Due to circumstances that our district and community is facing at this time due to COVID-19 and the uncertainties that follow, the OPEF Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to cancel our annual ball originally planned for October 16, 2020.

Although we will not be hosting our annual ball, our dedication and commitment to the students and staff within the district continues. OPEF relies on the generous support of our sponsors and donors to provide unique learning opportunities for our OASD students. Recently, our board approved funding to help purchase hotspots for the district in order to ensure all students have equal access to virtual learning. Please click here to see how our community is coming together to help our students. If you would like to help support these type of opportunities for OASD staff and students, please click the button below. Thank you!

Congratulations to Krystal Nettesheim from Park Lawn Elementary for receiving an OPEF grant for her project, "Felting Bookmarks," benefiting 3rd and 4th grade art students.

Congratulations to Kristin Bunker from Meadow View Elementary for receiving an OPEF grant for her project "The Wildcat Gallery," which will allow all students to display and present their 2D and 3D artwork.

Congratulations to Sara Pyka, Alyssa Schmitz, and Lona Piber for receiving an OPEF grant for their project, "School Communication Boards," which fosters communication and builds inclusivity among all students at Greenland Elementary.

Congratulations to Eric Darnell and Kris Chadwick from Nature Hill Intermediate for receiving an OPEF grant for their project, "Inspiring Engineers for the Future," which provides students in

5-8th grades with opportunities to design, build, code and compete with VEX-EDR Robots.

Congratulations to Scott Bakkum for receiving an OPEF grant for his project, "Building Bridges that Empower Students," which includes drug and alcohol prevention presentations and student assistance programs at OHS, Silver Lake Intermediate and Nature Hill Intermediate.

This picture was taken in April 2019 when we recognized our 2019-20 OPEF grant recipients. Last year, OPEF awarded over $32,000 for grants that were implemented this school year throughout the district.

 Take a look below at one of these grants in action.

Based on the Universal Design for learning, kindergarten teachers at Summit Elementary School, Emily Hammen, Beth Lambert, Anne Seraphine and Trina Conigliaro, have learned how important a sensory rich classroom can be for all learners. Last year, they applied for an OPEF grant to help increase sensory integration techniques within their classrooms. They have discovered that children who have their sensory needs met are often calmer, more attentive and have fewer meltdowns in the classroom. One goal of sensory integration techniques is to increase academic achievement through decreasing stressors in the classroom environment. Students will be able to stay focused for longer periods of time and complete required work expectations. Their ultimate goal is to help students function independently and to better cope with stress and/or anxiety. Funding provided by OPEF and the Summit PTO has allowed them to integrate these items in their classrooms for the learning benefits of their students.