Education notebook

Former Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden is scheduled to speak at Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High School’s annual Scholarship Endowment Fund Gala Oct. 22 at Red Rock Resort, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the school’s scholarship fund, which is expected to provide nearly $450,000 in tuition assistance to students in need. For information about tickets and sponsorships, call 804-4474 or visit faithlutheranlv.org

TREE-DECORATING CONTEST SCHEDULED AT VALLEY AUTOMALL

Valley Automall, 300 Auto Mall Drive in Henderson, is accepting entries for its 14th annual tree-decorating contest. Entries are due Nov. 11 and will be accepted in the order they are received. The event takes place Dec. 1, and one team per school will be selected at random if there is more than one entry.

Teams of students will be given money to purchase decorations of their choice and asked to decorate trees at participating dealerships. Winning trees, as voted on by judges, will receive $3,000 for first place, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third.

For more information, call 568-1487 or contact manager@valleyautomall.com.

PHOTO CONTEST OPEN TO ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

The Clark County School District is accepting submissions through Nov. 11 for the Middle School Electronic Photo Contest. Entries must be original photos taken by a middle school student in JPEG format no smaller than 200 DPI. The student’s name, photo title, school, grade and a teacher’s name should be emailed to mnelson2@interact.ccsd.net.

Categories include Show Off Your School, It’s a Small World, Favorite Places, Pets and Computer Madness. There is a limit of one entry per category, per student, and each entry requires a separate email. Prizes include a framed photo, gift card and acknowledgement at a December Board of Trustees meeting. For more information, visit ccsd.net.

LITERACY TOUR TO COLLECT BOOKS FOR READING PROGRAM

Winder Farms and Mac King’s Magical Literacy Tour are hosting the Delivering Magic Book Drive through Oct. 22.

The drive benefits local public elementary schools as part of the Public Education Foundation’s program, Clark County READS.

Those interested in donating can do so at the Gardens Park Farmers Market, 10401 Garden Park Drive in Summerlin, on Tuesdays through Oct. 18 or at the Henderson Pavilion Farmers Market, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway, on Fridays through Oct. 21. Winder Farms customers can place their donations in the retailers’ designated coolers on their front porches.

Those who donate at least three gently used books will receive two tickets to the "Mac King Comedy Magic Show" at Harrah’s Las Vegas and an entry for the grand prize, which includes free Winder Farms groceries for a year and $2,000 donated to the winner’s choice public elementary school.

For more information about the book drive, visit winderfarms.com.

ESSAY CONTEST, $1,000 UP FOR GRABS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The Bill of Rights Institute in Washington, D.C., is hosting a nationwide essay contest for all high school students, with cash prizes of up to $1,000.

The Being an American Essay Contest explores the founding principles outlined in the Constitution, specifically, "How does the Constitution establish and maintain a culture of liberty?"

Three students from each of five geographic regions will win first-, second- and third-place prizes. Essays should be 1,000 or fewer words.

For more information, visit billof rightsinstitute.org/contest. Deadline for submissions is Dec. 15.

COMPUTER CLASSES FOR SENIORS TO BEGIN IN NOVEMBER

The Las Vegas SeniorNet Learning Center, 6615 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 104, plans to offer two-hour computer courses once a week for six weeks beginning Nov. 7.

Classes are peer-taught by computer-fluent senior volunteers in subjects such as Computer Fundamentals, Email Basics, Microsoft Windows Basics, Internet, and Scanning and Digital Imaging.

SeniorNet, a nonprofit group started in 1986, is available for adults 50 or older. Membership is $40 for the first year and $30 thereafter. Some classes may require an additional $15 fee.

For more information or to sign up for classes, call Mary Myers at 279-4939.

WIN YOUR SCHOOL A SHARE OF $20,000 ON FACEBOOK

Nevada State Bank plans to donate $20,000 to three public schools in the state that receive the most votes on the bank’s Facebook page.

The Nevada State Bank $20K Giveaway: You Vote, Schools Win campaign is open through Friday. To vote, "like" the Nevada State Bank page and you will be directed to a voting page. Voting is open to anyone with a Facebook profile, and there is a limit of one vote per day.

First prize is $10,000, second is $6,000, and third is $4,000. The winning schools are scheduled to be announced the week of Oct. 24.

DOOLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN READING CONTEST

Dooley Elementary School, 1940 Chickasaw Drive, won the 2011 Apple Core reading incentive program and received $7,000 from the Atkins Foundation.

The contest, organized by the city of Henderson and the Clark County School District, awarded the school whose students had the most after-school reading hours in May.