NPN Amy J.

NPN is the go-to resource for finding the schools in Chicago that fit your family. Join our upcoming live panel discussions to hear from representatives of some of Chicago's favorite schools. These live panel discussions, held over Zoom, are your opportunity to hear directly from a variety of Chicago schools. Meet school admission counselors, directors, teachers, and more. Learn and ask questions about educational philosophies, school culture, and how to apply. Click on the links below to learn more and register for the live sessions. All sessions run from 12:00 - 1:30 PM unless otherwise noted. ✏️ Preschool Philosophies Thursday November 24, 2024 ✏️ Preparing for Preschool Friday November 15, 2025 ✏️ Admissions Directors Panel Wednesday December 4, 2024 ✏️ Preparing for Kindergarten Thursday December 12, 2024 ✏️ Preparing Kids for the Age of AI Thursday January 30, 2024 Check back for additional panel discussions and links soon!

Help Families Learn About Your School so they can find the school that is right for them NPN is the go-to resource for families researching schools in Chicago. Participate in an upcoming live panel discussion with other schools across the city and talk directly with Chicago families. Click here for more information and to sign up to participate in our 2024-2025 sessions.

NPN is looking for volunteers to serve on NPN's online auction committee. If you are interested, email Amy at amy@npnparents.org or call her at 773-789-7002. What is the online auction? NPN's annual online auction is NPN's largest fundraiser! We need to raise $20,000 to meet our goal. It will run from March 12 - 16, 2025. Who are you looking for? Ten people with great connections and anyone comfortable asking for donations. What will the committee do? Brainstorm items for the auction and solicit items. You'll also have fun at our kick-off party and feel great about helping NPN, a 501(c)(3) non-profit! Will there be meetings? Only a couple! We'll gather for an in-person kick-off party/brainstorming session in November. (Tentatively scheduled for Monday, November 18th at 7:00 pm at Individual Family Connection (IFC) located at 1806 N. Damen Ave.) The committee will likely meet again in late January or early February (TBD on in-person or virtual). How much time will it require? To make a big impact on the auction, we ask committee members to bring in awesome items with a total value of $1,000. (Individual items must be of $50 value or more.) That could take three hours or 300 hours depending on your connections and luck. We will give you everything you need to make it as easy as possible. What do volunteers get out of it? Fun! Pride! Teamwork! Our sincere gratitude! Plus we’ll share incentives and prizes along the way. How do I sign up? Thank you for asking! Please email me at amy@npnparents.org or give her a call at 773-789-7002.

Sent 9/23/24 (A) to all exhibitors Over the next two weeks you will receive three emails in preparation for NPN’s Annual Preschool and Elementary School Fair coming up on Sunday, October 6th from 9am - 12pm at the Nature Museum. Here are the topics of each email you will receive: Sharing the School Fair with your community Arrival information including parking Museum rules and other information Additionally, if you signed up to participate in the attendee bag, swag bag, or raffle/gift basket opportunities, you will receive an extra email. Presenting, Major, Supporting, and Special Thanks sponsors will receive an additional email on top of that. Email #1 will follow shortly. Thank you for your support! Sent 9/23/24 (B) to all exhibitors This email contains information that you can use to promote the fair, and give the parents in your community free entry to the fair (and to the museum!). There are 85 families registered so far. We’re optimistic that with your help, we can reach many more Chicago families by October 6th! Attached you will find the following: School Fair Social Media Sharing.png: An image you can post on social media Exhibitor School Fair 24 Flyer.pdf: A flyer you can send to your network via email, or print and distribute or hang up. It includes a discount code that your community can use to RSVP for free. We also invite you to like, comment on, and share NPN’s social media posts about the fair. Our handle on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn is @npnparents. Parents can register at npnparents.org/schoolfair. Thank you for your support! If you have any questions, please let me know. Sent 9/25/24 to relevant schools and businesses Thank you for taking advantage of additional opportunities associated with the school fair. Here is information about providing attendee bag items, session chair drop flyers, swag bag items, and a gift basket for our event raffle. Attendee Bags 50 flyers or brochures Session Chair Drops 50 flyers or brochures Swag Bag Items 25 swag items. Our swag bags are paper bags, size 8 x 10 x 4 inches. If your item is too big for our bags, please email me separately. Special request: I kindly ask you to refrain from providing more items than listed above. Extra items are too cumbersome and heavy for the NPN team to manage. Regretfully, we are unable to return superfluous items or transport them to the fair. Although it is unfortunate, extra items will be discarded. Preferred Delivery Method: Please mail your items to NPN to arrive by next Thursday, October 3rd. Items should be labeled “attendee bags”, “sessions”, or “swag” as appropriate. You can mail them to this address: NPN Attention: School Fair 3320 W. Foster Ave, STE 138 Chicago, IL 60625 All of the items except the raffle basket must be delivered to NPN by Thursday, October 3rd. We can not accept them at the event, as we will not have time to put them into the bags that day. If you can’t mail your items in time, please email me for instructions on dropping off your item(s) in Irving Park. Gift baskets for the raffle can be delivered to the NPN desk at the fair when you arrive. For a reminder of what your school signed up for, you can check the list below: Bennett Day School - attendee bag, session chair drop, British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park - attendee bag, session chair drop, gift basket British International School of Chicago, South Loop - attendee bag, session chair drop, Catherine Cook School - attendee bag, swag bag, CST Academy - attendee bag Empowering Parents - attendee bag GEMS World Academy - attendee bag, session chair drop, swag bag, gift basket German International School Chicago - attendee bag Immaculate Conception-Saint Joseph School - session chair drop, swag bag Intercultural Montessori School - swag bag Kensington - attendee bag, swag bag Kids' Work Chicago - attendee bag Latin School of Chicago - swag bag Lycée Français de Chicago - attendee bag, session chair drop Montessori Academy of Chicago - attendee bag, swag bag Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy - session chair drop Park West Cooperative Nursery School - swag bag Saint Andrew School - swag bag Saint Clement School - attendee bag, session chair drop St. Benedict - attendee bag, swag bag St. Matthias - attendee bag, swag bag St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy - swag bag Tutu School - swag bag, gift basket W.E.B. DuBois Elementary - swag bag If you are no longer planning to provide any or all of the items that you originally signed up for, please reply to this email to let me know. Sent 10/2/24 to all exhibitors We are getting excited for Sunday and hope you are too! This email contains information about arrival, unloading, and parking at the school fair. As a reminder, the school fair runs from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Unloading You can unload your car before parking by driving to the loading dock at the north end of the museum. There is a driveway off of N Canon Dr. Please do not unload in the circle drive or at the main entrance. >>Please sign up for an unloading time at the link below. Here are some additional, important details: The Nature Museum’s unloading area can only handle 15-16 cars at once. With that in mind, I have created a sign up sheet for you to sign up for an arrival time. Your choices are 7:30, 8:00, and 8:30 AM. Please sign up for a time slot here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WQIG9psH_VviCfW_wvr9Bj4rEE1JacvN9bybC-5MHt0/edit?usp=sharing All load-in should occur through the loading doc at the north end of the museum off of N Canon Dr. (See attached map.) You must move your car after unloading. We can not park in the small lot near the unloading dock. Parking Vendor and guest parking will all need to be offsite. The museum does not have its own public lot. Cannon Drive is free to the public but fills up quickly. We suggest carpooling or ride-sharing. You could also use the Spot Hero app to reserve a parking space, or park at the Lincoln Park Zoo. The lot at the zoo opens at 6:00 AM. Here are the rates: 1-3hrs $30 3-6hrs $35 6+hrs $40 Number of registrants As of today (Tuesday, Oct. 1), there are 46 families registered for the fair, consisting of 89 adults and 59 children. Please continue to help us spread the word about the fair. Images, a flyer, and social media links were attached to my previous email, and attached again here. You can share discount code GUEST so your community of families can attend the fair for free. The NPN staff has promoted the fair via email, social media, community calendars, alderman newsletters, press releases, partner sharing, and more. The Nature Museum is also promoting the fair on their website here and will be sharing on social media later this week. All museum visitors will be welcome to stop in and enjoy the fair as well. You will receive one more preparation email from me later this week. It will include the day's schedule and important information from the Nature Museum. Sent 10/3/24 to all exhibitors The school fair is almost here! This is the last preparation email that I will send. It contains arrival information, the schedule for the day, and important information from the museum. If you would like to review previous emails, you can find them on our website here. Unloading Information Unloading information was shared in the previous email. Here is a reminder: You can unload your car before parking by driving to the loading dock at the north end of the museum. There is a driveway off of N Canon Dr. Please do not unload in the circle drive or at the main entrance. Here are some additional, important details: The Nature Museum’s unloading area can only handle 15-16 cars at once. With that in mind, I have created a sign up sheet for you to sign up for an arrival time. Your choices are 7:30, 8:00, and 8:30 AM. Please sign up for a time slot here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WQIG9psH_VviCfW_wvr9Bj4rEE1JacvN9bybC-5MHt0/edit?usp=sharing If you have not signed up for a time to unload, you still have time at the link above. Parking information was shared in the email you received on 10/2/24. You can review it here. Arrival Information If you are able to walk from your car with all of your belongings and do not need to unload before parking, you do not need to sign up for a time slot to unload. After you park your car, enter the museum at the main entrance. Ring the bell, and security will let you in. As we get closer to 9:00 AM, families will be arriving for the 9:00 session and will also be entering the museum this way. As a reminder, the school fair starts at 9:00 AM. Please have your table ready by 8:45 AM. Important Museum Information Please open and read the three attachments provided by the Nature Museum so that you understand the museum’s rules and guidelines. Be sure to share this information with everyone who will be staffing your table at the fair. The museum has been a pleasure to work with and we want to return the favor by being excellent guests. Event Schedule 9:00 AM ➤ Exclusive access to Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum for museum members and registered NPN school fair attendees ➤ Exhibit hall opens ➤ Breakout Session I begins: Navigating CPS Preschool Options, presented by Dr. Camille Franklin, Network 4 Family Engagement Coordinator, from CPS Office of Early Childhood Education In this 30-minute session, parents will learn about preschool options in Chicago Public Schools and how to navigate the CPS preschool application and admissions process. 10:30 AM ➤ Enjoy a musical performance with Bubbles Academy on the patio off the South Gallery ➤ Visit with school representatives in the exhibit hall 11:30 AM ➤ Breakout Session II begins: Understanding CPS Elementary School Options, presented by Grace Lee Sawin of Chicago School GPS. In this 30-minute session, parents will learn about elementary school options in Chicago Public Schools and how to navigate the CPS elementary school application and admissions process. ➤ Visit with school representatives in the exhibit hall 12:00 PM ➤ Fair ends, continue to enjoy the museum Attendance As of today (Thursday) at 11:00 AM, there are 58 families registered for the fair. This breaks down to 110 adults and 67 children. Please continue to promote the fair wherever you can (images attached). Through signage and conversation we will invite museum guests to visit the fair as well. Sent 10/4/24 to all exhibitors I would like to confirm that you do NOT need to bring a table to the school fair on Sunday. We are able to provide them this year. Please bring your own table cloth and marketing materials. We are providing coffee and snacks, however the coffee won't arrive until about 9:00. Thank you to Werewolf Coffee Bar for donating the coffee. You will have access to the public wifi provided by the nature museum. As of now, there are 71 families registered for the fair, consisting of 128 adults and 75 children. I noticed that only 28 exhibitors have signed up for a load-in time. If you have not signed up for a time slot, please plan on parking and walking your items from your parking spot to the museum, or arrive prior to 8:00 AM to use the loading dock area.

Visiting schools is a great way to learn about them, and NPN Playdates make it fun for your whole family. They are a perfect way to spend time inside a school, meet teachers and staff, and learn about what makes each school unique. You will also meet other families, enjoy a fun morning of play, and enjoy a cup of coffee you didn't have to make! Even if you aren't looking for a school, it's a nice way to enjoy the morning. We hope you'll join us! Preschool Playdates are for children under five and at least one parent. Screenless Saturdays are for elementary or middle-school children and at least one parent. These events are for families, they are not drop-off events. Click on the links below to learn more and RSVP. More dates are added regularly. Check back often! Preschool Playdates Fall 2024- Spring 2025 Nov 17, 2024 Preschool Playdate @ Mary Meyer School Dec 8, 2024 Preschool Playdate @ Park West Co-op Nursery School Jan 12, 2025 Preschool Playdate @ GEMS World Academy Jan 26, 2025 Preschool Playdate @ Catherine Cook School Mar 2, 2025 Preschool, Inclusive, Sensory Playdate @ Leep Forward Apr 27, 2025 Preschool Playdate @ Chicago Waldorf School May 18, 2025 Preschool Playdate @ Bubbles Academy June 22, 2025 Preschool Playdate @ Bennett Day School August 2025 Preschool Playdate @ Leep Forward September 2025 @ Catherine Cook School October 19, 2025 @ Bennett Day School November 16, 2025 @ Park West CoOp Screenless Saturdays Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 Oct 12 Screenless Saturday @ Chicago Waldorf School Nov 9 Screenless Saturday @ British International School of Chicago, South Loop Mar 1, 2025 Screenless Saturday @ Bennett Day School September 2025 @ Catherine Cook School October 18, 2025 @ Leep Forward Is your school interested in hosting a playdate? Let us know here.

On Monday, September 2, 2024, NPN Executive Director Amy Johnson and Developmental Differences Advisory Committee member Kimberly Johnson had an opportunity to talk about DDRF with WGN anchors Patrick Elwood and Brónagh Tumulty on WGN Midday News. Your browser does not support the video tag.

Thank you for agreeing to be a guest on NPN's podcast, Chicago Style Parenting! Here are some notes on what to expect, recording tips, and more. What to expect: > We will be using a website called Riverside to record the podcast. We will send you the link to join on the day of the recording. > We'd like to record the podcast with our cameras on so we can share this as a webinar/video later. If you have any questions or concerns about that please let me know. > We'd like for the conversation to run about 15-20 minutes once fully edited. Recording Tips: > Please try to be in a quiet, well-lit environment. > You will have the option to blur your background, but that must be toggled on before we begin recording. > If you'll be recording from your computer, please silence or turn off notifications. > We've found that recording with headphones provides the clearest audio. Interview Questions: > We appreciate your guidance on any questions you'd like for us to ask you, or topics you'd like to talk about > We will send you a list of questions we are planning to ask you a few days before recording. > To help us prepare for our conversation, we ask you to send us a very brief summary of your talking points, in the form of bullet points, sentence phrases, or a few short notes. Publishing: Please be prepared to share the following items with us for publishing: > Social media handles > Headshot > Bio > Optional* Business logo and/or link you'd like us to include Are you providing a special offer to NPN members? Would you like to offer any discount or special benefit to NPN members? This is not required, but much appreciated! If you'd like to offer something special to NPN members, we will mention it in the podcast, in our show notes, and we will publish in our discount directory on our website. Thank you again for being our guest! Should you have any questions, please contact Amy at amy@npnparents.org.