Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Noelani Ho, 17, will be headed to a national symposium in Dayton, Ohio from May 1 to 5.
A ballet pointe shoe that "lasts longer, is cheaper and more supportive" has earned Oak Park and River Forest High School student Noelani Ho, 17, first place in the Chicago Junior Science and Humanities Symposium at Loyala University in Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune. Ho is now headed to national symposium in Dayton, Ohio from May 1 to 5, according to the article. The shoe she designed is meant to prevent injuries that dancers commonly endure, according to OakPark.com. Ho's project comes out of her work as a student in Oak Park River Forest High School's Investigative Research in Biomedical Innovation (IRBI) class, according to an Oak Park River Forest High School press release. IRBI students have a year to generate an idea …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Endorsement of effort by President Barack Obama comes as Oak Park, Forest Park prepare to expand, initiate programs.
Update as of 10:30 a.m. Thursday Feb. 14: A vote on the Collaboration's program will come at the Feb. 28 meeting, school board president Terry Finnegan said. He noted that no one is against the concept; it's a smart investment. The issue at hand is the eligibility of using funds from the high school district for this purpose. President Barack Obama’s ringing endorsement of universal preschool during his State of the Union Address couldn’t come at a more opportune time for advocates in Oak Park and Forest Park. “It’s great that he put that at the forefront of the national conversation. The data is so clear that this is an issue that can and should receive support across the spectrum. This should be something that everybody can get behind,” …
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Oak Park & River Forest High School
201 N Scoville Ave, Oak Park, IL
/articles/universal-preschool-mention-in-state-of-the-union-encouraging-to-advocates
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41.879678
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Oak Park Elementary School District 97
970 Madison St, Oak Park, IL
/articles/universal-preschool-mention-in-state-of-the-union-encouraging-to-advocates
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41.876899
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543 Hannah Ave, Forest Park, IL
Garfield School
/articles/universal-preschool-mention-in-state-of-the-union-encouraging-to-advocates
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Monday, January 21, 2013
Oak Park and River Forest High School graduate Kevin Schwartz (now a student at Butler University) sinks a half court shot for $18,000—on the first try!
"Got it! He got it with one," the announcer screams as Butler University junior Kevin Schwartz sinks a half court shot at a Butler versus Gonzaga game on Saturday morning for an $18,000 payout. Schwartz, a 2010 graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School, was chosen at random to take as many half court shots as possible in 18 seconds in an attempt to win the big cash prize. In the last nine years, only two people have hit the shot. Schwartz hit it on his very first attempt—a new first in the contest. Amazing!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Oak Park and River Forest High School have set two forums for a discussion on the possible elimination of class rank.
Following the lead of about two dozen other area high schools, Oak Park and River Forest High School is considering following the trend and discussing the elimination of the class rank system. Hinsdale Central and New Trier are two examples of schools cited by OPRF administrators as schools that have changed how they report class rank. On Patch: Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South Vote to Eliminate Class Rank With possible elimination in the future, OPRF is seeking the input of parents, and looking to start a discussion about possible changes with two forums to be held starting at the end of January. The first opportunity for parents to learn more and share their thoughts will be Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. A second forum will be held on Feb…
Monday, January 7, 2013
Ulysses "Chris" Gissendanner III, a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School, was killed on Chicago's Southside early this month.
As reported in an article on DNAinfo Chicago today, Ulysses "Chris" Gissendanner III, an Oak Park and River Forest High School graduate who was killed on the Southside of Chicago Jan. 2, was the stepbrother of Chicago-based rapper Chief Keef, currently signed with Interscope Records. Gissendanner was a student at Daley College in Chicago when he was killed. He was hoping to complete a business degree and was also passionate about the music business. According to DNAinfo, Gissendanner modeled his rap alter ego, YPN Boomtown, on Chief Keef. The two were related by marriage, but police do not believe there is a connection between the two and Gissendanner's murder. As children, they would often play together, but they drifted apart as they …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Ulysses "Chris" Gissendanner was shot and killed in Chicago on Jan. 2.
The Wednesday Journal reported that a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School, Ulysses "Chris" Gissendanner, 19, was shot and killed while driving in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood on Jan. 2. Police do not believe he was the target of the shooting. Gissendanner was shot in the 12400 block of south Union Avenue at around 2:30 p.m. by an unknown offender, and was pronounced dead at Roseland Hospital. Gissendanner was driving to work from his aunt's house when he was shot. A musician, and a student at Daley College in Chicago, Gissendanner hoped to go into a career in business. Police do not have anyone in custody in connection with the shooting. To read the article on the Wednesday Journal, click here.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Oak Park and River Forest High School alum Jarell Childs made a big impact in his senior year at Kansas State University.
According to an article posted by the Kansas City Star, no one thought former Oak Park and River Forest High School football player Jarell Childs would see much time on the field in his senior year at Kansas State University. After graduating from OPRF, Childs was added to the K-State roaster as a running back, but injuries kept him largely sidelined for two seasons. In his senior year, however, Childs has proved himself to be a major force on the squad as he went from the offensive line to play defense. K-State defensive coordinator Tom Hayes told the Star that Child's impressive speed has made him a force to be reckoned with on the team. This year, Childs made 64 tackles and recovered two fumbles while starting in seven games. While he …
Sunday, December 23, 2012
There are a lot of athletes from Chicago suburbs—and Patch towns—on some of the best teams in college football this season.
The BCS bowl season has begun, but two area schools will wait until after the new year to play in some of the most prestigious bowl games—and their rosters feature lots of area talent from Chicago suburbs and Patch towns. Notre Dame, the No. 1 team in the country, plays Alabama in the BCS National Championship game Jan. 7. And No. 15 Northern Illinois, a surprise BCS team, heads to the Orange Bowl to play No. 12 Florida State on New Year's Day. Former Fenwick player Joe Ramano of River Forest is on the roaster at Notre Dame and former Oak Park-River Forest High School players Daniel Green and David Green will play for Northern Illinois. A number of athletes from Patch towns are on the rosters of these teams, as well as others playing in …
Monday, December 10, 2012
Catch silent movies, holiday carols and more in Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest this week.
The holiday's getting closer. Here are a few ways to take in the cheer. Willard Elementary School Principal Merryl Brownlow will share some of her favorite stories during Local Celebrity Spotlight at 4 pm, Tuesday, Dec. 11 at the River Forest Public Library , 735 Lathrop Ave. This kid-friendly event is great for elementary school children ages 5 and up. And it's free. Call 708-366-5205 for more information. The Artist , the 2012 winner of This year's Academy Award for Best Picture, will be shown at 1:30 pm Wednesday, Dec. 12 at the Maze Branch of the Oak Park Public Library, 845 Gunderson Ave. Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, this romantic comedy is about the transition from silent film to talkies. It's a silent picture with great scene …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Police have a person of interest in custody following three reported incidents of students being followed.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with new information from police. Click here to read: Charges Brought Against Maywood Man in Child Abduction Attempts In a message sent out to parents of students at Oak Park and River Forest High School today, school officials announced that the Oak Park Police Department has informed them of several incidents in the last 24 hours of students being followed. The first incident reported occurred Tuesday evening, when a student was followed after leaving the school from Lake Street down Ridgeland Avenue to Julian Middle School. A staff member at Julian reported seeing the student was followed and reported it to police. The school also said they were notified a short while ago that another OPRF …
adr0130
10:31 am on Saturday, February 23, 2013
Studies show that any positive results from early childhood education programs(such as Head Start)disappear by third grade.NO District 200 OR Village money should be allocated for this purpose.We are starting down a slippery slope when a taxing district is allowed to allocate tax dollars for programs outside their mission and control. more ›