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

(Maria Silva) Coming up, the making of a mariachi halftime show at Allegiant Stadium.

Meet Las Vegas High School's Mariachi Joya.

Then step inside the Family Support Center Community Market, how this new resource will help students and their families.

Plus...

The Vegas PBS Media Crew reports on the new Hawk Haven at Northwest CTA.

And a big surprise for this Nevada Teacher of the Year.

All that and more... Student Spotlight starts right now.

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

I'm your host, Maria Silva.

Hispanic Heritage Month is underway.

And to celebrate, one Clark County School District mariachi group had the chance to perform at Allegiant Stadium during halftime at a recent UNLV football game.

So very cool!

But what makes this performance even more impressive is that the group's student director started playing violin, listen to this, just two years ago.

We caught up with Mariachi Joya the day before the big game.

[mariachi music] ♪♪ (Jenni Pinto) So Mariachi Jolla is currently practicing for our performance at Allegiant Stadium, one of our biggest events since being born as a mariachi program in general.

(Noemi Flores) We've never done a stadium or anything that big.

(Axel Rodriguez Olivas) So we're pretty stoked.

[singing in Spanish] ♪♪ -My name is Axel Rodriguez Olivas.

I'm the Student Director.

-That just means he's, he's number one.

He's the leader.

He's able to let us know what to do without actually, like, talking.

(Stephen Blanco) So you'll see Axel start and stop every single song.

You'll see him conduct more difficult passages.

If they are getting off tempo, he makes sure they're on.

He kind of takes over the music side of the program as a student director.

(Adrian Ortiz) That's a really big step because, like, he really hasn't had much experience.

-He started in the beginning, and he worked his way up really fast.

Like in a matter of maybe months, he was already in our group, in Joya.

And I was really surprised.

I was so proud of him because I've known him since kindergarten.

-It's been hard and fun.

You know, it's been hard because, you know, I have to keep up with people who already have a couple years on me.

And then it's been fun because, you know, I get to play at events that I would have never imagined.

-I want the people at Allegiant Stadium to know that we're a family, and we're all together in this.

-The fact that we can take them there tomorrow and give them an experience of performing on the field of Allegiant Stadium, that's something they're going to take with them forever.

-I feel like excitement because the violin is like something I really love and, like, just letting my talent out to other people and showing them what I can do and what my group can do.

-I think that mariachi has impacted my life in many different ways, and it's taught me a lot of discipline and how to work with others too.

-The reason I love it is because it's part of my culture.

I really love listening to it, and I love music too.

So it's like the best of both worlds.

-Bravo!

What talented musicians!

Now, Sunrise Mountain High School's Ballet Folkorico Alborada performed along with Las Vegas High School's Mariachi Joya.

So very proud of all of these students.

[in Spanish] Que orgullo.

-Students at West Prep Academy got a special visit from former Raider and NFL legend Morlon Greenwood.

Greenwood joins the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, community partners, and the national nonprofit GENYOUth, which aims to end student hunger, to help launch the Super School Meals initiative.

Now, they did it with the help of CCSD students.

(Katherine Abrego Hernandez) We were chosen to help, kinda like, the Super Bowl people, and it was really exciting.

-6th grader Katherine Abrego Hernandez, one of several students chosen to ask some very important questions to these VIPs.

-The important question I had to ask was: What is your favorite school meal?

-Making sure students have nutritious school meals to eat, the mission of Super School Meals, a statewide initiative which will equip 58 Nevada schools with grab-and-go meals.

These mobile meal carts and milk coolers will provide more than 12 million school meals to more than 45,000 Nevada students.

-These little carts are gonna be good.

So when the students, they get bigger stuff to eat, they wouldn't be hungry.

-Also playing an important role in the fight against student hunger... (Harmony Taylor) What do you guys think of these new grab-and-go karts, huh?

[cheers and applause] -Harmony Taylor, a 10th grader at Shadow Ridge High School and member of the GENYOUth National Student Council.

-Our mission is to stop student hunger and to support others in the community who are trying to accomplish that goal as well.

-These kind students who are making a difference in their own schools are the real MVPs.

[cheers and applause] -And before Katherine, future teacher and lawyer, headed back to class, I just had to ask: And what is your favorite school meal?

-Well, my favorite school meal is the orange chicken with rice.

-That's fancy!

♪♪ -That sounds so delicious!

Thank you, Katherine and Harmony.

Now, the chosen schools will receive the Super School Meals grant and equipment between now and the Super Bowl.

Well, the CCSD Family Support Center provides assistance to students and families through information, education, and community resources.

Now a new community market for CCSD families just opened inside the center.

We got a look inside.

♪♪ (Cindy Flores) For some of our families, we have found that they live in these areas called "food deserts" where, number one, there might not be a lot of marketplaces that are easy for them to access, which is why we thought about having a place like this.

(Ana Munoz) So for a family of three, you can get up to two frozen proteins.

-There is no cost for the families to come and shop.

We're excited to get the word out and make sure families are aware of the supports and services available here.

-So you'll be able to get a total of five canned items, from the mix vegetables, the green beans, the fruit cocktail, tomatoes, corn, peaches, and any of these tomato products here.

-The Just One Project is a food distribution center.

So we have a variety of programs.

-We need one more.

-We know that the food is what brings the client in, but there are other underlying issues going on.

So with case management, we are able to provide you with wraparound services.

- Thank you.

-For all of our other programs, families can visit thejustoneproject.org.

And you can also contact our main phone line.

That's (702)462-2253.

-Thank you for coming.

-Thank you so much.

Thank you.

♪♪ Now, the Community Market is open to all CCSD families in need.

Now, visitors must make an appointment.

Next, let's head to Desert Pines High School for our first "News Break."

-Hi.

I'm Abraham from Desert Pines High School and the Jaguars News Network.

-Hi.

I'm Kyanna, and we're here with your first "News Break."

-"Every Day Matters" That's the Clark County School District's new campaign to help end chronic absenteeism.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of enrolled school days for any reason.

The campaign includes home visits, data monitoring, and working with the community.

Learn more as ccsd.net.

-A reminder for everyone watching to slow down in school zones.

CCSD school police are patrolling the streets around our school.

Watch for the flashing lights, and be aware of students crossing.

Also, drivers, be sure not to do illegal U-turns or pass vehicles in school zones either.

-And have you heard of SafeVoice?

Students, parents, and anyone can use SafeVoice to report threats to students, including bullying, with the option to remain anonymous.

SafeVoice is available 24/7 at safevoicenv.org or the phone number on your screen.

-That's it for now.

Some of our classmates will be back with you guys to talk about our school and the Jaguars News Network.

-But now let's send it back to the Vegas PBS studios and Maria.

-Nice job!

Thank you so much, Abraham and Kyanna, for sharing our news around the district.

Well, we are so happy the Vegas PBS Media Crew is back this school year.

We here at Student Spotlight are working alongside CCSD students to help provide real-world experience when it comes to working in TV and also give you, our viewers, a glimpse into issues that are important to teens and tweens.

World Mental Health Day is recognized in October.

So this month our crew is talking mental health and a new resource at Northwest Career and Technical Academy.

[shutter sound] -Hi, I'm Benjamin Morse.

-I'm Dominic Smith.

And we're part of the Vegas PBS Media Crew here at Northwest Career an Technical Academy, a place we call home.

-Today we want to bring to your attention the matter of mental health among teens throughout the district.

Thousands of teens are going through many hidden problems or trials that are affecting who they are in a negative way and an unpleasant way.

-Many wish for an environment that is safe and judgment free, allowing them to confide in someone who is open to them expressing how they feel and someone who also understands how they feel.

-Thankfully, here at NWCT, our New Hawk Haven is designed to accommodate the needs of students seeking such help.

-I'm here with student ambassadors from Hawk Haven to give us that inside look into what the program is all about.

So could you guys tell me what you do as student ambassadors?

(Avellana Martinez) As student ambassadors, our job is to really just represent the Hawk Haven.

So we advise kids to come here, and a couple of my friends asked me if they could come here.

"It's just a lunch thing, or it's an all-the-time thing?"

And I told them, "Yeah, it's an all-the-time thing."

Come here and talk about your feelings, you know?

Yeah.

-So like, building on that, what is so special about this program?

What's so special about Hawk Haven?

(Alvia Taylor) Hawk Haven is kind of like a place where people can go, you know, like, there's things to do.

There's people to talk to.

You can always find new people.

And a lot of the time they have snacks in case people need to eat, because-- and then even the cafeteria in the courtyard can be a really crowded place for a lot of people.

So this can just be a place people can go to, you know, quiet down, do some work if needed, get ready for the next class.

-Yeah.

And our school is one of the only places that has a space like this, so it makes us really unique.

-Hawk Haven has created a place of relief from the stresses of school, giving students chances to bond, to unwind, and to escape the expectations of high school.

-Today we're here with Miss Kasina, Lead Advisor here at the Hawk Haven at Northwest Career and Technical Academy.

Thank you for joining us.

How are you?

(Kasina Douglass-Boone) I'm doing quite well.

Thank you for having me.

-No problem.

So let's get into a few questions.

First off, we would just like to know what inspired Hawk Haven.

-So Hawk Haven came to me when I got to work during the summertime just to kind of see what the campus looked like, the climate of the campus.

And during that time, I noticed that students and staff were always on the go-go.

And I thought it would be awesome for students and staff to have a space where they can just come and reflect, relate, release, reset, and rejoin.

And here we are.

-How do you think Hawk Haven prepares students for the real world?

-This space creates an atmosphere where students can just be.

-And when you say, Students, let them be, like, what do you mean by that?

-Sometimes we just need a moment just to kind of just settle in ourself, you know, and just kind of like, like self-- self-care.

But self-care is a really cool thing to say, but what does that really look like?

Are you really taking time to listen to your body, recognize that you're not okay, that I need a moment to reset so I can be the better version of myself when I go back into a space?

You know, I think that it's just within the name, it's definitely a haven where somebody can come and feel safe.

And that's what we want.

-Thanks to Hawk Haven, the students at NWCTA now have a safe, inclusive place for everybody.

-It's an example of what happens when you teach students today for tomorrow's problems.

I'm Dominic Smith.

-And I'm Benjamin Morse with the Vegas PBS Media Crew signing off from NWCTA.

-Thank you, Benjamin and Dominic and everyone at Northwest CTA.

We love learning more about the new Hawk Haven.

Now on to Mojave High School where students there had the chance to interview an alumni who also happens to be the school board president.

CCSD Board of Trustees President Evelyn Garcia Morales represents District C, but once was a student herself at Mojave High School.

[shutter sound] -My name is Diego Sosa.

-My name is Isaiah Christian, and we are proud to be able to interview a school board trustee.

-How are you doing today, Miss Trustee?

(Evelyn Garcia Morales) Great.

Thank you for having me.

You can call me Evelyn.

-Miss Evelyn, we're here to ask you a couple of questions today.

We're gonna start off here at Mojave.

You were a former Mojave student here.

-I was a student here over 20 years ago.

At the time, my family situation was very-- it was a very challenging time for my family when I attended Mojave High School.

I remember my mom, she was a single mother at the time, and she worked the graveyard shift, which means she goes in late at night and comes out early in the morning.

She'd come out just in time for me to-- pick me up and take me to school.

My mom would sometimes be so exhausted from working the night before that she'd fall asleep at stoplights.

Like she'd put the car in park so that she could take a micro nap and make sure that, no matter what, I always had a ride to school, because school was really important for my mom and for me, and she wanted me to make sure that I graduated from high school.

-She made sure you got your work done.

-She didn't get a chance to graduate high school.

She's-- I'm the first generation in my family to graduate from high school, go to college, graduate from college, and earn a master's degree.

-That's very interesting.

-Thanks.

I'm really grateful to my mom who worked really hard to make sure we had a quality education, and I got that at Mojave.

-Thank you for sharing that.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Okay, so what inspired you to become a trustee?

-A lot of things, many things, my experiences as a student here at Mojave.

I remember my first day at UNLV, looking around for my peers who attended Mojave.

There was only a handful of us who, from the senior class, attended UNLV.

And I always wondered, like, why there wasn't more students.

So that curiosity kind of carried me after I graduated from college and made me wonder, like, what other opportunities exist out there that many of us are not having?

Right?

And by "us," I mean students who have really unique circumstances who are absolutely brilliant, just like you and your peers, but may just not have that exposure.

And I at the time didn't have any.

I didn't know that there was a world really outside of North Las Vegas for me.

-And I would like to ask you for my last question, as trustee, what role do you play in our teacher contracts with our situation going on?

Do you have anything to tell the community?

-I do.

What I can tell you is that CCSD wants to compensate its educators as licensed professionals.

I think it's important to note that when we say "teachers," the Teachers Union, it is really licensed educators and individuals who are represented by this union.

The licensed professionals are compensated, and it really requires-- in negotiations, it requires two parties, CCSD and then whoever the bargaining unit is, to come to an agreement on the terms.

It's a negotiation.

-Thank you for that.

-Yeah.

-Thank you for your time.

Now back to the studio.

-Thank you so much School Board President Garcia Morales and Mojave High School.

That was definitely a great interview.

Well, from the school board president to the superintendent, Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara was recently selected as "Superintendent of the Year" by the Nevada Association of School Superintendents.

We had a chance to learn more about what inspires Dr. Jara and how his career in education first began.

(Dr. Jesus Jara) I started as a bilingual educator in Miami-Dade County Public Schools where I went to school.

I was a public school student, moved to America.

But 1980, parents, you know, decided to come to United States from Caracas, Venezuela.

"My name is Rigoberto.

We just moved here from Venezuela."

Can I tell you something?

-(a student) Yeah.

-I'm from Venezuela.

-(a student) What?

-Uh-huh.

I was undocumented, been trying to live in this beautiful country.

I think the K-12 system and really being an educator and leading change for kids like me, I think that is my driving force.

When I was in Miami-Dade and I graduated high school in K-12 school system, you know, really didn't have a lot of the opportunities that my friends did.

I work with 16 other phenomenal superintendents in the state of Nevada.

The state of Nevada is very, very unique.

We have-- I sit across the table with colleagues that have 27 kids in their school district, but we all have the same challenges.

I get to work with some of the best educators in the country across the state.

The beauty of Clark County is that I serve children in a school of 12 in Mount Charleston; Laughlin, Nevada; to some of the largest high schools in the country.

And I love my job.

-Dr. Jara had the opportunity to participate in the National Superintendent of the Year program.

That recipient will be named in February.

Now let's head back to Desert Pines High School for our second "News Break."

-Hi.

I'm Angel Alejos from Desert Pines High School and the Jaguar News Network.

-And I'm Jonathan Rufino, and we're back with your second "News Break."

This "News Break" is all about our school.

-Desert Pines High School opened in 1999, and our motto is "Making an Impact."

The school mascot is the Jaguar.

Our school houses the award-winning Desert Pines Magnet Academy.

Last year, 6 of our school's top 10 students were from the magnet pathways.

Desert Pines offers seven magnet pathways: Culinary Arts, Graphic Design, Marketing, Medical, Photography, Radio Production, and Video Production.

-We're part of the Jaguar News Network, which provides news to the school.

It also gives students like us the chance to gain work skills, network, and have fun.

Video Production students at Desert Pines have the opportunity to work with PBS's Student Reporting Labs, which is a great experience.

-Thanks for learning more about our school, Desert Pines, and why we love to go to school here.

-Now we'll send it back to the Vegas PBS studio and Maria.

-Thank you so much, Angel and Jonathan.

Great job!

Now to Bruner Elementary School where students have a lot of choices when it comes to the after-school programs they can join.

The programs offer plenty of opportunity for students to learn, have fun, socialize, and sometimes experience the unexpected.

(Dana Brown) Brunner Elementary is a Title I school.

And it's to our great advantage to be blessed with a 21st Century Community Learning Center here.

It's absolutely free to our families to access.

So students can come in and get academic support, as well as all kinds of enrichment activities.

(Heather Doto) The whole play, is about the impact of bullying and how it can really hurt people and how it can really cause a lot of major damage, but also how one student, one child standing up and, you know, encouraging others around them, standing up and being brave, doing the brave thing that is not always the easiest thing, and doing something about it to help their friends.

(Dr. Tricia Braxton) So we use the Junior Master Gardener curriculum here in Nevada, here in our arid climates of Clark County, to expose youth or children to plant science because when you understand plant needs, that translates to human health needs.

(Nicole Hansen) Short-term benefits, for sure.

Just getting outside, getting your hands dirty, being active, it's really good for their mental health to get out in the garden.

And long-term, as they learn about what it takes to grow food, they have a better appreciation of what it takes for the farmers of our country to get the food from soil, seed, to their tables.

And that is really important.

(Emmanuel Jimenez) They're all in Bruner Academy.

And she does gardening; these two, they do flag football; and he does science.

(Jeremy) I like about the science club, because we, like, get to grow crystals.

And we are going to build a volcano.

(Jonathan) The thing that I like flag football is that we are practicing about our throws and our catch, and we get to pick our teams.

(Joel) After school I think is cool because, because we get to make arts and crafts instead of just doing our homework.

(Sandra Leon) I'm very happy, and I seen a big progress in all my kids.

-They're learning how to be more social, how to make more friends, how to be more-- -Responsible.

- --more responsible, yes.

They're just loving school more, you know?

Their grades went up, they're doing their homework, and I think it's all good.

-The 21st Century Community Learning Center operates on a federal grant administered by the Department of Education.

This highly respected after-school program is present in all 50 states.

Love all of these after-school programs.

Well, before we go, a big surprise for one teacher at Southwest Career and Technical Academy.

The Governor, the State Superintendent, and CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jara were all there to honor her as "Nevada Teacher of the Year 2024."

(Laura Jeanne Penrod) I think sometimes we have a negative connotation with the word "approval," right, because it almost seems like we're trying to do some dance and show about, like, approval of why we should be accepted.

-The lessons being taught inside Miss Penrod's classroom at Southwest Career and Technical Academy, valuable life lessons you won't likely find in any schoolbook.

(Abraham Amaya Carrasco) Our question was: As your parents' children, do you feel like you need to fulfill your parents' wishes?

We all generally said yes, especially since a lot of us are immigrants.

We have that pressure to succeed.

-Her commitment to social-emotional learning, SEL for short, which in part encourages students to talk about their emotions and challenges in a safe environment, one of the many reasons Miss Penrod is well-respected.

(Jayson Deguzman) I feel like not many English teachers or like not many, like, teachers in general care about their students as much as Miss Penrod does, because she wants us to live a successful life after this.

-So it came as no surprise to her students... (Gia Naguiat) My initial reaction was actually like, she deserves it.

This is hers.

This is her award.

- ...when Miss Penrod was honored as the 2024 Nevada State Teacher of the Year.

And as she graciously accepted her well-deserved honor, Miss Penrod made sure to give her students a very special shout-out.

-I love them a whole lot.

And I think I remember being a teen.

I never really forgot that phase of my life, and I was so thankful for those teachers that just invested a little extra in knowing me.

[in unison] - Congratulations, Mrs. Penrod, Teacher of the Year 2024!

[cheers and applause] -I just loved being there to honor such an exceptional teacher, an honor well-deserved.

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

A reminder that you can watch this episode, past episodes, and some web extras on the Student Spotlight section of Vegas PBS.

From all of us here at Student Spotlight and the Vegas PBS Media Crew, thank you so much for joining us.

We'll see you next month.

♪♪♪