There are many reasons to love Wood Acres Elementary School, but there is one reason it's on everyone’s list: our very own Planetarium! Our Osceola Sexton Planetarium was created in 1975 by the parent community at the school and has been going strong ever since — always entirely PTA-run and funded!
We currently have over one hundred parent and grandparent volunteers who teach the program to their children's class. No experience or prior knowledge is necessary — just a willingness to reach for the stars!
Be sure to read about our planetarium history if you want to learn more about how we came to have this amazing addition to our school.
Wood Acres ES won Best of Bethesda, Kids & School Cool Spaces Award for our Planetarium! Congratulations to our Planetarium Committee Chairs, Ajit Vaidya and Nicole Cohen for their dedication over the years to make our one-of-a-kind planetarium so special. Thank you to all the parent volunteers who teach our students and to our wonderful school staff, teachers, and Principal for supporting the PTA's efforts to keep the Planetarium running smoothly year to year. Click here to view the Magazine Page or here for the Website.
Are you a current volunteer? Check for lesson plans, training dates and classroom coordinator information on Google Drive. For more information about the Planetarium itself or about volunteering, please contact one of our committee co-chairs: Ajit Vaidya or Nicole Cohen.