On the Blackboard On the Blackboard (October 20, 2004)

A HEALTHY HABITAT . . . So it may not offer protein shakes and fruit, but Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School's library is a healthy place for your child to get brain food - in the form of homework help. The school has now opened the Homework Habitat, open after school until 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Students can receive academic support from JLS staff and volunteers.

WE'VE GOT SPIRIT . . . If you see hordes of students dressed as rubber duckies or all in yellow, don't be alarmed. It's just spirit week at Palo Alto and Gunn high schools . Since Monday, the two schools have been holding daily events, such as a tryouts for Gunn's mascot, Timmy the Titan (no experience necessary), clothes-changing relays and dress-up days. Both schools will commence their celebrations with homecoming football games. Paly will play Los Gatos High School on Friday night and Gunn will face off against Saratoga High School also on Friday night.

DEEP ROOTS . . . Powerpoint presentations, laptops and televisions are all state-of-the art methods for educating young minds in the classroom. But a flock of chickens? At Ohlone Elementary School, technology is cool, but just one way to teach kids about life. For the past 20 years, the school has been using the Ohlone Farm as a hands-on method for teaching kids everything from the history of the Ohlone Indians, who once inhabited the land, to earth science. The farm includes an organic garden, a small field, a pond, a greenhouse, two ducks and a handful of other farm animals. To celebrate the farm's anniversary, the school will be holding a harvest festival Oct. 23 from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, log on to http://www.ohlone.palo-alto.ca.us/index.html.

Send notices of news and events related to schools, child care or youth activities to Alexandria Rocha, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, 94302, or arocha@pawkeekly.com. The monthly school section runs the third Wednesday of each month. The deadline is the second Thursday of the month at 5 p.m.

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