It looks like my five-year-old is going to repeat kindergarten because he is not reading and writing at the level required for first grade. Very little about that worries me. He loves Kindergarten, worships his teacher and gets on famously with all of his classmates. There are a lot worse things than repeating possibly the best year of elementary school.

The information does however make me reflect on the days when my 14-year-old went to kindergarten, also in the Los Altos school system. I remember fairytales and art projects, make-believe and swing sets, singing and dancing and sharing. There was some work on the alphabet, and I remember science projects like growing silk worms from cocoons. Everything was warm and fuzzy and colorful. The biggest pressure was making it to the bathroom in time and remembering to wash hands afterwards. When we assessed our oldest son halfway through that school year I was surprised that his teacher had reservations about sending him on to first grade. Her trepidation was not based on his ability to read and write but rather on his maturity (or lack thereof) and enormous shyness. He, like the silk worms, quickly evolved and emerged at the end of his kindergarten year with plenty of gumption to go on to first grade and a nod of satisfaction from his teacher who truly cared about him.

So what are the requirements today for our five and six year olds to move from kindergarten to first grade and who sets them?

Los Altos follows carefully the standards set by the State of California. The STAR testing that all public school children go through each year measures how well schools are fulfilling their State requirements. There is bonus money tied to good STAR testing results and Los Altos has cashed in year after year.

In the course of study document handed out at my son’s school it says, "Although there is no assurance that each child will master every area, a major effort will be made to ensure maximum understanding and mastery." The areas which our kindergartners are required to master include mathematics, reading and written language, science, social studies, reference skills, physical education and fine and performing arts. A full academic plate for sure.

The mathematics requirements include number sense, algebra and functions, measurement and geometry, statistics, and mathematical reasoning. English encompasses the usual; reading and writing. Reading comprehension can be assessed from what they have read, heard or viewed. Writing must be legible and two or three word phrases are expected. Our littlest students must have phonemic awareness…that is knowing all the sounds that different letters and letter combinations make. Science and Social Studies are still pretty warm and fuzzy. Information about seasons, weather, growth, plants and animals (such as silk worms) heroes, geographic diversity, cultures and customs are taught through projects and field trips.

Some parents feel that we are pushing our kids too hard and too fast. The effect of expecting more does trickle up through the grades. My own (absolutely non-scientific) observations are that private schools in the area have been moving at this accelerated academic rate for some time. I also know that I held my first son for a year before starting him in kindergarten. I wanted him to be one of the older children in the class to give him an advantage. My youngest son’s birthday is July 17^th and he is one of the youngest children in his class. I wonder if more parents are waiting to start their children in an effort to gain the advantage that they perceive is needed in order to respond to the academics?

The fact that the majority of my son’s class are moving up proves that five-year-olds and six-year-olds can be taught these requirements. Screening is done before a kindergarten year to make sure a child is ready to start kindergarten. The screening is helpful, but not foolproof. Kids are growing and changing at a very fast rate at this age. I am thankful that our school system takes the time and care to identify children who are not yet ready to move on. So, one more year of wonderful kindergarten sure beats repeating any other grade down the road.

For more information about the State requirements go to www.cde.ca.gov/standards

The Single-Story Overlay law has been available to residents for over a year now. The new law provides a tool allowing neighborhoods to undertake a process which provides an opportunity to adopt or reject new zoning which prohibits two-story development. The Overlay was crafted under a political dark cloud which encumbered the new law with many roadblocks. Much to the credit of the current council the process has been revised, smoothed and made more equitable. But there is more work to do.

Los Altos bases the fee of $4,075 on "full cost recovery," and on estimates of the time it takes the City staff to move the application through the process. Some of the work is done by the neighbors. For instance, envelopes for all mailings are prepared by the neighbors, and all postage is paid by the neighbors. The process requires two mailings to all parcel owners within 500 feet of the defined neighborhood. The neighbors must go to city hall and cross reference two books, one showing the city streets with parcel numbers, and the other showing parcel number and owner’s name and address. They then need to address and stamp the envelopes and deliver them to the city staff. Furthermore, they must prepare and stamp envelopes for all of the notifications to the parcel owners within the neighborhood.

Lynnie Melena, Senior Planner for the city of Mountain View, explained that Mountain View considers the one-story overlay process like other rezoning processes and charges the same fee for all, $1261. Fifty-one percent of the parcels within the zone must comply with the height limit, and a simple majority of the owners can apply for the zone change. Like Los Altos, two-thirds of the voters most vote for the overlay. Similar to Los Altos, parcel owners within 300 feet must be notified of the pending zone change. However, in Mountain View the process to pull the parcel owners names and addresses is automated and is performed by the city staff. The city staff also prepares the envelopes and pays for all postage. Lynnie says that it is not a cumbersome process.

Palo Alto uses a contractor, Chandler Le, to process the overlay zones. Palo Alto does not charge a fee for the overlay process. The thinking behind the $0 fee is that this is a service provided to the resident/taxpayers. The Palo Alto process does not require a two-thirds vote, but rather a "healthy majority." Also, an overlay application trumps a two-story application, helping to eliminate the race to city hall. The neighbors pull the name and addresses of the owners of parcels within 300 feet, but the city staff prepares the envelopes and pays for the postage.

Perhaps it is time to look at the Overlay in a different way. The R1-S Zoning process is often seen as pro-one-story neighborhoods. Actually, it is not pro-one-story. It is simply pro-neighborhood. The problem for the city, for the neighborhood, arises when neighbors do nothing to establish what they want their neighborhood to be, and then get surprised when they cannot automatically get what they want. Neighbors who wish to keep their neighborhood one-story find that a two-story house is being proposed, and they are upset. Similarly, neighbors who proceed on the assumption that they will not meet opposition for a two-story house are surprised by the reaction of their neighbors against their plans, and they are upset.

The R1-S Zoning establishes the criteria for housing in the neighborhood, either one-story or two-story. Peter Mills, in a letter to Mayor Casto and Councilmen, recently suggested, "The message should be the SAME to both camps: If you want to preserve a two-story neighborhood option, then take action to preserve that zoning by applying for and defeating an R1-S application. Similarly, if you want to preserve a one-story neighborhood, then apply for and pass an R1-S application." He adds, "We should rename the ordinance and banish the ‘one-story overlay’ title. It should be renamed, "Neighborhood Zoning Declaration."

Perhaps it is time for the City to embrace the Overlay as a way to help eliminate contention in as many neighborhoods as possible. A $0 fee would certainly encourage residents to take on the process for a long lasting result, whether it be in favor of two story development or not.

The Overlay process, or "Neighborhood Zoning Declaration," promotes positive neighborhood relationships. The City should encourage them, and one of the best ways to do that is with the elimination of the $4075.00 fee.

There is no way to prevent West Nile Virus from entering Santa Clara County. The County is doing plenty to minimize the spread of the disease once it arrives by routinely surveying creeks and waterways for infected, adult, female mosquitoes. Fortunately the primary carrier of West Nile Virus is a strain of mosquito that prefers to feast on birds. The County has distributed flocks of chickens which will hopefully tempt the first West Nile Virus mosquito arrivals. By testing these chickens regularly, as well as any dead birds a resident calls about**, the County will hopefully collect the very first indications that the Virus has entered the County. (**Call 1-408-792-5010 to report a dead bird. The County will pick it up and test)

If you have been outside at dusk lately you may have noticed the first mosquitoes of the season. The Santa Clara County Vector Control District is cautioning residents to be mosquito safe this season. Eliminating places where mosquitoes breed is a first step. Get rid of any standing water in your yard. Standing water only an inch deep can become the birthing place for hundreds of mosquitoes. Birdbath water should be changed weekly. Water gardens should be stocked with mosquito fish which the County will deliver right to your doorstep. *(Call 1-408-792-5010 to request free mosquito fish and delivery.)

Most people who are bitten by a mosquito carrying West Nile Virus will suffer little or no effect. Young children, the elderly and anyone with an immune system which is compromised should exercise caution. At risk individuals should either avoid the outdoors at dusk or be sure to wear insect repellent when outside.

Congratulations to the parents from Almond, Montclaire and St. Simons schools on getting Council approval to submit Safe Routes to School (SR2S) grant applications for safety improvements relating to the school commute. SR2S is a Caltrans program that channels Federal funds to local jurisdictions to eliminate hazardous conditions and address inhibitors to children walking and biking to school. The current state program has two cycles remaining before the program is set to expire at the end of 2004.

The Almond sponsored application will request $555,000 to design and construct improvements along Almond Avenue between Doud Drive and El Monte.

These improvements include a new sidewalk and traffic

to reduce speeding around Almond

School.

The Montclaire and St. Simons sponsored application will request $336,000 to design and construct Grant Road pedestrian safety improvements including a mid-block crosswalk, warning lights, landscaped medians and pathway between Grant and Morton Drive.

Congratulations to the parents who volunteered countless hours to drive the application development process. LANN wishes both groups good luck on getting their respective City submitted applications funded. Cities will be notified in October/November on applications selected for funding.