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NAPLES — Nightly TV read-aloud show continues

Storytime, the nightly television show in which community members read books to children, will continue to air at 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays on the Education Channel, cable 20.

The read-aloud show is recommended for prekindergarten through fifth-grade students.

This week’s stories include: “Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein,” “Verdi,” “Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship,” “Purplicious” and “Monsters, Inc.”

To learn more about the show, or to volunteer to be a reader, call (239) 377-0180, or send an e-mail to theeducationchannel@collier.k12.fl.us.

Tommie Barfield teacher honored with school supplies

Congratulations are in order for Anne Fleming, a third-grade teacher at Tommie Barfield Elementary School. Fleming was recently recognized by OfficeMax during its annual “A Day Made Better” event.

Fleming received $1,200 worth of supplies for her classroom, a new teacher chair, roses and a framed award to thank her for inspiring young minds every day.

More than 1,000 teachers from across the United States were honored in surprise classroom visits, featuring more than

$1 million worth of donated school supplies. The purpose of the “A Day Made Better” campaign is to eliminate teacher-funded classrooms. Due to budget shortfalls, teachers are now spending nearly $4 billion annually out of their own pockets — an average of $1,200 per teacher — for basic classroom supplies.

For more information, contact Principal Jory Westberry at (239) 377-8500 or via e-mail at Westbejo@collier.k12.fl.us.

Community School of Naples to host open house

The Community School of Naples will hold an admissions open house for families interested in enrollment for the 2009-10 school year. Limited spaces are still available for the 2008-09 school year.

The open house will be held on Thursday, Oct. 23. Families will have an opportunity to witness the interaction between children in prekindergarten through 12th grade and their teachers. Visitors will tour classrooms and observe music, computer, physical education, foreign language and visual and performing arts. Tours of the 110-acres campus will be given at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. To schedule a tour, call Debbie Ryan at (239) 597-7575, ext. 245.

Naples High School to host fashion show

The Performing Arts Club at Naples High School is joining the modeling craze by presenting its annual fashion show fundraiser. The show, which will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the school’s auditorium, 1100 Golden Eagle Circle, is a student-run production — from working behind the scenes, to the hosting and the modeling.

Tickets are $5, and all proceeds benefit the Naples High School Performing Arts Club.

To learn more, please contact teacher Rick Simmons at

(239) 377-2200, or via e-mail at simmonri@collier.k12.fl.us.

Growers to donate to schools

Florida agribusiness recently raised nearly $41,000 for the Redlands Christian Migrant Association during the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s 65th annual convention.

Based in Immokalee, RCMA provides quality child care and early education for about 8,000 children of migrant and low-income families throughout rural Florida.

Each year, RCMA must raise at least $650,000 from local sources to draw down state and federal matching funds. For every $1 donated, RCMA generates $16 in matching funds.

RCMA was founded in 1965 in the Redlands farming area of Miami-Dade County to provide children of migrant workers with a safe place to go while their parents worked in the fields.

For more information, visit www.rcma.org.

Target program donates dollars to schools

Thirteen Collier County schools received checks from Target as a part of the “Take Charge of Education” program. The company donated more than $4,900 to the schools.

Take Charge of Education allows families, teachers and members of the community to raise money for the school of their choice. Whenever you sign up and designate an eligible elementary, middle or high school, Target donates up to 1 percent of every purchase made with your REDcard (Target Visa credit card, Target credit card or Target check card) to that school.

Since 1997, Take Charge of Education dollars have been donated to schools twice a year. Schools can use these funds for whatever they need, whether it’s books, field trips, new technology or supplies.

Rookery Bay art show works on display

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Collier County School District are hosting a display of elementary, middle and high school students’ artwork through Nov. 3 at Rookery Bay, 300 Tower Road.

The exhibition features Florida’s coastal environments, wetlands and estuaries, and represents the winners of the show “Students’ Artistic Impressions of Our Natural Resources.” First-place winners were awarded a T-shirt, tote bag and other items from the Rookery Bay gift shop. Students receiving an honorable mention received a T-shirt.

Congratulations to following winners: Tommie Barfield fourth-grader Emmanuelle Meurgue, who won first place in the elementary division; Tommie Barfield fifth-grader Jacob Hartman, who won an honorable mention in the elementary division; North Naples Middle School eighth-grader Eunice Mercado, who won first place in the middle school division; Oakridge Middle School seventh-grader Alyssa Alvarez, who won an honorable mention in the middle school division; Golden Gate High School senior Mike Dudash, who won first place in the high school division; and Golden Gate High School senior Megan Hoolihan, who won an honorable mention in the high school division.

For more information, contact District Fine Arts Coordinator Linda Cummings at (239) 377-0087 or via e-mail at Cumminli@collier.k12.fl.us.

Immokalee students go fishing

To celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week and to expose children to the pastime and sport of fishing, the Collier County Sea Grant Extension Agent recently partnered with the Ten Thousand Islands Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Port of the Islands Marina to host a Kids Fishing Clinic. The clinic was held at the Port of Islands Marina (525 Newport Drive) for 47 migrant farm worker students from Immokalee.

At the clinic, kids rotated through a series of stations that focused on basic fishing skills and stewardship practices, such as knot tying, casting, following fishing regulations and catch and release practices. The children also got the opportunity to fish along the banks of the marina.

Fish Florida provided a grant to University Extension Services to give fishing poles and mini-tackle boxes to the kids. The children were able to keep these supplies.

To learn more, please contact Brian Fluech at (239) 417-6310, ext. 204.

Operation Give Thanks accepting donations for soldiers

Golden Gate High School is gearing up to begin its sixth year of collecting items for the troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The school is accepting donations and will continue to do so until the end of November.

Some of the specific items the school is collecting include: music CDs, DVD movies, men’s socks, prepaid phone cards, wet wipes, beef jerky, gum, hand sanitizer (mini bottles preferred), playing cards, letters of appreciation, travel-size toiletries, individual packs of powdered drinks and candy (no chocolate).

Cash donations are also being accepted to help purchase the above items, as well as cover shipping costs. Local business support is also appreciated. Items for the soldiers can be brought to the school, 2925 Titan Lane.

For more information, contact project organizer Sheri Kleintop at Kleintsh@collier.k12.fl.us.

GED program airing on the Education Channel

Those planning to take the General Educational Development (GED) exam soon should be sure to catch the “GED Connection” on the Education Channel, cable 20.

“GED Connection” provides adult learners with the skills and knowledge needed to prepare for and pass the newly revised GED exam.

Two different 30-minute episodes will air back-to-back beginning at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, through this week.

Girl Scouts to host information nights at local schools

Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida Inc. will host a Girl Scout information night from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday in the cafeteria at Pelican Marsh Elementary School, 9480 Airport-Pulling Road N.

The information night will offer a brief description of today’s Girl Scout program and volunteer opportunities for adults. For more information, call Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. at

(239) 262-5236.