Toad sculpture dedication and party at Atherton Library

The Friends of Atherton Community Library will celebrate the newest addition to its Atherton Library community, the bronze toad sculpture, commissioned by the nonprofit to celebrate the new library facilities on June 15 from 4 to 5:20 p.m.

The celebration will include:

• A slime zoo

• A toad craft project

• A toad sensory bin

• A toad book giveaway

• A storytime

The dedication will be followed by the town's Sounds of Summer concert series featuring Mercy and the Heartbeats, a '70s, '80s and '90s band.

There will also be food trucks.

For more information, go to ci.atherton.ca.us/500/Events.

Portola Valley Sheriff's contract Q&A

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office will host a Q&A session on Tuesday, June 13, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Historic Schoolhouse, 765 Portola Road, about its contract with the town of Portola Valley.

Captain Mark Myers will address questions, concerns and discuss the proposed new contract with the town. This is an opportunity for the community to ask questions about the contract, scope and cost increases. The event will be offered both in-person and on Zoom. There will be a recording for those who can't attend.

Sacred Heart Schools teacher and middle school curriculum head appointed to National Assessment of Education Progress panel

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton (SHS) educator and current Middle School Curriculum Director Sharon Sikora, was appointed to the steering 30-person panel for the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) to update the science framework for the "Nation's Report Card" in 2028, according to a press release. The panel is made up of teachers, curriculum experts, school administrators, policymakers and scientists.

The Nation's Report Card is used in policy-making to determine education funding and legislation. The report card includes the results of a nationwide exam for science that is given every four years to a random sampling of students in the fourth, eighth and 12th grades. The last update to the framework was made in 2005, for the 2009 assessment.

"This work we're doing on the panel has the potential to impact the next 18 years of science education because the next review might not be until 2040," she said in a statement. "To me, that's when it hit home how important this is. ... We want it to capture potential future trends in science. We need to make sure it's grounded in strong science concepts and at the same time be looking forward."

Sikora has taught science for 35 years. She was also a Congressional Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow from 2016 to 2017 to work on national education advocacy and policy. In that role, she served in in the office of U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.

Sikora has a bachelor's degree in zoology from Pomona College and a master's degree and doctorate of science in chemistry from the University of Denver. She completed a post-doctorate study in science education as a Senior Fellow at the NSF funded Center for Learning and Teaching in the West.

—Angela Swartz

San Mateo County and Menlo Park seek advice on Coleman Avenue and Ringwood Avenue

San Mateo County and the city of Menlo Park are asking residents to provide feedback on how they use they use Coleman Avenue and Ringwood Avenue. The city is pursuing this information in a survey to make the streets safer for pedestrians, drivers and cyclists.

The city and county are looking to make changes to two parts of Ringwood Avenue, near Menlo-Atherton High School and near Laurel School, as well as two sections of Coleman Avenue.

Residents who want to give feedback can provide it at tinyurl.com/coleman-ringwood and more information can be found at smcsustainability.org/colemanringwoodwalkbike.

Parkline developers to hold open house June 10

Lane Partners, the developer behind the Parkline project on SRI's campus in Menlo Park, is holding an open house on June 10 for public input on the multi-story development on SRI's campus. The development, as currently proposed, will have housing as well as office buildings for SRI.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in SRI's Lot G on Laurel Street. Residents can RSVP for the open house at menloparkline.com/RSVP.

—Cameron Rebosio