Class notes

Adopt-a-Grandparent: At Family Service’s Fair Oaks Intergenerational Center in Redwood City, the nonprofit serves the frail elderly with various life enriching services ranging from nutritional meals, exercise classes and health screenings to transportation assistance, bilingual case management, camaraderie and more. Many of the 4,000 elderly adults served annually live below the federal poverty level of $10,000 a year. By adopting a grandparent, gift-givers can help offset the center’s operational costs at a time when donations are down about $2,000 a month. Healthy food donations are also welcomed, such as fresh produce/fruit and whole wheat pasta, which will be redistributed to Fair Oaks’ clientele. To Adopt-a-Grandparent call Holly Thorsen at 403-4300 ext. 4403.

Adopt-a-Center: Family Service has been providing low-cost, quality child care to some of the Peninsula’s neediest families for over 30 years. With over 350 children served daily at the nonprofit’s child development centers — including the children of homeless families and teen mothers—operational expenses add up. Adopting a center helps local children get a great start in life by funding the centers’ wish lists — ranging from classroom supplies for teachers to diaper bags for young mothers — and supporting operational costs. To Adopt-a-Center please call Holly Thorsen at 403-4300 ext. 4403.

Visit the Family Tree: At the Family Tree collectibles shop, Family Service Red-Car-Bel Auxiliary volunteers accept donations of new and gently used items, which they refurbish and sell to benefit the nonprofit. The shop offers an excellent selection of holiday gifts including collectibles, clothing and more and is located at 1589 Laurel St. in San Carlos. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and closed on Sunday, Monday and Chritsmas Day. For more information call 592-6150.

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Burlingame School District is holding a Spanish immersion informational meeting for parents of incoming kindergarten students from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14 at McKinley Elementary, 701 Paloma Ave., Burlingame.

Parents requesting enrollment for the Spanish Immersion Program must attend this meeting.

For more information call 259-3807

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The San Mateo-Foster City School District will hold information nights for incoming kindergarten parents during the month of January. These meetings are intended to provide families with an overview of the district’s schools, information on kindergarten curriculum/programs and information on the registration process.

Parents should use the school lookup tool at www.smfc.k12.ca.us or contact student services at 312-7345 to determine their school of assignment. Additionally, parents are encouraged to visit their K-5 school of assignment for orientation and tours, please contact schools for specific dates and/or reservations. School contact information can be found by visiting www.smfc.k12.ca.us/our_schools.html.

A kindergarten information night for Spanish speakers will be held 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13 at the King Community Center, 725 Monte Diablo, San Mateo.

A kindergarten information night for English speakers will be held 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15 at the Bayside Performing Arts Center, 2025 Kehoe Ave., San Mateo.

Kindergarten and new student registration assistance for Spanish speakers will be available 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Jan. 20 at College Park Elementary, 715 Indian Ave., San Mateo.

Kindergarten and new student registration will be held Jan. 20 through March 3 at all schools except Baywood, Audubon, Brewer Island and Foster City; March 1 through March 31 at Baywood; and March 2 through March 31 for Audubon, Brewer Island and Foster City.

A meeting for kindergarten and new students who will be attending Baywood, Audubon, Brewer Island or Foster City will be 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23.

Parents of incoming kindergarten students at Baywood, Audubon, Brewer Island and Foster City can visit 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25 and Thursday, Feb. 26.

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With local public schools facing substantial budget cuts, Wells Fargo recently announced more than $100,000 in donations to support schools in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

At a 7:30 a.m. breakfast and award ceremony Dec. 4 Wells Fargo leaders joined Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, and Adrienne Tissier, San Mateo County Board of Supervisor president, to award $1,000 grants to elementary, middle schools and high schools across the Peninsula.

Wells Fargo grants were made directly to local schools to support educators’ most critical needs such as shortages of school supplies, books, improving facilities, and extracurricular activities such as sports and music programs.

Wells Fargo also presented South San Francisco High School and Belle Haven Elementary School in Menlo Park each with more than $6,400 as a part of the local bank’s Adopt-A-School effort. The Adopt-A-School effort is a community partnership created with KNBR-AM (680) to financially help public schools during times of significant budget cuts. A portion of the total was raised by fans of San Francisco’s black-and-orange.

Grant recipients include: Abbott Middle School, Herbert Hoover Elementary, Highland Elementary School, Adelante Spanish Immersion School, Hillsdale High School, Hoover Elementary School, Horrall Elementary, Aragon High School, John Gill School, Arundel Elementary School, John Muir Elementary School, Audubon Elementary School, Junipero Serra Elementary, Kennedy Middle School, Bayshore Elementary School, La Honda Elementary School, Belle Haven Elementary School, Las Lomitas Education Foundation, Belmont-Redwood Shores Public School Foundation (School Force), Los Altos High School, Borel Middle School, Bowditch Middle School, Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital School, Brewer Island Elementary School, Burlingame High School, Martin Elementary School, Carlmont High School, Mc Kinley Elementary School, Mills High School, Nesbit Elementary School, Clifford Elementary School, North Shoreview Montessori School, College Park, Crocker Middle School, Orion Elementary School, Park Elementary School, Decima M. Allen Elementary, Parkside Elementary, Parkway Heights Middle School, East Palo Alto Charter School, Pescadero Elementary and Middle School, East Palo Alto High School, Ralston Avenue, Roosevelt Elementary School, Fair Oaks Elementary School, Roy Cloud School, San Mateo High School, Fiesta Gardens International School, Sandpiper Elementary School, Foster City Elementary School, Sequoia High School, G.A.T.C.A. Selby Lane School. SMFCSD Baywood School Resource Program, Garfield Elementary School, Sunnybrae Elementary School, George Hall Elementary School, Taylor Middle School, Half Moon Bay High School, Washington Elementary School, Hawes Elementary School, Westmoor High School, Heather Elementary School, William H. Crocker Middle School, Henry Ford Elementary School and Woodside High School.

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.