Los Gatos Weekly-Times

On Campus

Van Meter book fair this week

The Van Meter Scholastic Book Fair will be held Nov. 18-21 from noon to 4 p.m. in room 24. On Wed., Nov. 20, the fair will be extended to 8 p.m. Along with softcover and hardback books for children of all ages, other items include posters, calendars and computer software. The fair is a fundraiser for the school; 30 percent of all sales goes directly to purchasing library materials. Credit cards, checks and cash are accepted. For more information, call the school at 356-5131.

Recipes wanted for school cookbook

Favorite family recipes and anecdotes are needed for the 1996-97 edition of the Van Meter Bulldog Bite cookbook. If possible, recipes should be original creations or passed on from friends or other family members, as opposed to copied right out of a cookbook. Other contributions for the Bulldog Bite can be favorite party, family dinner or holiday memories, cooking tips handed down from parents or grandparents, ways to put a personal touch to takeout food and funny incidents that have happened in the kitchen. Contributions may be dropped off in the Bulldog Bite basket in the school office, or for more information, call Yvonne at 356-7213.

More national merit scholars announced

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. recently announced that Bellarmine College Preparatory school's class of 1997 includes 21 National Merit Semifinalists and 24 students who will receive letters of commendation.

Los Gatos residents Scott Basham, Tyler Needman and Ben Schleimer were seminfinalists; Los Gatan Andrew Jhun received a letter of commendation. Students were chosen based on their placement in the 99th percentile of all high-school juniors who took the PSAT last year.

Los Gatos teachers place in 'Who's Who'

Among the 12,000 teachers and educators nationwide being honored in the 1996 edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers are 13 representatives of Los Gatos schools: Joyce Haworth of Loma Prieta Elementary School; Lynda Snelgrove and William Woods of Los Gatos Christian School; Lynne Dahms and Raf Strudley of Fisher Middle School; and Scott Downs, Angela Gascho, Martha Hull, Mark Manchester, Shana Moore, Jeanne-Marie Rachlin, Allen Rudolph and Teri Zappacosta of Los Gatos High School. All teachers were nominated by former students who were listed in Who's Who Among American High School Students or The National Dean's List; students were asked to consider teachers who made a difference in their lives by helping shape their values, inspiring them in a certain subject or challenging them to strive for excellence.

Essay contest seeks to preserve English language

The nonprofit, international Society for the Preservation of English Language and Literature holds its 1997 Stephen J. Manhard Scholarship/Essay Competition for all high-school seniors.

Essays must be at least 500 words and should not exceed three double-spaced, typed or word-processed pages. The topic must be related to some aspect of language and should support SPELL's objective of promoting high standards of English grammar, using spelling, punctuation and syntax. Some examples from past years' winning essays include "The Value of Reading," "Grammar: The Hidden Criteria" and "Leadership Through Communication."

First prize is $500, with $300 for second place and $200 for third. Up to three fourth prizes of $100 each will also be awarded, and all winners receive a one-year SPELL membership.

Deadline for entries is March 1, 1997. For more information or to obtain complete rules and an entry form, write to SPELL, P.O. Box 118, Waleska, Ga., 30183, or visit SPELL's Web site at http://www.maloy.com/~tmaloy/spell.html.

Local students get out and vote

Many local students voted this year at several official sites in Los Gatos that also had special, kid-sized booths set up for the Kids Voting program. Kids Voting is a nonpartisan effort to build a more informed generation of voters by giving students the chance to cast their "votes" in participating precincts throughout the county. Kids had their say Nov. 5 at the following Los Gatos schools: Alta Vista, Blossom Hill, Los Gatos Academy, Louise Van Meter, Lakeside and Lexington and at the Loma Prieta School Community Center.

Study group needs senior supervisors

Daves Avenue School's Homework Club could use a few more senior-citizen volunteers to help supervise students. The club runs Monday through Thursday from noon to 1:15 p.m. for those students who wish to use part of their lunchtime for quiet work or study. Seniors who would like to work one day a week or serve as substitutes can call Glenice Magee or Florence Adamson at Daves Avenue at 395-6311 for more information.