NPN Jana

It’s a night to be supported, to ask questions and share resources, and to be with other parents who get what it’s like to deal with special challenges for their kids. Parents of kids with all types of developmental differences welcome (sensory processing disorder, autism, ADD/ADHD, PDD-NOS, mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, Down syndrome, physical disabilities, medical issues, etc.). Parents/family only, please (no therapists, students or business owners). This event is in person at Gigi's Play House, 3948 N. Lincoln Chicago, IL 60613. Do you live south of the Loop and want help starting NPN's Developmental Differences Parent Support Group in your neighborhood? Email Amy at amy@npnparents.org to discuss!

It’s a night to be supported, to ask questions and share resources, and to be with other parents who get what it’s like to deal with special challenges for their kids. Parents of kids with all types of developmental differences welcome (sensory processing disorder, autism, ADD/ADHD, PDD-NOS, mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, Down syndrome, physical disabilities, medical issues, etc.). Parents/family only, please (no therapists, students or business owners). This event is in person at Gigi's Play House, 3948 N. Lincoln Chicago, IL 60613. Do you live south of the Loop and want help starting NPN's Developmental Differences Parent Support Group in your neighborhood? Email Amy at amy@npnparents.org to discuss! Follow these links to see the upcoming NPN three-part series on special education in Chicago and register for NPN's Developmental Differences Resource Fair.

We apologize for the inconvenience. This meeting has been canceled. Please join us at the February meeting. You can learn more and RSVP here. It’s a night to be supported, to ask questions and share resources, and to be with other parents who get what it’s like to deal with special challenges for their kids. Parents of kids with all types of developmental differences welcome (sensory processing disorder, autism, ADD/ADHD, PDD-NOS, mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, Down syndrome, physical disabilities, medical issues, etc.). Parents/family only, please (no therapists, students or business owners). This event is in person at Gigi's Play House, 3948 N. Lincoln Chicago, IL 60613. Do you live south of the Loop and want help starting NPN's Developmental Differences Parent Support Group in your neighborhood? Email Amy at amy@npnparents.org to discuss!

Perform, watch, and be the director of your own story. Spot videos and films throughout the museum. ASL interpretation is provided at this event. This is a free event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Lot parking availalbe. The parking garage is located on Chicago Avenue just west of Fairbanks Court and adjacent to the museum. The garage does not provide direct access to the museum. When you exit the garage, simply turn right and walk west up Chicago Avenue. Our entrances face Mies Van Der Rohe Way. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: sypervaiz@mcachicago.org

The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce and Purple Monkey Playroom will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially introduce Mouna Soumahoro, the new owner, to the community! We will have light food and refreshments and holiday-themed activities for children. Limited spaces. This is a free event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Street parking available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: mouna@purplemonkeyplayroom.com.

This webinar is for Illinois families with students of ALL ages who have a disability. Special Education, Disability Rights, and Human Services Attorney Matt Cohen, will break down disability rights, IDEA, ADA, and how post-election results may impact students with disabilities, and what families can do to prepare. All families who have a student with a disability in the state of Illinois are welcome. This is a free, online event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: ttjeanbaptiste@cps.edu.

A Spirited Holiday Social-Mixer hosted by kgPR's client, Chicago's Philanthropist, Senior Business Executive, Entrepreneur, and Mother, Rosella Bynum. As God is a blessing to us daily, I am The Way Truth Life Outreach Ministries seeks to be a blessing to others. This is a free event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Street parking available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: kweisigharreau@gmail.com.

Join us for an afternoon in the Baker Print Shop with Ms Beth Sycamore. Experience the Baker Print Shop while making custom photo books using all of the resources and materials we have to offer, under the guidance of our wonderful teacher, Ms. Beth. Your family is also welcome to explore the Baker Book Fair in our Library. We will also be offering complimentary family photos with our professional photographer. After the event, you will receive 2-3 professionally edited images. This is a free event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Ample Parking in the school parking Lot This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: skinser@bakerdemschool.org.

You've achieved a lot of Maslow's Pyramid for your kiddos: • Housed, check • Eating, check • Sleeping – well, mostly check. But what are the money moves you need to make sure that you're taking care of their financial needs and your financial needs, and protecting the new layers of risk that exist in your life? Join us for a lively discussion of five important money moves to make when your children are young, including: • Saving for college and saving for retirement, at the same time • Updating your insurance (and not get scammed in the process) • Preparing the documents that would protect your family if something happened to you (or both of you) Whether you'd rather step on loose Lego than think about your retirement accounts or whether that piggy bank in "Toy Story" has nothing on you, we welcome you to join us for our 30-minute presentation followed by open Q&A. We also warmly welcome attendees who don't have children today but are gathering information for future decisions. Interested in the content but can’t make it this time? Register for this online webinar to receive a recording and a copy of the handouts afterward. Please go here for more information and disclosures. There is no charge for this online seminar, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: categoebel@gmail.com

The highly anticipated Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago Medical District UIC, has opened within the rapidly expanding Illinois Medical District on Chicago’s west side. The property features 135 modern guestrooms and 46 spacious studio suites, designed with comfort in mind to support the incredible changemakers visiting the District daily. The property offers guests an on-site indoor swimming pool, along with amenities including WiFi, complimentary hot breakfast daily, & on-site parking.

Hyde Park Holly-Day is back for 2024 and better than ever with FREE holiday family activities throughout Hyde Park on Saturday, December 7 at select times between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Don’t miss the ice carving demo & self-guided sculpture stroll, pictures with your favorite Santas, live reindeer & sleigh, ice skating, free screening of “Moana 2”, Buddy the Elf, costumed characters, dance performances, and holiday crafts. See you in Hyde Park! This is a free event, and no RSVP is required. But you can go here for more details. Paid parking is available at the following locations: Harper Court Public Garage - 5222 S. Lake Park Avenue, entrance just south of McDonald's. Harper Court Surface Lot - 5210 S. Harper Avenue. The Promontory Lot - 5311 S. Lake Park Avenue West. Metered and free street parking where available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: acsrodon@uchicago.edu.

Help I am The Way Truth Life Outreach Ministries spread Holiday Joy with Rosella Bynum's Holiday Toy & Coat Drive! The drive takes place until Sunday, December 8th. Please drop off new unwrapped toys, new coats/jackets, mittens/gloves, hats (for all ages), hygiene kits and new socks. Poverty makes it arduous for struggling families to access their most basic of needs like food and water, let alone gifts for the holidays. So, as the holidays arrive, some parents are faced with some disconcerting choices from paying the rent, food on the table, new winter clothes or presents for their children. Your support during these most challenging of circumstances can help us provide parents with hope and joy for their families this holiday season. Drop Off Location: Take Flight Spirits 8038 Lincoln Ave. Skokie, IL 60077 https://www.takeflightspirits.com/ Drop Off Times/Tasting Times: Tuesday & Wednesday: 4pm-10pm/Thursday: 4pm-11pm/Friday & Saturday: 3pm-11pm/Sunday: 4pm-10pm. Don't have time to attend or drop off, go here for Rosella Bynum's Holiday Toy & Coat Drive Social-Mixer Digital Donation link. Sunday, December 8th, 1P-4P: Open Mic/2P-3P, POETRY PEACE & A PRESENT featuring kweisi, THE POET @kweisithebrand All family friendly artists (singers, hip-hop, country, folk, painters/sculptures & tap dancers) are welcome to share your gifts. Featuring complimentary appetizers by International Chef, Chef Jeff --- Follow on Instagram @fashion_lights_camera_action @takeflightspirits @islandtingschicago @kweisithebrand Our mixer is a free event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Street and lot parking available. Perhaps you time does not avail to attend or drop off a present, you can make your digital contribution. SPONSOR: Rockwell Jones Single Mothers Car Layaway Assistant Program. For more information about Rockwell Jones Single Mothers Car Layaway Assistant Program call: 414-578-7188. Purpose: Your donations to this Holiday Toy & Coat Drive are reserved for providing compassionate relief and meeting critical needs for single parents with children in the most urgent and dyer situations. Our gratitude for your time, love and generosity. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: kweisigharreau@gmail.com.

Learn how to interact musically with your child, and Meet The Music Playhouse! Sing, dance, play, and learn! *This is an in-person class offered indoors at Purple Monkey Playroom.* Engaging and interactive songs and activities are designed and modified to benefit little ones. We use play-based and research-based techniques, gamification, and hands-on, interactive activities that keep students engaged and excited to learn. Our primary goals are to foster development, parent/child bonding, and independent music accuracy, and to instill a lifelong love and understanding of music through variety, repetition, and fun! Research shows that exposure to a variety of sounds and rhythms in the first few months of life creates the strongest foundation for developing communication skills and musical aptitude as they grow. Research also shows that singing to and dancing with your baby enriches emotional and social development. This is a free class, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. Free neighborhood street parking, or metered parking available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: erin@themusicplayhouseofchicago.com.

Join us this Fall at Northwestern University for Imagine U: The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra, Go! (OCT 24. -NOV. 3). Check out this special preview video highlighting this production coming together. The Wong Kids is about Violet and Bruce Wong who just don’t fit in with the other Earth kids. Sure, they have superpowers; they’re just not very good ones. But when an evil beast called the Space Chupacabra appears, intent on universal destruction, the Wong kids must travel to far reaches of outer space to stop it ...if they can only stop bickering. Violet and Bruce ultimately realize that being different isn’t just okay; it might just be the most important thing ever. Using a mix of action-driven storytelling, puppetry, and visual magic, The Wong Kids transports its audience into the galaxy’s far reaches. Suggested Ages 7+ Approximate Run Time 70 minutes, no intermission Learn more about the play Learn more about the costumes and the sets No RSVP is required. Tickets are available, please go here for dates, times, and tickets. This is a repeating event, with shows until November 3, 2024. Special sensory showing, November 2, 2024. Discounted tickets for NPN members. Go here for more information. Lot parking available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: pete.brace@northwestern.edu.

Come visit British International School of Lincoln Park's campus at a family-friendly open house from 10-12 pm. Learn more about our diverse and dynamic international school for children 15 months – 11 years old. Tour our facilities, and meet our staff, students, and parent community. This is a free event, and no RSVP is required. But you can go here for more details. Street parking available or validated parking if guests park in the garage behind the school (entrance on Dayton). This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: erin.woodhams@bischicagolp.org.

Do you think your child might thrive in a collaborative environment where learning is built around student interests? Want to better understand how project-based learning (PBL) boosts student engagement and improves learning outcomes? We invite your whole family to stop by our Open House on Saturday, November 16 any time between 10:00 am - 12:00 pm to: - Chat 1:1 with Bennett Day School teachers, students, and parents/guardians - Explore our newly expanded West Loop campus - Sit in on Information Sessions with Leadership…and more! This is a free event, but RSVP is required, please go here to register. If you are planning to drive, there is limited parking available in the gravel lot on the NW corner at Morgan and Hubbard (across the street from Bennett's campus). There is also free parking available on the west side of Morgan and south side of Hubbard, or metered parking on Grand Ave. Accessible parking spaces are available by request - please reply to this email to learn more. We are two blocks west of the Grand Blue Line stop and the Halsted 8 bus, and 2 blocks north of the Pink/Green Line Stop at Morgan if those options are convenient to you. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: samantha.rud@bennettday.org.

Take a small-group tour of our campus in the West Loop/Fulton Market neighborhood and learn more about our PreK-12 program. Bennett Day School is where joy meets education. Our students love coming to school every day, eager to explore, learn, and grow in an inclusive and collaborative environment. What makes our PreK-12 school different? At Bennett, students learn by doing through dynamic project-based learning (PBL) experiences, and our competency-based approach to education and assessment provides each learner with individualized feedback based on their strengths and areas of challenge. This a recurring event, with an additional open house on November 7 from 9:00 - 10:30 am. This is a free event, but RSVP is required, please go here to register. If you are planning to drive, there is limited parking available in the gravel lot on the NW corner at Morgan and Hubbard (across the street from Bennett's campus). There is also free parking available on the west side of Morgan and south side of Hubbard, or metered parking on Grand Ave. Accessible parking spaces are available by request - please reply to this email to learn more. We are two blocks west of the Grand Blue Line stop and the Halsted 8 bus, and 2 blocks north of the Pink/Green Line Stop at Morgan if those options are convenient to you. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: samantha.rud@bennettday.org.

Hosted in collaboration with MCA’s Teen Creative Agency, make and read zines (small, DIY magazines). ASL interpretation is provided at this event. This is a free event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. The parking garage is located on Chicago Avenue just west of Fairbanks Court and adjacent to the museum. The garage does not provide direct access to the museum. When you exit the garage, simply turn right and walk west up Chicago Avenue. Our entrances face Mies Van Der Rohe Way. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: sypervaiz@mcachicago.org.

This webinar provides a boundary setting approach that frees you from the frustration and anger at your children's reactions when you make simple requests, provide easy directions, and set limits. With this guidance, you'll experience a mindset shift, and become equipped to be the leader your children - all children, including neurodiverse children - will want to follow. It creates more peace and fun (yes, fun!) in your family life! You'll leave the webinar with: - compassion for what you’re up against, - understanding of the hidden reasons for your child’s default settings - know-how for factoring your child's settings in to your interactions, and - key principles to anchor you as you use the - scripts and - implementation plan provided - - knowing you can become a Serenely-Confident-Parent™! This is a recurring event being offered two other times: Wednesday, Nov 13th at 9:30amCT Saturday, Nov 16th at 10:30amCT This is a free, online event, but RSVP is required. Please go here to register. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: sheryl@stollerparentcoaching.com.

The 3rd Annual South Side Early Childhood and Grade School Fair is brought to you by Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School and The Ancona School This fair connects parents with local preschools, grade schools, and community organizations in the area. It is open to the general public, and we’d love for you to come and stop by the NPN table! Programs for ages 1 through 14. Free babysitting by Akiba middle schoolers for kids 2 and up! > Free for Parents/Caregivers! > Free babysitting by Akiba middle schoolers for kids 2 and up! > Free parking! RSVP is required for all! Please go here to register. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: hrosenberg@asjds.org.

What is an IEP?: An overview of the IEP process, key terms, and how the IEP team collaborates to create individualized goals and supports for your child. Your Role as a Parent: How to actively participate in IEP meetings, share valuable insights about your child’s strengths and needs, and collaborate with educators and specialists to ensure your child receives appropriate services. The IEP Meeting: What to expect during an IEP meeting, questions to ask, and how to be prepared to advocate for your child’s unique needs. Understanding Your Child’s Rights: An outline of your child’s legal rights and how to ensure the IEP is followed and adjusted as necessary. Building a Partnership: Tips for fostering a positive, productive relationship with your child’s educational team and being an empowered advocate throughout their academic journey. This presentation will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to take an active role in the IEP process and work with the school to ensure your child thrives academically and emotionally. RSVP Required. Please go here to register. This is a free, online event. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: rachael@redwoodschools.org.

Transitions—whether starting a new school year, changing routines, or moving between activities—can trigger anxiety in children, particularly those with learning differences. In this presentation, by Therapist Falyn Mellul, LSW, MSW from Plena Mind Center we will explore the root causes of transition-related anxiety and equip parents with practical strategies to support their children at home. This session is designed to provide you with the tools to ease your child’s anxiety and create a smoother, more positive transition experience at home. RSVP Required. Please go here to register. This is a free, online event. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: rachael@redwoodschools.org.

The iconic Tony Award-winning musical ANNIE is returning to Chicago this holiday season with a limited three-week engagement at The Chicago Theatre from November 12 through December 1. ANNIE is a heartwarming musical that for generations has reminded audiences that “the sun will come out tomorrow.” And now the best-loved musical of all time is set to return in a new production that celebrates family, optimism, and the American spirit as the ultimate cure for the hard knocks life throws your way. The original production of ANNIE opened on Broadway on April 21, 1977, and went on to win seven Tony Awards including Best Musical (Charles Strouse), Best Book (Thomas Meehan) and Best Score (Martin Charnin). Tickets for ANNIE at The Chicago Theatre start at $39 when purchased in person at the Ticketmaster Box Office at The Chicago Theatre and at $54.50 when purchased online at chicagotheatre.com/ANNIE. For groups of nine or more, please contact the Group Sales Department at 212-465-6080 or Group.Sales@msg.com. Accessible and companion seats are available via the Accessibility Services Department at 888-609-7599 or AccessibilityServices@msg.com. This is a repeating event from November 12 through December 1. Please go here for further information. Lot parking is available, please go here for details. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: maggie@silvermangroupchicago.com.

Victoria Djembe & Chicago Warriors Drum Class! For the AUTISM and Disabilty Community! Learn fun African history along with basic sounds and rhythms of the Djembe and Dundun Drums. Class fee is $15. To RSVP and for info, email Adonis Haymer adonishaymer81@yahoo.com. Street Parking availalbe. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: adonishaymer81@yahoo.com.

You’re invited to: Bubblespalooza Kids’ Music Fest & Block Party! Your family will not want to miss out on this exciting day packed with fun for the whole family! Enjoy live music, art activities, a bounce house, photobooths, a magical bubble show, face painting, airbrush tattoos, delicious bites from local vendors, and more! We’ll also feature activity stations from over 20 local small businesses, outdoor kids’ concerts, indoor sample classes, and open play areas. We'll also be raffling off awesome gifts from local businesses. Tickets: $15/child in advance $20/child at the door Go here to purchase tickets. Proceeds will go towards, Whole Child Arts, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transformative arts education to children from birth to five years in underserved areas of Chicago and beyond. Lot parking available. This is an external partner event. Please contact the organization directly with any questions or concerns: bigbubble@bubblesacademy.com.