Hernando school events, calendar

Brooksville Elementary: The school's annual holiday food drive has begun and will run until Dec. 14 to benefit the Salvation Army, Jericho Road Ministries and Operation HeartFELT food banks. Each class is collecting nonperishable food, and the class that collects the most will win a pizza party.

• The Performing Arts Club's Fall Extravaganza will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Hernando High School Performing Arts Center. Admission is $5. Brooksville Elementary students attend for free. The showcase includes a Spanish Heritage Month play, a Student Improv Night skit, a holiday chorus preview and a special performance by Dell O. Barnes Sr. Proceeds will support the performing arts program.

• The school's seventh annual PTA-sponsored Winter Festival will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Dec. 14. There will be three bounce houses, traditional carnival games, a silent auction and food. The media center will host a "buy one, get one free" book sale, including the school's Read for the World Record book. Families are asked to bring in 2-liter sodas, packaged snacks and cookies, and baked goods for the cake walk. Parent volunteers are also needed. Presale tickets will be available — five for $1 — the week before the event and four for $1 the day of the festival.

Christmas Candlelight Celebration: The Nature Coast Technical, Springstead and Weeki Wachee high school choruses will present Christmas concerts at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at Mariner United Methodist Church. Space is limited; call (352) 610-1232 for complimentary tickets.

For Each 1 Reach 1: The mentoring program will help students with homework from 6 to 7 p.m. each Tuesday at 7284 Sunshine Grove Road, west of Brooksville. The fee is $5 per session. A free book club follows at 8 p.m. to encourage reading and comprehension. Call (352) 556-2768 to register.

Parrott Middle: Parents and guardians are invited to principal Brent Gaustad's Breakfast Club to discuss the direction of Parrott Middle School and to take the Parent Involvement Pledge as part of Parent Involvement Month in Florida at 8:30 a.m. today in the media center. Contact Kris Noto at (352) 797-7075, ext. 256, to confirm your attendance.

Program of Hope: Communities in Schools of Hernando County, the school district's dropout prevention affiliate, is offering a Program of Hope campaign. It will feature a Holiday Shop Till You Drop for Education Extravaganza and Car Show provided by Monster Transmission from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Towne Square Mall on Commercial Way in Spring Hill.

Weeki Wachee High: The school has been nominated for a Power a Bright Future grant from the Clorox Co., making it eligible to win up to $50,000 for its music program, and is asking the community to vote in support of its nomination. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 12. Anyone 13 years and older can vote online at PowerABrightFuture.com. Voting also can be done from cellphones via text message.