School Notes (7/3)

Registration opens Thursday for PAC program

The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department will open registration at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9, for its popular Phoenix Afterschool Center (PAC) program for the 2009-10 school year. The PAC program for the upcoming school year will feature new prices and payment options that will make it easier for some parents to register their children. The schedule and fees for the coming school year are now viewable online at www.phoenix.gov/parks or by phone at (602) 262-7370.

Parents may register online with any major credit card or in person at any department community center. Parents who register children for the program will have the option of paying per quarter and spreading out the program cost over the school year. There are 63 PAC sites city-wide planned for the 2009-10 school year.

PAC is an out-of-school time recreation program for kids in grades one through eight.

Primrose school sets Thursday open house

The Primrose School of Ahwatukee is currently enrolling for fall and will hold an open house from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 9, at 3922 E. Chandler Blvd. Parents are invited to tour the campus and meet the teachers and staff. Individual tours are available Monday through Friday.

Call (480) 460-1575 for information or to schedule a tour. More information is also available at www.primroseahwatukee.com.

SMCC storyteller honored for leadership, service

LynnAnn Wojciechowicz, director of the South Mountain Community College (SMCC) Storytelling Institute, is the 2009 recipient of the Western ORACLE Award. The ORACLE is presented to individuals who have made a significant contribution to local or regional storytelling and have used storytelling to benefit the larger community.

The National Storytelling Network (NSN www.storynet.org) recently made the announcement.

Wojciechowicz has been director of the SMCC Institute for the past seven years, producing an average of 30 storytelling events a year and teaching many of the courses offered in the 30-credit hour Academic Certificate in Storytelling. SMCC is located at 7050 S. 24th St.

Wojciechowicz will receive her award on Oct. 4 at the Regional Oracle Awards Ceremony during the 37th Annual National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn.

For more information, visit www.storyteller.net/tellers/lynnann or www.smcstorytelling.com.

Law school events

Community members are invited to have breakfast with Dean Eugene Clark at 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 14 at the Phoenix School of Law, 4041 N. Central Ave., Room 300. Clark will speak about life in law school and mingle with prospective students. Tours of the urban law school will be available directly after the event. The event is free, and breakfast will be served.

An information session is being offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, where faculty members will speak to prospective students on how be successful in law school.

This event is also free, and lunch will be served.

Parking is available in the garage, directly east of the building.

For more information, visit www.phoenixlaw.edu or call (602) 682-6800.

CGCC non-credit courses include piano, painting, picture books

Chandler-Gilbert Community College, 2626 E. Pecos Road in Chandler, is offering a variety of non-credit courses to help students meet their personal and professional goals. The schedule includes Instant Piano for Hopelessly Busy People, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. July 17; Fabulous Faux for Boring Walls, 6 to 8:30 p.m. July 17; How to Write Children's Picture Books, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 18; and How to Write Young Adult Novels, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. July 18.

To learn more or to register for any Continuing Education classes, call (480) 732-7080 or visit www.cgc.edu/cont_ed.

Sonoran Science Academy-Ahwatukee enrolling

Sonoran Science Academy-Ahwatukee, formerly known as Paragon Science Academy in Chandler, has moved to its new location at 14647 S. 50th St., Building 1, Suite 125, in Ahwatukee Foothills.

The school is now enrolling kindergarten to sixth grade for the 2009-10 school year. For information, call (480) 385-9007.

Kyrene continues free, reduced-price meals

Kyrene School District has announced its continuing policy for providing free and reduced-price meals for children served under the National School Lunch Program. Each school and/or the central office has a copy of the policy for anyone to review. Applications are avail­able at any time in each school office.

ASU offering over 100 classes next fall to high school seniors

Arizona State University is offering more than 100 classes next fall to qualified high school seniors, to give them a head start on a university career. Students can test their academic interests and explore majors and career options, before they begin freshman year.

The Collegiate Scholars Program offers courses in every college of the university at all four campuses. Eligibility is based on GPA, class rank and test scores. Once eligibility is confirmed, students may apply for admission and register. For a full listing of courses, visit http://promise.asu.edu/csp.

For more information, e-mail Mark Duplissis at mark.duplissis@asu.edu or call (480) 965-2621.

SMCC offers G.E.D. high school equivalency testing

South Mountain Community College, 7050 S. 24th St., is offering G.E.D. testing for individuals who do not have a high school diploma and are seeking to earn a high school equivalency diploma.

Candidates must be at least 16 years of age. Those under 18 must bring a notarized letter of consent from a parent or guardian, along with an official letter of withdrawal from their last school attended. The G.E.D. testing fee is $75, with a $15 re-test fee for each subject area. Testing is by appointment only, and pre-registration is required prior to testing. Pre-registration takes place on Monday afternoons between 1:30 and 3 p.m. Testing takes place on Wednesdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tests are available in English, Spanish and large-print. Special accommodations are available for examinees with documented disabilities.

For more information, call (602) 243-8188.

Navy Secretary OKs ROTC unit at ASU

The establishment of a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at Arizona State University for fall 2010 was announced by Rear Adm. Cliff Sharpe during a recent visit to the Tempe campus. ASU's application for a NROTC unit was approved by the Secretary of the Navy.

The NROTC program was established to educate and train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. A four-year NROTC scholarship features full tuition at a select college or university, all college or university educational fees, a stipend for text books, all uniforms, up to three summer training events and a subsistence allowance for each academic month.

Plans are to have teaching and administrative staffs in place by the summer of 2010 in order to support the arrival of students in August 2010.

More information is at https://www.nrotc.navy.mil.

Summit School of Ahwatukee open for campus tours

The Summit School of Ahwatukee welcomes families to tour the campus this summer. A limited number of openings remain for preschool through 8th grade.

The NAEYC accredited preschool offers Spanish, Art, Music, Library and tumbling classes. Students excel in Kindergarten through 8th grades with challenging academics, lab science, art, music/band, technology, Spanish, library, PE, and public speaking opportunities.

Summit is located at 4515 East Muirwood, one block south of Chandler Boulevard, off 46th Street. Summer hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (480) 403-9506 to schedule a tour, or explore the Web site at www.summitschoolaz.org.

Mountain Pointe High School happenings

• Summer office hours at Mountain Pointe High School will be observed through July 17 and will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Wednesdays, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays and closed on Fridays.

• Book and preliminary schedule distribution dates for the 2009-10 school year will be held 7:30 a.m. to noon alphabetically by last name as follows: So to Z, July 28; Pe to Sn, July 29; M to Pa, July 30; Hi to L, July 31; E to He, Aug. 3; C to D, Aug. 4; and A to B, Aug. 5.

Ribbon cutting at new public charter school

Phoenix Collegiate Academy, a tuition-free, public charter school located at 5610 S. Central Ave., will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. Aug. 1. Local political officials, the school board chair and school director will speak. Attendees will also receive a tour and have a chance to learn more about the school.

Phoenix Collegiate Academy's mission is to prepare sixth through twelfth grade students for success in college and leadership in the community. 

For more information, visit www.phxca.org or call Rachel Bennett at (602) 268-9900.

Bilingual adults interested in becoming registered nurses

If you are interested in becoming a registered nurse and you speak, read and write fluently in both Spanish and English, you will want to attend an information session of the Bilingual Nursing Fellowship Program (BNFP) at South Mountain Community College. Sessions will begin at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 19 and 10 a.m. Sept. 5 in the Student Union, 7050 S. 24th St. Applications will be available at the meetings.

For more information, call (602) 243-8269 or visit http://nursing.southmountaincc.edu/.

Reunion planned for DV's 1st graduating class

The Desert Vista High School Class of 1999 will have its 10-year class reunion on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Rustler's Rooste. Spread the word, and come reminisce with old friends! More details will be available soon.

For information, e-mail reunion committee members at DVHSreunion1999@gmail.com or visit them on mySpace and Facebook. 

Hampton Inn supports parents with ‘Cash for College'

The excitement of visiting college and university campuses just got a boost with Hampton Hotels' "Cash for Colleges" contest to award families with funds for their college-bound children's tuition.

To be entered automatically into "Hampton's Cash for College Sweepstakes," parents simply need to book a stay at www.hampton.com/collegetours and enter promo code CAMPUS now through Dec. 7. Two lucky winners will receive $5,000 each, to be used for college expenses. The first grand prize winner will be announced in September, and the second grand prize winner in December.

For more information, call Donalie McIntire, general manager of Hampton Inn Phoenix, Chandler (7333 W. Detroit St. in Chandler) at (480) 753-5200.