Upcoming CGCC Events

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• CGCC 2e Thursday: Expert Panel Discussion

  • When
    August 13, 2020
  •  
    7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Zoom
  • Registered
    66 registrants

  Register

  
  

  The Chicago Gifted Community Center is partnering with Professionals in Learning Disabilities and Special Education
  for an Expert Panel Presentation:
  A Road Map for Navigating the Return to School
  

  A panel of experts from Professionals in Learning Disabilities and Special Education (PLDSE) who are familiar with the needs of twice exceptional students will be on hand to present ideas for navigating the challenges of this coming school year and answer parent questions. We will meet online using the Zoom meeting software, which will allow you to join the meeting on your computer, via an app on your phone, or by calling in on a dedicated phone number.

  • Dr. Lisa Novak is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and co-founder of Illuminate Psychological Assessments, PLLC, a private assessment practice in Wilmette. Dr. Novak specializes in completing comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations with children, adolescents, and young adults. Her areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, learning disabilities, ADHD, executive functioning, twice exceptional, and the impact of anxiety and self-esteem on a student's learning. She attends school staffings, closely collaborates with other providers, and remains available to parents for consultation in order to ensure that their evaluations yield a positive change for the individual and family.
    
    Dr. Novak plans to discuss the ways in which a comprehensive evaluation can help tease apart the nuances in a gifted child's learning profile. What is the functional impact of gifted-level reasoning with much slower processing speed? How do we understand the difference between relative and normative weaknesses, and how does that difference impact our diagnoses and a student's eligibility for special education services?
    

  • Corrie A. Goldberg, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist; a licensed school psychologist; and a certified EMDR therapist. Dr. Goldberg has an extensive background working with individuals across the lifespan in clinical, hospital, school, residential, and community mental health settings. She currently provides individual therapy to clients from her private practice in Wilmette with specialized interests in adults feeling overwhelmed by life stressors; parenting children with unique needs; trauma; LGBTQIA+ issues; women’s issues; anxiety; and depression and other mood disorders. Dr. Goldberg is a parent of three children, and a passionate lifelong learner and educator, who brings her formal training, life experiences, and ongoing education to her work.
    
    Dr. Goldberg will discuss mental health correlates that may accompany learning disabilities, neurodiversity, giftedness, and the asynchronous development characteristic of 2E children. She will review possible impacts of raising and educating a 2E child on the family system and home environment. She will talk about the critical role of parents as models and advocates, and underscore the importance of parents addressing self-care and putting on their "oxygen masks" first as essential steps to mitigate the effects of stressors; to support their well-being and efficacy; and to support their children long-term.
    

  • Maggie Schwalbach, M.A. is founder and owner of North Shore Executive Functioning, a nationwide EF coaching practice that works with elementary, secondary and college-age students, as well as parents and school districts, to address executive functioning in and out of the classroom. A trained yoga and mindfulness teacher, Maggie weaves breath work and meditation into her coaching practice with 2E clients.
    
    Her discussion will examine how EF coaching works to break the myths around “lazy” or “unmotivated” students. Maggie will introduce viewers to the Identity Iceberg exercise and explore “above the waterline” vs. “below the waterline” behaviors and belief systems for 2E learners. Ms. Schwalbach will close by leading the group through a short meditation in a hands-on centering exercise designed to develop the executive functions of sustained attention, inhibitory control, and emotional regulation.
    

  • Tara Montgomery has a M. A. in Learning Disabilities from Northwestern University. Tara is a Wilson Credentialed Trainer for the Wilson Reading System and an Instructional Coach at Hyde Park Day School. She is the parent of two boys - a 2E teenager (Gifted and OCD) and a gifted tween.
    
    Ms. Montgomery plans to discuss the characteristics of and interventions for 3 types of Gifted LD Learners.
    

  • Chaya Rubenstein, MA, LBS Il, taught for 35 years in Special Education (Early Childhood Education through Middle School LD Resource) in the south suburbs. She was a member of the IL State Board of Education Early Childhood Task Force, Vice President of the National Assn. for Down's Syndrome, & was the Acting Director of Hyde Park Preschool. She was recently on the ISBE Committee on Virtual Learning, & is currently on the Learning Disabilities Assn. of IL Board. She also is endorsed in and has training in Gifted Education. She has worked extensively with 2E students, & her daughter had attended the Science & Arts Academy (a 2E student). She is proud to be a longtime member of PLDSE, & is honored to be a part of this panel.
    
    Ms. Rubenstein will discuss how parents can approach schools/teachers to get the most appropriate education for their 2E students. She will share examples from her own experiences as a parent. She will also talk about how LD & Gifted Resource teachers can work together with general education teachers.
    
    Pepi M. Silverman, Educator, Administrator, University Professor, and Educational Advocate has dedicated her life to supporting the rights of ALL children. She has sat on all sides of the conference table, understands all of the roles and each participant’s responsibilities, and brings that understanding to her work as an advocate. Having worked in public schools for the last 25 years, she understands the system, knows the language, and can help to facilitate the conversations necessary to achieve positive outcomes for students.
    
    Pepi founded Bridge Educational Advocacy to extend herself and her knowledge and experience to support families needing assistance in order to work effectively with their school districts.   To learn more about Bridge Educational Advocacy, check out the website at www.beadvocacy.com
    

  
  

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• CGCC LOGYC Visiting Day Winter-Spring 2020

  • When
    August 16, 2020
  •  
    9:00 AM - 3:20 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    8237 N. Kenton Ave., Skokie

  Register

  THIS EVENT, originally on 17 April, HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19.

  we hope to reschedule it after the crisis passes. IF YOU WANT TO BE INFORMED OF THE NEW DATE, PLEASE REGISTER and we will contact you.

  LOGYC 

  Come spend a day visiting the LOGYC Co-op! Come and meet people, observe classes, ask questions, and see what we're all about. Come for one block or several, and bring a (nut-free) lunch.

  LOGYC is a coop for gifted homeschooling students aged 5 through 18. To learn more about the coop, see our coop FAQs.

  Please register, and someone will contact you with more details.  

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• CGCC First Steps in Homeschooling - 6 - Making the Leap

  • When
    August 18, 2020
  •  
    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Zoom
  • Registered
    8 registrants

  Register

  First Steps in Homeschooling
  

  Week 6 - Making the Leap

  Join us as we discuss starting to homeschool.  Bring your questions and share your progress as you consider and potentially make the transition to homeschooling. We will meet for these informal discussions once a week for six weeks. The following experienced homeschoolers will be on hand to answer questions and provide support.  

  Sarah Alexander - Sarah specifically planned to never homeschool, having been homeschooled herself. Seeing how fulfilling it has been for her children, however, and how much easier it is than she had envisioned, she is happy that they ended up on this path. Sarah is a director for the LOGYC homeschool coop.
  Becca Berbaum  - Becca has navigated part-time homeschooling in cooperation with public schools for 8 years. She is a former public school special education teacher and has four gifted children. She has a passion for supporting student-directed problem-based learning in the community.
  Heather DeGeorge - Heather is a second career high school teacher that went rogue to homeschool her won children - who have never attended a school full-time (but have partially enrolled for specific classes) in two different states. 
  Amy Weaver - Amy never thought about homeschooling until faced with a four year old that read above the third grade level. She follows her child on most decisions and re-evaluates the balance of external instruction versus home every year.  

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• CGCC Speaking of Gifted

  • When
    August 19, 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Zoom
  • Spaces left
    12

  Register

  

  
  

  Join Katherine Peterson and Newenka DuMont, two SENG model parent group facilitators, as they engage you in a monthly, informal discussion about parenting gifted children. Now scheduled at lunch time on Wednesdays.  

  We will meet online using the Zoom meeting software, which will allow you to join the meeting on your computer, via an app on your phone, or by calling in on a dedicated phone number.  

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• CGCC Board Meeting

  • When
    August 30, 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 2:30 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Online or Hinsdale

  Register

  CGCC Board Meeting

  

  The Chicago Gifted Community Center is a 501(c)(3) specifically created to allow the gifted community in the greater Chicago area to organize activities and events for parents, children and families. Your board does not aspire to create the next great kids club or parent speaker series, we aspire to help you create that club and that series.  Won't you jump in the pool with us?  

  Your board meets 3 - 4 times per year.  We welcome members at our meetings. This meeting will be held hopefully in person and will have an online option for members who are unable to travel.  

  
  

  
  

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• CGCC Sign Me Up To Help

  • When
    August 31, 2020
  •  
    (CDT)
  • Location
    Various

  Register

   

         Sign Me Up! 

  
  

  I get it - CGCC is a member run organization and since I am a member, I would like to help. Sign Me Up! 

  Please register as a way to let us know what you might like to assist with.  Thank you! 
  

  
  

  
  

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• CGCC Westmont Daytime Parenting Book Discussion

  • When
    September 02, 2020
  •  
    9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CDT)
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Register

  This month the Westmont Daytime Book Group is reading a selection of articles from:  

  

  Off the Charts - Asynchrony and the Gifted Child
  

  Editors: Christine S. Neville, Michael M. Piechowski, Stephanie S. Tolan

  We will discuss the "Asynchrony and the Family" section, Chapters 10 - 13. A selection of the articles will be available upon registration.

  Bring your favorite morning brew and join us on Zoom for a discussion of this month's book and how it relates to your parenting challenges. Read the articles in depth, skim them, or just admire the picture of the book cover. The objective is to use the book to frame the discussion with other parents who face the same kinds of parenting challenges you do!

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• CGCC Book Club and Virtual Coffee

  • When
    September 10, 2020
  •  
    9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (CDT)
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  

  Book Club Discussion
  & Virtual Coffee 

  You’re invited to join hosts Violeta Balan, a CGCC parent along with Katherine Peterson, a SENG Model Parent Group Facilitator, in an online book club conversation created to support your journey as parents of gifted children.  

  This week's book discussion will focus on Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults by Susan Daniels and Michael M. Piechowski (editors). 

  Log in details are sent in a confirmation email after you register. A few questions to encourage reflection will be sent before the meeting. 

  Welcome to you all, with whatever time you have to partake in building our gifted community through reading, understanding and conversation.  Please reach out with any questions to Katherine Peterson or Violeta Balan.  

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• LOGYC Fall 2020 - Co-op

  • Start
    September 18, 2020
  •  
    (CDT)
  • End
    November 20, 2020
  •  
    (CST)
  • Schedule
    10 sessions
  • Location
    Central United Methodist Church, 8237 Kenton, Skokie

  Register

  LOGYC, Learning Opportunities for Gifted Youth, is a place where children can learn among other gifted children and have the opportunity to work at ability level versus being age restricted. At LOGYC, children can feel accepted for who they are, without having to hide their strengths or weaknesses. They don't need to underachieve to conform or feel isolated in feeling "not normal." They receive support for oversensitivities and integrating into a group learning environment.

  This unique community is a safe space to be gifted and to connect with like-minded peers, for students and parents alike.

  Registering for the co-op allows you to register for our many fabulous classes - check them out! 

  Many of our classes have flexible age ranges, as gifted kids often have asynchronistic development. If you have any questions about class details, whether a class would be appropriate for your kid[s], or the coop in general, please email us at logyc@chicagogiftedcommunity.org.
  

  
  

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• CGCC Speaking of Gifted

  • When
    September 23, 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Zoom
  • Spaces left
    13

  Register

  

  
  

  Join Katherine Peterson and Newenka DuMont, two SENG model parent group facilitators, as they engage you in a monthly, informal discussion about parenting gifted children. Now scheduled at lunch time on Wednesdays.  

  We will meet online using the Zoom meeting software, which will allow you to join the meeting on your computer, via an app on your phone, or by calling in on a dedicated phone number.  

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• CGCC Lake County Meet & Greet

  • When
    September 24, 2020
  •  
    8:00 PM - 9:00 PM (CDT)
  • Location
    Zoom

  Register

  

  CGCC Lake County Meet & Greet
  

  Bring your favorite beverage and join other parents from Lake County to connect and get to know each other via Zoom. Whether you know your child is gifted, suspect it, or just want to learn more, come join us for a fun and informal conversation. Parents of children of all ages, from infants to adults, are welcome!
  

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• CGCC Westmont Daytime Parenting Book Discussion

  • When
    October 07, 2020
  •  
    9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CDT)
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Register

  This month the Westmont Daytime Book Group is reading:     

     Understanding Your Gifted Child From the Inside Out
     Jim Delisle

  
  

  Bring your favorite morning brew and join us on Zoom for a discussion of this month's book and how it relates to your parenting challenges. Read the book in depth, skim it, or take a look at the book cover on Amazon before your run out the door!  The objective is to use the book to frame the discussion with other parents who face the same kinds of parenting challenges you do!

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• CGCC Westmont Daytime Parenting Book Discussion

  • When
    November 04, 2020
  •  
    9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CST)
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Register

  This month the Westmont Daytime Book Group is reading:     

     

  Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization
     Scott Barry Kaufman

  
  

  Bring your favorite morning brew and join us on Zoom for a discussion of this month's book and how it relates to your parenting challenges. Read the book in depth, skim it, or take a look at the book cover on Amazon before your run out the door!  The objective is to use the book to frame the discussion with other parents who face the same kinds of parenting challenges you do!

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• CGCC Westmont Daytime Parenting Book Discussion

  • When
    December 02, 2020
  •  
    9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CST)
  • Location
    Online via Zoom

  Register

  This month the Westmont Daytime Book Group is reading:     

  The Gifted School: A Novel
  Bruce Holsinger
  

  
  

  Bring your favorite morning brew and join us on Zoom for a discussion of this month's book and how it relates to your parenting challenges. Read the book in depth, skim it, or take a look at the book cover on Amazon before your run out the door!  The objective is to use the book to frame the discussion with other parents who face the same kinds of parenting challenges you do!

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• CGCC Westmont Daytime Parenting Book Discussion

  • When
    January 06, 2021
  •  
    9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CST)
  • Location
    The Commons, 117 N Cass Ave., Westmont or possibly online using Zoom

  Register

  This month the Westmont Daytime Book Group is breathing a sigh of relief as there is no book this month. It is our annual

  "Phew, We Survived the Holidays" Coffee!       

  Next book group will be on February 3, 2021.  

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• CGCC Westmont Daytime Parenting Book Discussion

  • When
    February 03, 2021
  •  
    9:00 AM - 11:00 AM (CST)
  • Location
    The Commons, 117 N Cass Ave., Westmont or possibly online using Zoom

  Register

  This month the Westmont Daytime Book Group is reading:     

  The Gifted Adult: A Revolutionary Guide for  Liberating Everyday Genius
  Mary-Elaine Jacobsen 
  

  
  

  Bring your favorite morning brew and join us on Zoom for a discussion of this month's book and how it relates to your parenting challenges. Read the book in depth, skim it, or take a look at the book cover on Amazon before your run out the door!  The objective is to use the book to frame the discussion with other parents who face the same kinds of parenting challenges you do!

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