Incline Village Schools

The Reno Philharmonic is scheduled to put on a concert, "Mr. Smith's Bowl of Notes," at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 24, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St., Reno.

For more than four centuries composers have used the same 12 notes of the musical scale to create an incredible variety of sounds, textures, and emotional meaning in their music. They have used the same notes… but it is HOW they used those 12 notes that makes all the difference in the style! Mr. Smith’s Bowl of Notes, a delightful romp through 4 centuries of music opens the ears of new concert-goers—young and old—to discoveries of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th Century periods as ever-evolving musical styles leading up to… what? What will those 12 notes become in the hands of Mr. Smith?

Tickets are just $10 for general admission and $5 for kids 12 and under.

Details: 775-686-6600 or www.renophil.com.

Attached, please find the October 16 edition of the IES Newsletter.

The Reflections Art Program for 2009 is underway, this year's theme is “Beauty Is”  Students are invited to    create an original art piece in the categories of visual arts, photography, film production, literature, dance and musical composition.

The entry date is November 13, 2009.  Contact Pauline Leoncio with any questions at 775-240-0991 or email: tahoetrini@hotmail.com

Getting messy is good for you.

At KidZone Museum, classes provide opportunities for children to get messy and explore art and science materials freely, thereby developing creativity, perception, problem solving, imagination, self-confidence, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, language skills, open-ended thinking, and observation skills. Parents will experience new discoveries with their child, get ideas for activities to do at home and receive resources about child development.

Fun fall schedule

Session 1, Sept. 22–Oct. 29; Session 2, Nov. 3–Dec. 17.

Messy Art: Ages 2-6 with parents, Tuesdays, 10-11:30 a.m., drop-in, free with admission. Session 1: Drawing Media. Session 2: Clay Play. Messy Science: Ages 2-6 with parents, Thursdays, 10-11:30 a.m., drop-in, free with admission. Session 1: Splash, freeze, squish and squeeze. Session 2: Bubbles, light and colors bright. Wonder Science: Ages 4-6 (children only), Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Cost: $75 (members get 20 percent off). Session 1: Wet and Gooey Wonders. Session 2: Colors and Chemistry.

New Halloween science family play lab: Glowing and gooey science centers to explore together, Sunday, Oct. 18, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., drop-in, free with admission.

Calling all grown ups: Want to see new ideas at Lucky Duck Farm? The volunteer Exhibits Committee will be meeting at KidZone Museum on Monday, Oct. 19 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss possible changes to the current exhibit. Anyone who would like to share ideas, energy, and talents is welcome. It's all about dreaming, designing and delivering.  Contact Leslie, Exhibits Coordinator, with questions 546-9131 or mnlsaxe@sbcglobal.net.

KidZone Museum is a non-profit organization. Please call 587-KIDS (5437), visit www.KidZoneMuseum.org, or come by 11711 Donner Pass Road, Truckee for more information.

Dragonfly dinner and art auction:  Grab your friends and join the annual Dragonfly Dinner and Art Auction — a delectable fundraiser benefiting KidZone Museum and InnerRhythms Dance Theatre Thursday, Oct. 15, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Dragonfly Cuisine in Truckee. Enjoy an evening of dinner and art from our local community. This evening includes a teaser, appetizer, entrée, dessert and a live dance performance by InnerRhythms Dance Theatre at 587-0557. Reservations after 7 p.m. receive a complimentary glass of champagne.

Complimentary babysitting is available at the KidZone Museum for the first 40 children. Call 587-KIDS (5437) to reserve.

The KidZone and InnerRythms families appreciate this generous donation from Chef Billy McCullough and Phebe Bell of Dragonfly.

KidZone Museum and InnerRhythms Dance Theatre are non-profit 501(c)3 organizations. Visit KidZoneMuseum.org or InnerRhythms.org.

The Children's Cabinet at Incline Village in collaboration with the Washoe County School District and Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation will be kicking off its annual coat distribution Oct.19. Children of Crystal Bay and Incline Village in need of a new winter coat can be referred by a local agency or school to the Children's Cabinet. The coats will be distributed at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Non-Profit Center until supplies last.

Information on how to make a referral for a brand new children's coat can be obtained by contacting Tim Nelson at (775) 298-0201 or timothyn@cciv.org. Anyone interested in donating for the coat distribution should bring new coats, gloves, caps and/or socks to the Children's Cabinet office located at 948 Incline Way. Checks can be sent to Warm ‘n Cozy Kids, 948 Incline Way, Incline Village, NV 89451.

The not-for-profit Suzuki Music Association of Reno/Tahoe is enrolling new students for fall classes that will begin Monday.

Classes are for children ages 3-6 and their parents and will run for 10 weeks from 4 to 5 p.m. on Mondays at Billinghurst Middle School, 6685 Chesterfield Lane.

All necessary materials are provided, and an instrument is not needed at this time. Tuition and material fee is $170 per student, half of which is due with registration; the remainder is due at the first class. The registration deadline is Monday, the first day of class.

The Suzuki Method of music instruction is based on the concept that a child can be taught music at a very early age, much the same way that he or she learns to speak languages: through listening, repetition and encouragement. The Suzuki Music Association of Reno/Tahoe is dedicated to bringing the Suzuki Method to children as young as 3 years old in Northern Nevada and eastern California.

Details or to register: Call Melanie at 775-342-8844 or visit renosuzukimusic.wordpress.com.

All Incline Trick-or-Treaters and their parents are welcome to join the quest by parking there mere mortal vehicles at the Incline Middle School parking lot or Sierra Nevada College parking lot before entering the haunted trail.  Stops include:  The DWR/Parasol Center, the "Fantasy Forest", "RIP" (Recreation in Peace) at the Rec Center, the Lake Tahoe School, the "Talking Tree Forest" and "The Haunted Halls" of SNC.  The Spooky Shuttle will return with any survivors to their cars parked at either lot.  Come join the fun... we are dying to see you!

Date:  Thursday, October 29th

Time:  4pm - 8pm

Fee:  FREE!

Location:  DWR/Parasol Center, Rec Center Lobby, Lake Tahoe School and SNC

School Zone is a weekly column written by the Washoe County School District trustees and administrators about key issues and noteworthy news for parents, teachers and students.

During the past few months, the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees has made it a priority to become a "peak performing governance team." In any given organization or institution such as the WCSD, board members must adopt core elements that align success with every operational aspects of its organization in order to meet its mission. In our case, that means becoming a "world-class school district."

There are five core elements that are essential to becoming a high-performing governance team. The first one is to be united in service to children. My fellow trustees and I are committed to serve the best interest of all children. During the past two years, WCSD staff has assessed the needs of our student population and as a result, provided us with information on the rapidly growing demographics within our school district. This information assisted the trustees in developing a strategic plan where we stipulate rigorous academic standards for every child. The latter being another core element in setting indicators of success that guide the direction of the entire school district.

The third element is to have a clear understanding of our role as board members versus that of the CEO. The CEO for the school district is the superintendent. The seven trustees, along with Superintendent Heath Morrison, understand that in order to make change or reform, we must delineate our roles while maintaining a leadership team approach. We, as trustees, operate based on policy. It is superintendent Morrison who handles the management of the entire operation. Many who serve on community boards know the difficulty of separating these roles. How often do we see board members who want to cross over into the management/operational side? When that happens, it can devastate an organization or stop its progress. Thus, the relationship between board members and CEO must be a relationship based on trust, loyalty and respect, another key element in becoming a peak performing governance team.

The final element is to establish strong and durable linkages with the community. I hope you agree that during the past six months, the WCSD board members been proactive in seeking community input. This will continue. We want regular and meaningful dialog so that we can reach new heights as an educational institution.

As a school board, we continue to learn and grow. We are determined to be a peak performing board that focuses on making sure the correct policies and procedures are in place to achieve our mission. After all, every decision we take, every policy we implement is taken to ensure our students receive the very best education possible.

Estela Gutierrez is vice president of the Washoe County School District Board of Trustees.

An Internet campaign aimed at encouraging students and parents throughout Nevada to build and prepare for college starting in elementary school was launched last week through a new Web site, GoToCollege.com.

The Web site will serve as the "Go To" link for information about available resources that students can use to help them plan, prepare and pay for college, including information about federal money available for higher education through grants or loans. The site also will includes specific information about Nevada colleges and universities and other scholarships, grants, work study opportunities and loans that might be available to students if they complete the necessary paperwork.

The Web site will assist parents with children as young as elementary school age appropriately plan for their children to attend college with methods like a savings plan.

"Nevada has ranked 49th or 50th for many years for percentage of low-income students participating in college," Natalie Mazzullo, community education specialist with the Nevada System of Higher Education, said in a statement. "We want to help encourage students to consider college and give them the information and resources they need to show them it is possible to continue their education."

The Go To College campaign was created with a grant from the federal College Access Challenge Grant Program and is under the direction of the Nevada P-16 Advisory Council.

This effort is designed to foster partnerships among federal, state and local government and philanthropic entities to increase the number of underrepresented students in postsecondary education.

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education also is involved in the campaign as it administers Nevada's CACG grant on behalf of the P-16 Council and provides project planning, technical assistance and program evaluation.

Additional Facts

On the Web:  www.GoToCollege.com, a new Web site that promotes preparation and provide information on resources available for higher education.

The Washoe County Health District will begin vaccinating high-risk groups for the H1N1 (swine) flu on Thursday, Judy Davis, the district’s spokeswoman, said today.

Those groups are:

* Health care and emergency medical services personnel who still haven’t been vaccinated.

* Pregnant women, who are at higher risk of complications and can potentially provide protection to infants who cannot be vaccinated.

* Caregivers or other people who are in contact with children younger than 6 months of age. Those infants are at higher risk of influenza-related complications but can’t be vaccinated. Vaccinating those around them could protect then from the virus.

* People ages 6 months through 24 years of age. Children from 6 months through 18 years of age are in close contact at school and at day care facilities, which increases the likelihood of spreading the disease. Many cases of H1N1 influenza have occurred in young adults 19-24 years of age because they often live, work and study in close proximity, and they frequently are a mobile population.

* People who are 24-64 years of age with underlying health problems, such as diabetes, asthma, a weakened immune system, heart and lung disease, are more susceptible to serious complications from H1N1.

Davis said the inoculations will be given based on the honor system, but people will be asked to sign a brief form citing what condition they have that puts them in the high-risk category.

There is no charge for the H1N1 inoculations from public health agencies because the vaccination program for the novel flu strain is funded by the federal government.

The free shots are available at the Washoe County Health District, at 1001 E. Ninth St., Building B. The vaccinations are on a walk-in basis.

Because the health district has been inundated with questions about the H1N1 flu, it has set up a toll-free number for the public to call and get answers through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at 1-866-767-5038.