Education Notebook: School news and events for Aug. 13-19, 2015

Hash House A Go Go collecting school supplies

Hash House A Go Go is supporting Communities In Schools of Nevada's annual Fill The Bus school supply drive by offering two locations for guests to donate needed items. Guests who make a donation will receive a 10 percent off certificate to Hash House A Go Go.

Supplies needed include backpacks for all ages, 1- and 2-inch binders, composition notebooks, college- and wide-ruled notebooks, college-and wide-ruled notebook paper, pocket folders, markers, crayons, mechanical pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, glue, highlighters and colored pencils. Uniform items include navy and white polo shirts, as well as jeans and khaki and navy slacks, for elementary- and middle school-age children. Gift cards to locations where uniform items can be purchased are also being collected.

Items can be dropped off through Aug. 20 at Hash House A Go Go at 6800 W. Sahara Ave. and 555 S. Stephanie St. in Henderson.

We Care program helping to recruit teachers for school district

Through its We Care program, a partnership with the Clark County School District, volunteers from the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce are reaching out to teachers who have been offered contracts by the district to urge them to accept a position in Clark County.

The program aims to cultivate relationships with prospective teachers in order to recruit them to Clark County. Volunteers call and email prospective teachers who have been offered a contract to share information about the quality of life in Southern Nevada and answer questions about Las Vegas.

According to a July 23 Las Vegas Review-Journal article, the district expects to start the school year this month with at least 700 teaching vacancies.

Visit lvchamber.com/we-care.

Bank of Nevada collecting supplies for students in need

Bank of Nevada is collecting school supplies through Aug. 28 for students in need at Sewell Elementary, 700 E. Lake Mead Parkway in Henderson; McMillan Elementary, 7000 Walt Lott Drive; Innovation International Charter School, 1600 E. Oakey Blvd.; and Virgin Valley Elementary in Mesquite.

The public can drop off new school supplies at any of the 11 Bank of Nevada branches in Southern Nevada from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visit bankofnevada.com.

Track Break Club planned for year-round students at Midbar Kodesh Temple

A Track Break Club for students who will be attending year-round schools is set to begin in August at Midbar Kodesh Temple, 1940 Paseo Verde Parkway in Green Valley Ranch. Students ages 5 to 12 are welcome to join in the camp-like fun, which will also include math, science, reading and computer technology. The club will coincide with the Clark County School District's year-round school calendar. Before and after care options are available.

City of Las Vegas recognizes McWilliams Elementary for reducing chronic absenteeism

The Las Vegas City Council planned to recognize the achievements of McWilliams Elementary School, 1315 Hiawatha Road, during its Aug. 5 meeting. McWilliams staff members and the surrounding community were honored for reducing chronic absenteeism at the Ward 5 school.

Through the Downtown Achieves and My Brother's Keeper programs, the city has made it a mission to help reduce chronic absenteeism, increase literacy and improve summer learning.

Cox Communications plans back-to-school fairs

The eighth annual Cox Back-to-School Fairs, sponsored by Amerigroup Community Care, are planned for Aug. 15 at The Boulevard Mall, 3528 S. Maryland Parkway; and Aug. 22 at The Galleria at Sunset, 1300 W. Sunset Road. Fairs are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are open to the public. They are set to feature more than 40 booths from community agencies, nonprofits and businesses.

Attendees can expect to find resources and information geared toward the back-to-school readiness, with scheduled participants set to include several divisions of the Clark County School District with information on food service, bus transportation, zoning and more. Low-cost immunizations will be provided through First Med Health and Wellness Center in partnership with Immunize Nevada.

Visit coxknowledgecollege.com.

Hospitality school launching new courses to strengthen labor force for trade show industry

The International School of Hospitality, 3614 E. Sunset Road, No. 110, plans to offer several new courses this fall to strengthen the Las Vegas labor force for the booming trade show industry.

The programs are:

Exhibition and Trade Show Management Certificate, a program designed to provide an intermediate level of knowledge in exhibition and trade show production and management, along with necessary organizational, marketing, site, design and evaluation strategies, focusing on the details of exhibition production and management.

Hospitality Marketing and Sales Certificate, designed to provide beginner to intermediate knowledge in industry marketing and sales. Specifically, students will gain an understanding of price, product and promotion across various categories, including food and beverage and conferences, focusing on essential knowledge regarding distribution, revenue management, customer relationship management, market segmentation and trends.

Certificate in Hospitality English, designed to prepare international students and those who want to improve their language skills for communicating effectively in the hospitality industry, with a multi-level curriculum including intensive training in listening, speaking, writing and contextualizing information.

Tuition for the new courses starts at $1,650. Visit tisoh.edu or call 702-947-7200.

Catholic Charities plans back-to-school backpack event

Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada needs donations for its Back-To-School Backpack Event, set for Aug. 15. The organization, 1501 Las Vegas Blvd. North, plans to give away nearly 1,000 new backpacks full of school supplies to students in elementary, middle school and high school who are part of Catholic Charities' client families.

Donations will be accepted through Aug. 14 at Catholic Charities' Rainbow Thrift Store, 915 S. Rainbow Blvd. Call 702-385-2662.

Back-to-school event planned at Antonello Elementary

A back-to-school event is planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 15 at Antonello Elementary School, 1101 W. Tropical Parkway. A barbecue, disc jockey and clown creating balloon animals are planned, and backpacks are set to be distributed.

Call 702-799-8380.

Nevada Connections Academy plans information session in Henderson

Nevada Connections Academy plans to host an information session from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Seven Hills Conference Center, 3215 St. Rose Parkway.

The academy is a virtual public school, and the sessions will allow interested families to meet with its certified teachers and parents with children currently enrolled.

Visit connectionsacademy.com/nevada-virtual-school/our-school/home.aspx.

CASA Foundation plans annual back-to-school event

The CASA Foundation is looking for donations of school supplies for Clark County children in foster care. Backpacks filled with school supplies will be distributed during the annual CASA Foundation Back-to-School event hosted at Square Salon shortly before school starts on Aug. 24. The salon is donating free haircuts, styling and manicures, and Toll Brothers luxury home builders is collecting backpacks and school supplies.

"We are expecting as many as 400 children at our event, and we want to make sure they are well prepared to go back to school in style," said Elizabeth Ham, CASA Foundation board trustee. "We are hoping to have enough backpacks to distribute to foster children who attend, as well as those that are unable to make it to the event. "

Items needed include: backpacks, crayons (no glitter), pencils, pencil boxes and pouches, wide-ruled spiral notebooks and notebook paper, pocket folders, pink bar erasers, glue sticks, small tissue packs, small pencil sharpeners, colored pencils, markers and rulers.

Donations can be dropped off at the CASA office, 601-D N. Pecos Road, at Square Salon, 1225 S. Fort Apache Road, or at Toll Brothers, 3178 Porto Vittoria Ave., or at any Toll Brothers sales office.

Call 702-588-2272 or visit casafoundationlv.org.

Drop off school supplies at Nathan Adelson Hospice through Aug. 21

Nathan Adelson Hospice has partnered with Grant Morris Dodds law firm for its annual Back to School Drive to help local students. Through Aug. 21, the hospice and law firm locations will serve as drop-off points for school supplies for students at Robert Taylor Elementary School, 144 Westminster Way, and Sunrise Acres Elementary School, 211 N. 28th St.

School supplies needed are: backpacks, paper, crayons, markers, scissors, erasers, glue sticks, tissue boxes, colored pencils, pocket folders, rulers, binders, paper towels and zipper bags. Items can be dropped off from 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Nathan Adelson Hospice at 4141 Swenson St. or 3150 N. Tenaya Way, on the third floor of the MountainView Medical Offices building; or from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Grant Morris Dodds at 2520 St. Rose Parkway, Suite 319, or at 10161 W. Park Run Drive, Suite 230.

The donations are scheduled to be delivered to the schools before the start of classes on Aug. 24.

Catholic Daughters offering scholarship for Bishop Gorman student

Catholic Daughters of the Americas Nevada State Court is offering a one-time scholarship of $720 to Bishop Gorman High School for a Catholic girl entering as a freshman in 2015. Applications will be accepted Sept. 1-Oct. 1.

Email State Regent Jina Couvrette at cdascholarshipnv@cox.net.

Nevada State Bank recognizes volunteers for financial literacy program

In June Nevada State Bank recognized 81 colleague volunteers from Southern Nevada at its annual Financial Literacy Volunteer Recognition luncheon. From June 2014 through May 2015, bank employees volunteered to teach 692 classroom hours through Junior Achievement, Nevada State Bank's Banking on Your Future program, and Get Smart About Credit and Teach Children to Save (both programs of the American Bankers Association).

The outreach to the small business community included 40 hours through collaborations with SCORE and Business Opportunity Workforce Development. Fifty-five colleagues who taught four or more classes received special recognition for their efforts.

Health district plans back-to-school immunizations

The Southern Nevada Health District is offering back-to-school immunizations for pre-schoolers, kindergartners and seventh-graders for mandatory vaccinations at any of its public health centers. call 702-759-0850 or visit snhd.info.

Parents who cannot locate their children's immunization records can visti izrecord.nv.gov or call Nevada WebIZ at 877-689-3249.

$200,000 grant to help Nevada PEP

The U.S. Department of Education plans to award $200,000 to Nevada P.E.P. Inc's parent training and information program for the first year of a five-year grant. The program is designed for parents of children with disabilities to educate them on services available under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, enhance understanding of their children's educational and developmental needs, and help them better communicate with personnel responsible for providing special education, early intervention and related services to meet their needs.

Visit nvpep.org.

Teacher EXCHANGE opens for school year

The Public Education Foundation's Teacher EXCHANGE, a re-use, repurpose and surplus school supply/material resource center for Clark County School District teachers, opened for the new school year on July 28 at 4350 S. Maryland Parkway. School district teachers and licensed staff and teachers at state-sponsored charter schools are invited to shop for supplies and materials needed for the upcoming school year. New members receive 100 free points to shop with. Additionally, members can make a $25 tax-deductible donation and receive 500 points. Donations help offset operational expenses.

The Teacher EXCHANGE will remain open throughout the school year. Summer hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Visit thepef.org/programs_exchange_calendar.html.

International Experience USA seeks host families for exchange students

International Experience USA, a nonprofit high school student exchange organization approved by the U.S. Department of State, is seeking host families in the Las Vegas Valley to provide room and board, help with transportation and provide emotional support to exchange students. The students provide their own insurance and personal spending money.

Visit ie-usa.org or contact Carol Myint at 507-301-3615 or c.myint@international-experience.net.

WGU Nevada adds bachelor's degree in health care management

Western Governors University Nevada, a state-endorsed nonprofit, online university, has added a new degree program aimed at preparing health care professionals for management roles. The Bachelor of Science in Business—Healthcare Management is designed for working business and health care professionals who need to earn a bachelor's degree to advance their careers. The program is online and competency-based and will equip students with knowledge and skills needed to serve in a variety of leadership roles at a range of health care-related organizations and facilities, including hospitals, physician offices, skilled nursing facilities, health care facilities, accountable care organizations, insurance companies, and community health organizations.

Applications are being accepted, and students may begin on the first day of any month starting in September. Visit wgu.edu/healthcaremanagement.

Miracle Mile Shops collecting change for Communities In Schools of Nevada

The change collected from the fountain in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort through August will benefit Communities In Schools of Nevada. Visit cisnevada.org.

4-H membership drive planned for October

The 4-H youth development program plans its annual membership drive during October. The program, offered throughout the Las Vegas Valley, focuses primarily on positive youth development and is open to all youths 5 to 19.

Visit http://www.unce.unr.edu/4H/.