Class notes

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Friday, ACS, a Xerox Company, with the help of local dental professionals, will provide free dental screenings to students at Horrall Elementary School. The ACS screenings provide many low-income students with their first dental checkup. Dental problems are one of the most frequently cited reasons for school absences. Children from low-income families are less likely to see a dentist regularly and will suffer from twice as many cavities as their peers. ACS’ dental outreach initiative has screened more than 28,000 children in nine states and the District of Columbia.

Assemblyman Jerry Hill will attend the Oct. 14 screening at Horrall Elementary along with San Mateo County Supervisor Carole Groom.

Horrall is located at 949 Ocean View Ave. in San Mateo.

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The green economy is here and a new, free, four-week program from Cañada College and the San Mateo County Workforce Investment Board is preparing students for careers in retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient and sustainable.

The Home Energy Retrofit Occupations (HERO) Program will help students learn and apply basic green building principles; create a sustainable/green plan to design or remodel energy-efficient homes; and design interior spaces using measures from LEED and GreenPoint Rated checklists for commercial and residential projects. Classes, which begin Oct. 10 and run through Nov. 4, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the Cañada College Menlo Park Center, 1200 O’Brien Drive, Menlo Park.

The course, titled "Energy-Efficient Homes, Green Remodeling & Marketing” will introduce students to green sustainable concepts, basic interior sketching and energy-efficient homes with a focus on planning and design of energy-efficient, high-quality and healthy homes.

Participants must have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent, the right to work in the U.S., California residency for at least one year and they must complete a math and English assessment test.

To enroll, contact Gina Ciardella at HERO@smchsa.org. For more information contact Julie Mooney at 325-6936 or mooney@smccd.edu.

The Home Energy Retrofit Occupations Program is funded by a $2.5 million Community Based Job Training Grant, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration and hosted by the San Mateo County Human Services Agency.

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San Mateo Union High School GATE parents presents "How to pay for college: An informative evening with college and financial aid specialist Dr. Paul Wrubel.” 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12 at the Burlingame High School auditorium, 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame. The presentation is free and open to the public.

This workshop will discuss the many ways to navigate through the college funding maze. The subjects covered will include but not be limited to:

• Why everyone should apply for financial aid including wealthy people;

• How the financial aid system works;

• The formula;

• The sources of aid;

• The forms of financial aid;

• How to evaluate financial aid awards;

• Specific money-saving strategies for families at all income levels;

• Creating a master plan to pay for college; and

• Q and A.

The session will take about an hour and a half.

The workshop will be presented by Wrubel, a Stanford Ph.D. and an experienced educator.

Class notes is a twice 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.