Some innovative student inventions will be featured later this week at the 26th annual Astounding Inventions contest. Presented by Greenberg Traurig LLP and the Irvine Valley College Foundation, the event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan.

Just a reminder that all IUSD schools will be closed on Monday, Jan. 20 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The federal holiday marking the birthday of the late Dr. King is observed annually on the third Monday of January. We’ll see you back at school on Tuesday, Jan.

IUSD is extending the deadline for those who want to leave feedback on its new school calendars.

Before the winter break, the IUSD Board of Education approved a three-year Technology Master Plan outlining long-term strategies for using high-tech tools to improve outcomes for students.

Turtle Rock Elementary School is experiencing an unplanned power outage this morning, impacting lights, phones and Internet service.

Some 400 middle school students from IUSD got a chance to preview potential careers in physics, robotics, aerospace, health, research and other specialized fields during a science conference at UCI this week.

An experienced and highly regarded educator has been named interim principal of Meadow Park Elementary School.

For those who like to plan ahead, the Irvine Unified School District has come up with provisional calendars for the next two school years, and while they may look similar to previous editions, there is one significant change worth noting: The first day of school in 2015-16 will be during the final week of August.

It’s down to the homestretch for the Irvine Public Schools Foundation, which has until Dec. 31 to fully leverage $1.3 million in matching funds offered by the City of Irvine.