FIRST LEGO League sets tuneup scrimmage
Sunday, 27 teams of fourth- through eighth-grade Los Altos area students will run their robots against each other in a tuneup scrimmage for the seventh annual Los Altos Robotics FIRST LEGO League qualifying tournament.
The teams will face off from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. in the multipurpose rooms at Covington and Loyola schools.
Teams from Los Altos have done well in the Northern California tournament and even gone to the national competition. The Los Altos Robotics FIRST LEGO League is sponsored by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) and Lego Mindstorms.
The program introduces children ages 9 to 14 to science, engineering and technology in a fun and engaging way. The teams design, build and program autonomous robots using the LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System. They run the robots on a 4-by-8-foot “challenge” board designed by the FIRST LEGO League using Lego pieces for the structures.
This year’s worldwide challenge is “Nano Quest.” The FIRST competitors will explore traditional sciences at the molecular level to uncover the potential to create new products and solutions. The final tournament is set for Nov. 18.
For more information, visit www.LosAltosRobotics.org, e-mail Michael Schuh at Michael@LosAltosRobotics.Org or call 965-8037.
LASD seeks committee members
The District Curriculum Council is seeking members to serve two-year terms on an advisory committee that meets quarterly to study curriculum issues, act on subcommittee reports and make recommendations to the administrative council and board of trustees.
For more information or an application, e-mail Marcy Birnie in the Curriculum Office at mbirnie@lasdschools.org. Applications are due by Monday.
Pinewood presents ‘Laughing Stock’
Pinewood School’s Theater Arts has scheduled “Laughing Stock,” a comic look at a small troupe of struggling actors and their backstage mischief, 7 p.m. Nov. 2-4 at the Upper Campus Theater, 26800 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills.
Tickets will be available at the door for a suggested donation of $5. There will be no advance ticket sales. For more information, call 941-1532, ext. 322, or e-mail deivers@pinewood.edu.
Panel discussion addresses special education
SELPA 1 CAC, a group that deals with special education needs, has scheduled a moderated panel discussion with the county director and special education directors for Los Altos, Mountain View and Palo Alto schools 8:45-11 a.m. Oct. 18 in the Covington Elementary School multipurpose room, 205 Covington Road, Los Altos.
The goals of the forum are to raise awareness of K-12 special education programs and services and to offer parents a chance to meet the programs’ administrators. Issues addressed include priorities and goals of special education programs, transition problems, working effectively with the special ed team and qualifying for services.
All SELPA events are free and open to the public. No registration is necessary.
For more information, call Karen Mueller at 964-3689 or e-mail mueller4@ix.netcom.com.
Foothill-De Anza seeks homes for foreign students
Hosts for international students at Foothill and De Anza colleges are needed for a three-month stay.
Hosts will receive $750 per month for room and board and will be expected to help the student become oriented after arrival. Hosts can be single, couples or families.
Students will arrive in October and can take the bus to school. All students speak English and will take courses in English. They come from Asia, Europe and other continents.
For more information, call Kristi Clark at 949-3091 or e-mail k.clarke@mindspring.com.
