It’s Monday, March 28. Here are five things you should know today.

1. It’s official: Somerville High School has been named Innovative School of the Year. Let there be much cabbage-patching and other self-righteous, celebratory dance moves. To what does SHS owe this distinct honor? Well, the title was awarded by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council and it’s been several years in coming, actually. In 2005, the MassBioEd Foundation named our revered high school as one of 34 top ‘BioTeach’ schools. SHS created a pair of Biotechnology classes and became a component of the foundation's Life Science Career Development Initiative; it’s since grown into an exciting and ever-expanding part of the curriculum, engaging students in revealing experiments with soil DNA and genetic modification amongst other things. For additional reading, click here.

2. Enthusiastic Somerville resident and active Patch member Ron Newman has published a nifty google map that documents cut-throughs, passageways and other nooks that many of us regularly use to get around the city on foot and bicycle. This will perhaps be most revealing to folks that commute out of Somerville for work and therefore aren’t here crossing hither and yon on a daily basis. But regardless of how you get around, it’s mighty cool… not to mention a great way to add a moment’s solitude to what has otherwise become a crowded existence. Thanks, Ron!

3. The Cambridge Art Association is a making a call for the Northeast Prize Show, which will be juried by Theodore Stebbins, Curator of American Art at Harvard University's Fogg Museum. Open to members and non-members in the Northeast working in all media. Digital Entries due Friday, April 15th by 5pm.  Online entry will be facilitated via CAA's website. Download the PDF prospectus here.

4. The Capuano Community (aka the Capuano Early Childhood Center) is raising funds for the victims of the earthquake/tsunami in Japan. They’re asking people to send in their pennies (or other coins) to 150 Glen Street where they’ll be collecting them in the office. They’re currently consulting with local Japanese families to determine the best choice of charity to receive the collected funds. Donations will be accepted up until Thursday, April 14th. Call 617-625-6600 for more information.

5. Casting Call: Somerville Patch is gearing up to launch a new video segment called “You Said It” involving a weekly question and impromptu responses from area residents. There will be five responses each week, one for each day. While the videos will move into a true ‘man on the street’ format as the weather improves, I thought perhaps I’d try and organize it a little differently for the first two weeks. I will not reveal the questions ahead of time, but (no worries) they will be socially acceptable and relevant to things happening in town. If you’d be interested in participating in the first two weeks worth of videos, please email me: ctreacy2010@yahoo.com. I’m hoping to round everyone up for a half-hour or so this Thursday and the one after, sometime between 5 and 7pm (this is negotiable depending on availability, obviously). We could meet at the Davis Starbucks… I will announce the question, you’ll come up with your answer, I’ll film it. Cut—print. Sound good? Have a look at Beacon Hill Patch for an idea of what this might be like.