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

(Maria Silva) Coming up...

It is the start of a new school year.

Tag along with the Superintendent on the first day of class.

Then... Meet this first-year teacher.

Yes, that's her, too.

She now teaches at the elementary school she once attended.

Plus...

Check out the District's newest Career and Technical Academy that offers the only Clean Energy Technologies program in Nevada.

All that and more.

Student Spotlight starts right now.

-Thank you so much for joining us.

I'm Maria Silva, your host.

A new school year is underway for the Clark County School District.

More than 294,000 students headed back to class in early August, and so did District staff.

For one newly hired teacher, the first day was her first day officially teaching 3rd graders, but it was not her first day at this school.

(Hope Benavidez) I started teaching last week.

It was my first week teaching ever, and I teach 3rd grade.

Go ahead and open your phonics books to page 13.

I was nervous at first, but I thought to myself that I'd been here before.

I went to school here.

So I started going here in kindergarten.

I went here all through 5th grade, and then I came back as a teacher last week.

So it's been pretty fun to see all the people that I knew.

Teachers that I had when I went here, I work with them now.

So it's been pretty fun and cool to see that.

(Amanda Benavidez) This is my 16th year of teaching in Clark County School District.

-Yeah, so she started teaching when I was in 1st grade.

And so I went to school while she was teaching her first years, and I saw.

And I heard from a lot of people what a great teacher she had.

All my friends wanted to be in her class, and all of her friends wanted their kids to be in her class.

-The advice I gave her before she started was to create relationships with her students to make sure that she knew them and knows their interests, because they will learn from someone that they like and know that cares about them.

-So choose a word, and add one of those to the end.

(Kent Sabo) Teaching is super complex.

And even if you're in a really good teacher preparation program, it's not possible for them to teach you all the things that you need to know.

I think the most important thing is setting up routines and procedures with students.

If you're just focusing on those for the first three or four days, I'm perfectly happy with that because that will pay dividends for the remainder of the rest of the 174 days that we have instruction.

I can imagine that's a bit of a surreal experience for her walking through these halls and being in those classrooms that she was in as a student here.

-I am so proud that you've chosen this career path.

Teaching is a hard and sometimes thankless job, but you're going to do great at it.

And I know that your little group of 18 is so lucky to have you this year.

I am so proud and grateful that you've chosen to work at Iverson so you can make a difference in the community you've grown up in.

-Mother-Daughter teachers, I loved this story.

Well, Principal Kent Sabo says the Iverson Elementary community comes together each school year to welcome and prepare new teachers like Hope.

In addition to her mom, Hope also has an experienced educator who is now her mentor.

Hope isn't the only new hire for the Clark County School District.

More than 1,000 educators took part in CCSD's New Teacher Kickoff event at Resorts World in preparation for the new school year.

We wish all of the District's new teachers much success.

Thank you for what you do.

The first day of school is also a busy one for the Superintendent and a chance to highlight new schools, new programs, and partnerships.

Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara started his day at the bus yard greeting school bus drivers and then stopped at schools all over the district as cameras tagged along, including ours.

(Ryan Cordia) Dr. Jara, the inaugural class of Northeast Career Tech.

(Dr. Jara) I'm so excited to be here with you.

I'm so excited to see about all the great things you're going to do.

Whatever path, it's your path.

-Northeast Career Technical Academy, first career tech in North Las Vegas, and our mission here is we're going to shorten the timeline from freshman orientation to revenue generation.

(Jerrell Deborah Hall) We're having a Red Carpet event where we're welcoming all of our students and their families to the first day of school-- set that tone, high energy.

Welcome!

We're excited for you to be here.

(Abigail Johnson) We are in the fabulous new building at Fremont Academy.

(Justin Lam) These kids have been waiting for this for the last two years, and the look on their faces are amazing.

-You know, it feels amazing to have a real space for us to gather and really launch this medical magnet program.

-For us, it's the importance of providing that same level of education, that same level of technology, the newest, greatest the best we can provide for everybody.

And this neighborhood, this school in particular, has just been so deserving.

-I think that they are just kind of looking around in awe because being on a swing site with portables for two years, we never let that become a reason why our kids didn't get the same experience as all the other kids in the district.

(Kirsten Searer) This bus is gonna distribute at least 50,000 books over the course of the school year.

And we're gonna go to neighborhoods all over Clark County.

(Burton Hughes) This makes it so everybody gets to share in the love and gets to share in the books.

(Carolyn Wheeler) What we're doing is we're growing the future of our community.

-So thank you for being here.

So a great first day.

I say to our parents and our community, every day matters.

Every single day matters.

3-2-1!

[cheers and applause] -What an incredible first day.

And a special shout-out to the Fremont Professional Development Middle School, my alma mater.

Go Lancers!

So impressive.

And speaking of being impressed, we thought a trip back to a brand new Northeast Career & Technical Academy was in order.

Not only is the campus spectacular, but the District's newest CTA offers the very first Energy Technologies program in Nevada.

(Ricardo Quinteros) Energy Technologies is just awesome!

I think it's just so cool just working with electricity.

-Electricity is in the air inside Mr. Mundy's classroom at Northeast Career & Technical Academy.

(Sophia Johnson) Well, right now, we're learning about circuits and like plugs and energy and volts and all that stuff.

(Matthew Mundy) We have direct current and alternating current.

Can someone remind me what "direct current" is?

-Not just because of what students are learning-- -So we pretty much start them off with, you know, what is voltage, amps, watts, ohms, and we get them understanding basic electricity fundamentals.

And then we bring them into the career fields.

- --but because of where this knowledge will lead.

-We got the idea from Mark Perna, so I can't take credit.

It's a nationwide program.

It's a career tree.

Every one of our 10 programs has the three levels within the career tree.

And every student can answer the question, what's their first job or their leaf in that tree.

-I showed that I wanted to be a powerplant technician just to see what it will be like.

-Freshman Sophia Johnson loves her new school.

-I would say it's more hands-on, that you get to explore different like, items.

Like you learn, but you also get to see like, how everything works in person so when you go into your career job, you're aware of what to do.

-And that is exactly what school leaders want to happen.

-We get them aligned with whatever pathway they want, whether they want to get to solar or solar voltaic or they want to get into wind generation turbines or they go into hydroelectric or even geothermal.

-Because when there is a plan, the sky is the limit.

-I hope to become an aerospace engineer, you know, like designing all those cool planes that fly over you at Nellis.

Yeah, those planes are awesome.

-And for Mr. Mundy's students, this class is just the beginning.

-I want students to understand their path and for them to choose it.

This generation is highly motivated when they believe in a "why."

-These jobs are going to be exploding, and we need a workforce that is prepared to take on that responsibility.

-Right now, NECTA has only freshmen and sophomores.

It also offers another first of its kind program for students interested in social work.

Well, students at Red Rock Elementary School started this school year on a "new to them" temporary campus.

Let me explain what I mean.

The more than 50-year-old Red Rock Elementary School closed at the end of the school year so that a brand new building could be built in its place.

We were there on the last day of school when students and staff said goodbye to the old Red Rock Elementary School.

It was a day full of mixed emotions.

That's why we wanted to catch up with students and staff once again, this time at their temporary location on the Ruth Fyfe campus, to see how they are doing and a look toward the future.

(Mirna Martinez) Well, you know, they say your home is where you are and your heart is.

And Red Rock, although our building is gone, that love and that spirit is life, you know?

It's here.

(Jaden) I've been Red Rock since pre-K.

I'm in 5th grade, I think I can count that as Red Rock because even though we're in Ruth Fyfe right now, Red Rock is still being rebuilt.

So we're still part of the program.

(Cozette) My reaction about the school being teared down, it-- I thought it was really sad because that's like, I've been there almost most of my life.

(Adelynn) I've been to Red Rock for-- well, this is gonna be my third year.

I feel comfortable with them tearing down Red Rock, because it was a old school, and it was time to tear it down and rebuild it.

-At first, they knocked down a couple buildings.

They broke up the pavement, but then I went back the next week and it was completely demolished.

I don't know, it kind of makes your heart just stop a little.

But, yeah, it's definitely an emotion.

And then you just see the marquee standing, and you're like, it's really gone.

Like, okay, a new chapter.

Here we go.

(Chantae Readye) I think the idea that after this year we're gonna have a brand new building is making everything easier.

-I just feel really excited to go to a brand new school even though it's kind of the same school.

(Isabella) I feel excited because it's going to be a two-story, and I've always wanted to go to a two-story school.

-But it's gonna be exciting because it's going to be so many windows, lots of fresh light getting in for our students.

There will be a lot more places for the kids to play, a lot more textures, a courtyard in the center that can be used for outside learning.

So I'm just really excited about all the opportunities we will be able to have for education at the new site.

I hope that it makes our students feel proud to go there.

I hope that it's a place that everyone is happy every day to go to.

-And you can be sure we will also be there when the brand new Red Rock Elementary School opens for the start of the 2024-2025 school year and students and staff return home, back to their new school, on its original site.

Now let's head to KO Knudson Academy of the Arts for our first "News Break."

(Echo) Hi, I'm Echo from KO Knudson Academy of the Arts, a magnet middle school with a TV Program and many other art-type programs.

(Lila) And I'm Lila.

We're here with your first News Break.

First, District news.

-Have you heard of "Let's Talk"?

Let's Talk!

provides the community access to more than 20 departments across the School District.

Find it on CCSD's "Contact Us" page.

Parents, students, teachers, staff, and anyone in the community can use it to submit questions, comments, or concerns from any device 24/7.

-Here's another important question: What's for lunch?

The answer is easy to find.

The Clark County School District's Food Service Department lists school menus and nutrition details online at menu.ccsd.net.

A reminder that lunch and breakfast are available at no cost for every CCSD student.

-Before we go, if you need help with homework, don't forget about "Paper."

Paper is the free-on-demand virtual tutoring service available to all CCSD students.

Students like us can get help in any subject at any time.

It's easy to try.

Access Paper by using your online Clever account.

-That's it for now.

Learn more in the next News Break.

Let's send it back to the studio.

-Great job, Echo and Lila.

Well, Clark County School Police has more officers sniffing around schools this school year.

We're talking about canine officers.

And joining us now in the Vegas PBS studio is Officer Steven Patty and his partner, Peppermint--so excited--and Lieutenant Bryan Zink.

Thank you all for being here.

-Thank you.

-I want to start with the star of the show today, Peppermint.

So let's talk about a little bit about Peppermint and her role.

-So Peppermint, she is a gun-detection dog, and she's been with the Clark County School District Police for just over a year.

She's two and a half, and she'll be celebrating her third birthday in December.

But we just love her.

She loves hanging out with the kids and enjoying her time on the campuses and making things safe.

-And Lieutenant Zink, she is one of six dogs, correct, on the force?

-Yes.

Currently, we have four gun-detection dogs.

Their sole purpose is to go out and do gun detection.

And then we also have two canine which are also trained in narcotics, specific narcotics that would be detrimental to our students on our campuses.

And we're looking to add more dogs onto the team, hopefully eventually, you know, once funding comes through.

-And some changes are being done this school year, correct, more random searches?

Talk to us.

-Yes, correct.

Last year, all of our dogs conducted at least two random sniffs on high school and middle school campuses.

This year to increase safety and make our staff and students and our parents feel more safe and comfortable with our kids on campus, they're going to add an additional step.

And that's also on top of calls for service, which they get, because they also go to campuses to help officers investigate possibility weapons on campuses.

They also help our sister agencies throughout the valley and some of our federal partners when they come in town to assist them on sniffs as well.

-And then how long have you had Peppermint?

-So we've been together for about four months, just before the end of the last school year.

Then we got to train together throughout the summer.

-And let's talk about that training.

How detailed is that training?

-Very detailed.

So like I said, she, she detects guns.

And the main scent that she's trained on is the post-residue blast.

So anytime the gun goes bang, what I tell the kids, that smoke, anything that smoke touches is what she can find.

-And I love that she has her own card, her own trading card.

Some fun facts about Peppermint.

Listen to this: She is the only female on the force right now, right?

-Yeah.

-And then she also loves bunnies.

-Absolutely.

-What else can you tell me about Peppermint?

-So her favorite game is tug of war.

Her second favorite toy is the ball, and that's what she's looking at right now.

-She sees it over there, right, she wants that.

-Yeah.

-And let's talk also a little bit about the fact that these canines are ambassadors, right?

The students see them at school, and you encourage them to come up to all these canines.

-What we do, like anybody should do with anybody's pet, is make sure that it's okay with the person who's handling or with the pet, that it's okay to touch the pet.

Just ask our handlers-- they wear these green uniforms --if it's okay to pet the dog, and they will say yes.

Our dogs will completely roll over on their back for belly rubs.

They absolutely love that.

And they go to as many elementary schools as possible.

They participate in Nevada Reading Week.

They also come to career fairs, job fairs, anything where we can put these dogs in the community to show everybody that we are police officers, but we're approachable.

We're here to make you feel safe when you're at school, and we're here to help our community in any way we can.

-And-- you were going to say something.

-That's one thing that I love.

I've been with the Clark County School District for 15 years.

And just in the four months we've been together, even over the summer, it's such an amazing experience to walk onto a campus and see people's faces light up.

And it just opens that bridge, and it's just that communication.

We're so approachable, and people want to come and pet the dog and pet Peppermint and see what they're all about and why they're so playful.

-There you go.

All right.

Thank you so much for being here.

All right, we have a playdate with my Husky, Yuki.

-Help her get on that treadmill, lose some weight.

-My Husky needs to lose weight.

-Throw her the ball.

-Oh, throwing the ball now?

Oh, there you go.

Yea!

Good job, Peppermint.

-Good girl.

-Good girl.

Thank you, gentlemen.

And thank you.

-Thank you.

That was awesome.

-Appreciate you, our canine.

Thank you.

A quick reminder, there is also an anonymous tip report system called SafeVoice.

Students, parents, school, and community members can anonymously report anything from threats and school violence, to bullying, to friends at risk.

Just before summer break, we were contacted by a CCSD jazz band instructor who took a canceled student trip and turned it into a positive possibly life changing musical experience.

We love this next story, and we hope you do, too.

(Darren Motamedy) We're at Walter Johnson International Academy, and we're going to go to a music studio today.

And we're gonna record 30 kids from our jazz band.

It's going to be amazing.

You'll be blown away when you hear them.

They're just so great.

(Kortlen) I feel really good about performing with this band because, yeah, this is the only time I'm gonna get to play in a studio.

(Kaylee) Well, yeah, it means a lot.

I'm very excited, too, because it kind of like documents my progress and the band's progress together.

-My jazz band, the first year I was here with my jazz band, I had six kids in the jazz band.

I've been a music writer my whole life.

So what I did, I started writing music for the jazz band.

And the next year I had 12 kids, and so I started writing for those 12 kids.

The next year I had a full jazz band, but they were pretty weak.

So I just kept writing to the level of their musicianship.

-So here we are in the studio.

It's been a two-year endeavor, right?

So we're getting ready to pop and let everybody hear our great magic from Johnson International Academy.

You guys are fantastic.

Everybody in the band is valuable and important.

[jazz music] And then I have written so many songs that I got a publishing deal with a publishing company in Washington.

So it's been really, it's been great for me.

-The music is very melodical and very thought out.

It's very well planned out.

I really like it.

-His music like, speaks.

So his music is like really, like touching.

And it feels like it's the greatest music ever, I ever, ever played.

Ever.

I love it.

-What are they learning from this exercise today?

They're really learning what I have done my whole life as a musician.

So you practice, you learn your skill, you play with others, and then you take your skill and go into the recording studio and you record it.

You get all these years and years of practice, and then you go, Here's my gift to you.

-Yes, I'm going to Las Vegas Academy of the Arts for Jazz International Studies, and I will be able to play.

And this basically like a stepping step into my new career and everything.

-I'm gonna keep playing music for the rest of my life.

-You never know.

This studio opportunity could kick off a career in music for some of these talented students.

Bravo!

Now, each student, by the way, received a USB drive with recordings of their sessions.

Well, learning didn't stop over the summer.

The Vegas PBS Learning Neighborhood Van brought lessons to some CCSD students.

We caught up with the van at a local library.

(Mayte Heredia) So part of being a project facilitator is going out into the community and delivering different types of family engagement workshops that are integrating our PBS Kids programming.

Today's activity is all about the engineering design process, and the property we're using is Ready Jet Go!

So it's all about space.

And we're using the space programming because our community partner is the library district, and that's our summer theme as well.

(Dianna Carlton) We love attending our local library events and saw that it was space themed.

And my daughter happens to be really passionate about space exploration.

So we thought it's a great way to further her interests in space and science.

-We are going to be building Mars rovers today, and a rover is kind of like a little robot.

And the little robot has to move everywhere.

But now, remember, we're gonna watch a quick little video that talks about a rover, because maybe some of us don't know what a rover is.

Yes, I'm gonna give you a little bag.

In this bag, there is a car already.

And it has the little wheels and the axle.

And then in your little bag, you're gonna try to see, hmm, what am I going to create to make something move?

You're gonna design a rover, and you're like, What am I going to design my rover with?

We also are talking a lot to the families and the grownups about how the end product is not a cookie cutter end product.

The process is what's important.

What are they doing?

What are they learning as they are creating?

So can you kiss your brains?

Kiss your brains.

You worked really, really hard today.

You used your engineering design skills.

This aligns well with the Vegas PBS mission, because our goal is to be out in the community to be seen, to be a community partner, a vital resource for families, for educators, for parents, for just community community members in general.

-As a child, I grew up watching PBS shows, and I know the value that it offered to me in my childhood growing up.

It is absolutely astounding, everything that PBS has done for this next generation coming up.

I'm excited to be part of it.

-That looks like a lot of fun.

Well, the Vegas PBS Neighborhood Learning Van is funded by a Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant.

Discover where the van is rolling up to next at the website on your screen.

Now let's head back to KO Knudson Academy of the Arts for our second News Break.

-Hi.

I'm Sofia, and we're from KO Knudson Academy of the Arts.

And today we're in the TV Production TV studio.

-I'm Rodolfo, and we're back with the second News Break.

-We're a part of our Television Production department.

-Here's something you may not know.

We are the only middle school in the district with a full TV Production program and studio.

-In this program, we learn the technical and written skills needed for broadcasting, while documenting school events and performances.

Our TV show is called KO In The Know, and you can find a link to it from our school's website.

-Our school offers a lot of cool things to study.

Thanks for visiting our school.

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

-Thank you so much, Sofia and Rodolfo.

Well, before we go, a quick update on the Vegas PBS Media Crew.

That is a crew of CCSD students that help provide us with a young voice by preparing segments that are interesting and important to them and other students.

This school year, we are revamping the Crew a bit, but they will be back on our next show in October.

We can't wait to see what they talk about.

That does it for our first show of the new season.

Big welcome back to all of the students and staff.

We can't wait to shine the spotlight on you this school year.

Good luck to all of you.

And a reminder that you can watch this episode, past episodes, and some special segments on the Student Spotlight section of the Vegas PBS website.

We'll see you next month.

Thank you for watching.

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