Elementary school hosts International Week festivities

Students and staff at Santa Rita Elementary School in Los Altos celebrated student diversity last month through its annual International Week celebration.

Two days of events exposed students to different cultures, spreading awareness and empathy with presentations, dances and flag parades, according to organizers. Student ambassadors and sixth graders designed country presentation slide shows and activities, which were then presented in classrooms.

There were also flag parades, grade-level dances and cultural dances. The sixth-grade team performed “We’re All in This Together” from “High School Musical” to symbolize a school community that supports unity and togetherness.

Students and families also attended the first ever International Charity Gala in the evening. There were food trucks featuring foods from different cultures and a fundraising auction.

Contributed by Shai Erez and Beatrix Parker, who are sixth grade students at Santa Rita.

Mountain View High hosts suicide prevention walk

Mountain View High School held its first Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention last month.

The community event was part of Mental Health Awareness Week hosted by Ambassadors, a student leadership group on campus that's focused on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. The walk also involved 11 community mental health partner organizations, including Community Services Agency, Uplift Family Services and CHAC (Community Health Awareness Council).

Participants learned about suicide prevention from the three speakers, including former Palo Alto mayor Vic Ojakian, whose son died by suicide. There were also performances from the school's music and choir departments, and a symbolic lantern lighting ceremony as the sun set.

"We hope this event becomes an annual event to bring light to the mental health challenges that our students, families, and community have faced in recent years," Ambassadors teacher Lauren Camarillo said in an email.

Mountain View runs emergency response academy

The Mountain View Fire Department is running a free series of emergency response trainings next month that are open to adults living or working in Mountain View.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy will cover disaster preparedness, disaster medical operations, fire suppression and light search and rescue, among other topics.

The training is meant to prepare residents to help themselves, their families and neighbors in a disaster where emergency services may not be available.

The classes will be held over the course of five evenings and one weekend day in May. Starting on May 5, the academy will run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through May 19. There will then be a final field day disaster simulation on Saturday, May 21.

Space is limited and those interested are asked to only sign up if they can attend all six sessions.

For more information and to sign up, visit mountainview.gov/depts/fire/preparedness/cert.asp.