In Brief | Schools 8-28-13

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Waimea Montessori open house today

Waimea Montessori open house today

Families of current and prospective students, 15 months to 6 years old, are invited to an open house from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. today at the Hawaii Montessori School in Waimea, 64-1058 Mamalahoa Hwy. Families will tour classrooms, learn about the school, its program and financial aid opportunities, and meet faculty members and staff.

The school uses the principles and methods of Maria Montessori. The classroom environments allow children to develop at their own speed, according to each child’s capacity in a noncompetitive atmosphere.

For more information, contact Executive Director Angeline Geldhof or Campus Director Becky Watkins at 885-7683 or Kamuela@hawaiimontessori.org or visit hawaiimontessori.org.

Registration open for after-school program

Family Support Hawaii is seeking 15- to 18-year-old volunteer mentors for its Positive Youth Development after-school program. Registration, for students in grades 6 through 8, is also open.

The program is offered at Kealakehe Intermediate School from 2:48 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 12:40 to 5 p.m. Friday. The program is free to eligible students. Students from other schools may participate, but transportation is not provided.

Activities include leadership skill building, physical fitness, excursions, arts and crafts, video editing and graphic art.

For additional information, or to request an enrollment packet, contact Family Support Hawaii’s Youth Development Specialist Jefferson Gourley at 334-4156 or jgourley@familysupporthawaii.org. Enrollment packets are also available in the Kealakehe Intermediate School main office.

Reading program
kicks off Tuesday

Friends of the Libraries, Kona is hosting the free family read aloud program “Books are Building Blocks” from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Kailua-Kona Public Library. Participants will “travel the world” through reading and have their “passports” stamped each month. Chad Wiggins, manager of the Nature Conservancy’s Hawaii Island Marine Program, will lead a journey to the underwater reef, sharing ways to preserve sea turtles and all other forms of life that live there.

Parents must attend the program with their children. Reading groups are separated by grade: kindergarten, grades one and two, three and four, five and six and parents. Group leaders read, then moderate discussion.

Registration is held from 4:30 to 5 p.m. in front of the library. Participants meet on the lanai after the program for light refreshments, door prizes and books. For more information, email FOLK@folkhawaii.com or visit folkhawaii.com.

Workshop offered
for parents, educators of children with learning disabilities

Hawaii Learning Resource presents the free “Parent and Educator Workshop, Dealing with Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom” from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 21 at Kanu o ka Aina New Century Public Charter School, 64-1043 Hiiaka Street, Waimea.

The workshop is designed for parents and educators of elementary school students. Practical strategies for dealing with challenging behaviors from students with learning disabilities, in the classroom and at home, will be discussed.

Paul Singer, head of school at Assets School, and Sungalina Lee, an educational consultant and counselor at Assets School, will lead the workshop. Register online at hawaiilearningresource.org or contact Hawaii Learning Resource at info@hawaiilearningresource.org or 885-9318.

GEMS registration deadline Sept. 20

West Hawaii’s fifth-grade girls are invited to the 2013 Girls Exploring Math and Science program Nov. 14 at the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay. The registration deadline is Sept. 20.

Local women will introduce girls to their occupations and show them how they use math, science and technology in their daily work. The program is designed to stimulate interest and promote the confidence of girls in these fields. Workshop topics this year include scuba diving, architecture, veterinary medicine, land surveying, chemistry, astronomy, dentistry and culinary science.

Fifth-grade girls residing in the West Hawaii School Complex Area are welcome, regardless of whether they attend public, private or home school. Scholarships are available; no girl will be turned away for financial reasons. The registration fee is $20; forms will be distributed to public and private schools. Registration is on a first come, first served basis; girls are advised to register early.

Sponsorships from individuals or businesses will be accepted. For more information or to request a registration packet, contact Laurel Gregory at 969-8833 or lgregory@hawaii.edu.

Red Cross offers training, resources

Back to school means back to practice for thousands of student athletes and coaches. The American Red Cross offers training and resources for those who wish to learn how to treat a variety of emergencies and injuries that may occur throughout the sports season.

c First Aid, Health and Safety for Coaches is an online program for teens and adults who coach at any level. Developed with the National Federation of State High School Associations, this course covers first aid skills including breathing emergencies and injuries to muscles, bones and joints. Coaches are encouraged to take a CPR/AED course as well.

c Family First Aid and CPR is an online course for those not required to have OSHA-compliant certification. Participants learn how to treat cardiac, breathing and first aid emergencies until help arrives. Pediatric modules are also available.

c The American Red Cross First Aid App is available for smartphones and tablets. The free application gives users instant access to information on how to handle the most common first aid situations, and includes videos and interactive quizzes.

More information is available at redcross.org.

UH regents announce appointments

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents recently approved the appointment of Steven Smith as interim vice president for information technology and chief information officer of the UH system.

The board also approved Cynthia Quinn as its executive administrator and secretary of the board of regents.

Smith will serve in place of David Lassner, who will assume the interim UH presidency effective Sept. 1. Smith’s appointment will continue concurrently with Lassner’s assignment.

Smith has more than 25 years of professional and managerial experience in information technology, including various roles in the University of Alaska Fairbanks library.

Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting/film from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in communications, with an emphasis in telecommunications, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Quinn is a faculty specialist with the UH William S. Richardson School of Law. She most recently served as the interim associate dean for student services with the law school. Prior to that, Quinn served as the director of communications and external relations for the school.

By local sources