When it comes to climate change, most schools get a failing grade.

But first, let’s look at the big picture, which shows a growing interest in building greener schools. Sixty schools across the U.S. have been certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, and 360 more are waiting to have applications approved.

There is a movement towards greener practices, too. Residence halls and dorm rooms are sporting energy-efficient mini-fridges and low-flow shower heads, among other eco-products for the generation used to sorting trash.

Locally, the Bay Area Green Business Program lists only four schools in Santa Clara County that they’ve certified as “Green.” San Mateo County started it’s program during the latter half of 2007 and is not yet certifying schools.

Stanford University is no surprise on the list. Stanford Dining received the first Acterra Award for Sustainability. They were a runner up in Grist’s 15 Green Colleges and Universities. They’ve embarked on a fascinating multidisciplinary Initiative on the Environment and Sustainablility. Lots of cool stuff going on at Stanford.

Palo Alto hosts two green schools: Castilleja, a private girls middle and high school on Bryant Street, and Gunn High School on Arastradero Road. The only elementary school is Sunnyvale’s Cumberland.

I guess as parents and teachers influence the schools, more environmental awareness will pass through the school. Then, the kids will be teaching us how to take better care of the planet we’ll be leaving them.

San Jose Magazine sure likes “best of” lists. According to the teaser on the Aug 07 cover, they’ve picked the top “cities and neighborhoods to consider moving to when buying a home and selecting a good school district for our kids.” That’s it. No overall criteria explained inside, as far as I could see.

However, there is a well-written individual description for each of these Best Places to Live selections. I added SJ mag’s sub-header to the names on the list to keep it interesting and entice you to look at the description, so here goes.

Atherton: Elegant gardens and native trees dominate this quiet small community.

Lovely homes on tree-lined streets have made Burlingame the “City of Trees.” (Trees and nature are mentioned throughout the descriptions of these Best Places.)

Campbell is a quaint community where tradition and progress go hand-in-hand.

Founded as an artists’ colony, Carmel is as inspiring and beautiful as it was more than a century ago. (The only coastal city on the list and the only one in Santa Cruz County.)

Diversity and high-tech innovation abound in Cupertino. (Schools are a regular highlight in these cities’ descriptions.)

With plenty of shopping, employment and recreational opportunities, Fremont captures metropolitan living at its best. (The only East Bay city listed.)

One of the fastest-growing cities in Silicon Valley, Gilroy is open for business.

Hillsborough: A great small town in which to lead a lavish life.

Tree-lined streets and a small-village atmosphere liven up Los Altos. (“Small town” feel is another feature prized by the group creating this list.)

Los Gatos: A small-town feel and rich history can be found in this bedroom community.

Milpitas: This forward-looking city is a vital part of the Valley’s economy.

The city might be tiny, but Monte Sereno is awash with beauty and rural charm.

Thoughtful planning has made Morgan Hill one of the Valley’s most desirable communities. (Valuing the past while planning for the future seems to be another key to getting on this list.)

Mountain View offers homes and amenities suited for every lifestyle.

Palo Alto: The “Birthplace of Silicon Valley” is a blend of old and new.

There are countless reasons why business and citizens choose to locate to Santa Clara.

Community pride and a rural feel separate Saratoga from Silicon Valley.

Woodside: A place to find small-town life at its finest.

San Jose neighborhoods:
Residents retreat from nearby Silicon Valley to the relaxing Almaden Valley.
Families build their future in the developing Evergreen Valley.
Rose Garden: San Jose’s historic neighborhood cultivates its turn-of-the-century beauty.
Hidden in the foothills, Silver Creek is sheltered from the chaos of Silicon Valley.
Willow Glen: A neighborhood that retains its unique identity in spirit and architecture.

There are no surprises on the list. This really is a great place to live.

It’s almost the end of class and towers of cardboard cover the tables and floor. Students have been learning the importance of a wide base to have a waist-high structure.

That may not seem like a tall order for most of us, but these students are five to seven years old. The class is Architectural Design for Kinders offered by Palo Alto’s Community Services Department as part of the summer program.

German native Anja Blum is an incredibly patient and encouraging instructor. She gets a little help from the few parents who stick around and help their child. An architectural designer herself, this is Anja’s first year teaching Kinders. Architectural Design for Kids (7-12 years old) is in its third year.

Through drawing and model making, Kinders learn concepts such as floor plan, elevation, stability, and interior design. The Kids class adds concepts such as scale, three-dimensional design, and designing furniture.

The most important goal is that they have fun working with the materials as they manipulate small boxes, construction paper, pipe cleaners, yogurt containers, toilet paper rolls, craft sticks, wire, strawberry baskets, scissors, tape, and glue.

It’s not be the Magic School Bus, but with these hands-on experiments, they certainly get to “take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!”

What did you do during your summer vacation? PACCC’s Neighborhood Infant Toddler Center was treated to a makeover. NITC is in a 50 year old adobe stucco house in Old Palo Alto a few blocks from Bowden Park.

Gratitude was appropriately heaped upon the parents, staff, and contractors for their support during the structural and cosmetic upgrades. Bob Davis and David England of Spectrum Fine Homes listed in the thanks. I know these guys and with their dedication to green construction, you can be sure that NITC has become greener.

Also thanked for their “quality and tireless hard work” were RJ Leonard Painting of San Jose, Economy Hardwood Floors of San Jose, Western Exterminator, Art-Craft Carpet and Linoleum Shop in Palo Alto and Timothy Andrew, aka “Handy Andy.”

In case you are not familiar with PACCC (Palo Alto Community Child Care), it’s one of the numerous options for preschool and after school care in Palo Alto. Not limited to Palo Alto residents, it’s a non-profit corp originally created out of Palo Alto’s desire to provide comprehensive child care covering ages two months to fifth grade.

My family gives special thanks to Cara Whaley and her staff at Barron Park Children’s Center, to Mary McCalister and Linda Jackson at Sojourner Truth Child Development Center in the Ventura neighborhood, and to Infant/Toddler & Preschool Coordinator Lisa Rock, who was always helpful and easy to talk to. Additional thanks and congratulations to Lisa Lewis who was Center Director of STCDC when we started and has been promoted again, this time to be PACCC’s Associate Director.

Schools are a pillar of real estate value. So when a school district redraws boundaries, it’s going to raise a lot more than eyebrows.

Los Altos is in that situation. Anyone who is planning to purchase a home in this city, needs to make sure that they are up to date on the new Los Altos School District attendance boundaries that were adopted on June 18, 2007. They will go into effect during the 2008-09 school year. Families already enrolled have already received a letter from the board.

School overcrowding is frequently a problem when choosing a new home. An incoming family may turned away from the neighborhood school due to maxed out enrollment.

Since 1999, Los Altos School District has been dealing with this problem by renovating and modernizing existing buildings, replacing the ninety leased portable classrooms with new buildings, and to reopen Covington School.