EDUCATION NOTEBOOK

CSN'S DESERT GARDEN CENTER CLOSING TO PUBLIC

The College of Southern Nevada's Desert Garden Center, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd., will close its doors to the public Thursday.

A clearance sale will take place at the center from now until Thursday. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Desert Garden Center will continue to host educational events in the spring and fall to teach Southern Nevadans about desert-adapted plants and ornamental horticulture.

VEGAS VERDES STUDENTS HONORED BY READING PROGRAM

Vegas Verdes Elementary School, 4000 El Parque Ave., is one of seven schools statewide to be honored as an honor roll campus through the Reading First program, which aims to ensure that students learn to read by the end of third grade.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS PARTNER, FAMILIES HAVE MORE OPTIONS

The Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain, 10845 W. Desert Inn Road, partnered with The Solomon Schechter Day School of Las Vegas, 10700 Havenwood Lane, to add Hebrew to its middle school language program beginning with the 2009-10 school year.

This partnership also will allow Solomon Schechter graduates to enter Dawson beginning in sixth grade. These students will receive their secular education at Dawson, while continuing to take Hebrew and Jewish studies at Schechter.

School board meeting held second and fourth Thursdays

The Clark County School District Board of Trustees holds a regular meeting at 4 p.m. every second and fourth Thursday of the month in the Edward Greer Education Center Board Room, 2832 E. Flamingo Road. For those who can't make the meetings, they are Web cast live on www.ccsd.net.

LAS VEGAS HIGH SCHOOL TO FEED AND ENTERTAIN

Las Vegas High School, 6500 E. Sahara Ave., will present a dinner theater production of "Pinocchio" at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 through 22 in the school cafeteria. There will be a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Nov. 22.

Tickets cost $10 per seat and must be purchased by Nov. 6. For more information, call 799-0180, Ext. 4051.

VEGAS PBS PROVIDES CAPTIONED EDUCATIONAL MEDIA

Vegas PBS Educational Media Services provides described and captioned educational media for teachers, parents and caregivers of students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing. For more information, call 799-1010.

UNLV PROFESSORS RECEIVE EDUCATION GRANT

Three College of Education professors at UNLV were awarded grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education to improve the quality of special education programs and increase the number of special education teachers.

Special education professors Tom Pierce and Kyle Higgins received a four-year grant worth nearly $800,000 to start an accredited training program for new special education teachers.

Two-thirds of the funding will be used for tuition assistance.

The program will be open to people with a bachelor's degree who want to become full-time special education instructors specifically trained to help people with autism or intellectual disabilities. The grant is expected to result in 60 new teachers.

Kristin Sayeski, also a special education professor, received a five-year, $500,000 grant to enhance the special education emphasis of the Master of Education program.

VOLUNTEERS GIVE MCCALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL A FACELIFT

Volunteers from MGM Mirage helped beautify McCall Elementary School, 800 E. Carey Ave., in connection with National Make a Difference Day.

CSN HOSTS EL DORADO AWARDS

The College of Southern Nevada hosted the El Dorado Awards earlier this month to recognioze the accomplishments of those who have made a difference in the Latino community. Merlinda Gallegos, vice president of corporate philanthropy of MGM-Mirage; Aracelica Paredes, chief executive officer of Super Mercado Del Pueblo; and Cipriano Chavez, dean of CSN student affairs, received awards.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY OFFERED FOR YOUNG WOMEN

The Miss Greater Las Vegas and Miss Clark County Dual Scholarship Program will host its second annual pageant at 2 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Clark County Library theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

Contestants will compete for scholarship assistance to support college or graduate school education. Other scholarships will be granted to runner-ups and special award winners. For more information about competing, volunteering or sponsoring the Miss Greater Las Vegas and Miss Clark County Dual Scholarship Program, visit missgreaterlasvegas.com.