Happy New Year!

Posted on by
Reply

Let us embrace the New Year with peace, love, hope and encouragement for all good things that God wants to give us!  Kidsmartcity.com wants to wish everyone a productive New Year filled with gifts of joy, hope and prosperity!  May God continue to guide and fill you with the Holy Spirit!  Amen!

May each man and woman in our society help another in need to simply uplift a spirit, give encouragment or lend a helping hand.

Please enjoy the attached video of a Christmas light display so meticulously arranged to music by Mark Bass, a resident of Northbrook, Illinois.

2012 Christmas Display Carol

Emilio del Rosario Piano Concerto Competition

Posted on by
Reply
7277515 s 300x300 Emilio del Rosario Piano Concerto CompetitionEstablished in 2010, the Emilio del Rosario Piano Concerto Competition honors the late master piano teacher Emilio del Rosario, who dedicated his life to the art of teaching and nurturing pianists to the highest standards. Many of his students
have gone on to noteworthy careers in music and have achieved great success largely due to his guidance and aim for perfection.The Music Institute of Chicago established a Young Artist Division of the Emilio del Rosario Piano Concerto Competition in 2012. Pre-college pianists, younger than 20, will compete for the opportunity to perform a complete concerto with the Lake Forest Symphony, a professional orchestra directed by Alan Heatherington, March 15 and 16, 2013. Additional cash and scholarship prizes also will be available. The Young Artist Division competition is open to pre-college pianists from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin. A preliminary round will take place Sunday, February 10 at the Music Institute’s Winnetka Campus, 300 Green Bay Road.  Three finalists will compete Sunday, February 17 at Nichols Concert Hall,1490 Chicago Avenue, Evanston.
Information regarding applications and repertoire requirements is available at EDRpianocompetition.org. The early application deadline is January 12, 2013.

The Young Artist Division is part of the larger Emilio del Rosario Piano Concerto
Competition, which takes place in the spring of 2013 at Harper College.
Competition Director and Music Institute faculty member Brenda Huang said, “The
Young Artist Division is an important addition to our competition. Emilio del
Rosario dedicated his life to the art of teaching and nurturing pianists to the
highest of standards. We hope to continue his legacy of excellence by providing
the next generation of pianists an opportunity to perform with a professional
orchestra and help them realize their musical potential.”

Music Institute of Chicago

The Music Institute of Chicago believes that music has the power to sustain and nourish the human spirit; therefore, our mission is to provide the foundation for lifelong engagement with music.  Founded in 1931, the Music Institute has grown to become one of the three largest and most respected community music schools in the nation. Offering musical excellence built on the strength of its distinguished faculty,
commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services, the Music
Institute is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts
and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Each year, the
Music Institute’s teachers and arts therapists reach more than 10,000 students
and clients of all ages and experience levels at campuses in Evanston,
Winnetka, Highland Park, Lincolnshire, Lake Forest and Downers Grove, as well as through its longstanding partnership with the Chicago Public Schools.

The Music Institute of Chicago application deadlines and competition dates for the Emilio del Rosario Piano Concerto Competition are listed below:

Young Artist Division

Early Application Deadline: January 12, 2013

Late Application Deadline ($20 late fee applies): January 26, 2013

Preliminary Competition Round: February 10, 2013

Final Competition Round: February 17, 2013

General Division

Early Application Deadline: March 1, 2013

Late Application Deadline ($20 late fee applies): March 15, 2013

Preliminary Competition Round: March 30, 2013

Final Competition Round: May 12, 2013

Our Heartfelt Condolences

Posted on by
Reply
ID 10014650 Our Heartfelt Condolences

Image by Luigi Diamanti

Kidsmartcity.com offers its heartfelt condolences to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.  We ask God to wrap his arms around the victims’ families and loved ones during this horrific and unsettling time.

Join Chicago’s Newest Weblog for Families!

Posted on by
Reply

cropped crayons on yellow 2 header1 Join Chicagos Newest Weblog for Families!We are steadily growing and want to reach 500 subscribers within the next 30 days!  Help us grow by signing up for our FREE newsletter.  If you are already a subscriber, then please tell your friends and families members!  Thank you!

Please click on the link to subscribe:  www.Kidsmartcity.com FREE Newletter. 

Thank you for joining us!  We look forward to exceeding your expectations!

Warmest regards,

Rochelle Y. O’Neal, Founder

BAPA History Mystery Bike Tour – September 30

Posted on by
Reply
ID 10046840 BAPA History Mystery Bike Tour September 30

Photo by freedigitalphotos.net

Join BAPA (Beverly Area Planning Association) with the Ridge Historical Society on Sunday, September 30, 2012 for a great family event!  The History Mystery Bike Tour will keep you pedaling and looking for unique clues in the beautiful historic Beverly community. Come outdoors and explore!  This family-friendly event showcases the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park neighborhood and its historic districts while having fun!

“This is a great family community and we hope people come from all around Chicagoland to enjoy this event and experience our Village in the City,” said Matt Walsh, BAPA Executive Director.

Partnering with Ridge Historical Society, the event will be centered in the Ridge Historic District and offer different levels of challenge for families and individuals who want to test their sleuthing abilities and get a glimpse at some of the fun facts of local history.

This year’s all new Mini-Mystery is designed for children through age 6, and offers kid-friendly puzzles, challenges and clues along a kid-sized bike route that can be done on big wheels, tricycles, bikes with training wheels and even strollers. The cost of the Mini-Mystery is included in the History Mystery Bike Tour family admission.

“With cycling so popular and the history and architecture of the community so interesting, BAPA’s History Mystery Tour has been growing each year since its revival,” Walsh said. “Families new to the event will be eager to join the crowd, pedaling throughout the neighborhood, learning about the community around every twist and turn, and spending the afternoon with their kids, experiencing how much fun history can be.”

When participants return to the Ridge Historical Society to turn in their completed History Mystery Tour answers, they can enjoy a family festival on the RHS (Ridge Historic Society) grounds. Festival highlights include children’s activities, entertainment, food and beverages.

Neighbors who would like to volunteer to help out with the History Mystery Bike Tour are invited to email bapa@bapa.org for more information.

Entry fees are $15 per person, $10 for students and seniors, and $40 for families (two adults with children under age 16). Current BAPA members can receive a discount event admission; call 773-233-3100 for information.

Event sponsors include AT&T, Beverly Bank & Trust, Marquette Bank, Standard Bank & Trust, Beverly Bike & Ski, and The Beverly Review. For information on how to become a sponsor, contact Kathleen Riordan, 773-233-3100 or kriordan@bapa.org.

For information and applications stop by the BAPA office, 11107 S. Longwood Dr., Chicago, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. through Friday, call 773-233-3100 or register online at www.bapa.org.

The not-for-profit Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA) was founded in 1947 to serve the Beverly Hills/Morgan Park community with a variety of civic and service programs. For information on BAPA,  membership and the community, visit www.bapa.org.

“We the People” Exhibit – August 30

Posted on by
Reply
ID 1008309 300x199 We the People Exhibit August 30

Photo by Michael Elliott

On September 11, 2001 our world changed and history was written.  The tragic events of that day shaped us as a nation.  Now over ten years later, it is our responsibility to educate youth on what that day meant to our country, and help them to understand what it means to be patriotic, to help other people, and to come together with a common purpose.

The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn was graciously given two beam pieces from the World Trade Center towers through a partnership with the Oak Lawn Rotary Club and the Village of Oak Lawn.  These pieces offered a unique opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind experience for children and their families.  The museum is proud to be opening “We the People…”, an exhibit that focuses on those important qualities we saw in Americans following 9/11: patriotism, helping one another, coming together, and friendship.

“This exhibit is a labor of love for all who have been involved,” said Museum Director, Adam Woodworth, “when we were given these two beam pieces over a year ago, we knew we had a duty to preserve these pieces of American history, as well help parents start the conversation with their children about what it means to be patriotic and to help other people.  We knew that we could do something positive from a day that was so tragic.”

At the center of this important exhibit are the two pieces of beams from the World Trade Center towers.  Visitors will have the opportunity to press buttons to hear patriotic songs and monologues.  There will also be a “Talk-Back Board” which will promote literacy.  It will display different questions for the visitors to answer.  Questions like “What does being an American mean to you?”  Kids will write out their answers with their parents, with the intention of starting a meaningful conversation about our country’s history and future.  They will be able to read what other children wrote, as well.

“There will be a Phase Two of this exhibit,” said Woodworth.  ”We are currently raising funds to create an interactive voting booth where children will exercise their right to vote. What will they vote on?  Well, if there is a presidential election, we’ll have that as part of it. But when there isn’t an election, we’ll ask them to vote on things like their favorite ice cream or their favorite kind of pizza.  The idea is that kids will be going into the voting booth to cast their vote, so that that they know that their voice is heard.”  Phase Two is slated to be completed later in 2013.  The museum accepting donations towards Phase Two of the exhibit. For additional information, please visit the Children’s Museum of Oak Lawn’s website at www.cmoaklawn.org.

South Side Preschool & Elementary School Fair – September 22

Posted on by
Reply
ID 10083909 275x300 South Side Preschool & Elementary School Fair September 22

Photo by David Castillo

To help South Side families facing the overwhelming process of choosing a school for their children, Neighborhood Parents Network (NPN), Hyde Park Parent Support Network (PSN), and Hyde Park Neighborhood Club are joining forces to present the 3rd annual South Side Preschool and Elementary School Fair Saturday, September 22, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, 5480 S. Kenwood Ave., in Chicago. This event is free and open to the public. Free neighborhood parking is available.

The fair will provide families in and around Chicago’s South Side with access to public and private school options. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to meet representatives from numerous schools, enrichment programs and family-friendly businesses from across the city, as well as the Chicago Public Schools Office of Early Childhood Education and Office of Academic Enhancement.  Sponsors making this event possible with their generous support include Chicago Parent Magazine, Mabel’s Labels, Whole Foods Market – South Loop, and Houseful Of Nicholes. For more information on exhibiting at the event and for an up-to-date exhibitor listing, visit npnparents.org/expos/706 or email alison@npnparents.org.