Banner Bank and the Spokane Indians baseball team are accepting applications for five high school seniors in Spokane County to receive a $500 scholarship.

The scholarship winners will be honored during a pre-game ceremony during the 2008 Spokane Indians baseball season.

The scholarships will be awarded based on scholarship, leadership, character and community involvement.

To apply, students should contact their school’s scholarship coordinator or e-mail Stacey Dacar at sdacar@spokaneindians

baseball.com.

APPLE and Montessori orientation meetings

Spokane Public Schools is offering orientation meetings for parents interested in enrolling their children in Montessori or APPLE, Alternative Parent Participation Learning Experience, this month.

The students must live within the boundaries of Spokane Public Schools, but are not required to live near the four elementary schools that offer the programs – Balboa, Jefferson, Garfield or Franklin.

The Montessori meetings will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Balboa Elementary, 3010 W. Holyoke Ave., and Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at Jefferson Elementary School, 3612 S. Grand Blvd.

The APPLE meetings will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Garfield Elementary, 222 W. Knox Ave., and Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at Franklin Elementary, 2627 E. 17th Ave.

For more information about either of these programs, call 354-7365.

Bemiss downsizes with grant

Bemiss Elementary School has received a grant to reduce class size from the state of Washington.

The school was eligible for this grant since it is one of three demonstration sites for all-day kindergarten classes.

The grant helped reduce class size in kindergarten through the third grade to 18 students, provided additional staffing, instructional materials and professional development.

The school is at 2323 E. Bridgeport Ave.