Graystone Elementary School has been a sea of red this week as students kicked off Red Ribbon Week activities on Oct. 27 by decking themselves out in appropriately colored attire. "Drugs Make Me See Red!" was the theme of this year's National Red Ribbon celebration, and Graystone staff cooked up a batch of clothing-related activities to get students "into the spirit of a drug-free life." Students wore mismatched footwear to symbolize "socking it to drugs" and hats to show they wanted to "put a lid on" illicit substances. On Friday, students are invited to "turn their backs on drugs" by wearing their shirts and jackets backwards.

Californians for a Drug-Free Youth Inc. (CADFY) began the National Red Ribbon Campaign in 1988. Since then, the annual week of anti-drug activities has become a staple of the school year on many campuses. According to the CADFY website, students wear red ribbons "to demonstrate a visible and unified commitment toward the creation of a drug-free America."


Pioneer Dance Team hosts silent auction

The parents of the Pioneer High School Dance Team have set their second annual wine tasting and silent auction for Nov. 7. The fundraiser will run from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Montevideo Club House, 1585 Monteval Lane, San Jose. Soquel, Hunter Hill and Guglielmo wineries will provide the pours. Tickets are $25. For more information, call Kathy Jaeckel at 408.267.5659.


Simonds teachers earn national honors

Three Simonds Elementary School teachers have earned one of the top honors in their profession: certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. To become certified, third-grade teacher Sharon Withrow and fifth-grade teachers Eric Rise and Steve Quigley opted to undertake a year-long performance-based assessment of the depth and breadth of their knowledge and classroom skills. All three were deemed worthy by the National Board, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the quality of teaching and learning. The Simonds teachers join almost 2,000 of their certified peers in California.


Bret Harte Club raises big bucks

Bret Harte Middle School's Community Club raised more than $60,000 in its annual membership drive, according to principal Donald McCloskey. These parental contributions will go into the school's instructional needs budget, the pot that funds a variety of classroom needs. In the last two years, funds from the membership drive have been used to purchase everything from glass kilns for the art department to digital and video cameras for journalism classes and heart-rate monitors for the physical education department.