Belmont.

Life, with its glories, indignities, hopes, and quiet dreams – is the subject of this stunning revue of the beloved songs of John Kander and Fred Ebb. The vast range of human experience is explored in song after impeccable song by one of Broadway’s most successful teams and masters of the Broadway showstopper. This glittering review features unforgettable gems throughout their incredible career in theatre, film and television.

For more information call 508-3729 or e-mail concerts@ndnu.edu.

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During the month of October, Central County Fire Department celebrated National Fire Prevention Week. The theme of this year’s campaign, "Prevent Home Fires,” focused on preventing the leading causes of home fires — cooking, heating and electrical equipment and smoking materials.

The firefighters and fire inspectors used the entire month of October to visit elementary schools throughout Hillsborough and Burlingame. They conducted presentations on fire safety and prevention to the entire student body.

Each visit usually ended with one of the fire engines or a very embarrassed teacher in firefighter turnouts and equipment.

In addition to the presentations, elementary students were invited to participate in the fire department’s annual fire safety poster contest. Children were encouraged to design and create a poster that reflects any fire safety concept and each grade level is judged. Of the 137 students that participated this year, winners were selected by firefighters at Station 36. Students and family members were welcomed and at council meetings and presented awards by Mayor Kitty Mullooly, Fire Chief Don Dornell, Fire Marshal Rocque Yballa and Fire Inspector Julie Parenti.

Burlingame winners include:

For kindergarten, Mia Sanguinetti received first place, David Connolly got second place; and Kaia Stannard-Stockton earned third place.

For first grade, Kate Rose Keighran won first place; Lily Del Chiaro earned second place; and Justin Hee won third place.

For second grade, Brodie Knibbs won first place; Ethan Lew earned second place; and Jack Connolly won third place;

For third grade, Claire Beswick won first place; Alexandra Bianchi earned second place; and Sofia Milante received third place.

For fourth grade, Lucca Del Chiaro won first place; Erin Woo earned second place; and Dara Phung received third place.

For fifth grade, Jenna Adams won first place; Adrienne Johnson earned second place; and Anya Arami received third place.

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The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes students throughout the country for superior scores achieved on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) taken in October of their junior year. Approximately 1.5 million students nationwide participate annually, and the top two percent are given the designation as Commended Scholars.

At Menlo-Atherton High School, the following students were so designated: Sarah Carp, William Cohen, Peter Defillips, Mark Frankle, Emily Goldberg, Haley Hoech, Hideyo Kameda, Tiffany Kung, Mikalie Lai, Jeff Leanse, Brittany Margot, Nora Ng-Quinn, Haley O’Neel, Sheri Park, Julia Ransohoff, Nicole Scherm, Jay Slavik, Emily Van Rheenen and Neil Watters.

Students who score in the top 1 percent nationwide on the PSAT are designated National Merit Semifinalists, and from Menlo-Atherton the following students were so designated: Alex Amato, Daniel Chao, Cameron Cogan, Nick Felt, Tamara Hasoon, Thomas Ivy, Christopher Kelvie, Gregory Liggett, Laura Mitchell, Rishikesh Santhanam, Jessica Schwab, Adin Vaewsorn and Robert Weber. Students in this group will compete for scholarship money – the winners will be announced next spring.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program also recognizes outstanding Black American high school students, to encourage them in their pursuit of higher education. M-A’s Russell Perkins was named a semifinalist for this award, representing the top 1 percent nationwide of students in this category.

The National Hispanic Recognition Program awards Hispanic/Latino students who have scored in the top 1 percent of this group nationwide. At M-A Nadia Saad and Uriel Hernandez were so recognized.

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Cañada College, a two-year public community college in Redwood City, received a two-year, $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help shorten the time students need to enroll in transferable level science classes.

The grant will provide Cañada with $765,000 for 2008-09 and $761,000 for 2009-10. The college will use the money to develop an intensive six-week summer program in math instruction designed to raise math placement levels for students pursuing science majors.

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.