Palatine gets behind Day of the Child party
A little-known holiday got a big reception Wednesday at the Palatine Opportunity Center's second annual celebration of Dia de los Ninos.
Day of the Child, as it's known in English, honors childhood and promotes literacy. The American version of the traditional Mexican holiday began in the mid-1990s in the Southwest by teachers, authors and librarians.
To mark the occasion, the center played host to a number of programs meant to involve the community and engage volunteers.
Palatine Public Library staff put on a puppet show and Harper students and Harris Bank representatives read stories. Northwest Community Hospital provided healthy snacks and dental students talked to parents about dental hygiene. La Rosita Grocery Store also donated pinatas.
Executive director Kathy Millin expected more than a hundred children would participate throughout the day.
Fighting global hunger: How does a typical school day in the lives of Northwest suburban elementary students differ from those in Chicago? What about distant countries such as Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya and China?
Gene White, a founding member of the Global Child Nutrition Foundation, will stop by two local schools to share her experiences visiting students in foreign countries.
White's visit ties in with a month-long fundraiser in Palatine Township Elementary District 15 as part of a national campaign to raise awareness and help stop childhood hunger.
On Monday, students at Lincoln School in Palatine and Thomas Jefferson School in Hoffman Estates will learn how even small contributions can help students in different cultures.
Classroom activities put on by the nonprofit organization include corresponding with global pen pals; comparing local students' meals to those in other countries; and reporting on personal hunger stories.
Head of the disaster class: A new group of eager students is gearing up for Palatine's next Community Emergency Response Team. The course, which begins Monday, will teach individuals how to be prepared for a disaster and how to help others.
Classes meet at night and include light search and rescue, emergency medical operations, fire safety, mock disaster drills and the psychology of terrorism.
Those who complete all sessions will have the opportunity to take advanced training to become active in their community's response capability.
The free, 20-plus hour course lasts two to three weeks at the Emergency Operations Center at Village Hall, 200 E. Wood St. Call Tom Smith at (847) 359-9056.
Sounds of summer: The lineup and venue are set for Palatine's annual Battle of the Bands. At 7 p.m. June 16, five bands will compete: Behind Closed Doors, Construct the Indefinite, Crucial Value, Paralaxx and The Officials. The free event, sponsored by the Palatine and Salt Creek park districts, the village and the Buehler YMCA, will take place at the Fred P. Hall Amphitheater, 262 E. Palatine Road.