Oak Park Education Foundation (OPEF) Annual Gala
OPEF William C. Staszak Annual Gala
Show your support for the enriching in-school programs brought to District 97 public-school students by the Oak Park Education Foundation. Join us for a highly entertaining evening at our William C. Staszak Annual Gala on Saturday, April 11.
  • LAUGH: The wonderfully funny Mark Bazer, syndicated columnist, host of “The Interview Show” and Oak Park dad, will be our emcee.
  • LEARN: We will have surprise guests who will showcase OPEF’s next exciting, innovative program resulting from our Call for Ideas.
  • CONNECT: Mix and mingle with other great supporters of Oak Park public education — parents, teachers, administrators and engaged community members. The open bar will help, as will the small plates and desserts!
  • SUPPORT: Unique and interesting live and silent auction items will entice you to bid. We will be featuring one-of-a-kind vacation homes, sports and show tickets, food and wine, behind-the-scenes tours, and much more. This year’s raffle ticket buys a chance to win an Instant Wine Cellar, 24 bottles of wines selected by certified sommelier Andy Kohn!
There will also be a tribute to former OPEF board member Peter Traczyk.
RSVP and buy tickets at opef.org/staszak. Can’t come? We’ll miss you but you can still buy a raffle ticket or three, or make a donation. All proceeds support OPEF’s free in-school programs and BASE Camp scholarships.
With your support, all District 97 students, no matter what their resources, receive OPEF’s free programs multiple times in grades K-8. We hope you will join us to help make the magic happen!

Julian CAST Upcoming March Performances
The CAST performing arts program at Julian Middle School will celebrate Women’s History Month on March 20-22 with performances of two distinct plays from different eras.
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“Lodestar,” an original work by CAST program director Bill McGlynn, tells the story of a group of women hired by Edward Pickering at Harvard as skilled workers to process astronomical data. Join CAST in celebrating these remarkable women and the supportive atmosphere that allowed them to develop the Harvard Classification Scheme of stars – and to make history.  “Lodestar” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on March 20 and at 3:30 p.m. on March 21.
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“The Secret Life of Girls” highlights the impact of “cyberbullying,” the facilitation of mean-spirited behaviors through the use of cell phones, texts, and the like. When faced with the consequences of their actions, the girls ultimately resolve – one by one – to change their behaviors. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on March 21 and at 3:30 p.m. on March 22.
Tickets are available in advance through the CAST website at www.op97.org/CAST or may be purchased at the door. Please contact Kathy Simon at 708 524 7848or ksimon@op97.org for more information.

Julian Middle School is located at 416 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Oak Park.