Education Notebook

SCHOOL BOARD APPOINTS INTERIM DISTRICT E REPRESENTATIVE

The Clark County Board of School Trustees on July 19 appointed René Cantú Jr. to serve as the interim representative for District E, which encompasses parts of the Centennial Hills and Summerlin areas. The seat was left open a month earlier when former trustee John Cole resigned. Cantú has lived in District E since 2001 and is the executive director of the Latin Chamber of Commerce Community Foundation. Cantú also was an administrator at Nevada State College from 2003-09.

The District E seat will be on the November ballot and filled Jan. 7, 2013.

RAINBOW COMPANY TO HOST AUDITIONS FOR TRAINING CLASS AND ‘TOM SAWYER’

The Rainbow Company Youth Theatre’s Student Ensemble audition is scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St. The ensemble is a theater training program open to children 10 to 17.

Auditions for "Tom Sawyer" are scheduled for 1 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center. Roles are available for those 10 or older. Performances are scheduled for Oct. 5-14.

Participants are encouraged to dress comfortably, and no prepared material is needed. The Rainbow Company Youth Theatre is a program of the city of Las Vegas Office of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 229-6553 or visit artslasvegas.org.

COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA OFFERS FREE U.S. NATURALIZATION PREP CLASSES

The College of Southern Nevada is offering a free 12-week preparation course for the U.S. naturalization exam at its Sahara West Center, 2409 Las Verdes St., and Green Valley Center, 1560 W. Warm Springs Road. An orientation session, which includes a reading assessment, is required to be enrolled in the class. Students who do not qualify will be referred to English classes.

Orientations are scheduled from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday and Aug. 7 at the Sahara West Center. To register, visit csn.edu/workforce, call 651-4487 or visit the Sahara West Center.

The course focuses on civics content, including history and government, and oral and written skills through sample tests and mock interviews. Classes run 2 hours and 30 minutes once a week.

CITY OF LAS VEGAS HIRING HELPERS FOR AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

The city of Las Vegas is looking to fill more than 60 positions in its Safekey program, a before- and after-school recreational service for youths. Safekey is offered at 68 elementary schools in Las Vegas.

Positions available for the upcoming school year include site leader and site assistant. Positions average between 19 and 25 hours per week, ranging in pay from $10 to $12 per hour.

Applicants must be 18 or older and have a high school or GED diploma, among other requirements. Applications are available at lasvegasnevada.gov/employment or at the Safekey office at 1651 S. Buffalo Drive. For more information, call 229-3399.

FREE READING AND MATH TUTORING AVAILABLE FOR K-5 STUDENTS

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ America Reads/Counts Program are offering free reading and math tutoring for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Classes are scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays through August at the Cambridge Community Center, 3930 Cambridge St.

Space is limited. To register, call Zory Caldera at 894-9964.

UNLV LIBRARIES TO HOST WORKSHOP FOR ENTREPRENEURS

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries’ Business by the Book Workshop Series plans to host its next free session, Marketing Resources Revealed, from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Lied Library at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. The series is taught by librarian Patrick Griffis and informs business owners and entrepreneurs about online resources available at UNLV Libraries.

For more information, call 895-2286.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL EVENT PLANNED AT CENTENNIAL HILLS PARK

A back-to-school community event is planned for 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday at Centennial Hills Park, 7101 N. Buffalo Drive.

The event will include free school supplies for participants, while supplies last, and a free movie.

Several community partners will be present to provide school supplies and information about their services.

The movie "The Muppets" is set to be shown in the amphitheater at dusk.

Attendees can bring blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy free light refreshments while they last.

For more information, call 229-6154.

HENDERSON OFFERING EARLY REGISTRATION FOR BEFORE- AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Henderson’s Parks and Recreation Department is offering early Safekey and Teen Scene registration open to all Henderson public elementary and middle school students. Safekey and Teen Scene are before- and after-school programs that offer supervised recreational opportunities for kids.

Early registration is available from 3 to 7 p.m. Aug. 15-17 and Aug. 22-24 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 18 at the following locations: Black Mountain Recreation Center, 599 Greenway Road; Henderson Multigenerational Center, 250 S. Green Valley Parkway; Valley View Recreation Center, 500 Harris St.; Silver Springs Recreation Center, 1951 Silver Springs Parkway; and Whitney Ranch Recreation Center, 1575 Galleria Drive.

For more information and pricing, call 267-4100 or visit cityofhenderson.com/parks.

VACCINATIONS REQUIRED FOR SCHOOL

The Southern Nevada Health District has reported 22 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, since January. Seven have occurred in children younger than 1 year. The health district reminds parents, health care providers and child care providers to receive the vaccine. For information, call 759-0850 or visit southernnevadahealthdistrict.org.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVES PLANNED

Nathan Adelson Hospice locations will serve as drop-off points for school supplies for students at Robert L. Taylor Elementary School, 144 Westminster Way in Henderson, and Sunrise Acres Elementary School, 211 28th St., through Aug. 22.

Among supplies needed are: backpacks, paper, crayons, markers, scissors, glue sticks, tissue, binders, colored pencils, rulers, paper towels, hand sanitizer and zip-close bags.

Items can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 4141 Swenson St. near East Flamingo Road and 3150 N. Tenaya Way at the corner of Cheyenne Avenue in the MountainView Medical Offices building. The donations will be delivered to the schools before the first day of classes Aug. 27.

For more information, visit nah.org.

HELP of Southern Nevada, 1640 E. Flamingo Road, is scheduled to host a school supply drive Monday through Aug. 11. Supplies can be dropped off between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

For more information, call 369-4357 or visit helpsonv.org.

PROGRAM OF ACADEMIC EXCHANGE SEEKS HOST FAMILIES FOR STUDENTS

The Program of Academic Exchange, or PAX, is accepting applications for host families for the 2012-13 school year for its foreign exchange student program.

Hosts are expected to provide a room, food and an environment in which to study. Exchange students are fully insured and are responsible for their own spending money. High school exchange students come from more than 40 countries.

For more information, visit pax.org or contact local recruiter Margaret Hoppe at 203-5255.

MADAME TUSSAUDS OFFERS FREE ADMISSION FOR STRAIGHT-A STUDENTS

Clark County School District students with straight A’s on their spring report cards can receive free admission through August to Madame Tussauds, a wax museum at The Venetian, 3377 Las Vegas Blvd. South, No. 2001. Students must present their report card at the box office to receive a ticket.

For more information, call 862-7800 or visit madametussauds.com/lasvegas.

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS TO ACTIVE, RETIRED MILITARY

The University of Phoenix, 7455 W. Washington Ave., and American Veterans, or AMVETS, a veterans education advocacy group, will award 50 scholarships worth $7,000 each to active-duty service members, veterans and eligible family members to pursue a degree from the University of Phoenix. Applications for the 2012 University of Phoenix AMVETS Scholarship are being accepted through Aug. 21.

For more information, call 638-7279, visit phoenix.edu or amvets.org.