Science of queuing for minimum wait in line

Just in time for the traditional kick-off to the holiday shopping season: here’s an interesting essay via The Conversation, on why a single long line, served by multiple cashiers, can be more efficient and move more quickly than several smaller lines each with a single cashier. The essay focuses on grocery stores relying on the “single-server” queuing model — but I’ve observed that many grocery stores combine single-server and multiple-server models.

Individual cashiers continue to each ring customers through individual lines, and choosing wrongly can result in significant wait. But in the same store, a single line of customers will form for several self check-out devices. And sure enough, even if one self-module breaks down or is subject to slow-down, that wait time is dispersed across the entire system. Customers can move to the next available unit instead of having to wait for that one.

‘Sal and Gabi Break the Universe’ by Carlos Hernandez

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe is slated to be an upcoming release under the Rick Riordan Presents imprint.

Sal, protagonist and narrator, has the ability to open portals to parallel worlds and pull objects through to our own universe. He can even summon people -- specifically, the other-world counterparts of his deceased mother.

Gabi, the school’s student-body president and editor of the school newspaper, is determined to get the complete story behind the so-called “Poultrygate” incident ... in which Sal made a raw dead chicken appear in the school bully's locker and then mysteriously vanish again.

Completa seis horas de lectura recreativa, para Six Flags Read to Succeed

(En español / In Spanish)
Con una semana de no escuela para el Día de acción de gracia​,​ ahora es un buen tiempo para estudiantes en grados de K a 6 ​completar sus​ seis horas de lectura recreativa para Six Flags Read to Succeed. ​P​or favor, devuelve el diario de lectura a tu maestro por 15 de febrero 2019.​​

(En inglés / In English)​
With a week of no school for the Thanksgiving holiday, now is a good time for students in Kindergarten through grade 6 to complete their six hours of recreational reading for Six Flags Read to Succeed. Please return your reading log to your teacher by Feb. 15, 2019.​

Santa Rosa schools remain closed Tuesday

In a Monday-night email, Diann Kitamura, superintendent of Santa Rosa City Schools, announced that schools will be CLOSED on Tuesday, Nov. 13. “The air quality declined on Monday night, and causes serious concern about the well-being of our students, staff and families. All after-school programs and athletics are also cancelled for Tuesday. We will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates about the rest of the week as soon as they are available. We will post information on www.srcschools.org, and our Facebook and Twitter pages @SRCSchools.”

No school today due to poor air quality

Santa Rosa City Schools has closed its schools for today (Friday, Nov. 9), as a result of poor air quality.

Textbook delivery via bicycle

Rode my bicycle to Santa Rosa City Schools this morning, for a district meeting. The distance represents just a few minutes’ ride from Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. I stuffed my pannier, trunk bag, and backpack full of instructional materials for delivery back to my site. Talk about a win-win; my school’s teachers will get their books as soon as I’ve cataloged them; my bicycle was that much more stable during wind-gusts thanks to the added weight; plus I’ve saved someone else maybe having to make a delivery that put them out of their way.

Copperfield’s ‘Money for Schools’ fundraiser

If you’d been thinking about buying books, this is a special weekend to do it, because your purchases can support Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts. Copperfield’s Books is holding a special “Money for Schools” fundraising weekend at all of its locations from Nov. 2 through 4. Mention the name of our school at the register and Copperfield’s will donate 20 percent of your purchase to the school.