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Sometimes in middle school and high school, the pressure to succeed academically can feel overwhelming. If you want to learn how to support your child during these sometimes intense years, join us for this discussion. You will learn how our panelists and the schools they represent support students in managing academic pressure, and learn how you can support your student at home as well. Featuring experts from the following schools: Sacred Heart School Baker Demonstration School Smart Love Family Services Bennett Day School This discussion will occur live over Zoom. Please register on this page to receive the Zoom link. This discussion is open to everyone. Help us keep these discussions free for families across the city by supporting NPN. Become a member today. Questions? Contact Amy at amy@npnparents.org School representatives and education experts: Would you like to speak on a panel like this? Email Amy at amy@npnparents.org to inquire.

Our expanded program offerings for actors aged 4 – 17 include skill based classes to stretch their creative muscles and grow in their music theater goals in acting, dancing and singing! Porchlight believes that arts education is essential for all students, so no child will be turned away for their inability to pay. Scholarships and financial aid are awarded on a need and interest basis determined through this application and additional supports (travel and meal support) may be available as well. Payment plans are always available. This summer we are also excited to offer aftercare each camp day from 3:30 – 5:30 pm and families are welcome to pick up anytime in this window. Aftercare is available to add on to each camp session and daily rates may become available depending on aftercare enrollment.

Ring in the NOON year at Bubbles! Jam out to a concert, create your own NYE crown, and countdown to the new year with a Bubble-filled finale! Ages 0-5 (Ticket price per child, no charge for adults or children 6 months and under). Adult participation required. Event runs from 11:00am - 12:30pm on December 31st, 2024.

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

Here's a look at NPN’s year-in-review as well as our plans for 2025! Childcare Support: Members posted nearly 300 childcare listings in our Childcare Classifieds. Our Summer Camp Directory grew to 28 camps for parents to consider, many offering discounts to NPN members. We partnered on The Ultimate Baby Shower, offering new and expecting parents resources and education on childcare and more. School Research: Local educational experts partnered with us to bring seven education sessions to families We updated our School & Daycare Directory, connecting families with current information on more than 1,100 schools With the help of our sponsors, the Preschool & Elementary School Fair was held in September at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum with 47 exhibiting schools, two sessions on Chicago Public Schools, and more Building our relationships with south side families, we participated in the South Side Early Childhood and Grade School Fair in October Developmental Differences: We worked with local experts on two parent education sessions on executive functioning in middle school and clinical assessments Our Developmental Differences Parent Support Group, met twelve times, thanks to our volunteers Kandalyn, Beth, and Sarah Providers updated their information in our Developmental Differences Resource Directory (includes 150 providers) With the help of our advisory committee, we hosted the Developmental Differences Resource Fair in September, featuring over 30 exhibitors and a panel discussion with individuals thriving with developmental differences NPN staff contributed to the planning and success of the Every Child Ready Chicago Strengthening Inclusion Symposium in December at Malcolm X College Parent-to-Parent Support: Partnering with local schools, we organized 9 preschool playdates and launched Screenless Saturdays for older children and families Members created 1,650 threads in our discussion forum and contributed to our newsletter, Parent to Parent which was mailed to members in March With the goal of supporting more families in a bigger way, we launched the Chicago Style Parenting podcast, offering expert insights on parenting topics To benefit our members, we continue to build the Member Discount Directory. Forty-six discounts are currently available with more to come We shared our resources with families at Bubblespalooza in September Looking forward to 2025 Next year, we’ll expand our partnerships and programming to bring families more playdates, educational sessions, and podcast episodes while building our online resources and directories. We're excited to introduce a new kids' classes directory and continue our partnerships with community organizations. We will bring in new donations to our online auction coming up in March, and we are excited to be working with a grant writer with the hope of opening up new funding streams to support our work. How you can help. NPN is a nonprofit, and we need your support. Our goal is to raise $32,000 this year to continue offering these vital resources. Meeting this financial goal is critical. Should we miss this goal, NPN will not survive. Please consider donating $50 today. You can donate by clicking here. Click here for NPN’s IRS Exemption Letter. Thank you for being a part of NPN! Your membership keeps NPN vibrant and your donation will keep NPN going strong in 2025.

Oasis Face Bar is a skincare center in Chicago, Illinois that offers a variety of treatments in a casual, open-concept setting. We offer a range of treatments, including facials, brow and lash tinting, waxing, and chemical peels. Some of their signature treatments include the Cryo Facial and the Glo2facial. We aim to create a comfortable and inviting environment where clients can receive high-quality skincare services. We use all-natural products and non-invasive equipment to deliver their treatments. Multiple locations in Chicago, including Lincoln Park and Wicker Park. Gift cards for Oasis Face Bar can be purchased in-store or online

Choosing the right Kindergarten for your child can be daunting, especially in Chicago, where there are so many options. Then once you are secure with your school choice, the next step is preparing a smooth transition for your child and your family. Learn how these schools support students and families through this process, and what you can do at home to get the school year started on the right foot. This session includes panelists with expertise in neurodiversity and challenging behaviors.

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.

Learn about the private school admissions process directly from admissions directors from some of Chicago's most sought-after preschool and elementary schools. You'll get tips on putting your best foot forward during the parent interview and learn about applying for financial aid and how to ask about the things that are most important to your family.

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

Come together with other parents, educators, and advocates from across Chicago to share and learn about how to better support young children ages birth - 5 with disabilities at the Every Child Ready Chicago Strengthening Inclusion Symposium on Saturday, December 7th at Malcolm X College. This event will feature: ✏️ Remarks from Chicago Mayor’s Office and Chicago Public Schools leadership 🤝 Resources and presentations on services and resources available for children with disabilities ages birth - 5 in Chicago 🎒Presentations for staff, advocates, and systems leaders on the benefits of inclusive special education models 🥪 Lunch 🎈Activities for families and children - Join NPN for an activity at our table! Learn more about the initiative on their website. There will be lunch served and activities for kids! All are welcome to attend! Learn more and register to attend at https://cvent.me/Y9OV2D

Choosing the right Kindergarten for your child can be daunting, especially in Chicago, where there are so many options. Then once you are secure with your school choice, the next step is preparing a smooth transition for your child and your family. Learn how these schools support students and families through this process, and what you can do at home to get the school year started on the right foot. This session includes panelists with expertise in neurodiversity and challenging behaviors. Featuring: Bennett Day School Bubbles Academy City Elementary St. Josaphat School Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi Tuesday's Child This discussion will occur live over Zoom. Please register on this page to receive the Zoom link. This discussion is open to everyone. Help us keep these discussions free for families across the city by supporting NPN. Become a member today. Questions? Contact Amy at amy@npnparents.org Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Bennett Day School. School representatives and education experts: Would you like to speak on a panel like this? Email Amy at amy@npnparents.org to inquire.

Over 40 independent schools in the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana area educate students from age two to 12th grade. Hear from some of Chicago's most sought-after independent schools to learn about an independent school education and what makes each independent school unique.

This is a commentary article from Crain's Chicago Business written by NPN's Executive Director, Amy Johnson. --------------- The recent resignation of every member of Chicago’s Board of Education, three weeks after CPS unveiled its new five-year strategic plan, underscores the challenges that many Chicago parents face when navigating their child’s public school education. A strategic plan should provide an agreed-upon path to reach goals that the majority of stakeholders believe in. Such stability has been hard to find in Chicago schools, and parents are concerned. In conversations I have with parents across the city, whose children attend all types of schools, they are concerned about the instability of the district. Among other concerns, the new five-year plan has ramped up parents’ conversations about selective enrollment schools, magnet schools and charters. Although parents agree with providing greater support to neighborhood schools, particularly those in underserved communities, many wonder if that priority will result in disinvestment of schools that are currently thriving. Fears over the future of selective enrollment, magnet and charter schools may be unfounded. After all, the CPS five-year strategic plan doesn’t explicitly call for eliminating them. However, in a system that is filled with surprises, parents look for clues about what comes next, and they see warning signs. They point to the ongoing lack of busing for magnet schools, the new funding formula tied to CPS' Opportunity Index and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s strong focus on bolstering neighborhood schools. To some parents navigating the current erratic environment, these signals suggest that selective enrollment and magnet schools may indeed be at risk. Overall, the five-year plan has been overshadowed by other troubles. Unfortunately, it may seem pointless to worry about the strategic plan when the people who approved it have all resigned. Parents are baffled by this development and embarrassed to see it in the national news. They wonder how it will impact the city and their children’s education. Adding to parents' unease is Mayor Johnson’s proposal for a massive loan. Parents are worried about CPS' ability to repay it, leaving the future of their kids' education in even more uncertainty. Parents understand that disruptions happen occasionally. Many say that their frustrations with the district are small compared to the quality of their child’s education. That has been my experience as well. Still, I wonder, do parents have the stamina to keep hanging on amid so much uncertainty? I’ve gritted my teeth through dozens of smaller unknowns over the years. I’ve waited for preschool offers, entertained my kids during two teacher strikes, plodded through dire budget scenarios at Local School Council meetings, fretted over the cleanliness of schools when those services were contracted out, watched my kids languish during online learning and listened to mayors make promises about public education that they would not keep. I’ve talked with parents who were prepping for IEP meetings, adjusting 504 plans and waiting for services, all hoping for the best, never knowing what was next. It’s possible to have a great experience in CPS, but it’s filled with quandaries big and small. The new five-year strategic plan lays out CPS’ priorities clearly, although parents are concerned about exactly how CPS will implement them. Unfortunately, the plan is overshadowed by the lack of funds to execute it and the upheaval of the Board of Education. Mayor Johnson seems to feel that he needs to shake up CPS by creating chaos. I want Mayor Johnson to know that many parents voted for him because they thought that along with positive change, he would bring stability to the district. Unfortunately, right now we have chaos. Mayor Johnson needs to find a way to implement his vision without embracing so much disarray. To truly support families, he needs to calm this storm.

Join Neighborhood Parents Network for the unique opportunity to hear from private school admissions directors representing some great preschool & elementary school options. You’ll hear about different educational philosophies, get tips on the application process, and much more. Featuring: Saint Clement School Near North Montessori School St. Josaphat School Intercultural Montessori Language School Bennett Day School > This discussion will occur live over Zoom. Register to receive the Zoom link via email. > This discussion is open to everyone. Help us keep these discussions free. Become a member today. > Questions? Contact Amy at amy@npnparents.org Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Saint Clement School School representatives and education experts: Would you like to speak on a panel like this? Email Amy at amy@npnparents.org to inquire.

Preschool represents a big milestone in a child's life, and often in a parent's life too. In this discussion, our panelists address how they support both students and parents through this momentous time. You will walk away with an understanding of how schools care for families entering preschool, tips on activities you can do at home to prepare your child for preschool, insight into potty training, and a list of children's book recommendations that you can read with your child to help prepare them for their first day of preschool. Thank you to our Supporting Sponsor, Saint Clement School.

Over 40 independent schools in the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana area educate students from age two to 12th grade. What makes an independent school different from other private schools and public schools? What are the advantages of an independent school education? Come and hear from some of Chicago's most sought-after independent schools to learn about an independent school education, and what makes each independent school unique. Featuring: Catherine Cook School Latin School of Chicago Francis W Parker School Sacred Heart Near North Montessori School Bennett Day School This discussion will occur live over Zoom. Register to receive the Zoom link via email. This discussion is open to everyone. Help us keep these discussions free for families across the city by supporting NPN. Become a member today. Questions? Contact Amy at amy@npnparents.org School representatives and education experts: Would you like to speak on a panel like this? Email Amy at amy@npnparents.org to inquire.

Are you thinking about preschool for your child but don't know where to start? Listen to this insightful discussion about various preschool philosophies available in Chicago. Featuring expert educators from highly regarded preschools that families love, in this session you will hear from preschools specializing in or drawing inspiration from educational philosophies including, arts integration, Montessori, Cooperative, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, language immersion, and religion.

Sonny Acres Farm hosts their “Big & Bright Trail of Lights Festival”, open November 22 - December 30. A complete holiday haven, the experience features everything from an enchanted mile-long walking trail with dazzling sites and sounds to fresh trees, handmade wreaths and photos with the Big Man by reservation in Santa’s Workshop. Enjoy delicious treats and eats including adult beverages and s’mores kits to roast over the fire pit.

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.