Nature Ridge serves up some fun at school fair

Nature Ridge Elementary will host its annual Fun Fair from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the school, 899 Westridge Blvd., Bartlett.

Cost is free, though nominal tickets must be purchased to participate in a variety of activities, like games, a "dude and diva room," a cakewalk and a raffle.

Fourth-grade teacher Laura Buhmann, who was crowned this year's Ms. Galaxy International, will be signing autographs at the fair, said parent volunteer Beverly Jaszczurowski.

Proceeds will go to the PTO's general fund, which subsidizes payments for the school's library aide and lab assistants, as well as some programs. Last year, the event raised about $9,000.

Jaszczurowski said each class is putting together a basket for the raffle, with items donated by school families.

Prizes include Cubs tickets, museum tickets and a ride to school for Bartlett residents on a Bartlett Fire Department Truck, donated by the Bartlett firefighters. About 100 parents volunteer for the event.

For more information, call (630) 372-4647.

Cueballs for the cure: A group of Elgin High students raised more than $600 on Feb. 22 for cancer treatment and research - and got a close crop in the process. Freshman Drew Bloomquist, sophomore Jake Mastera, junior Nikill Satish and seniors Carlton Kellenberger, Dylan Bloomquist and Matt Webb all shaved their heads to raise money for the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Geography whiz qualifies for state: Prairie Knolls Middle School sixth-grader Tom Crawford has qualified for this year's state Geography Bee.

Bob Warski, the Elgin school's bee coordinator, writes that school-level winners then took a qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society, with the top 100 scores selected to compete on the state level. Crawford was one of them. The 2009 Illinois Geographic Bee will be held at the Field Museum in Chicago on April 3. Go, Tom, go!