District 214 Community Education

Unlock the beauty of watercolor painting in this hands-on class for beginners. You will get familiar with watercolor tools and basic principles, and learn how to sketch a light pencil underdrawing. While exploring several essential watercolor techniques, you will discover how to create light, volume and subtle transitions in color. After completing a series of short studies, the class will culminate withe the creation of one final piece. The cost of the class includes high quality brushes and paints for you to keep, as well as specialty paper and supplies to be used in class.

Welcome to Beginning Two! This class focuses on improving Spanish language skills while learning the irregular and reflexive verbs in the present tense. To enroll, students must have studied the Beginning One class or have knowledge of the regular verb structure and the two verbs, ser and estar (to be) in the present tense. With the increased knowledge of verbs, the students will learn to create the following situational dialogues: to describe one's family, shop for clothes, express love from the heart, buy/rent a residence, explain one's daily routine, plan a vacation and to dine on a matahambre dinner. The book used is Barron's 9th Edition, Spanish Now! Level One.

Welcome to the Intermediate Spanish Class! In this course students will focus on improving Spanish language listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. This class will review regular, stem-changing and irregular verbs in the present tense, including reflexive verbs during the first two classes. The last ten weeks will focus on a review of commands, learning indirect and direct object pronouns, regular and irregular verbs in thh preterite (past) and in the imperfect (past) tenses as well as the future tense. Thematic vocabulary will cover/review daily routine, travel, places in the city, a visit to the doctor, technology and the world of work among others. To enroll in the class, students should have completed Beginning Spanish 2 or have knowledge of the present tense of regular -ar, -er and -ir verbs, stem-changing verbs (o-ue, e-ie, e-i boot verbs) and these irregular verbs (ser, estar, dar, ver, ir, hacer, tener, poner, saber/conocer) in the present tense.

Travel to the beautiful Rock River Valley to explore its spectacular gardens. The journey begins in Janesville, Wisconsin, at the Rotary Botanical Gardens. A docent-guided tour will take you through 24 different garden areas showcasing over 4,000 plant varieties, including dramatic internationally themed spaces like the Japanese, Scottish, French Formal, Italian, and English Cottage Gardens. You'll also see the spectacular Sunken Gardens, which are known for their large cottonwood and honey locust trees overhanging planting beds filled with a colorful array of bulbs, perennials, and annuals.In Rockford, Illinois, visit the incredible Anderson Japanese Gardens. This serene and beautiful space is celebrated for its meandering streams, koi-filled ponds, and dramatic waterfalls. Lunch will be at the historic Stockholm Inn in Rockford, a Scandinavian-style restaurant owned by Rick Nielsen of the band Cheap Trick. Famous for its delicious home cooking, the Stockholm Inn has a rich history, having hosted celebrities like Dinah Shore and Mickey Rooney.