Calling all parents interested in RAIN!!
We are having a parent informational meeting on Wednesday, January 18 at the Riverside Public Library, 7:00 p.m.7pm in the lower level.
The RAIN Committee is interested in hearing from you. We need to know what you are interested in learning. What can the committee do to help you? You do not need to have a child with an IEP, just interested in Inclusion and learning differences.

RAIN is a committee of D96 parents (ECE too). We are helping to promote awareness, education, support, networking and acceptance of students with learning differences. We meet the third Wednesday in the Riverside Public Library for support and educational events.

Check out our webpage: rainetwork.weebly.com.

Questions: email Mary Komperda at mylaf@prodigy.net.

On Thursday, November 17, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Riverside Area Inclusion Network (R.A.I.N.) is co-sponsoring a screening of the film, Including Samuel, by photojournalist Dan Habib, at the Maze Branch Library in Oak Park, 845 Gunderson. More information is available here: Including Samuel.

Rain (Riverside Area Inclusion Network) is recruiting parents to become a part of our committee. We are in need of parents from all of our District 96 schools. You can help with one event or become a regular “board” member of our committee. You don’t need to have a child with special needs, just a desire to include ALL people in our community. Check out our mission statement and information on our website www.rainetwork.weebly.com.

Our next Committee meeting is October 4 (Tuesday) at 7:00 p.m. in Hauser’s Library. All are welcome.
The agenda:

1. Review September’s parent meeting (Lessons learned).
2. Plan PR for October’s meeting and assign snacks.
3. Discuss November’s big meeting and getting the word out.
4. Discuss conversation with Meg O’Brien and our collaborative event.
5. Decide on how often the committee needs to meet, how often we want to have educational opportunities.
6. Plan an event for the teachers coming soon.

Our next Educational Meeting (Held the third Wednesday of the month) will be October 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Riverside Library in the basement. Paul O’Malley of LADSE will discuss behavioral issues in our children.

R.A.I.N. (Riverside Area Inclusion Network) is presenting an evening with Carrie Levin, Licensed Social Worker and Licensed School Social Work with District 96, who will moderate an evening of questions and answers on making friends, programs available in District 96, and issues surrounding friendships with different needs children. Join us on September 21 in the Riverside Public Library at 7:00 p.m.

Print R.A.I.N. Flyer

R.A.I.N. (Riverside Area Inclusion Network), invites IEP/504 families to a Back to School Picnic on Monday, August 29, at 5:30 p.m. at the Blythe Park School’s outdoor amphitheater. RSVP to rory.dominick@gmail.com by August 25.

R.A.I.N. (Riverside Area Inclusion Network) is a parent group made up of parents of children with IEPs and 504s. Over the past year (the first year of its existence), R.A.I.N. has provided parents with a library of resources, monthly support meetings, subcommittee development, Facebook and Yahoo sites, as well as guest speakers.

R.A.I.N extends an invitation to all parents and their children with IEP/504s to connect over the summer and learn more about R.A.I.N and the many programs we have to help each other in navigating the special education road. We are looking to grow R.A.I.N into a phenomenal network of parents and students dedicated to our mission of awareness, education, support, networking, and acceptance of students with learning differences. We’ll have many great opportunities to share our knowledge and work together. We hope you can find the time to bring your ideas and benefit from some of the events we are planning for the summer:

June 15 – Sensory Modulation and Ideas for the Summer
Speaker Christy Walloc, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Program Specialist at Rush University Medical Center
Riverside Library 6:30 p.m.

July 20 – Preparing for your IEP/504
Riverside Library 6:30 p.m.

End of August (date TBD) Back to School Picnic

Recognizing that summer is a busy time for all, if you can’t make it to any of the events, we would still like to hear from you, and learn what topics are of interest for future discussions and events. Please send an e-mail with your contact information as we’d like to gather a parent directory to effectively communicate our events and plans to the parents of children with IEPs and 504 plans. Have a great summer and we hope to see you in August for a picnic where we can all gear up for the 2011-2012 school year!

To share your information and receive future directed communications please e-mail Mary Komperda at mylaf@prodigy.net.