NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on June 12, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as practicable, at a scheduled public meeting of the Board of Education (“Board”) of the Los Altos School District, which will be held at the District Office located at 201 Covington Road, Los Altos, California 94024, the Board will consider entering into a solar power purchase agreement for the installation of photovoltaic systems on the property of the District.  At this meeting, the Board will hold a public hearing on and consider a resolution to adopt findings required by Government Code section 4217.12 regarding anticipated energy cost savings and other benefits the District may receive if the Board decides to enter into the power purchase agreement.  Any protest pertaining to the regularity or sufficiency of the proceedings shall be in writing and shall clearly set forth the irregularities and defects to which the objection is made.  Any written protest shall be filed with the Clerk of the District on or before the time set for the hearing.  The District may waive any irregularities in the form or content of any written notice and at the hearing may correct minor defects in the proceedings.  Written protests may be withdrawn, in writing, at any time before the conclusion of the hearing.  The resolution, agreement and supporting documents will be included with the Board’s regular public agenda for the June 12, 2017 meeting. 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on May 22, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as practicable, at a scheduled public meeting of the Board of Trustees (“Board”) of the Los Altos School District, which will be held at the District Office located at 201 Covington Road, Los Altos, California 94024, the Board will consider entering into a solar power purchase agreement for the installation of photovoltaic systems on the property of the District.  At this meeting, the Board will hold a public hearing on and consider a resolution to adopt findings required by Government Code section 4217.12 regarding anticipated energy cost savings and other benefits the District may receive if the Board decides to enter into the power purchase agreement.  Any protest pertaining to the regularity or sufficiency of the proceedings shall be in writing and shall clearly set forth the irregularities and defects to which the objection is made.  Any written protest shall be filed with the Clerk of the District on or before the time set for the hearing.  The District may waive any irregularities in the form or content of any written notice and at the hearing may correct minor defects in the proceedings.  Written protests may be withdrawn, in writing, at any time before the conclusion of the hearing.  The resolution, agreement and supporting documents will be included with the Board’s regular public agenda for the May 22, 2017 meeting.

The LASD Student Math Experience

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Covington School Multipurpose Room

Join us for a presentation for parents and community members to learn about the expectations and learning experiences the sudents of Los Altos School District engage in during math class. The presentation will provide suggestions about how best to support your child in deeply learning mathematics.

Presenter: David Foster, Founder and Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative (SVMI) and Co-Director of the Santa Clara Valley Math Project.

To register: https://edtalklasdmath.eventbrite.com

SBAC (SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium) Testing

The LASD testing window has been defined for 2017 spring testing.  The testing window begins Monday, April 24th and continues through Friday, May 12th.  This 3-week window allows ample time for schools to complete the testing. Make-ups will be May 15 - 19, 2017.  As a reminder, students in grades 3-8 will complete assessments for Mathematics and English/Language Arts.  Schools will create their specific schedules within this window.  Questions concerning actual dates within this window should be addressed at individual school sites.

LASD & LAEF are excited to kick off the first ever STEM Days at both Egan and Blach schools this spring. STEM pervades every part of life. STEM education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. Exposing our students to different aspects of careers in the STEM fields could inspire and spark a passion in learning.

We are looking for parents, grandparents or anyone in our community who would like to share their knowledge. If you are interested, please contact Anjana Butaney at anjana.nagarajan1@gmail.com or Karen Wilson at kwilson@lasdschools.org.

33rd Annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest

2017 Theme:  "Native Californians: Food Lessons Learned From the Past and Applications to Today"

The Los Altos Historical Commission and the Los Altos History Museum are co-sponsoring the 33rd annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest, open to third- through sixth-graders who live in the area and/or attend local schools.

The Los Altos History Museum's current exhibit, “Seaweed, Salmon, and Manzanita Cider: A California Indian Feast,” explores traditional California Indian food sources and their extensive system of environmental knowledge underlying their use of food resources. The exhibit highlights the importance and continuing use of native foods in current California Indian communities. It also examines contemporary issues of eating locally grown foods, sustainability, nutrition, and environmental health. Foods important in the lives of Native Californians include fish, shellfish, seaweed, meat, vegetables, berries, fruits, flowers, nuts, seeds, and salt.

The deadline to submit essays is March 3. Public school students should submit their entries to Los Altos School District teachers. For the detailed essay prompt, click here. For general instructions, click here. For the essay rubric, click here. For the cover page, click here.

For more information, visit losaltoshistory.org.

Assessment and Reporting in LASD

Friday, January 27, 2017

9:00 am

Gardner Bullis School - Staff Lounge

Join us for a Parent EdTalk on Assessment and Reporting in LASD. This talk will include an overview of standards based teaching and learning, as well as provide details on our district-wide K-8 common assessments: the Fountas and Pinnell Reading Benchmark Assessment and the iReady Diagnostic Assessment in Reading and Math.

Seating is limited to 50.  To reserve a place please click link: https://edtalk_1_27_17.eventbrite.com

Information Session:
Synopsys Silicon Valley Science & Technology Championship

Sponsored by Synopsys, the Championship is a regional science and engineering fair competition for students in Santa Clara County held on March 23, 2017.  LASD 6th, 7th and 8th graders are invited to enter!! Our students compete in the middle school (grades 6-8) division for awards and prizes in multiple areas of study.  LASD students have won prizes in prior years, and gained valuable experience with science, engineering and project management. Winners of the Synopsys Championship compete in the California State Science Fair and may advance to the prestigious Intel International Science & Engineering Fair, which presents nearly $4 million in prizes and scholarships each year.

Students and parents are invited to attend the Synopsys Championship Information Session to learn more about this opportunity and how to enter:

Sunday, October 16

3:30 - 4:00 pm

Covington Elementary Multipurpose Room

201 Covington Road, Los Altos

For more information, see the 2017 Synopsys Championship website at http://www.science-fair.org

Questions?  Contact LASD STEM Coordinator Karen Wilson at kwilson@lasdschools.org

Information Session:

Tech Challenge

Come to the informational meeting for all LASD 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students and their parents interested in participating in The Tech Challenge, hosted by the Tech Museum.  You'll form a team to compete to solve a real-world problem in this annual design challenge.  This year's challenge is "Rock the Ravine:" Your team will design and build a device to help explorers cross an ice field with multiple ravines. Tech Challenge projects build skills in problem solving, time management, creativity, and teamwork, while working through the engineering design cycle as you build and test your design.  Most importantly--it's great fun!!!

Students and parents are invited to attend the Tech Challenge Information Session to learn more about this opportunity and how to enter:

Sunday, October 16

4:30 - 5:00 pm

Covington Elementary Multipurpose Room

201 Covington Road, Los Altos

The event day will be Saturday, April 29 for grades 4 to 6, and Sunday, April 30 for grades 7 and 8.  

For more information on the Tech Challenge, visit the website at http://thetechchallenge.thetech.org/

Questions?  Contact LASD STEM Coordinator Karen Wilson at kwilson@lasdschools.org

Board Considers Seeking Renewal of Expiring Parcel Tax

At its August 8, 2016 meeting the school board will consider adopting a resolution authorizing a parcel tax measure on the November ballot.  This measure would renew the tax approved in 2011 which expires on June 30, 2017.

Click here for more information about the parcel tax.