Owl Academy

Published March 18, 2010

An exciting new program called Owl Academy is creating quite a stir among students at Oak View Elementary School. The before-school enrichment program is held twice a week and gives children in grades K-5 a chance to work on problem-solving skills in the areas of math and science.

"We were looking for a way to further enrich students," said Oak View teacher Carol Cortez, who wrote the proposal for the program. "Owl Academy gives students a chance to learn new things and have fun at the same time."

Nearly 40 students at Oak View were selected by their teachers to be part of Owl Academy. The children are divided into three groups based on grade level and given a project to work on. On any given week, you might find a group of students using GPS devices to search for a hidden treasure or learning how to make a carbonated beverage by mixing apple juice with baking soda.

"It's a lot of fun," said Oak View fifth grader Tyler Nabrotzky, who was learning how to build objects out of Legos. "I really love math and science so it's a lot of fun getting to build things and work with geometric figures. I've really learned a lot."