Splash!
COMMUNITY NEWS | MAY 2011
Reminders
• For work orders call: 773-967-9207
• Regular maintenance hours are Monday
through Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm. For
emergency maintenance after hours
call: 708-237-6153
• REMINDER: Parking permits are
required to park in building parking
lots. Unauthorized vehicles will be
towed at the owner’s expense.
• Facility services staff are available for
access assistance with cable and phone
installation services between 9am and
4pm, Monday through Friday
inside
inside
inside
Resident Programming 2
Community News 4
Community Calendar 6
Oakwood Shores’ Phillip Brooks Returns from
Trip to South Africa
Phillip Brooks, 12, is a seventh grade student
at Alain Locke Charter School. A participant
of their World Studies program, Phillip
just returned from a 10-day trip to South
Africa. The World Studies program at Alain
Locke Charter School gives students the
opportunity to learn about different cultures
and broaden their horizons.
While in South Africa, Phillip visited the
Nelson Mandela Museum and tried different
foods like zebra and antelope. He also had
the opportunity to go on safari where he saw
white lions, cranes, cheetahs, hogs, and rhinos in their natural habitat.
The World Studies program isn’t the only thing Phillip is involved in
at Alain Locke Charter School. Phillip also participates in school-wide
current event discussions and other activites that include debate club,
drum line and basketball. In fact, Phillip worked with school faculty and
staff to create the debate club and since its inception, the Debate Club
has experienced significant successes. Debating such topics as military
presence overseas, counterinsurgency, and counterterrorism, Phillip was
awarded the First Place Speaker Award and his Debate Club took 2nd
Place in the overall competition.
After he completes middle school at Alaine Locke Charter School,
Phillip would like to attend Walter Payton High School and go on to
college and law school. Philip would one day like to be a lawyer and
politician like his favorite lawyer and role model, President Barack
Obama.
For more information about Alain Locke Charter School or to
learn how to enroll your student visit www.alainlocke.org.
 Resident Programming

Healthy Kids Tip of the Month

Sleep is a very important part of baby’s routine. Here are some strategies
for helping baby learn to sleep.

1. Use natural light to help baby establish day and night sleep.
In the morning, open the curtains and let the natural light in. Keep the room
dark at night. Limit light from lamps and television.

2. Limit awake time to help baby establish a sleep schedule.

Babies can only tolerate a certain amount of time awake before they become
overtired. When babies get overtired, they can’t settle themselves down to sleep.

FUSSY BABY 3. Reduce stimulation for baby during the day.

The Fussy Baby program is for parents 4. Provide a sleep environment that supports sleep.
and infants 0 - 18 months. Parents who
attend with their infants get the chance Playing soft music or low noise, darkening the room, and keeping the
to meet other community parents with television off will help create a comfortable sleeping environment for baby.
infants, learn from Erikson Institute infant
development experts, and take advantage
of our free infant and toddler clothing 5. Establish sleep routine of soothing activities in the evening before baby
and toy swap. is drowsy.

The Fussy Baby program operates weekly
and has expanded to include home visits 6. Put baby to sleep at the same time and in the same place (night and
from Erickson Institute staff. naps).
As Oakwood Shores partnership with the
Erickson Institute has grown we are now 7. Try to put baby to sleep awake, but drowsy.
planning events for children ages 0-5 for This allows babies to learn to put themselves to sleep. It is also helpful in
the months of May and June. The
feature topic for May is literacy, and will preventing night-waking later because as babies partially or totally awaken at
include story telling activities and helpful night (like everyone does) they can learn to go back to sleep on their own.
tips for exposing infants and toddlers to
early learning. June’s feature topic will be
childcare, and parents will learn how to 8. Provide opportunities for baby to practice moving around and using
access and evaluate quality childcare and his/her muscles during the day like, laying baby on his/her back to sleep
Head Start programs for their infants and
toddlers. and on his/her tummy to play.
An information session titled ‘ask the doc-
tor’ will focus on families who have general
pediatric questions about infant and tod-
dler health, wellness, and development. Henry Booth House Partnership
The date of the session will be annouced Oakwood Shores is partnering with the Henry Booth House to provide
soon so be sure to stay tuned.
the best possible resources for parents to help their toddlers prepare for
Contact Rachel Faulkner 773- 967-9201 Kindergarten. Please keep your eyes open for information on Kindergarten
for more information about Fussy Baby.
readiness seminars, a brand new local Head Start and child care center, and
other information and resources for children ages 2-5 years. If you have an
immediate need for childcare or other resources for children ages 0-5 years,
contact Khari Humphries at 312-348-6044.

2 The Oakwood Shores Newsletter

 Community News
Circuit Breaker & Illinois Cares Rx Bulletin
Circuit Breaker and Illinois Cares Rx are community programs that provide
• Do You or a Family Member Need
grants to senior citizens and persons with disablities to help reduce the im- Health Insurance?
pact of taxes and costs of prescription medications on their lives. For more Please call Emily Vaughan at
773-967-9210 for assistance with
information or to enroll call Community Engagement Manager, Lisa Dixon reviewing your options for medical
at 773-967-9216. coverage.

• Neighborhood Security Walk-

throughs
Join your neighbors as we work
Congratulations to Oakwood to safeguard the Oakwood Shores
community! As a team we will
Shores Parent, Josephine walk the grounds to preserve our
Norwood! neighborhood and make certain
Oakwood Shores remains a safe
and thriving community. If you are
interested in volunteering, please
Our most sincere congratulations go out to contact Aaron Beswick at
Josephine Norwood for her recent nomination to 773-967-9213.
recieve the Parent Leadership Award through the • Lending Library Volunteers
Grand Boulevard Federation’s Peer Parent Education A new addition to the community
center, the Oakwood Shores Lending
Network (PPEN) of which she is a dedicated member. Ms. Norwood was one Library provides a quiet, literary
of 10 parents recognized at the Teach America’s Children Parent Leadership respite to the routine stresses of daily
life. Help us maintain our growing
Celebration for her efforts demonstrating meaningful parental engagement, collection and shape its bookish
parent leadership, and commitment to advocating for quality education and charms! If you are interested in
volunteering or donating books,
achievement in Chicago Public Schools. please contact Aaron Beswick at
Grand Boulevard Federation’s PPEN is committed to advocating 773-967-9213.
on behalf of children who attend Chicago Public Schools, so they may • Need Tutoring?
have equal access to quality education regardless of where they reside. This Are you in need of computer
tutoring? Oakwood Shores
mission stems from the fact that more than 15 schools have closed in the Community Tutors can assist you
Douglas/Grand Boulevard community and while more than 13 have opened with learning basic computer skills
including typing, web navigation,
in their place, most families displaced from the closed schools and others technical assistance, Microsoft
residing in the neighborhood have not benefited from the promised new Office software, research, and
more! Tutors are available Monday
schools. The PPEN is in its sixth year and focuses on building leadership - Friday at the Oakwood Shores
capacity to improve schools with parents as partners. Community Center. Contact
Rachel Faulkner 773-967-9201 for
More information about The Grand Boulevard Federation can be more information.
found by visiting http://www.grandboulevardfederation.org/.
• High School Students, College
Students, Adults:
ComED: Providing a Helping Hand to customers in need Looking for a way to get your
community service hours?
The helping hand program is designed to provide immediate relief to residential Build your resume? Help your
customers in need who have recieved a disconnection notice on who have been community? Come volunteer with
disconnected. Qualifying customers could be eligible for a one time grant up Oakwood Shores Youth!
to 50% of the disconnect notice or final bill amount, whichever is applicable. Available position include: lab
Applications will be accepted at LIHEAP agencies from April 18th, 2011 through monitors, homework tutors, coaches,
greeters, and clerks. Contact Rachel
May 13, 2011 or until funds are exhausted. For help applying to the helping hand Faulkner at 773-967-9201 for more
program, contact Lisa Dixon at 773-967-9216 information.

Splash! 3
 3711 S. Vincennes Avenue
Chicago, IL 60653

May 2011
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1. Maxwell Street 2. Yoga 6:30pm - 7:30pm 3. Cub Scouts 5pm - 6pm, 4. Prime Time 5. Walking Club (Ellis 6. 7. Zumba 8am - 9am
Cinco de Mayo Chicago History Museum CAPS (Lake Meadows) Sister Circle 10am, Park) 10:30am - 11:30am
Celebration FD 9:30am - 4:30pm 6:30pm Fussy Baby 10am Art Institute FD 5pm - 8pm
Chicago Children’s
Museum FD Childcare Info Session Chicago Children’s Museum FD
(Ages 0 - 15 yrs) (Ages 0-5) 6:30pm 5pm - 8pm
Nutrition/Martial Arts
6:30pm - 8:30pm
8. Blues at 9. Yoga 6:30pm - 7:30pm 10. 11. Prime Time 12. Daley Plaza Market 13. CCC 14. Zumba 8am - 9am,
Maxwell Street Chicago History Museum Sister Circle 10am, Opens, Walking Club (Ellis Division Street Market
FD 9:30am - 4:30pm Fussy Baby 10am Park) 10:30am - 11:30am Opens
Chicago Field Museum FD Nutrition/Martial Arts Planetarium FD 10am - 4:30pm
6:30pm - 8:30pm Art Institute FD 5pm - 8pm
15. Beverly 16.Senior Ice Cream 17. Cub Scouts 5pm - 6pm 18. Prime Time 19. Walking Club (Ellis 20. 21. Zumba 8am - 9am
Market Opens Social 2pm - 4pm Sister Circle 10am, Park) 10:30am - 11:30am Oakwood Shores Movie
Yoga 6:30pm - 7:30pm Fussy Baby 10am Art Institute FD 5pm - 8pm in the Park (Ellis Park)
Chicago History Museum Nutrition/Martial Arts Mandrake Park Advisory @ Dusk
FD 9:30am - 4:30pm 6:30pm - 8:30pm Meeting 6:30pm - 7:30pm
22. 23. Yoga 6:30pm - 7:30pm 24. Cub Scouts 5pm - 6pm 25. Prime Time 26. Walking Club (Ellis 27. 28. Zumba 8am - 9am
Bona Meeting (Donahue Sister Circle 10am, Park) 10:30am - 11:30am
Elementary) 6:30pm Fussy Baby 10am Ellis Park Advisory
Chicago History Museum Nutrition/Martial Arts Meeting 6:30pm - 7:30pm
FD 9:30am - 4:30pm 6:30pm - 8:30pm Art Institute FD 5pm - 8pm

29. 30. Memorial Day 31. Cub Scouts 5pm,

CCC CAPS (Monumental
Church, 6:30pm)

4 The Oakwood Shores Newsletter FD= Free Day CCC=Community Center Closed Blue = Adult Event Purple = Community Event Green = Youth Event