About 250 students, teachers and parents gathered at La Entrada School in Menlo Park for an evening of writing, or coding, computer programs on Dec. 3.

The event, which coincided with Computer Science Education Week, was part of "Hour of Code," a nationwide coding movement for students. This year's theme for the Las Lomitas Elementary School District event was "superheros."

"Everyone seemed to be having fun, and it was nice that everyone felt accepting of coding as cool," said La Entrada student Lucas.

During the event, K-5 students learned programming tools such as the fundamentals of logic, sequencing instructions, loops, conditionals, basic debugging and events, said Angela Ping, the event's organizer and the district's grades 4-8 technology instructional integration coach.

Ping also heads the district's Design Tech Lab. In the upper grades, students practiced web programming languages such as HTML, JavaScript and Python to create projects, she said.

Students also learned how to collaborate in teams to solve problems and reach goals, all while using technology, Ping said.

"We seek to help our students build human relationships through technology instead of promoting isolation and narcissism," Ping said. "Hour of Code develops a superpower: coding. Coding is one tool that can nurture the 'solutionaries' (someone who makes a difference in the world) of tomorrow. At the core of every school event is the goal for every student to be a solutionary no matter what educational superpower they wield."

The district began hosting Hour of Code events in 2013 and has been a leader in "evangelizing coding" among schools in San Mateo County, Ping said.

District officials are particularly proud of this year's event, as it shifted from an adult-driven event to a more student-led event, Ping said. "The Tech Ease" club led the event's hands-on lab and worked as leaders alongside adults during the night, she noted.

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