Bring the whole family and join us at the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center in Urbana.

Be there at 4:45 pm so we can check you in. Swimming is 5 to 7 pm.

Snacks: Let us know on the RSVP form is you would like to bring a light snack or beverage for the group. Nothing elaborate. Simple pre-packaged snacks (sweet or salty) and maybe juice boxes would be great.

So we can have a good count to share with the Aquatic Center, please RSVP by April 4.

ONLINE MEETING

Rosemary Laudani from the IL State Treasurer's office will present an overview of the IL ABLE Savings Account.

She will answer questions like:
*what is an ABLE account and why would I need one?
*who is eligible?
*how do you get started?

She will do a 30 - 40 minute presentation and there will be plenty of time for questions afterwards.

Meeting will be via Zoom.

January meeting topic: Special Needs Trusts and Estate Planning

IN-PERSON MEETING
Tuesday, January 30, 6 - 7:30pm
Cost: FREE - but registration is required
Where: Stephens Family YMCA Community Room.

This month, we give a warm welcome to Roaa Al-Heeti, a partner at the law firm of Maatuka Al-Heeti Emkes LLC. Roaa is an attorney, with years of experience helping families of those with disabilities. In this series, Roaa will touch on the topics of guardianship, estate planning, and special needs trusts. This will be an overview of how to start these processes, and what each entail. Families will gain knowledge and make connections to a law firm who can provide legal advice in the future.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. EVENT IS FREE!

Join us for a Holiday Open House with snacks/beverages, fun for all ages, an old-fashioned Cookie Exchange (for the adults), and an appearance by Santa Claus.

WHEN: Saturday, December 9, 3:00-5:00 pm

WHERE: First Christian Church Indoor Playground, 3601 S. Staley Rd, Champaign (Indoor Playground and Soccer/Basketball Area will be open)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

3:00 pm
Doors Open

3:00-5:00 pm
Food & Fun

4:00-5:00 pm
Santa Claus will be handing out gifts

REGISTRATION

So Santa’s helpers can begin shopping for gifts, please register by Friday, November 17.

Last day to register for gifts is Monday, December 4.

You can still register through Thursday, December 7, by end of the evening. Gift cards will be available for our guests who receive a gift from Santa.

Cookie Exchange

• Mark on the registration form that you would like to participate.

• Bring at least 2 dozen cookies.

• Bag 4 cookies in a zipper bag.

• Write on each bag what type of cookie (please note potential allergens)

• Take home 2 dozen cookies

Bring the family for some Spooktacular Fun
on Saturday, October 28

3:30 - 5:30 pm Fun, Dancing & Light Snacks
4:15 pm Costume Parade
4:30 pm Trunk or Treat in the Parking Lot
5:15 pm Best Trunk Award announced

Costumes are not required to participate.

Calling All Trunks: Let us know if you would like to include your vehicle for Trunk or Treat. It’s fun and easy to do. Decorate your trunk and hand out treats to our guests. You can sign up on the RSVP.

RSVP by Sunday, October 22..

Come join your DSN friends on Saturday, July 15, 7-9pm, for a fun evening :-)

We have the Charleston Aquatic Center to ourselves. The Aquatic Center offers a zero-entry pool with water features that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.  The water slide and diving boards are in the south pool area, and the main pool offers lap swimming.

We will have pizza and drinks available to eat in the picnic area.

Who can attend? Anyone you would like to bring. The more the merrier!

Please RSVP by Wednesday, July 12 by clicking the RSVP link below.

RSVP NOW

Bring the whole family and join us at the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center in Urbana.

Be there at 2:30 pm so we can check you in and your group has time to get ready to start swimming at 2:45 pm. Swimming will end at 4:45 pm.

We will have a small room for people to hang out and snack. If you are interested in bringing a snack, please mark the box on the RSVP.

So we can have a good count to share with the Aquatic Center, please RSVP by Wednesday, March 15.

NEW FORMAT > NEW TIME > NEW LOCATION

NEW FORMAT: Open House with snacks/beverages, fun for all ages, an old-fashioned Cookie Exchange (for the adults), and an appearance by Santa Claus.

NEW TIME: 3:00-5:00 pm

NEW LOCATION: First Christian Church Indoor Playground, 3601 S. Staley Rd, Champaign

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

3:00 pm
Doors Open

3:00-5:00 pm
Food & Fun

4:00-5:00 pm
Santa Claus will be handing out gifts

REGISTRATION

So Santa’s helpers can begin shopping for gifts, please register by Friday, November 18.

Last day to register is Monday, December 5.

Old-Fashioned Cookie Exchange

• Mark on the registration form that you would like to participate.

• Bring at least 2 dozen cookies.

• Bag 4 cookies in a zipper bag.

• Write on each bag what type of cookie (please note potential allergens)

• Take home 2 dozen cookies

Bring the whole family and join us at the Hap Family Aquatic Center in Rantoul for an evening of fun in the pool and on the water slides.

No need to worry about an overcrowded pool. The entire facility is ours from 7 pm to 9 pm.

So we can have a good count to share with the Aquatic Center, please RSVP by Thursday, 8/18.

WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO HOST A LIVE BUDDY WALK ON , OCTOBER 16, BUT…

. . . we are not “out of the woods” yet with the pandemic. The DSN board decided that we keep this year’s Buddy Walk very basic and simple to encourage social distancing. We will not have the traditional pre-walk events: games, inflatables, entertainment under the big tent, and displays. Instead, we will set up a schedule so that every Team can gather at the Champaign County Fairgrounds at a specific time to do their walk.

2021 THEME: CREATE YOUR OWN TEAM THEME

Instead of having an event theme, each Team can Create a Team Theme. The Buddy Walk will have a Team Theme competition. Teams will be judged on creativity and participation. Team competition winners will be announced on October 22.

Learn More!

Putting the “U” in UDL: Support for ALL

It’s undoubtedly important to teach in ways that honor learning differences and to structure lessons that are engaging, varied, and appropriately challenging. However, in this era focused on universal design for all, it is also critical to explore the underlying habits of mind related to “teaching them all.” This presentation centers on big ideas related to teaching and learning.

The presenter, Paula Kluth, will discuss the role of “teaching up” and presuming both competence and complexity. She will explore the need to focus on student strengths, passions, and interests. She will also talk about the need to design lessons that are responsive and dynamic for every student including those with complex support needs. This presentation will contain video clips, classroom stories, examples, and illustrations. It will provide both points of reflection and practical strategies. More importantly, it will feature ideas to help families understand "what is possible" when it comes to support and give teachers ideas for responding to the diversity that exists in their classrooms every single day.

Virtual Workshop Schedule

9:00 am - 3:00 pm Stretch and lunch breaks will be built in to the day’s schedule.

Registration Fee: $60
Includes the virtual workshop and 3 of Dr. Kluth’s books
Universal Design Daily
A Land We Can Share
Don’t We Already Do Inclusion?

Limited seats are available so register as soon as possible. Deadline to register is April 1.

CEUs will be available.

REGISTER NOW

MUST BE REGISTERED BY DECEMBER 4th.
See details below*

This year, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and social distancing regulations, organizations from the disability community are coming together in collaboration to celebrate the holidays! DSO, Down Syndrome Network, CU Autism Network and CU Able are excited to bring you SANTA STOP 2020. Santa is leaving his post at the North Pole for one day to greet children with various disabilities and their siblings. This is a new drive thru holiday gift distribution event at the Champaign County Fair Grounds on December 19, 2020 between 10:00am – 2:00pm.

*To participate in SANTA STOP 2020, registration is required. SANTA STOP 2020 is limited to 350 children. If registered by the deadline, children with a disability (of any age) and their siblings up to age 12 will receive a gift and crafts to make at home. Visit https://www.disability.illinois.edu/SantaStop2020 to register for Santa Stop by December 4, 2020 (if not registered by this date, we cannot guarantee a gift). Please keep gift suggestions to $20.00

*Santa will be wearing a mask and asks that you do, too!*

Walking Apart Yet Celebrating Together

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DSN board decided it was not safe to host our annual event in one location. Instead we will walk apart yet celebrate our Down syndrome community together.

This year’s theme is Exxxtra Thankful and this do-it-yourself event will be held on Thanksgiving Day, November 26.

Teams will host their own one-mile walk near their homes. We also encourage individuals to register and take their own walk on Thanksgiving Day in support of our Down syndrome community!

Join us for the Fighting Illini Women's Basketball game vs. Purdue University on Sunday, February 16. 

This free event for DSN members and their families is a
VIP-experience with plenty of food, fun, and basketball.  

Schedule:

1:15 - 1:50 pm*
Ticket Distribution in the West Main Lobby*
1:15 - 2:00 pm
Hot Dogs, Popcorn, Beverages in the Traditions Club
Fun Activities in the Kids Zone
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Illinois vs. Purdue
Cupcakes served in the Traditions Club at half-time

Registration closed on February 7.

*To allow our volunteers to participate in the pre-game festivities and enjoy the start of the game, please pick up your tickets by 1:50 pm in the State Farm Center’s West Main Lobby. If you arrive after 1:50 pm, you will have to purchase game tickets. Tickets are $5 each.

The State Farm Center has a Clear Bag Policy. To save yourself the walk back to the car to return your purse, please review their policies. Clear Bag Policy

Parking is free for this game.

Join us for a morning of health education and fitness training, presented by Anna Woods. Bring the family. Comfortable clothes for light exercising is preferred for the event. If you have light dumbbells, please bring them too. RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/422243415028260/ .

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Anna Woods is the founder of sheSTRENGTH, an online app/fitness community she created out of her barn in Central Kansas. She is an ACE-Certified Personal Trainer and has spent the past 10 years training adults with special needs through Disability Supports of the Great Plains, in Hutchinson and McPherson, Kansas. She has been featured in the CrossFit Journal and Breaking Muscle online magazines for her work in this field.
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She and her husband have 3 children. They adopted their son, Blake, who has Down Syndrome, when he was 2 years old. Her love and passion for training adults with special needs inspired she and her husband to pursue a special needs adoption--and their lives have never been the same!

Champaign Centennial High School’s Interact Club invite all CCDSN families to attend Carnival. Fun games, prizes, and a great time will be had by all. All activities are free! Snacks will be available to purchase. To help the Interact Club prepare for the carnival, please RSVP by Saturday, February 16, if you can attend.

RSVP HERE

Join us for the University of Illinois Women's Basketball game vs. Northwestern University on Sunday, January 27.  Game time is 2:00 pm.   Meet in the State Farm Center's West Main Lobby before 1:30 pm to receive tickets and to enjoy the pre-game party.  

This free event for DSN members and their families is a VIP-experience with plenty of food, fun, and basketball.  

Registration closed on January 20.

Join other DSN families for a good 'ole fashioned summer social in the park! Families with DSN kids age 0-9 are encouraged to come to Ervin Park in Tuscola on Sunday, August 19th at 3 pm.

Enjoy the DSN provided cool treat and/or bring your own summer treat! The kids will have a great time on the playground & Moms/Dads can also enjoy getting to know each other.