Frances Vanderploeg

Story Archive

Wolff Elementary uses fall festival as fundraiser: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; Laughter and joyous screams could be heard down the street as hundreds of Elise L. Wolff Elementary School students took over Sonata Park Oct. 23 for the annual fall festival.
Crowding at Henderson high schools to be addressed: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; Students at Coronado High School, which has almost 500 more students than it is designed to hold, are scheduled to get a little more elbow room next year.
Students bubble over with excitment for science: Neil Twitchell Elementary School holds 'Spectacular Science Week'; Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; At the conclusion of Neil Twitchell Elementary School's inaugural Spectacular Science Week on Friday, second graders couldn't get enough of their soap bubbles.
Businesses recognized for helping schools: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; After 25 years of helping local businesses and community leaders team with Clark County schools, the School-Community Partnership Program celebrated Oct. 20 with a thank-you breakfast at Green Valley Ranch Resort.
Ghost hunters to dish on local haunts: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; Paseo Verde Library is hosting a question-and-answer session Thursday with members of the Silver State Ghost Hunters, a group of Southern Nevada residents who share an interest in the supernatural.
Basic seniors continue homecoming tradition: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; Every school has homecoming traditions, which is why a couple of hundred Basic High School seniors found themselves trudging up a hill Oct. 22 carrying two-gallon cans of paint in each hand.
Seniors find joy in clogging: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008; During class Oct. 22, Sun City MacDonald Ranch resident Mary Lou Wood couldn't stop dancing. Every time a tune came on or a reference to a dance step came up, she would begin rapping her double-tap clogging shoes against the floor, even if she was supposed to be resting.
Recycling catching on at Miller Middle School: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008; When Bob Miller Middle School teacher Jennifer Seitz visited Japan on a study tour this summer, she was amazed how proactive the communities were about recycling.
Emotions run high at high school anti-drinking program: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008; As Coronado High School dance team captain Lauren Fetto's body was placed on the ground last Thursday, her friends and fellow students gazed open-mouthed. Many seemed unable to look away.
Event gives students an early taste of politics: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008; Students at B. Mahlon Brown Junior High School aren't old enough to vote, but they're still interested in learning about the candidates and the issues surrounding the national election.
Early voting gets under way in Henderson: Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008; Liliana Abreu of Henderson didn't see any reason to wait until Election Day to cast her ballot this year.
Falcons celebrate homecoming, Indiana Jones-style: Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008; With Foothill High School's Homecoming game kickoff less than two hours away Friday, marching band students were busy warming up on the field, football players were making their way to the sidelines and other students gathered for the inaugural tailgate party.
Four high schools begin search for groups to help through We R Community: Friday, Oct. 17, 2008; We R Community's purpose is to help high school students become more involved in philanthropic efforts in their community. Four local high schools will participate in the inaugural year of the program with the goal of finding worthwhile nonprofit groups that support local community causes and decide which deserve funding.
Peace Corps attracts young and old alike: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008; Ever since she was a junior in high school, Boulder City resident Lynda Carlson knew she wanted to join the Peace Corps.
Bartlett Elementary students aim to walk way to 26,526-mile goal: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008; While runners passed by and other walkers trailed behind, Amir Sheta, 9, stepped slowly, keeping his arm around his younger brother's shoulders as they made their way around Selma Bartlett Elementary School's track Oct. 7.
Run to help school invest in bigger track: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008; Now that the vision to build the William McCool Science Center has been realized, Frank Lamping Elementary School students and administrators are working on a new goal: An Olympic track and field.
Salon offers wigs on wheels: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008; For cancer patients, the elderly or anyone losing their hair before they're ready, wigs can be a welcome reprieve.
Pool closes out season on dog day of autumn: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008; Despite chilly weather with highs in the low 60s, 150 local residents found a reason to head to the Henderson Multigenerational Center's outdoor pool Saturday: Their four-legged furry friends.
Clark County students get early taste of politics: KidsVention introduces voting, elections to 2,500 kids; Friday, Oct. 10, 2008; Screams of 2,500 students resonated through the Henderson Pavilion and out to the parking lot Friday as Clark County teens and preteens voiced their opinions on kid-friendly issues.
Marching band suffers loss, adjusts to new director: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008; When Cimarron-Memorial High School was announced as the A class champions Oct. 4 at the 13th annual Henderson Bandfest, the students burst out chanting the last name of their new band director: "Melton, Melton, Melton."
Cox Elementary students honor mom who helped: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008; Students at David Cox Elementary School who signed up for the Miler's Club, the school's exercise program, on Oct. 1 had a chance to honor parent Cindy Messimer, as well.
Frank Lamping students turn into pastry chefs in after-school program: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008; A dozen children bearing three cupcakes each equaled a lot of work for Derrin Capps Oct. 2 as he tried to teach the students how to decorate the sweets in a Little Pastry Chefs class at Frank Lamping Elementary School.
Students get hands-on lesson in philanthropy: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008; If you had $5,000 to give away, who would you give it to? That's the question local students will need to answer through a yearlong program focusing on getting students excited about philanthropy.
Party honors life of youth on his birthday: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008; Crazy Pita, a small Mediterranean restaurant in The District at Green Valley Ranch that seats 50, drew about 500 people Oct. 5 to celebrate the life of Josh Stevens, who would have turned 13 that day.
Boys play Romeo -- and Juliet -- during school performance: Theater group brings Shakespeare to the schools; Monday, Oct. 6, 2008; Eighth-grader Cameron Osborn wasn't completely sure what to expect Wednesday when actors from Shakespeare at Play showed up to work with his honors class at Hank and Barbara Greenspun Junior High School.
Shakespeare group brings the bard to Lyal Burkholder Middle School: Monday, Oct. 6, 2008; After watching actors perform Shakespeare live and demonstrate sword fights Monday, Devin Skougard, 13, was ready to try a little Shakespeare himself.
Henderson Bandfest ushers in season for competition: Cimarron-Memorial wrestles championship away from Boulder City; Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008; When Cimarron-Memorial High School was announced as the A class champions Saturday at the 13th annual Henderson Bandfest, the band students chanted the last name of their band director: “Melton, Melton, Melton.”
Car club plans to aid local charities: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; "Guys with cars" shouldn't necessarily conjure up images of men with attitudes, cigarettes and not a care in the world beyond their beloved vehicles, Chuck Kittelson of the British Automobile Club of Las Vegas says.
Leaving her own legacy: Henderson folk artist's dolls inspired by research on Sioux heritage; Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; Rhonda Holy Bear, now a Henderson resident, was encouraged to gather scraps and continue making dolls. At first, her efforts were to provide herself with toys her family could not afford to buy. Now her creations are considered pieces of art and are shown in museums around the world, including the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City, the Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey and the Denver Art Museum.
Students gather for dance: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; A black-and-white checkered floor suitable for wheelchairs bedecked Foothill High School's gym Sept. 26, and white tablecloths with records decorating them set the theme for the first Southeast Region special programs get together of the year.
Foothill High finds 'one thing' to do to battle hunger: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; Following a summer workshop, Jessica Heintz and Katherine Du Pont, seniors at Foothill High School, are issuing a challenge to other teenagers to find one way to help end hunger in Clark County.
Enlisting the parents to motivate students: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; Before Josh Adams met his first student at Green Valley High School, his former high school teacher back in Kansas had an idea of what Adams was in for in his first year teaching.
Church invites community, animals to feast: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; When St. Francis of Assisi's Catholic Church celebrates its namesake's day, things can get noisy. That's because in honor of the patron saint of animals, ecology and merchants, the church includes in its two-day community feast a blessing of the animals. This year's feast is Oct. 4 and 5, with the blessing of the animals at 4 p.m. Oct. 5.
Dance takes Club 328 students back to Rydell: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; The students in Boulder City High School's Club 328 are proving themselves to be movers and shakers — literally.
A Coronado Circus: Students, teachers get in the spirt for homecoming; Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008; Coronado High School student body officers have had one thing on their minds for the past few weeks: Homecoming. On Sept. 26, it arrived, and they said it was worth it.
A run for the rainforest: Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008; Walking into John C. Vanderburg Elementary School's front office, visitors are greeted by dozens of baskets full of goodies, lining a table and trickling onto the floor below. The baskets are one part of an overall goal of raising money for the school's rainforest biosphere — the only school-based rainforest biosphere in the world — as well as the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.
Local students recognized for high test scores: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008; Eight of the 84 Nevada semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship Program attend Henderson schools.
An affair to remember: Event brings high-end wine to Henderson, benefits UNLV program; Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008; For several of the UNLV Wine Affair's visitors, time was best spent talking to friends while relaxing on couches next to where the wine was being poured.
Local students named National Metit semifinalists: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008; Lake Mead Christian Academy has something to celebrate: For the first time in the school's nearly-20-year existence, it has produced its first National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalist, senior Hannah Prochaska.
Kids' author kicks off literacy event: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008; Speeding his way through 16 Henderson schools in three days, children's author and illustrator Mark Ludy had to find a way to reach children ranging from first grade to high school.
Policy would lift cap off GPA: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008; Henderson high schools have often had as many as 20 valedictorians eligible to speak at the graduation ceremony, but state education officials are working on a change that could dramatically reduce that number.
Hospital gains trauma certification: St. Rose Dominican Hospitals-Siena Campus is only Level 3 trauma center in Nevada; Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008; St. Rose Dominican Hospitals-Siena Campus has successfully completed verification as a Level 3 trauma center, making it the only one in Nevada, hospital officials said.
Students compete to be 'Miller Idol': Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008; Whether it's a popularity contest or a talent contest depends on whom you ask, but one thing is for sure: "Miller Idol" at Bob Miller Middle School is possibly one of the most nerve-wracking events for more than 100 of Miller's students.
Empowerment schools get extra money, resources: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008; C.T. Sewell Elementary School became one of the Clark County School District's 14 empowerment schools last year, which gives principals more control over how school funds are used.
Locals go to New Orleans to help with hurricane cleanup: Monday, Sept. 22, 2008; Six days after Hurricane Ike reached land, the last members of a six-person team from Lake Mead Christian Academy flew to the Gulf Coast to lend a hand. The six, made up of staff members and their family, formed the team after hearing from partner church, Evangelical Church in America, that many families were needing help in New Orleans. The school asked for adult volunteers beginning Sept. 15, and most of them left Sept. 18, with the final two leaving Sept. 19.
$8,000 raised for injured high school athlete: Green Valley High defensive back regaining movement after being paralyzed; Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008; Henderson teenagers and community members have raised more than $8,000 to help their classmate and peer, Green Valley High defensive back LaQuan Phillips, who was injured on the field Sept. 5.
UNLV fundraiser reaches out to wine lovers: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008; Lovers of food and wine are invited to the inaugural UNLV Wine Affair Sept. 19 at Green Valley Ranch Resort and Spa, where they will have a chance to learn something new about high-end vintage wines.
Start of school means time for school fundraisers: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008; The beginning of school is one of the most popular times for fundraisers, especially this year, after the Clark County School District experienced state-mandated budget cuts over the summer.
Keeping order in classroom a matter of routines: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008; When you enter Green Valley High School teacher Josh Adams' classroom, it seems too quiet. Once the first-year teacher takes his place in front of the class, students stop talking — even whispering — and listen.
Employees compete to raise money for breast cancer walk: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008; The employees of the five offices of Women's Specialty Care are in a friendly competition to raise as much money as possible for the ninth annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk Oct. 4 at the JW Marriott resort in Summerlin. All money raised benefits breast cancer research sponsored by the American Cancer Society.