The DuPage Children’s Museum is hosting Bubble Bash, a family-friendly New Year’s Eve party, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31, at the Naperville museum, 301 N. Washington St.
The event will feature live music, do-it-yourself confetti-poppers, a science show, a photo booth and more. Award-winning kids’ musician Little Miss Ann will perform at 10:30 a.m. and noon and a DJ from Bach to Rock Naperville will also play music.
Families can explore the museum’s exhibits in addition to participating in the New Year’s-themed special activities.
New Year’s countdowns will take place at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and families can choose to ring in the new year with confetti, bubbles, a rocket launch or a sensory-friendly quiet countdown.
Tickets are $25 per person for museum members and $30 per person for nonmembers and can be bought at www.dupagechildrens.org/bubble-bash or by calling 630-637-8000.
Senior Services of Aurora offers exercise class
Senior Services Associates in Aurora will offer a free exercise class beginning in January.
The exercise program was developed by the University of Illinois at Chicago, Center for Research on Health and Aging and is designed to benefit those with arthritis symptoms and to promote an active lifestyle.
There will be eight weeks of instructional training, with each session consisting of one hour of physical exercise, followed by instruction about managing arthritis and the importance of exercise, officials said.
Starting Monday, Jan. 10, and continuing through Friday, March 4, the sessions will meet three days a week from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The classes will be led by trained and certified exercise instructors, organizers said.
Advance registration is required for the program, to be held at the Aurora Senior Service Center at 2111 Plum St. in Aurora. For more information, call Sean Kelly or Paul Heinkel at 630-897-4035.
Rosary announces scholarship program
In partnership with the Dunham Foundation, Rosary High School in Aurora has announced a scholarship program being launched for the Class of 2026 who will be entering as freshman in the fall of 2022.
Through this program, Rosary will offer full-ride scholarships for four years to 10 students who live in the East and West Aurora school districts who, due to financial need, would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend Rosary.
Students wanting to apply for the program should register to take the Rosary Entrance Exam at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8. Families should also begin the financial aid application found on the Rosary website. Links to the exam and financial aid applications can be found at www.rosaryhs.com/admissions.
For more information, contact Danielle Micele, director of Recruitment and Enrollment at Rosary, at 630-896-0831, Ext. 221, or dmicele@rosaryhs.com; or Amy McMahon, head of school, at 630-896-0831, Ext. 212, or amcmahon@rosaryhs.com.
Rosary High School is a Catholic, college-prep high school for young women at 901 N. Edgelawn Drive in Aurora, and sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois.
Kane County program to train certified naturalists
Registration closes Dec. 30 for a Forest Preserve District of Kane County program to train certified naturalists.
Classes begin in January, followed by spring field trips.
Students must complete six core classes, four field trips and 30 hours of advanced coursework or volunteer work to earn initial certified naturalist certification, district officials said.
Continuing education training courses will be offered annually to maintain certification and to further knowledge and skills, officials said.
The mission of the Kane County Certified Naturalist Program is to promote awareness and citizen stewardship of Kane County’s natural resources, officials said. It is a cooperative program of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, the St. Charles Park District and the Geneva Park District.
To register for the classes, go to www.genevaparks.org or call 630-232-4542. For more information, call 630-444-3190 or email kccn@kaneforest.com.
Geneva program to collect live Christmas trees no longer being used
Geneva residents will have two chances to dispose of their live Christmas trees during January, city officials said.
Trees will be picked up for free on residents’ regular garbage collection days the weeks of Jan. 3 and Jan. 10 by Lakeshore Recycling Systems, the city’s waste hauler.
People must place their live trees out with their garbage no later than 7 a.m. on their scheduled garbage day, city officials said. No refuse sticker will be needed to dispose of the trees during the program.
Ornaments, hooks, nails, tinsel, garland, tree stand and other hard materials should be removed from the trees prior to disposal. Trees placed in bags will not be accepted, officials said.
All wreaths and roping must be discarded with the regular trash.
For more information about Geneva’s refuse services, call the city’s Public Works Department at 630-232-1501 or go to www.geneva.il.us.
