What’s Up DTLV – August 2015

8/04/15
While more people are flocking to the Downtown area in recent years, the neighborhoods surrounding the urban core have always been home to families and children in need of educational experiences. From new schools just opening their doors to established institutions with over 50 years in operation; DTLV offers diverse opportunities for academic enrichment.
First Good Shepard Lutheran School first opened its doors in 1957 and currently operates a pre-school and K-6 grade elementary school. The coming year marks the school’s 59th year in Las Vegas. The campus, located at 301 S. Maryland Parkway, shares its space with the First Good Shepard Lutheran Church, nestled in a quiet, wooded alcove between 13th Ave. and Maryland Parkway.
The private school offers an academically strong, family oriented, religious based education with small class sizes and a multitude of extracurricular activities. First Good Shepard, and its community of students, teachers and families, regularly give back to their community by coordinating clothing, food and toy drives to benefit other organizations and individuals in need.9th Bridge, a private pre-school and kindergarten located at 310 S. 9th Street, opened in the fall of 2013 as part of the Downtown Project. The school is located in a renovated church and aims to take a new approach at early education, one that inspires young learners to embrace creativity. The school is currently enrolling for the 2015-2016 school year from infant through kindergarten and has recently expanded to offer 1st Grade and part time options as well.
Downtown’s newest academic addition is the Quest Preparatory Academy Bridger Campus located at 1300 E. Bridger Ave., in the historic St. Joseph’s Catholic School Building at the corner of Bridger and 13th Street. Quest Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school for students K-12h grade, though the Bridger campus offers only grades K-6. Enrollment for the 2015-2016 school year are closed but information on enrollment is available online.
For older students interested in performing and visual arts, Las Vegas Academy, a public performing arts magnet school operated by Clark County School District (CCSD) is located at 315 S. 7th Street. The school’s art deco building was constructed in 1930 as Las Vegas High School and is today listed on the National Register for Historical Places. The performing arts magnet program opened in the old Las Vegas High School in 1993 with just over 700 students. The student body is much larger now and each student is selected through an audition process. Several LVA alumni have gone on to careers in acting, dancing and other performing and visual arts.
The downtown area is home to many more CCSD public schools that offer open enrollment for students living in their zones. For more information on Clark County Schools, visit ccsd.net.
Photo: Courtyard of First Good Shepherd Lutheran School