The Verizon Innovative App Challenge, the no-coding-skills-needed contest that gives middle and high school students a chance to bring their problem-solving app ideas to life, is back. In its fourth year, the App Challenge calls students to gather teams, dream up ideas, and create concepts for mobile apps that could solve problems in their schools and communities.

For the first time, the App Challenge will be open to teams representing nonprofit organizations in addition to schools, and even more students will earn free tablets and cash awards for the groups they represent. The deadline for submission is Nov. 24, and the winners will be named in January 2016.

For more information, go to www.verizon.com/appchallenge.

Chapman School

Oct. 29: Scholastic Book Fair, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. All proceeds go towards Battle Books for grades K-8.

Oct. 30: Scholastic Book Fair, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

Oct. 30: Chapman Parent Group Halloween Carnival, 6 p.m. 

Fireweed Academy (all grades)

Oct. 29-30: No school – student-led parent-teacher conferences.

Oct. 29-Nov. 6: Fundraiser, selling fresh oranges, clementines and pomegranates to be delivered during the second week of December.

Nov. 13: Guest speaker Lori Jenkins will present on habitat resources for wild and domestically grown food.

Nov. 20: Matt Steffy will present on invasive species in Homer and wider Alaska habitats.

Homer Flex School

Oct. 29 -30: Parent-teacher conferences. Call the school for times.

Oct. 29 -30: Book fair during conferences.

Nov. 4: Picture retakes.

Homer High School

Oct. 30: No school.

Oct. 30-31: Region swim and dive competition.

Oct. 30-31: Play Like Crazy valleyball tournament.

Oct. 30-31: Wrestling at Seward.

Oct. 31: C, JV, Varsity volleyball vs. Seward at 12, 1, and 2:30 p.m. (Senior Night).

Homer Middle School

Oct. 29-30: Parent-teacher conferences, 9 a.m. -7 p.m. By appointment only on the 30th.

Oct. 30: Basketball versus Nanwalek at Homer Middle School. Girls play at 1 p.m., boys at 2:30.

Oct. 31: Basketball scrimmage at Nikiski.

Kachemak Selo School

Oct. 27: Girls on the Run cross-country running, 3:10 p.m.

Oct. 28: Minimum day.

Oct. 29: Girls on the Run cross-country running, 3:10 p.m.

Oct. 30: No school – parent-teacher conferences.

McNeil Canyon Elementary School

Oct. 29-30: No school for parent-teacher conferences.

Oct. 30: Fall carnival, 4-7 p.m.

Oct. 31: McNeil Day at the Homer Bookstore.

Ninilchik School

Oct. 29: Parent-teacher conferences.

Oct. 30: No school – teacher inservice day.

Oct. 31: Community Halloween Hoot at the Fairgrounds, 5-8 p.m.

Paul Banks Elementary School

Oct. 29-30: No school for students – parent-teacher conferences.

Oct. 29-30: Book Fair.

Port Graham School

Oct. 29-30: Parent-teacher conferences.

Razdolna School

Oct. 29-30: Scholastic Book Fair.

Oct. 30: Parent-teacher conferences.

Nov 4: No school – inservice day.

Voznesenka School

Oct. 29: Parent-teacher conferences, 3:20-6:40 p.m.

Oct. 30: Parent-teacher conferences, 8 a.m.-3:20 p.m.

Oct. 31: King of the Mountain wrestling tournament in Seward.

West Homer Elementary School

Oct. 26-Oct. 30: Book Fair open all day in the library. Students will make wish lists of books they want for the library, and parents who donate the books will be recognized with a personal placard inside the book.

Oct. 28: Halloween Parade, 12:45 p.m.

Nov. 2: Picture retakes, 9 a.m. If you have siblings, bring them early.

Nov 3-13: Eddie Wood – Artist in Residence.