Looking for an unusual, exciting and educational summer experience? Sign up now for OPEF's BASE Camp! We're offering Geared Up (engineering with Legos), Vex Robotics and Architecture Adventure Monday - Friday, 8:30 - 11:30 am, with 2 sessions between June 7 - July 2. Click here to download the BASE Camp flyer with registration form.
Artist Sallie Wolf led a painting, drawing and collage project that tied into studies of rocks and minerals for Mrs. Creticos's Longfellow 2nd graders. Click here to see photos of students exploring geometry and science through still life painting. Photos courtesy of Oak Park photographer Peter Wagner.
The Shedd Aquarium's April Keller visits with Mrs. Diviacchi's and Ms. Fotopoulos's Mann 4th graders as part of OPEF's Global Village program. April brought some of the Shedd's animals to school and talked about what it's like to be a marine biologist. The students' study of ecosystems will culminate with a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium in May. Click here to see the photos by Mann parent Emily Opalski.
Click here to see photos of the "Our Nation: The Fifty States" art quilt created by Mrs. Parkinson's Beye 2nd graders with local artist Pamela Penney. The class dyed fabric and yarn, designed individual quilt squares, then finished with some creative stitchery.
The quilt will be on display at the Oak Park Area Arts Council's gallery at Village Hall from March 1 through April 30, with an artists reception on Tuesday, March 2, 4:30-5:30 pm at Oak Park's Village Hall, room 101. Slide show photographs are by Oak Park photographer David Kindler.
An evening of exciting competition will get underway when robots take center stage in the 5th annual Brooks vs. Julian Vex Robotics competition. The event takes place on Wednesday February 24th at 7 pm in the Brooks Middle School gymnasium, 325 S. Kenilworth Avenue in Oak Park. You are cordially invited!
OPEF's after-school Vex Robotics teams are open to all District 97 middle school students. Young inventors control the design, performance and functionality of their robots, including the ability to program them to perform tasks by remote control or autonomously. This year, we've attracted a diverse group of 80 students who will compete in a challenge called the "Sponge Ball Bonanza." Students construct robots that collect sponge balls that must be lifted and delivered to a variety of difficult scoring targets. One is a tricky limbo bar that the robots must pass. Another target is completely hidden from view, requiring the use of sensors and programming to score.
Please come -- and bring the kids!