Category: classes

North Shore Chess Center!

Chess is a fun and challenging addition to any homeschooling curriculum with benefits that last children a lifetime including accelerating in academics, enhanced concentration, confidence building, and much more.

The North Shore Chess Center proudly presents group lessons for the homeschooling community beginning January 2013. Since 2010, the chess center has offered a variety of chess activities such as tournaments, group lectures, and visits from chess Grandmasters.

Classes are forming now! Hurry before the classes fill up!

For more information on the North Shore Chess Center visit http://www.nachess.org/nscc

Email: sevan@nachess.org, or

Call: 847.423.8626, or

Visit us on the weekends and see a real tournament in progress!

We are conveniently located at 5500 W Touhy Ave Suite A Skokie, IL 60077 (Edens Expressway, Touhy Ave West Exit). We are across the street from the Village Crossing Shopping Center.

**Private off-site group lessons are also available. Inquire with the chess center for more details.

Research 4 Reptiles

Wanted to share with you about an amazing organization — Research 4 Reptiles.

Research 4 Reptiles, LLC. is a privately-owned company, founded by Holly Zak, whose mission is to provide challenging, hands-on, field-based programs for participants ages 12 years to adult to inspire enthusiasm for and understanding of native Illinois reptile and amphibian species.

This is not your ordinary outdoor education program!

What makes their programs different from the usual outdoor education classes ?

  • Participants assist in real herpetological research whereby they help survey areas for species.
  • Participants help to identify species, mark them for identification, measure them, and record information about each animal capture.
  • Participants learn through critical inquiry, delving into research with inquiring questions!
  • Every class is limited to 8 students.
  • All classes are held outdoors at prairie/pond sites within Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Wilmington, Illinois (approximately 15 miles south of Joliet).
  • Species conservation and environmental protection is emphasized.
  • Best of all, the data collected from research is compiled and given to biological staff at Midewin for species’ management purposes!
3 juvenile painted turtles at Buttonbush Pond

Other opportunities you can find on their website:
If you have a herp lover they have gift certificates available that might make a great Christmas gift.

Also, be sure to check back in January to find  OPEN ENROLLMENT for summer programs!

Contact info: Research 4 Reptiles, LLC.
508 Pheasant Chase Drive
Bolingbrook, IL 60490
Email: research4reptiles@comcast.net
Phone: 630-337-0757
Website: www.research4reptiles.biz
This is a sponsored post from a paid advertiser with our site. For more information about advertising with the Chicagoland Homeschool Network, please email me at info@chicagolandhomeschoolnetwork.com.

Free Polar Adventure Days in Chicago

This will happen a few times this winter, but this weekend is the first one:
Polar Adventure Days at Northerly Island

Have fun while enjoying all the wonders of nature at the eighth annual
POLAR ADVENTURE DAYS at NORTHERLY ISLAND

First 500 visitors receive a Polar Adventure Day mug filled with hot chocolate.

Dress for the outdoors. Call to confirm scheduled activities (phone number below).  These events are free and no registration is required.

  • See Siberian huskies, wolves and other live animals
  • Enjoy music from the Old Town School of Folk Music
  • Explore the island on snowshoes (if there’s snow)
  • Make a nature-inspired winter craft
  • Encounter birds of prey from Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation
  • Sip hot cocoa while strolling across the prairie
  • Take a bird hike led by Wendy Paulson, co-sponsored by Audubon Chicago, Openlands & The Field Museum

Date: December 8, 2012 along with January 19, 2013 and February 16, 2012

Start Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Cost: FREE

Location : Northerly Island is located at 1521 S. Linn White Drive, on the Museum Campus

312.745.2910

Free Admission

It’s winter in Chicago – come out and enjoy it!

Lapidary day at Lizzadro Museum

masthead

This Saturday’s Event: Lapidary Day!

Check Out Our Gift Shop!
City of Elmhurst Logo
Lapidary Day
November 17th
lapidary day
Demonstrations by artists from the West Suburban Lapidary Club will include: beading, silversmithing, cabochon cutting, wire wrapping, faceting, hands-on activities and free jewelry cleaning.  The event is a great way to learn more about stones and lapidary art.
Free Admission 10am-4pm

COD Parent or new student information night

Community college is a great fit for a number of homeschool families bridging the gap to college. If COD is in your neck of the woods, there is a meeting for parents of potential students (all students, not just dual enrollment).

Thursday Nov. 8, 2012
Doors open at 6pm
Presentation begins at 7pm
Student Resource Center (SRC) Room 2000

See for yourself the numerous transfer opportunities that exist at COD. COD provides advising, tutoring, honors and online courses, career services and internships, more than 60 clubs and organizations and an outstanding athletic program to make your college experience one you will never forget. Call 630-942-3000 or visit cod.edu/admission/spin for more information or directions.

Healthy habits kits

Central DuPage Hospital and Delnor have free kits available for teaching. Contact kitsforkids@cadencehealth.org for more information or scheduling. Here is info from their publication:

Kits for Kids

Do you want to teach a class about bicycle safety or hand-washing, but need the tools
to do so? Check out our free Kits for Kids, which contain everything a parent, scout
leader or teacher needs to present a lesson, including script, worksheets, interactive
demonstrations and general information.

Ride Smart!

This kit is packed with information on bicycle
safety and helmet use. It includes a gelatin
brain mold, helmet experiment, identification
stickers, coloring books and more. Designed
for preschool through second grade.

Hand-washing:

Your First Defense Against Disease
Seeing is believing! The kit includes a black
light and Glo Germ™ gel that shows kids if
they are really washing effectively. Lessons
explain the importance of hand-washing.
Designed for preschool through fifth grade.

For kit scheduling and information,
call 630.933.2165.

Masters of Lightning!

Received via email:

The Masters of Lightning is coming to SciTech Museum! See precisely controlled “bolts of lightning” – some 15 feet long leap from huge Tesla coils and play music from Bach’s Toccata and Fuge and even the 8 bit theme from Super Mario Brothers!  “Dr. Zeus”, adds an astonishing element to the show by standing between the coils wearing a metal suit of layered chain mail and interacting with the lightning bolts! A Wow! show not to be missed!

  • Doors open at 6 pm, the show starts at 7 pm.
  • Stay and explore the Museum after the show, we will be open until 9 pm.
  • The SciTech Cafe will be open for delicious treats, and there will be popcorn, a juice bar and more.
  • Adult Tickets are $20 and Children 12 and under are $1

Hurry! This show sells out quickly so purchase your tickets now. Tickets are available online here:

Learn more about Masters of Lightning here:

call 630-859-3434 or

visit www.scitechmuseum.org for further information.

18 W. Benton St. Aurora, Il. 60506

Birds of Prey demonstration at Cantigny

Fall Festival, Saturday, October 13

This is coming quickly:

What: Walk on the Wild Side (Birds of Prey)
When:  October 18. 2012, 6:30-7:30 pm
Where: Education Center

More details: Free, family program,  regular parking fee applies.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED due to limited seating. No walk-ins. Please call 630-260-8162 or email register@cantigny.org to save your seat! Registration closes 24 hours before the program or when capacity is reached.

Bring your family out to Cantigny Park for a Walk on the Wild Side! Dates have been set for a fun-filled learning adventure. Be amazed with fascinating animal facts! Each presentation will also offer the opportunity to interact with live animals.

This evening’s program will feature a live birds of prey presentation from the Willowbrook Wildlife Center Staff. Learn about this facinating group of birds and see some raptors up close!

Save the date for the next Walk on the Wild Side presentation!
November 15 (6:30pm)-Simply Snakes

Also check out their other classes for homeschoolers:

Kandinsky Kids for Homeschoolers

In this popular class, students will create using a wide range of media including but not limited to all types of paint, clay, fabric, sculpture, printmaking, etc.

Instructor: Kari Kraus, Water Street Studios

Ages: 7-11 years
October 22, 29, November 5, 12
10:30-11:30am
Location: Education Center
$60 per participant, registration required. No parking fee.

Click here to register online and pay by debit/credit card

Click here to download a registration form and send by mail or fax.

Questions? Please call 630 260 8162.

Click here to review our program policies and directions to class locations.

If you are a Cantigny Member Plus, please call 630 260 8162 to register and receive your class discount of $5.00.

Southwest Suburban Children’s Choir

A new choir forming and registration is open for just another week.

What: Southwest Suburban Children’s Choir

When: Thursdays from 4-5 PM

Where: Hinsdale South High School in Darien

Website: http://www.swschoir.org/SWCChoir/Welcome.html

Unique homeschool soccer opportunity

Received this via email and Amy said she would love to have this shared with a broader audience. Please contact her directly for more information.

As many know, I am the founder of the Homeschool Youth Soccer League
(HYSL). I have been approached by a gentleman from Chicago Fire, the
professional soccer league right here in Chicago (
http://www.chicago-fire.com/) about a wonderful opportunity for the soccer
enthusiasts among us. This offer, I putting out to not only the HYSLeague
members, but to the homeschooling community at large because I am certain
that there are several of us out there who would love to participate in
this wonderful opportunity.

Wednesday, October 3rd Chicago Fire celebrate their 15th year anniversary.
With many activities, and a game that evening, they have offered to sell
tickets to a large group of us at a discounted price. If we have at least
100 people interested purchasing tickets at $14 per person, we would also
be given the opportunity to play on their field before the game! They are
also offering a parking pre-purchase price of $12 (over reg. $15). The time
I was given was 3:00pm for this date, but will verify because I see the
game is at 7p. (It could be that we are invited by 3pm to the festivities
going on that day, and will have our pre-game play on the field during this
3-7pm slot.)

I’m just, first, putting feelers out there to see if we can even come close
to 100 people. If this seems to be something of interest, and we would have
100 to take advantage of this opportunity, then I would move forward to
finalize plans with Chicago Fire.

If you think your family would like to participate, could you please email
me asap: mommy@nakitababy.com and let me know how many tickets you’d
purchase for this event?