Input sought on school calendar

MANATEE -- Students in the Manatee County School District would begin classes on Monday, Aug. 19, 2013, and end classes on Monday, June 9, 2014, according to a proposed school calendar for the 2013-2014 school year proposed by district officials.

Notices and copies of the draft calendar are being distributed with information about how to provide input.

To provide input, send an email to calendar@manateeschools.net or call Mike Wilder, the district's coordinator of school leadership development, at (941) 708-8770, ext. 2247. The input will be collected and given to Superintendent David Gayler.

The 2013-2014 academic school calendar will be presented to the school board for its consideration and approval at a future meeting.

Search continues for donor match for teacher

MANATEE -- Nancy Newby, a McNeal Elementary School teacher battling multiple myeloma, a form of cancer in the blood, is awaiting a compatible match for a bone marrow transplant.

Several local campaigns are planned by the Icla da Silva Foundation, a recruitment center for Be the Match, to help.

It often takes more than 100,000 registered donors to find a match. Those registered and not found to be match for Nancy will stay on the register until they are 60 years of age, and perhaps be a match with another patient.

When a person registers as a possible donor, they will fill out a registration with their personal information and are swabbed in the inside of each cheeks to determine tissue type. Confidentiality is guaranteed.

Drives are planned at:

n Bradenton Urgent Care, 4647 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday .

n Lakewood Ranch Urgent Care, 9908 S.R. 64 E., East Manatee, 3-7 p.m. Wednesday.

n Sarasota Urgent Care 6272 Lake Osprey Drive, Lakewood Ranch, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 7.

Anyone wanting to help may also make a direct financial contribution on line at: http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/goto/nancynewby

Library offers crafts for tweens in February

MANATEE -- The Manatee County Public Library System's bimonthly "Mana-Tween Craft Program" for young people, ages 8-12, (the) continues in February at all six library locations.

February's project: "Make a Caterpillar Book." Each library branch will provide all of the materials and instructions necessary to create a wallet. Because of the limited seating for these craft programs, parents/guardians must register their children in advance by calling the desired library:

Feb. 6, 3:30-4:45 p.m. Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. W., Bradenton 941-748-5555, ext. 6312.

Feb. 20, 6-7:30 p.m. Island Branch, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach 941-778-6341.

Feb. 21, 6-7:30 p.m. Braden River Branch, 4915 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton 941-727-6079.

Feb. 27, 3:30-4:45 p.m. Palmetto Branch, 923 Sixth St. W., Palmetto, 941-722-3333.

Feb. 27, 6-7:30 p.m. Rocky Bluff Branch, 6750 U.S. Hwy. 301 N., Ellenton, 941-723-4821.

Feb. 28, 6-7:30 p.m. South Manatee Branch, 6081 26th St. W., Bradenton, 941-755-3892.

-- Herald staff reports