January, 2010 - UPS for DownS

Jim Gill Double Header
Details on page 9
NOTE FROM THE CHAIR:
JA
N UA R Y
2 010
Happy New Year everyone! My family and I had a very nice
Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebration surrounded by
friends, family and too much food. Over the past few years,
my only sibling and her family as well as my parents have relocated from right around the corner to Arizona. Since then, I
confess the holidays just aren’t the same for me. Don’t get me
wrong - I love being with my husband and beautiful kids, but it’s
just not the same without my sister and parents nearby. I guess
it’s like everything else in life. Things happen and/or change in
life and you have no choice but to accept those changes and
either make them positive or negative.
It’s like when Cristina was born in 1994. Our son, Frankie was 20
months old when Cristina was born. I expected to have a baby
girl, BUT I never expected her to have Down syndrome and a
heart condition. I guess this was the ultimate unexpected
change in plans. The first year was incredibly rough for me
emotionally but I came through it with A LOT of help and support from friends and some family members. To be honest, the
support that I
received from most
Many thanks to employees of ComEd for their generous
donation to UPS for DownS in honor of Nathan Kothera. It of my family was not
is through donations like this that UPS for DownS is able to what I needed it to
be. They were hurtprovide Support • Information • Community through proHURSDAY ANUARY
ing for us, very
grams, workshops, newsletter, family events and much,
IEP GOAL WRITING
scared and most
much more.
could not give us the Note from the Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
support we needed. HOWEVER, soon after Cristina was born, I contactNext Meeting Topic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
ed the National Association for Down Syndrome (NADS) and was connected with a parent volunteer couple, Mike & Lisa Reninger. They had
ABC’s of Dental Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
a 2 year old daughter (Allie) with Down syndrome and a 4-year old son
Plus+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
(Adam). They came over to our house one night – about 2 weeks after Down Syndrome
Parent Coffee & Playgroup . . . . . . . . . . 5
Cristina was born. They changed my life that night. I’m sure they don’t
realize the influence they had on our lives by coming over that evening. Parent Night Out Let’s Fiesta . . . . . . . 5
They gave us so much more than information on Down syndrome – they
Holiday Party pics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7
gave us a life line to hold on to as we grasped for whatever thread of
hope we could get. They also showed us that as a family – they were
A Small Footprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
fine. After that meeting I thought to myself – wow, they are doing okay
Down syndrome isn’t DON’T syndrome 7
and they have a little girl with DS and son at home – maybe we will be
Winter Swim Party photos. . . . . . . . . 8-9
okay too!
In this issue...
T
,J
28, 2010
Jim Gill Double Header. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Activity listing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Steering Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Family Hockey Outing . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Teen Scene Laugh Aerobics . . . . . . . . 11
I hope that we all enjoy a happy and healthy 2010 and that you take
advantage of all the wonderful programs, meetings and special events
Adult Social Club outing . . . . . . . . . . . 11
that UPS for DownS has lined up for the coming year! You never know –
the person you meet at one of these events could be someone you end High School Musical 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
up being friends with for the next fourteen years and probably for life!
Save the Date Scotch Doubles. . . . . . . 11
Rally at the Alley . . . . . . . . . . Back Page
Here we are fourteen years later and Cristina and Frankie count Allie
and Adam among their closest friends. Who could have imagined that
anxious meeting one chilly November night in 1994 would have positively changed me and my family so much?
TOPIC: IEP Goal Writing
Catherine Whitcher,
M.Ed., founder of
Precision Education,
Inc. and Nationwide
Special Education
Consultant
•
•
•
•
•
Date: Thursday, January 28, 2010
Time: 7 p.m.
Schaumburg Township Board Room (2nd floor)
One Illinois Boulevard, Hoffman Estates, IL
Learn 22 IEP points that are a MUST to a successful team approach
Focus on 7 Special Education Success Strategies for an effective education
Learn how to improve your child’s IEP RIGHT NOW!
Discover 5 Secrets in the school system and how to break the code
Bring your child’s IEP to get real answers to your questions!
Free on-site child care is available to parents attending the meeting.
Space is limited. You must RSVP with the names and ages of your children
no later than Tuesday, January 26 at
http://ufdjanuary2010.eventbrite.com/ or 847-895-2100
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Parent Night Out: Let’s Fiesta
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Rally at the Alley in Highwood
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Teen Scene: Laugh Aerobics at Itasca Park District
Adult Social Club: Laugh Out Loud Theater
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monthly Meeting: IEP Goal Writing
Meeting
Location
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Parent Coffee and Playgroup
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Down SyndromePlus+ ABA Strategies
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monthly Meeting: Planning for Transition
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Music Play for All Young Children Workshop
UFD
Office
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Jim Gill Family Room Tour
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Parent Coffee and Playgroup
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Family Hockey Night
2
Hartford Plaza
1070 S. Roselle Road
Schaumburg, IL 60193
847-895-2100
www.upsfordowns.org
Please Note: UPS for DownS is a volunteer group consisting of parents, rather than educational, medical, or legal
professionals. The UPS for DownS newsletter is similarly
written on a volunteer, non-professional basis.
Information presented in the newsletter should not be
construed to be objective or definitive, but represents the
opinions and understandings of the contributors. We are
not responsible for reliance made on any information in
this newsletter. We wish to bring together those interested in Down syndrome and attempt to create an optimistic
outlook and attitude about Down syndrome for our families and others.
ABC’s of Dental Care
The UPS for DownS November meeting featured Dr. Nicole Hill-Cordell, a pediatric dentist whose practice includes almost 50
patients with Down syndrome. Dr. Hill-Cordell
gave us a fascinating presentation on the
dental issues we should look for in our kids
with Ds at different stages of their lives. We
also learned about many of the basics of
dental care that apply to all of us and were
reminded why good dental care is so important.
The biggest take-away from the
meeting was to get our kids to a
pediatric dentist early and often!
Dr. Hill-Cordell recommends that
kids see a dentist right around
their first birthday for an evaluation. They should go in every six
months for cleanings (sometimes
every three months if periodontal
disease has set in). A Pediatric
dentist may be the best choice
for your child, as they all receive
specific training in treating children with special needs as well
as training in how to make kids as
comfortable as possible during
dental procedures.
teeth that are developing, while topical fluorides in toothpaste help strengthen existing
teeth. We learned, though, how important it
is to limit the about the amount of fluoride
that our kids swallow! Too much fluoride
causes long-term discoloration of the permanent teeth. Kids can overdose on fluoride by
swallowing fluorinated toothpaste (which is
why it’s important to give them “training”
toothpaste until they are able to spit and to
use only a pea-sized amount)
or by adding fluorinated water,
like bottled nursery water, to
baby formula – many baby formulas already contain fluoride.
Finally, we learned the importance of eating a tooth-friendly
diet that keeps the acid level in
the mouth at a healthy level.
Acid causes calcium to leach
out of teeth. Juice and sodas
increase the acidity in our
mouths, as does frequently
grazing on food. Dr. HillCordell told us that the ONLY
drinks that are healthy for our
teeth are water and milk.
Some tooth-healthy snacks choices she listed
are cheese, nuts, chocolate, yogurt and
One of the reasons why those frequent visits
popcorn. Unhealthy choices are foods that
to the dentist are important is to help prevent stick to our teeth or leave remnants between
the formation of cavities. Interestingly, chilour teeth like fruit snacks, granola bars, pretdren with Ds may be somewhat less likely to
zels, goldfish, raisins and white bread.
develop cavities than the general population. Still, cavities are a BIG concern and are Dr. Hill-Cordell also noted that some medicathe most common of all childhood diseases – tions can affect our teeth, so we should
40% of kids have them by the time they
always have our kids rinse their mouths with
reach kindergarten. What can we do to limit water after taking their meds.
our kids’ chances of developing cavities?
There’s a little more to it than just brushing
What if cavities have already started to
and flossing.
develop in your child’s teeth? The group that
attended the meeting discussed dentists’ difA cavity is simply a bacterial infection of the ferent approaches to performing dental protooth. What many of us who attended the
cedures on unwilling patients. Dr. Hill-Cordell
meeting did not know is that the cavity-caus- listed four common approaches used to
ing bacteria develops early in life (particular- calm kids during dental procedures. First, a
ly the first two years) and is often transmitted dentist should try the “tell-show-do”
to babies from their parents. So our own
approach to make a child more comfortdental care may be just as important as lim- able. If that does not work, nitrous oxide
iting the bacterial growth in our little ones’
(laughing gas), might. Oral sedation, which is
mouths.
given as a drink, is another option. It does
not make a patient sleep, but makes them
Fluoride is another important cavity-fighter:
very relaxed. Finally, if all other approaches
fluoride in drinking water helps permanent
do not work, general anesthe- Cont. on p. 4
3
Down Syndromeplus+
Down Syndromeplus+ is a support group of fam-
ilies who gather together to support and educate one
another regarding the unique needs of families of
children with Down syndrome and additional
behavioral needs. If your child is experiencing
behavior that seems like something more than Down
syndrome, this group may be a good resource for
your family.
Dr. Nancy Keck, developmental pediatrician and
expert in Down syndrome, behavioral disorders,
ADHD, autism, and autism spectrum disorders is the
facilitator. The group meets quarterly with rotating
dates and locations. Free onsite childcare is available at each of the support meetings.
NEXT UP:
ABA Strategies
DATE:
Thursday, February 4th
TIME:
6:30-9:00
LOCATION: Willow Recreation Center
3600 Lexington Drive
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
This meeting topic: ABA Strategies - Applied
Behavior Analysis. Come hear ABA therapist discuss
effective behavioral therapy for children with autism
spectrum behavior. Refreshments will be served.
You must RSVP for childcare to Sandy at
spazerunas@upfordowns.org or 847-895-2100.
To find out more or to receive personal announcements about Down Syndromeplus+activities,
contact Sandy at spazerunas@upsfordowns.org or
call 847-895-2100.
Cont. from p. 3
sia might be necessary, and often is
administered in an operating room at a
hospital.
As our kids start to hit their teens, we should
be on the lookout for periodontal (gum)
disease, which is very prevalent in people
with Down syndrome. In its early stages,
periodontal disease might take the form of
gingivitis, causing bright red, puffy gums. If
gingivitis is suspected, it’s important to get
your child to a dentist for proper care. If
left untreated, gingivitis can advance to
periodontitis, where the bones holding the
teeth in place start to break down.
Without those bones, the teeth start to fall
out. Although periodontal disease may be
common in people with Ds, it is also very
preventable with good oral hygiene and
proper dental care.
Finally, we discussed some of the tooth
anomalies that can affect our kids’ beautiful smiles: congenitally missing teeth, irregular tooth formation and malocclusion
(bite problems). Many of these common
anomalies can be addressed by a good
orthodontist (even Tom Cruise has a missing front tooth!) While it is not unusual for a
14-year-old with Ds to still have some baby
teeth, it is important to see a good
orthodontist much earlier than that, to start
to address these issues before the mouth
stops growing.
Professionals from Musich & Busch, an
orthodontic practice that treats many
patients with Down syndrome, will present
at our meeting on Thursday, April 22. Mark
your calendars now!
UPS for DownS 2009 Holiday Party
4
P arent C ffee
a n d Pl a y G r o u p
Please join us for this
informal get together with or without your kids.
Not for new parents only!
Wednesday, February 3
12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 3
12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 7
12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Location:
First United Methodist Church
1903 E. Euclid Avenue,
Arlington Heights
Child care is provided in
an adjacent room at no
cost to you.
For more information,
contact Shannon at
847-788-1138 or
kersemeier@sbcglobal.net
Let’s Fiesta!
Parent Night Out
Saturday, January 16. 2010
7:15 p.m. PLEASE BE PROMPT!
Latin Dance Lesson at Cimino Dance Studio
778 S. Arlington Heights Road, Elk Grove Village
Followed by late dinner at Tapalpa Mexican Restaurant
YOUR COST: $15 per person
UPS for Downs pays the difference. Limit 30 people.
RSVP to Stephanie at 847-891-3224 or sneri@upsfordowns.org
Parent Night Out is back and we have a great year
planned! We have something for you to do every
month, so book the sitter and join us for a parent night
out! It is a great way to meet other parents, develop a
support network while getting out. There are no
strangers at Parent Night Out, there are also NO KIDS!
Do you want to receive a post card reminder each
month? Let Steph know to put you on the list!
Next month’s date: February 20th
2009 saw the biggest and best Holiday Party ever! Each child received a gift specially chosen
just for them, delivered by Santa personally. Many thanks to volunteers who helped Santa by...
5
A SMALL FOOTPRINT
During the last few years, we’ve become familiar with
the concept of having an ecologically “small footprint”—
each of us living in such a way that we generate the
least negative impact on our beautiful planet. Using less
electricity, gasoline, and other fuels and/or drinking tap
water instead of bottled water represent some examples
of the changes that can make a difference.
Simultaneously, many are also working to reverse the
existing damage to our planet. What if we applied the
same principles to the lives of people with disabilities?
Many children and adults with developmental disabilities
have an army of people in their lives (parents, educators, therapists, service providers, and others) who may
generate many large footprints in their lives. We can
have the best of intentions in providing massive doses
of help, but our footprints can unintentionally cause
harm when children and adults with disabilities experience learned helplessness and dependence, social isolation and/or physical segregation, and/or other negative
consequences. In some cases, the army of footprints in
a person’s life may even trample and obscure the person’s identity and humanity.
So . . . what if we became more intentional about generating the smallest footprint on the life of a child or adult
with a disability? And what if we worked hard to reverse
any harm that’s already been done?
What if we allowed six-year-old Joe and 40-year-old
Mary to make more of their own decisions (and allow
them “permission to fail” so they can learn from their
mistakes as others do)? What if we provided Joe and
Mary with the assistive technology devices, supports,
and/or accommodations so they won’t need so many
“human interventions” in the form of therapies, “daily living skills,” meeting goals, etc.? What if we focused on
ensuring Joe and Mary live more self-directed lives,
included in ordinary environments, instead of “protecting” them in special, artificial, and/or segregated environments? What if we realized that the best help we
could provide is to encourage and support Joe and Mary
in living the lives they want, instead of what we want?
What if we realized that the most valuable influences in
the lives of Joe and Mary are the ones they invite into
their lives, from family, friends, neighbors, classmates,
co-workers, etc., which are generated by love, shared
interests, and other ordinary (but precious) affiliations?
Ultimately, what if we thought about ourselves, and wondered how it would feel to have so many people leaving
big footprints in our lives? Would that action propel us in
a new direction? We can do this, and if we ask, “What
will it take,” we’ll generate the ideas and strategies to
make it happen.
Maintaining a small ecological footprint demonstrates
love and respect for Mother Earth. Leaving a small
“intervention/help” footprint in the life of a person with a
disability - allowing the person to blossom and experience the freedom, self-direction, and dignity most of us
take for granted - represents great love and respect for
our brothers and sisters who happen to have disabilities.
Copyright 2009 Kathie Snow, All Rights Reserved, used with permission.
Contact kathie@disabilityisnatural.com for reprint permission. Visit www.disabilityisnatural.com for new ways of thinking!
...shopping, wrapping and decorating for the party. Lifetouch Portrait Studios gave photos to
all families, including certificates for free 10x13 Family Portraits which can be used at any...
6
Down syndrome isn’t DON’T SYNDROME
Recently, my son Peter had his IEP to plan for
his senior year of high school and beyond. As
is tradition at New Trier, the student participates in the IEP process. Peter was asked to
prepare a Power Point presentation with the
major talking points to include his strengths,
weaknesses, his plans for after
High School and, finally, a
description about who he really is.
Peter listed his strengths: “I’m a
great actor and guitar player.”
Then his weaknesses: “I have trouble telling the truth, I’m not good
at keeping a secret and I’m not
good at listening to those in
authority.” No surprises there! He
went on to share that after high
school, he plans to move to Los
Angeles to pursue an acting
career and has a desire to sing
with Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. He is quite
the dreamer! He then got choked up as he
got into the difficult part of his presentation…”Who I Really Am.”
Peter said, “First, I like my long hair the way it
is; my mom and dad don’t like it but my hair
defines my style. Second, I like my blue jeans
and like to wear them ALL the time because
they are comfortable and fit my personality –
‘country comfort.’ Third, I don’t want to be a
‘Dutchman’ (and quickly asked his dad, who
is Dutch, not to take offense). I just don’t want
to wear a suit and tie and be all stressed out!”
Everyone in the room was having a good
chuckle at this point, except his father who
was still trying to figure out what was so stressful about his suit and tie. Next came the atom
bomb…. Peter expressed that he didn’t like
himself and didn’t like having
Down syndrome and furthermore, he really didn't like when
people were nice to him only
because he had Down syndrome.
The professionals in the room
were impressed with his honesty and his ability to articulate
his thoughts about himself.
Peter ended his presentation
and then excused himself to
go to his off campus job training.
Later that day, my husband and I reflected
on that meeting. One thing we couldn’t help
thinking about was why doesn’t Peter like himself “where did we go wrong?” But then we
thought about our other two kids and realized
Peter's feelings about himself are pretty similar
to most teenagers his age. Our other son
doesn’t like that he is shy and wishes he was
able to talk to anyone the way Peter does;
our daughter doesn’t like that she has curly
hair and always has to spend so
Cont. on p. 8
much time to make it straight.
...JC Penney Portrait Studio! Great food, games, crafts, music, fun, Santa and presents. Millie
and Tom Ewald made it fabulous and we thank them and their family for leading the effort!
7
Cont. from p. 7 They all hate something about
themselves at that age. Even
as adults, we have something we find undesirable about ourselves. We concluded that
Peter had articulated feelings out loud that
perhaps our other children had but were
more circumspect about admitting – and
that we didn’t give much weight to
because…they didn’t have Down syndrome!
My husband and I spent 17 years instilling in
our son and everyone around him that he is
capable and is entitled to live his life as everyone else does. Our dreams for him were to
become an independent adult, to be able to
pursue his lifelong dreams and have a career
that he is proud of. Everything we did in his life
was to prepare him for this next big step in his
life.
But when Peter perfectly articulated his very
real desire to be an actor and live in L.A., my
initial thoughts were “this is a fantasy”. Why
was I so quick to discount his desires? Was it
because he had Down syndrome and I didn’t
think being an actor was a possibility for him?
Or because we were scared to see him fail?
Since success AND failure are lessons we all
learn from in life, why shouldn’t Peter have
the opportunity to learn those same lessons?
The truth is we were afraid to let our son go
and experience life as all 18 year olds
do….because he had Down syndrome. We
wanted to protect him from the very thing we
tried to prepare him for, the big giant world
ahead. His Down syndrome was not about to
become his biggest disability, WE WERE!
My husband and I decided to support Peter
in his dream and put our fears aside. His
desire and passion to become an actor
needed to be respected. I thought about the
following plan: I would find an agent for Peter
and put together a portfolio of pictures and a
list of his acting experiences. In addition, I
would introduce him to two or three actors.
They would most certainly describe how difficult it is to find acting jobs and how they also
have to work other jobs like bussing tables,
working at Starbucks, etc. in order to pay the
bills. Hopefully by attending to his wishes,
Peter will be able to see a little bit of the reality that goes with his dream and focus on
other job possibilities while waiting for his big
break.
I presented my plan to Peters’ team. His
Transition Specialist promised to support this in
any way possible. Peter's Post High School
Counselor also said he would look into community colleges or universities that have theatre/drama programs for young adults with
special needs and show Peter what is
required to be accepted in these schools.
Peter may get nowhere and end up as a professional at Starbucks or he may get his big
break and end up on the fast track, with a
move to L.A. I have to be prepared not just
to support Peter, but to let him go and live his
life, wherever it takes him.
Desire, ambition, and talent should be keys to
any successful career. Having Down syndrome should not hold him back from making
every effort to craft a life that mirrors his
dreams… and neither should I.
Jeannine Cleary lives in the north suburbs of Chicago with her family, where teens are anxious, dreams are made and, well, failure IS an option.
Winter Swim Part y !
It might have been below zero outside, but it was a toasty
eighty degrees at the pool! The winter swim party was a
popular way to recover from ringing in the new year!
8
JIM GILL DOUBLE HEADER!
Music
Play for
ALL
Young
Children
a workshop for
parents and
early childhood
professionals
Saturday, February 27
8:30 Registration
9 - 12 Workshop
at Belvedere Banquets in Elk Grove Village
Cost: $12 if registered by 2/15
Continental breakfast - and CPDU’s for teachers!
Register online at:
http://jimgillworkshop.eventbrite.com/
In this workshop, Jim Gill will share a number of his creations in music play and discuss the implications for development. He
will focus on music as a context for active
play and participation, the type of music
for which Jim is known best. Jim will discuss
how a play-based program provides an
inclusive environment for children with special needs and share thoughts based on his
work with children of all ability levels.
Saturday is a workshop - not a show.
Bring the kids to the show listed at right!!
Jim Gill
Family
Room
Tour
family play for
all ages - bring
a friend!
Sunday, February 28
2:30 p.m.
Mt. Prospect Public Library
10 South Emerson Street
Mount Prospect, IL
Please be prompt.
Juice and cookies to follow.
Cost: FREE
More information at:
http://jimgillshow.eventbrite.com
Jim Gill offers more than a show to watch.
It's an opportunity for family play! In concert, Jim bangs out energetic rhythms on
his banjo while everyone claps, jumps,
dances and even sneezes along. The
concert is filled, of course, with songs from
Jim’s award-winning recordings and features a read-along and sing-along of Jim’s
musical books for young children.
9
2 00 9- 2 01 0 STEE RING COM MITT EE
POSITION
NAME
PHONE
E-MAIL
Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MaryLynn Cassata . . . . . .847-927-8906 . . . . . . . .mcassata@upsfordowns.org
Program Coordinators
Melinda Zambito . . . . . . .847-466-9953 . . . . . . .mzambito@upsfordowns.org
Gina Musielski . . . . . . . .847-966-6557 . . . . . .gmusielski@upsfordowns.org
Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Peggy Grunewald . . . . . .847-359-3394 . . . . .Pgrunewald@upsfordowns.org
Newsletter Editor . . . . . . . . . .Terri Devine . . . . . . . . . . .708-349-9669 . . . . . . . . .tdevine@upsfordowns.org
Newsletter Printing . . . . . . . .Mike Grunewald . . . . . . .847-359-3394 . . . . .mgrunewald@kmprinting.com
Mailing List Information . . . .Pat Fogarty . . . . . . . . . . .630-291-6740 . . . . .MailingList@upsfordowns.org
New Parent Coordinator . . . .Shannon Kersemeier . . . .847-788-1138 . . . . . . . . .kersemeier@sbcglobal.net
Hospitality/Refreshments . . . .Julie Costigan . . . . . . . . .847-359-0543 . . . . . . .JulieCostigan@sbcglobal.net
Special Events Coordinator . .Melinda Zambito . . . . . . .847-466-9953 . . . . . . .mzambito@upsfordowns.org
Bowling Event Coordinators: Diane Paradise . . . . . . . . .630-483-8113 . . . . . . .dparadise@upsfordowns.org
MaryLynn Cassata . . . . . .847-927-8906 . . . . . . . .mcassata@upsfordowns.org
Dinner Dance Coordinator
Stephanie Neri . . . . . . . . .847-891-3224 . . . . . . . . . . .sneri@upsfordowns.org
TeenScene Coordinator . . . . .Kim Orlando . . . . . . . . . .630-483-6903 . . . . . . . .korlando@upsfordowns.org
PreTeenScene Coordinators Stacy Graves . . . . . . . . . .847-608-9781 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cs-graves@att.net
Julie Costigan . . . . . . . . .847-359-0543 . . . . . . .JulieCostigan@sbcglobal.net
Kids’ Club Coordinator . . . . .Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .847-895-2100 . . . . . . . . . . . .info@upsfordowns.org
Down Syndrome Plus . . . . . .Sandy Pazerunas . . . . . . .847-705-0715 . . . . . .spazerunas@upsfordowns.org
Public Relations/Awareness . .Ann Sommerer . . . . . . . .847-781-8516 . . . . . .asommerer@upsfordowns.org
Webgroup Moderator . . . . . . .Terri Devine . . . . . . . . . . .708-349-9669 . . . . . . . .whatsup@upsfordowns.org
Webmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lori Boldt . . . . . . . . . . . .847-818-1714 . . . . . . . . . .lboldt@upsfordowns.org
Endurance Teams . . . . . . . . . .Mike Reninger . . . . . . . . .847-301-0702 . . . . . . .mreninger@upsfordowns.org
Katie MacDonald Literacy . . .Mike Reninger . . . . . . . . .847-895-2100 . . . . . . .mreninger@upsfordowns.org
Next Chapter Book Club . . . .Sharon Anderson . . . . . . .847-438-4585 . . . . . . .sanderson@upsfordowns.org
Education Committee . . . . . . .Lisa Reninger . . . . . . . . .847-301-0702 . . . . . . . .lreninger@upsfordowns.org
What
Who
children and siblings of all
Parent Coffee Parents,
ages
Date
Time
Contact
First Wednesday
9:30 - 11 am
or
12:30 - 2 pm
Shannon Kersemeier
kersemeier@sbcglobal.net
847-788-1138
Kids’ Club
Children ages 3-8 and their siblings
(parents stay)
Periodic
varies
Open
847-895-2100
PreTeen
Scene
Children ages 8-12 (grades 3 thru 6)
and same age siblings (parents stay)
One Sunday per
month
3 p.m. 5 p.m.
Julie Costigan
juliecostigan@sbcglobal.net
Stacy Graves
cs-graves@att.net
847-608-9781
One Saturday
per month
7 p.m 9 p.m.
Adults with developmental disabilities
Next Chapter read
and socialize with friends in the
Book Club community
varies by club
varies by
club
Parent Social nights allow parents to
network, make friends and have inforParent Night mal
opportunities to discuss concerns
and issues with others.
Sharon Anderson
847-438-4585
sanderson@upsfordowns.org
www.nextchapterbookclub.org
Periodic
(every other
month)
generally
evenings
Stephanie Neri
847/891-3224
sneri@upsfordowns.org
Teens ages 12-18, and similarly aged
siblings who wish to volunteer to help;
TeenScene parents welcome to stay or leave at
their discretion and supervision needs
of individual child
SibShops
Workshops for 7-12 year old siblings of
children with Ds.
Periodic
(2-3 per year)
generally
afternoons
DS101
Workshops for young siblings who are
new to Ds and have basic questions
Annually
generally
early
evening
10
Kim Orlando
korlando@upsfordowns.org
630-483-6903
TeenScene@UPSforDownS.org
Jim Ford
708-349-9669
info@upsfordowns.org
Stacy Graves
847-895-2100
cs-graves@att.net
Family Hockey Night
Save the Date
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Wolves v. Milwaukee Admirals
Person with Down syndrome: FREE
All others: $11(ticket value $19)
Register by Friday, February 19th at:
http://ufdfamilyhockey.eventbrite.com/
26th Annual Scotch Doubles Bowling
Saturday, May 22, 2010
TEEN SCENE - Laugh Aerobics!
Date: Saturday, January 23, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Cost: $5 per teen
Itasca Park District, 350 E. Irving Park Road, Itasca, IL
RSVP by Tuesday, January 19th http://januaryteenscene2010.eventbrite.com/
The teens will be instructed in a laugh aerobics class designed to get their body moving, but laughing while they're doing it!!! A healthy snack will be served afterward. For more information, contact Pat at pshimanek@hotmail.com or Diane at dparadise@upsfordowns.org
UPS for DownS and Gymkhana present:
High school
musical 2
Once again UFD is partnering with Gymkhana’s White
Room Theater to perform
the wildly popular Disney hit
High School Musical 2.
The gang's all here for an
action-packed summer
extravaganza as Troy,
Gabriella and the rest of the
Wildcats finish junior year
and blast onto the summer
scene. Growing with the characters, HSM2 doesn't
miss one fabulous beat as the kids from East High
get a taste of what it means to grow up. Rockin'
songs and action-packed dance numbers make this
an ideal show for young actors. Jump into pool with
the Wildcats as you swim along with this crowdpleasing, fun-filled charmer.
The production will include a Junior Ensemble of
children ages 6 -12 performing along with a Senior
Ensemble of youth ages 12 - young adult. Let the
rehearsals begin!
Rehearsals: Mondays 5 - 7 p.m. Senior Ensemble
Thursdays 6 - 7 p.m. Junior Ensemble
Saturdays 12:30 - 2 p.m. ALL ACTORS
Adult Social Club
The Adult Social Club will start off the
New Year with a Laugh Out Loud good
time!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
6 pm - dinner at Chipotle
7 pm - Laugh Out Loud Theater
both located at Streets of Woodfield
Come for dinner & show or just the show
Dinner will be at Chipotle Mexican Grill
at 6 p.m. and then on to the Laugh Out
Loud Theater at 7 p.m. The show begins
at 7:30; pick-up approximately 9 p.m.
Dinner costs on your own.
Adults with Down syndrome: $5 each
Additional guests: $18 each
You must RSVP at:
http://ufdlaughoutloud.eventbrite.com/
RSVP deadline is Friday, January 15th
11
1070 S. Roselle Road
Schaumburg, IL 60193
For changes or additions to our distribution list:
MailingList@upsfordowns.org or 847-895-2100
Saturday, February 27:
Music Development
Workshop
Sunday, February 28:
Jim Gill Family Show
RALLY AT THE ALLEY
BENEFITTING
01.21.2010 6 - 10 PM $20
DATE:
ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDED BY
LEOPARDO’S VERY OWN
LIQUIDATED
DAMAGES
for DownS
UPS
United Parent Support for Down Syndrome
TIME:
COVER:
The Alley Lounge
210 Green Bay Road
Highwood, IL 60040
847-433-0304
bowlhighwood.com