Schools

Rich East to Use Grant Money to Offer Saturday Community Classes


Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– Looking for something to do on Saturday’s as the chill of winter sets in? Then perhaps fun and informative classes at Rich East High School may be just the remedy for your winter chills.

As part of its receiving a $232,000 School Improvement Grant from the Illinois State Board of Education, Rich East High School is sponsoring a special 10-week series of classes that will be open to all Park Forest residents, including Rich East students. The first of the classes will begin from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12.

“Our goal is to help our community become more involved in Rich East and raise student achievement as well as provide better career opportunities for our community,” said school principal, Mark Kramer.

“This is another great opportunity to showcase our school and give something special to the entire Park Forest community.”
As part of its initiation on Saturday, Dec. 12, attendees will get a sampling of classes to be offered. The synopsis of classes on that day will include: Computer Skills; Excel; Word and Power Point; Culinary Arts from a local restaurant and caterer; Wellness-Yoga; Weight Training and Line Dancing; Legacy Initiative-Cradle to careers; 2+2=Success-Algebra strategies for the visual learner; “Right to Read” and Fine Arts, which will highlight Chorus this session. As a special treat, this Dec. 12 session will conclude with a fine meal prepared by the professionals from a Culinary Arts program from the former owner of Soul Kitchen.

“This special day will be a different program than what we will normally do so that participants will get a chance to sample all of the activities,” Kramer said. “The Dec. 12 sampling of courses is a way for everyone to get a feel for what is being offered.”

After the initial Dec. 12 session, nine more will be offered, on Jan. 9, Jan. 30, Feb. 6, March 6, March 20, April 10, April 24, May 1 and May 15. Classes will always be from 8 a.m. to noon. A person will be able to sign up for up to three different courses in one Saturday session. Food will be offered on five of those sessions, but not all nine. There will be no charge for the small meals.

The classes to be offered also in part to suggestions made at a special community forum at Rich East last month. At that special forum, attended by community leaders, School District 227 officials and parents, most of the more than four dozen in attendance, suggested and wrote on cards and poster boards that they would like to see the school open to the community for classes when it could.

“We also want input from participants to shape the sessions over the next two years,” Kramer said. “This is something we want to keep going for the Rocket community.”

The classes are free of charge but registration is required. Rich East High School is located at 300 Sauk Trail, Park Forest, Ill. For more information, please call 708-679-6100, weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.


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