Schools Briefs

Freestyle Academy hosts open house

Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts and Technology is slated to host an open house 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday at 1299 Bryant Ave., Mountain View.

Tutoring organization hires new director

Carol Olson is replacing Padma Gargeya as the executive director of Mentor Tutor Connection.

Olson is a previous president and CEO of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce. She has also worked as director of environment and stewardship programs at the Morgan Family Foundation.

Recently, Olson has managed her own consulting company aimed at advancing nonprofit and philanthropic effectiveness in the areas of outdoor and environmental education, according to a press release from Mentor Tutor Connection.

“Carol comes to us with over twenty years of experience in the fields of nonprofit and foundation management and leadership,” said board Chairwoman Sally Chaves in the release.

Olson takes over for Gargeya, who is leaving the organization after three years.

Mentor Tutor Connection is a community-based and -supported nonprofit organization that provides tutors at Los Altos and Mountain View elementary and middle schools and mentors to the three high schools in the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District.

For more information, visit mentortutorconnection.org.

Pinewood students perform Shakespeare

Pinewood Performing Arts is slated to present William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” 7 p.m. Oct 24-26 at the school’s Upper Campus Theatre, 26800 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills.

Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for students and seniors.

For tickets and more information, visit pinewood.edu/arts/performingarts/712.

MVLA spotlights students of the month

The Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District named Gage Rodriguez and Christian Martinez its September students of the month at a Sept. 23 board meeting.

Rodriguez is a Mountain View High School senior enrolled in AP Statistics, AP Physics C, AP Government/Macroeconomics, Multivariable Calculus Honors and AP Literature.

He plays trumpet in the marching band, has been on the varsity tennis team since he was a sophomore and is a member of the Speech and Debate team, as well as the Mock Trial team.

Martinez is a senior at Los Altos High School, where he is a member of Student Community Leaders and the Latino Student Union, for which he served as vice president last year. He has also been on the track team for four years and throws the shot put and discus.

Outside of school, Martinez balances two jobs. Every day after school he works at America’s Tire, and on weekends he works at the ShowPlace ICON Movie Theatre. For the past two summers, he has volunteered to help prepare incoming kindergartners for school.

Martinez, who will be a first-generation college student, plans to major in mechanical engineering.

Books for Schools supports local teachers

Local teachers can select books for their classrooms at the Friends of the Library of Los Altos’ used-book sales at no charge through the Books for Schools fund.

Teachers from public K-8 schools are eligible to participate.

To register, teachers should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and include name, email address, school name, grade level and school principal’s name and email. Write “Books for Schools” or “B4S” in the subject line.

Principals will be asked to validate the information.

To donate to the fund, mail checks to Friends of the Library of Los Altos, PO Box 212, Los Altos 94023-0212, and write “Books for Schools” on the memo line.

For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program named more than 50 local students semifinalists in the annual scholarship competition.

This year’s program recognizes the top scorers on the 2018 PSAT. More than 1.5 million juniors from approximately 21,000 high schools took the test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The pool of semifinalists includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. 

Local science program joins national network

Science is Elementary, a nonprofit group founded by Los Altos resident Tzipor Ulman, is joining a nationwide education network, aiming to combat the shortage of STEM teachers.

100Kin10, a national organization working to train 100,000 new science, technology, engineering and math teachers by 2021, announced Sept. 5 that Science is Elementary would join 40 other new partners this year.

Foothill College fall quarter course registration opens

Foothill College fall registration is open, with classes beginning Sept. 23.

First-time, full-time students (12 units or more) are eligible for two years of free tuition, fees and textbooks through the Foothill College Promise program.

Montclaire hosts e-waste drop-off site

Montclaire Elementary School’s annual free fall e-waste collection event is scheduled 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 14 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 15 at the school, 1160 St. Joseph Ave., Los Altos.

Accepted items include electronics, phones, wires, cables, TVs, laptops, desktops, CDs, DVDs, printers, monitors, batteries and small household appliances. Scrap metal and large appliances are not permitted.