This program brought to you in part by the Erika Lewis Endowment Fund.

-Coming up... How did a one-star school become a five-star school?

We'll take you inside the O'Callaghan iLearn Academy.

Then... High schoolers show off their skills to local employers and the superintendent.

Plus... A powerful play at Grant Sawyer Middle School reminds us all about the weight of our words.

And... Do you know why Las Vegas is called the 9th island?

Our Vegas PBS Media Crew explores Hawaiian culture.

Those stories and so much more, Student Spotlight starts right now.

[swiping sound] Thank you so much for joining us.

I'm Maria Silva, your host.

A big grant for the Clark County School District from the U.S. Department of Education, CCSD received $15 million to convert two valley middle schools into magnet schools.

As of next school year, Johnston Middle School and Burkholder Middle School will offer students a rigorous STEM-based curriculum.

STEM, as in programs focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

(Christopher Hermes) This is when kids start to dream about what to be when they grow up.

(Melonie Poster) And I know our community is going to really embrace this.

-Not long ago, another middle school made the switch to magnet.

At the time, O'Callahan Middle School near Hollywood and East Lake Mead was a one-star school.

Six years later, the O'Callahan iLearn Academy just earned a five-star rating.

[swiping sound] ♪♪♪ (Steven Quintero) I go to Michael O'Callahan iLearn Academy.

-Eighth grader Steven Quintero dreams of becoming an engineer.

-What made me come to this school is because when I was doing research about the school, when I get out of high school, I would like to do engineering.

So there is robotics engineer here.

-He is one of about 1,400 students who attend the Clark County School District's only STEM magnet middle school on the city's East Side.

(Scott Fligor) I'm going on nine years.

It will be nine years December 15, actually.

-Longtime Principal Scott Fligor helped guide O'Callaghan through the transition to a magnet school six years ago.

-We were one of three schools that received funds to convert, and it was a journey.

(Joan Drew) Cycle the brain, and you're going to try again.

-Robotics Teacher Joan Drew was hired as the school turned magnet.

-And it was all very new, very knew.

Going into the magnet program was new but exciting.

Exciting.

I was very excited to come and work here.

-The O'Callahan iLearn Academy focuses on four areas of STEM study: Video Production, Web Design, Video Game Technology, and Robotics.

(Alyson Dominguez) iLearn Academy is like-- it's a school itself.

It's where you get to learn a lot of programs.

It's like saying I will learn this.

Like you get to learn whatever you are interested in.

-And while the magnet school accepts applications from all of the district, the far majority of students live nearby.

(Annie Bhatnagar) We are really happy to serve the East community because there's nothing like this.

There was nothing like this before we got here, right, before we became a magnet.

And families wanted this for their kids.

They wanted technology.

-The expectations here are high.

-We have very clear rules in a magnet school.

And I think that that helps the students too.

They know if they mess up, they're gonna have to turn that around.

-But so is the progress.

O'Callahan iLearn Academy is now a five-star school.

-There's an interest in the school, and I think that's the biggest factor in my opinion is that when there's interest in school, that students will accelerate and learn.

-As for Steven, he wants to continue on to a career and technical academy next year but not before passing on this advice: -I highly recommend students to come to this school.

-Bravo!

And Steven, by the way, is not alone.

Last year 84% of students at O'Callaghan continued on to a magnet high school.

Keep up the good work!

So proud of you.

And speaking of magnet schools, students at Southeast Career and Technical Academy recently met face-to-face with local employers.

Preparing students to graduate college or career ready is a priority for the superintendent.

And this student showcase allowed students to show off their skills while also connecting them to internships, training, and jobs.

(Isabelle Sanchez Ager) So today we're at Southeast Career Technical Academy.

This is our Advanced Manufacturing program.

And we're doing a student showcase today.

(Dr. Jesus Jara) When you think about showcasing our kids, showcasing the work, not only what they're doing so they understand that this community has a clear understanding of the great things that are happening in Clark County School District, not just in this school, in many schools.

(Rebecca Ferguson) As a recruiter, I enjoy being able to talk to the youth, hopefully inspire them and kind of see which direction they want to go and if we can help them get there.

-Today, we have over 20 employers from around the community: Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas.

They're here to see what our kids can do, understand their talent, and understand why they're valuable to their workforce.

-What excites you the most?

(Armando Rodriguez) So in here, I'm able to learn about manufacturing.

I'm able to-- and not only am I getting college credits for it, I'm also able to become certified in every single thing I do.

-Our goal is not only to give kids skill that they can use in whatever field they want to go into, but to make sure when they leave here, they have a job to walk into.

(Randy White) So we're trying to hire 1,000 technicians.

And we figured the best time to go after them is right now, when they're freshly out of school and their skills are still fresh and they're still learning.

-So today, we got companies here that are interviewing you guys.

What do you all ultimately, when you graduate, want to be?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

-So, well, my ultimate goal is to kind of become a teacher and being able to teach robotics in some way, shape, or form.

-You got a job today.

Let me know, right?

-So I kind of want to start off, right, being able to hopefully get a job in manufacturing or earn my Mechanical Engineering degree.

-It's been great.

I just enjoy talking to them.

I'm just so-- The eyes light up, knowing how much they've learned and how much they've gained.

And they're so excited to start working.

It's like, Can you call me?

How long will it take me to start going?

-There's a talent pool here.

I believe that Clark County School District is an economic driver of this community.

-They need employees, and we're ready to give those students to them.

-Good luck to all of the students.

So very cool.

Well, Mojave High School also had a similar event.

Thank you to SECTA, the superintendent, and all of the employers involved.

Now let's head to Triggs Elementary School for our first "News Break."

-Hi.

I'm Bryson, and I go to Triggs Elementary School, home of the Triggs Travelers.

-And I'm Sofia, and we're here with your first "News Break."

November is National American Indian Heritage Month.

It is important to learn about the cultures and histories of Indigenous Americans.

-What's for lunch?

The answer is easy to find.

All school menus and nutrition details are listed online at menu.ccsd.net.

My favorite lunch is pizza!

-"Every Day Matters."

That's the District's new program to tackle chronic absenteeism.

It's very important to come to school.

That's because success and learning in life starts by attending school every day.

You can find attendance tips that can be texted to you every week and more good information at everyday.ccsd.net.

-That's it for now.

-Now let's send it back to the studio with Maria.

-Thank you, Bryson and Sophia.

Nice job!

Well, Advanced Drama students at Grant Sawyer Middle School have a powerful anti-bullying message and wants students to know they are never alone.

For the past decade, students there have performed the play The Weight of Your Words.

We were invited to one of this year's shows.

♪♪♪ (Amy Roberge) So we are presenting an anti-bullying play called The Weight of Your Words.

(Brooklynn Baker) It's a play that is based on two people in middle school who struggle differently but yet the same when it comes to society and how other people feel about them and their expectations for them.

(Brooke Rodriguez) It's definitely big time realistic.

There's so many things going on in middle school.

(Aryana Walker) It's about how like how your words could turn into very violent actions quickly and how like if you shut up your feelings too long and if you're not careful about what you say and what you do, it might be too late before you realize.

-It was written originally by students in Florida and then some of our students right here at Grant Sawyer Middle School.

-Usually the first couple weeks of school we talk about different issues with bullying.

We read the script.

We talk about what we liked or what we think needs to be changed.

The kids take it upon themselves to decide what changes they'd like to make.

-It's important to show awareness for bullying and what the consequences can be.

-It kind of just shows, like, you should really watch what you're saying.

Like, the weight of your words can mean so much.

-Do you know the weight of your words?

Like, have you-- have you said these words?

Do you know what can happen after or before or after you say those words?

-So each student has a black shirt, and they wrote on the back or had me write a word that they have been called in their life as a bullying word, whether it's a racial slur or just a word in general that's made them feel uncomfortable.

The sign is just for other words that they wrote down that they have heard said either on campus or where they live.

-There is no winning or losing.

You get bullied if you're really smart, but then you get bullied if you're-- if you're not smart at all.

-I can't speak for everyone.

But I do know that middle school is probably, like, way harder when it comes to society and fitting in and finding yourself.

-It's amazing to be a part of this play.

Because when I saw it in sixth grade, I was like, I want to be a part of this play.

-We need to let kids know they're not alone.

If it happens to them, there are people they can go talk to.

-You're proud of them?

-I am extremely proud.

-Wonderful job!

So proud of all of those students.

Well, after each performance, the students hold a talkback with the audience to discuss bullying and their experiences.

-Well, be it help with bullying, figuring out life after high school, or simply being a cheerleader and trusted advisor, school counselors serve students and their families in unique and critical ways.

Last month, about 700 CCSD school counselors met at the Westgate for a professional learning experience.

They focused on mental health and how to best support and guide our kids.

And we wanted to learn more about the district's school counselors program and the students they help.

(Layla Akal) If I know I have a question, the first person I look to is my counselor.

(Monica Martin) All students can benefit from seeing their school counselor.

(Dr. Lashaun Limbrick) We're there to make sure our students feel supported and affirmed.

-They're the biggest resource in this whole entire school.

-The mission statement of CCSD is that students are going to progress and graduate prepared to participate and contribute to a diverse global society.

And I tell the counselors that they are the link between school and that diverse global society.

(Billie Jo Guthrie) Counselors are the heart of everything.

They truly do everything.

They do classroom lessons.

They do small groups.

They do individual counseling.

They do crisis response.

They work in the social emotional domains, as well as the academic and college and career domains.

They collaborate and consult.

They provide referrals for outside services if needed.

-So school counselors all have a master's degree in school counseling.

They've spent between two and three years in coursework, and that culminates in normally about 700 practicum hours and observation and direct counseling with students before they have their master's degree and then are counselors.

-If I ever have a problem, I'm always willing to express it.

But I don't normally have any problems to express.

I normally stick to, like, my academic future, because I'm big on trying to have a good academic life.

That's one of my goals.

-They are facing a multitude of issues.

So there are the typical, like academic concerns.

Then there's concerns with maybe what's next after high school.

There's the bigger things that they're facing.

So some of our students are facing issues surrounding documentation, as some of our students are undocumented or their families are undocumented, along with food insecurity, issues with health care, transportation, helping care for their younger siblings, working in addition to attending school.

So-- even family concerns.

-Definitely screen time and addiction to cell phones, video games, things like that.

Self-esteem is difficult, stress management, just navigating the world.

I think middle school is a really interesting time.

It's a time of change and trying to figure out who they are.

-The level of confidentiality with student and counselor is very high.

Counselors operate under a set of ethical standards that are set at the national level.

The counselors are trained to provide short-term and brief counseling.

But if there's an issue with a student that goes beyond this short-term, brief sort of relationship, that's when counselors are trained to involve parents or possibly refer out or to seek something a little bit more long term and ongoing.

-It helps me out a lot.

Like seriously, if I am struggling in certain areas, I know I can turn to my counselor and I'll be guided in the right direction.

-And students can connect with school counselors via QR code or Google Form depending on the school they attend.

Students can also call, email, or just simply drop in the counseling office.

Now let's head back to Triggs Elementary School for our second "News Break."

-Hi, I'm Briella from Triggs Elementary School.

-And I'm Benjamin.

And we're back with your second "News Break."

-We are part of the Triggs Broadcast Network.

The Triggs Broadcast Network airs daily at 9 a.m.

Here at Triggs Elementary School, with news delivered by students like me, we learn about technology and keep all the students informed about upcoming events for the day.

Watch our broadcast by going to our school website.

-Here at Triggs Elementary, we are known as the Travelers.

And every Wednesday we have clubs called Voyages.

Voyages include cool things like robotics, Legos, cheerleading, drama, photography, and so much more.

Even our TV newscast.

There is so much to learn!

-Our school is named after Vincent Triggs.

He was a CCSD teacher who championed students with disabilities.

He later became a state senator and even founded what is now known as Easter Seals Southern Nevada.

We are proud to have our school named after him.

-Now, that's a wrap!

Now let's go back to the studio.

-Thank you, Benjamin and Briella.

We have some talented students.

Well, this month our Vegas PBS Media Crew is taking a closer look at Hawaiian culture.

Aloha!

The Media Crew is a group of CCSD students who work with our producers to create special segments that give you, our viewers, a glimpse into issues important to young adults.

Let's toss it over to Kira who attends Advanced Technologies Academy, also known as A-Tech.

(Kira Granito) Aloha!

My name is Kira Granito.

I'm currently an A-Tech senior reporting for the Vegas PBS Media Group.

When you hear "Hawaii," you probably think of 8 tropical islands in the middle of the ocean.

But there's a 9th island in the middle of the desert.

While Las Vegas is probably one of the last places you would think of when you hear the word "Hawaii," for over 22,000 Hawaiians, when they hear the word "Las Vegas," they think of home.

But how did a desert become reputable for its tropical paradise?

And is it even possible to preserve a culture that has been priced out of paradise over 2,000 miles away?

(Maile Tsuchiyama-Sando) E Komo Mai!

Welcome to Hawai'i Culture Club.

You guys know the setup already.

If you're new, then we always start off our meetings with singing "Hawai'i Pono'i," which is the national anthem of Hawaii.

-Why is Vegas considered the 9th island?

-So Vegas is considered the 9th island because a lot-- there's a lot of native Hawaiians that have moved here.

It kind of started back in like the 1970s when Boyd Gaming kind of started directing their-- targeting Hawaiians to like, travel packages to come to Vegas.

Living in Hawaii, it's really expensive.

And the cost of living is really high.

So anywhere they go for vacation, it's a six-hour flight.

Vegas offering kind of like a good package deal is what kind of started Hawaiians going to Vegas.

And then it just got really popular, and a lot of Hawaiians started coming here, especially because the economy is similar to Hawaii.

It's a tourist economy.

So people could transfer their jobs in Hawaii to Vegas jobs in like hospitality.

So if you want to sing with me, please.

-So music, dance, chanting, singing, all of those visual elements, they're kind of common in all cultures.

But what about these elements in Hawaiian cultures kind of makes it unique?

-It's really important to the Hawaii culture because before, they weren't a written language.

It was all oral.

And everything documented was through oli.

So doing chanting is how they preserved their history.

And passing it down through generations was how people knew to, you know, learn about their ancestors and learn about the aina.

-So less than 1% of Hawaiians live in Las Vegas.

Yet the culture has made itself very present in the city.

How important do you think it is for the youth to stay engaged in this culture, even if they're not necessarily Hawaiian?

(Dr. Soo Park) I think it's very important; for example, I have children of my own, and I don't feel like they've really engaged with the local Hawaii culture here in Las Vegas because we're so far away from home and so busy in our lives.

And so the Hawai'i Culture Club I think really brings that out, that missing element that many students don't have outside of the classrooms.

[Hawaiian music] -Students are the ones who are going to be the driving force of maintaining the Hawaii culture here on the continental U.S.

It's not necessary being a native Hawaiian, but it's being, you know, remembering where you came from, where your family came from.

-While Las Vegas may not have the lush mountains and captivating breezes of Hawaii, Hawaiians have and continue to make Las Vegas their new 9th island paradise.

-Mahalo, Kira.

Well, students at Harney Middle School are learning about how to interview a public official.

We were there when CCSD Trustee Linda Cavazos stopped by.

Students asked her several questions so we could learn more about the school board trustee who represents District G. -Welcome to Harney Middle School.

I'm Crystal.

-I'm Kristina.

-And we are going to interview this trustee today that actually represents our school.

-To start off, what made you get into teaching before deciding to become a therapist?

(Linda Cavazos) Well, what made me decide to go into teaching is, first of all, it was kind of like a family profession.

My older brother and his wife were both teachers, and then one of them became a principal.

So from a very early age, I was able to see what the education profession was like, and I got to visit my older brother's classroom.

I also had a lot of really good teachers when I was growing up, from elementary school through high school.

And they had a big influence on my life.

Those are some of the reasons I decided to go into teaching.

-What made you run for CCSD trustee?

-Now, that is a really complex question.

I'll try to break it down.

First of all, after teaching here in the School District for 15 years, I taught over at UNLV for 9 years.

And part of the training that I did was with brand new teachers, like student teachers, and I was really interested in giving back to the community, still being involved in education, and also being able to get out and see what was happening in our schools.

And even as a therapist now, I get to see a lot of students that are from our school.

So it's just kind of like an all-around thing where I wanted to stay involved.

-What is your schedule like as a trustee?

-My schedule is very crazy.

It's very busy.

Basically, when you look at our meeting schedule, we have one meeting that's called a "work session," and it's at the beginning of the month.

It's the first Wednesday of the month.

That's mostly trustee business having to do with policy or if we're changing things around that directly have to do with the trustee, the Board of Trustees.

And there's seven of us.

So we have different types of items there.

Second and fourth Thursdays are what we call the "big meetings" or the regular board meetings.

And sometimes that schedule gets changed for holidays.

November and December, they'll get changed around.

But those are meetings that are business meetings where we take care of most of our policy, regulations, purchases, and if we have things where we have to have presentations from the staff.

So, you know, turns into a lot of meetings.

And we also have briefings on the different items.

-Why do you like to visit schools and students?

-I like to visit schools and see the students because this is where-- this is where all the action is.

This is where it is happening.

I always call it going back in time to when I was a teacher.

I really miss being a teacher.

And I like going back and visiting the kids and the students that maybe sometimes have left Harney.

Maybe they've gone on to Las Vegas High School.

And I like to see the transition, also talk to your teachers, talk to the administrators, talk to the librarians, basically find out what's really happening.

Because when we're over in our building and our central buildings, we're not really seeing what's going on.

And also I get to talk to students like you guys and find out what you like, what's happening at school, maybe sometimes what you don't like, what's working, what's not working.

And it's a connection to basically what I do as a trustee, because we're elected to represent a certain number of schools in our districts.

-Well, thank you very much for coming to our interview.

We appreciate you coming here to Harney Middle School.

-Thank you.

It was a pleasure to be here.

-It was a pleasure having you.

-Now let's go back to the Vegas PBS studio.

-And Maria.

-Great job, Crystal and Kristina!

And thank you, Trustee Cavazos, as well.

You can watch the student's entire interview on the Student Spotlight section of the Vegas PBS website.

Well, Valley High School students took a field trip to a field where the Las Vegas Raiders practice.

Seventy members of the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism toured the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters, took part in a panel discussion and, listen to this, even got to meet some of the players.

It was an event organized by a former student who is on a mission to pay it forward.

Unforgettable memories captured by members of Valley High School's Academy of Hospitality and Tourism.

(Shertlyn Torres San Juan) It was really cool for the Raiders to invite us, have us come over here and especially two football team players, you know, volunteered to come and talk to us.

-Students got a VIP invitation to the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters for the Huddle and Grow event.

Organized in part by Latinas in Power and its founder, Ericka Aviles.

(Ericka Aviles) I want all students to see other career women, other industries, other opportunities.

-For Ericka, this special event, a full-circle moment.

-Once upon a time, I was a student at Valley High School, and now I'm standing here organizing this event with the Las Vegas Raiders.

When I was a part of AOHT, it really opened up my eyes from everything from dressing for success, right, and building that confidence.

-Networking, one of the many ways AOHT is preparing these future leaders, helping them gain valuable experience in and out of the classroom.

(Natalie Schmidt) We've been able to tour some of the casinos.

We have a lot of community partners.

So every year, we have a good jobs fair.

Many of the community partners will offer internships and great opportunities like that.

-This particular great opportunity, one that Ericka hopes will inspire these students to dream big.

-The message I want them to take away is that they can do what we're doing.

They can be executives.

They can serve on boards.

They can be involved in the community.

They can obtain higher education.

-It has, like, motivated me to know that I could do it, that there's people out there just like me who did it and we're able to accomplish those goals.

-We're so incredibly grateful to the Las Vegas Raiders for partnering with us, and it shows their commitment to our community to investing in our future leaders.

-Okay.

Raiders on 3!

1-2-3!

-Raiders!

-The students definitely left inspired.

I know I did.

Well, the students weren't the only ones enjoying the VIP tour of the Raiders headquarters.

Teachers also got in on the fun.

Well, that does it for this episode of Student Spotlight.

A reminder that you can watch this episode, past episodes on the Vegas PBS website.

Next month, we have a very special holiday show just for you that you don't want to miss featuring musical talent from all over the school district.

You definitely want to tune in.

But for now, thanks for watching.

See you soon.