Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
CCSD parents, kids get head start
Meadows Mall event provides info, answers
In little more than two weeks, 322,000 students will file into Clark County School District schools when the 2016-17 school year begins Aug. 29.
The district held its annual Cox Back to School Fair & Shot Clinic on Saturday at Meadows Mall to assist parents and students with schoolyear preparations including transportation, lunches and required immunizations.
Jinnie Anderson brought her three children to learn more about organizations such as Safekey, a recreational environment for students in kindergarten through fifth grade at 76 CCSD elementary schools and two middle schools.
“I’m surprised at the turnout,” Anderson said. “There’s a wide variety of community services and organizations.”
Anderson’s children are entering kindergarten, fourth and 11th grades.
“I’m trying to get my oldest ready for college and my youngest started in school,” she said. “They all received homework for the summer so school hasn’t stopped for them.”
Cheryl Adler Davis, director of Family and Community Engagement Services (FACES), was on hand to answer questions and provide information about the year-old program that has aided more than 2,000 parents.
Adler Davis said the program offers more than 80 courses to help parents navigate topics such as how to communicate with the school district, how to register their child for school and how to help them with different subjects.
“We help parents become more engaged in order to increase student achievement,” Adler Davis said. “Parents want more and we can’t give them enough information.”
Michael Endy brought his daughter, Jillian, a seventh-grader-to-be at Leavitt Middle School to get her registered for an online course. Jillian,a student council president, enrolled in U.S. History online in order to still participate in choir.
“It sounded like fun, and I have friends on student council,” she said. “I’m excited to meet my teachers and for what I’m about to learn.”
Patty Rosales, CCSD director of human resources, was joined by 20 colleagues to hand out school calendars, location maps and curriculum guides in both English and Spanish.
“We want to meet the needs of our community,” Rosales said of the multilingual information. “Families are always thankful for us being here and having information.”
She added, “You can feel the energy in the air from students and their families. Everything is new this year.”
Clark County schools are all new to Erica Jordan, who moved to Las Vegas from Los Angeles over the summer. Her son is entering seventh grade and daughter is going into first grade. Jordan began her school shopping in earnest Saturday.
“We have to get some supplies and get ready,” she said. “My daughter went to school here last year, and she had a great teacher, so I hope that sets the tone for this coming school year.”
Two more fairs are scheduled Aug. 20, both from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Boulevard Mall, 3528 S. Maryland Parkway, and Downtown Summerlin, 1980 Festival Plaza Drive.