Education notebook

LOCAL MCDONALD’S RESTAURANTS DONATE TO CLASSROOMS

The Greater Las Vegas McDonald’s Operator Association donated $10,000 in grants to classrooms at more than 20 elementary and middle schools.

The Make Activities Count, or MAC grants, help teachers in kindergarten through eighth grade raise up to $500 to fund unique learning activities.

MAC grant applications will be available again to Clark County School District teachers beginning in the fall semester.

SEWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS RECEIVE NEW BIKES

After-School All-Stars students at Sewell Elementary School, 700 E. Lake Mead Parkway, received new bicycles and helmets at the ninth annual PK Bike Day March 25. The bikes were provided by the Patrick Kelley Youth Foundation, which supports at-risk children. Students also received lunch from Piero’s Italian Cuisine, 355 Convention Center Drive. Students from Dondero, Mendoza and Rowe elementary schools also received bikes.

ASAS provides free after-school activities to more than 6,000 at-risk youths at 15 schools in the Las Vegas Valley. More than 1,200 bikes have been donated to ASAS students on PK Bike Day since 2004. The foundation also has donated more than $115,000 for college scholarships to local students.

For more information, visit pkyf.org or asaslv.org.

STUDENTS AT FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS RECEIVE BACKPACKS, BOOKS

About 1,000 students from Crestwood, Lake, Paradise, Park and Peterson elementary schools received backpacks with collections of classic and contermporary literature. The books were paid for by funds raised at TribeFest 2012, a conference of the Jewish Federations of North America March 25-27 in Las Vegas.

DARNELL ELEMENTARY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN

Darnell Elementary School, 9480 W. Tropical Parkway, is accepting applications for its full-day, tuition-based kindergarten for the 2012-13 school year. The full-day program is set to run from 9 a.m. to 3:21 p.m. Monday through Friday and costs $375 per month. Children must be 5 years old by Sept. 30.

Registration runs through April 27. For more information, call 799-6630.

SCOTT ELEMENTARY ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN

Scott Elementary School, 5700 N. Bruce St., is accepting applications for its full-day, tuition-based kindergarten for the 2012-13 school year. The program runs Monday through Friday and costs $375 per month. A $100 non-refundable payment by cashier’s check or money order is required. Children must be 5 years old by Sept. 30.

Registration runs through April 27. For more information, call 799-1766.

NEVADA PTA TO HOST ANNUAL CONVENTION

The Nevada PTA’s 72nd annual convention is scheduled from April 26-28 at Texas Station, 2101 Texas Star Lane in North Las Vegas. Any local PTA members are welcome to attend the workshops, presentations and banquet, and vote on Nevada PTA bylaws and amendments.

For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit nevadapta.org.

CROSSING GUARD ESSAY CONTEST OPEN TO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

The Clark County School District is accepting submissions through April 11 for the My Favorite Crossing Guard Essay Contest. Students in first through fifth grades are eligible to participate.

Winning students and their teachers will receive prizes to be determined. Crossing guards in the winning essays will be recognized at a September event.

Two available topics are: "Who is your favorite crossing guard and why?" and "Why are crossing guards important and how can they help students?"

Essays must be no more than one page, typed or handwritten. A small drawing can be included on the page but is not required. The back of the page should include the student’s name, teacher’s name, school, grade and crossing guard’s name.

Entries must be submitted through school mail to Cheryl Wagner, School-Community Partnership Program, location 145.

For more information, contact Wagner at 799-6560.

CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HOSTS PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

The Clark County School District is accepting submissions through April 12 for its 45th annual photography contest.

Categories include architecture and cityscapes; animals or living things in nature; people, candid or fashion; special techniques or computer manipulation; and unclassified for anything not fitting into other categories.

Prizes will be awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners in each category. A Canon Rebel T3 camera will be awarded to the overall best photo.

Student entries can be unlimited. Entries must be original photos taken by the student. Previous years’ submissions are ineligible. Photos must be a minimum of 5 inches by 7 inches and a maximum of 11 inches by 14 inches. All submissions must be mounted on an 11-inch by 14-inch board.

Each photo must be clearly labeled on the back with the student’s name, school, grade, teacher or adviser name, photo category and title.

Entries may be sent through school mail, location code 012, or dropped off at the district’s communications office, 5100 W. Sahara Ave.

For more information, contact Michele Nelson at 799-5304.

MEDICAL SKILLS FOR LIFE INSTITUTE GIVING DISCOUNTS ON TUITION

The Medical Skills for Life Institute is offering 10 $5,000 and $500 tuition grants to the first 20 students who enroll and are accepted through June 30 for the medical assistant or phlebotomist program.

For more information, call 645-7900 and ask for the admissions department from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit www.medicalskillsforlife. com.