FOR A GOOD CAUSE . . . Teenagers are invited to a benefit concert featuring five local high school bands on Dec. 21. The proceeds of the event, to be held at the Mitchell Park Community Center from 8 p.m. to midnight, will benefit the Ecumenical Hunger Project. Admission is a can or package of food, or $1. The bands scheduled to play are: The Electrocutes, Inspected by #7, Dan Horn Trio, Peno Peno, and a special surprise band. The benefit concert was originally organized four years ago by members of the Electrocutes, an all-girl band formerly known as Raggady Anne.
LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE . . . Menlo-Atherton High School will host Ralph Baker, area director of the Western Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities on Jan. 9. Baker, who works for the Far West Laboratory for Research and Development in San Francisco, will speak about shifting the focus from what is wrong with youth to what is right and changing terminology from "children at risk" to "children at promise." Baker has done extensive research on prevention of alcohol, drug abuse and school violence. The free event, open to parents, students and the community, will be held in the Menlo-Atherton High School J Building at 7:30 p.m.
COMMUNICATING . . .Two Menlo-Atherton High School students, Shontaya Ellis and Rochelle Waters, were among 11 students awarded Certificates of Completion for an eight-week communication and leadership workshop put on by Opportunities Industrialization Center West's "School After School for Successful Youth" program along with the SRI Organon Toastmasters Club in Menlo Park. Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving speaking, listening and thinking skills. The course was offered free to high school students as a public service.
POP OPEN A BOOK . . .State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin is encouraging parents to give children books for the holidays and also encouraging children to take part in the "Pop Open a Book" campaign. California's students are joining those throughout the United States in setting a goal to read 1 billion books by April. One billion half-inch thick books laid on top of each other would encircle the earth. California's share is 120 million books. The campaign is part of the national "Count on Reading" program sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians. The final count will take place at the Librarians' conference in Portland in April 1997.
LAWYERS IN CLASS . . . For the second year, the Palo Alto Area Bar Association is sending its lawyers into Palo Alto high schools' government classes to do role-plays and mock court sessions to teach students about the law. In one scenario, Paly High is transformed into the all-girl "Gloria Steinem High." The on-campus sessions took place earlier this month, but they will be televised live again on MPAC Channel 6 on Jan. 8. Stay tuned.
MONEY FOR BOOKS . . . The Palo Alto Bayshore Rotary Club, which includes Ravenswood City School District board President Lois Frontino, presented a check for $300 to the district's Child Development Center last month to buy books for the children.
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