Hanover Township notes

For information, call (630) 837-0301.

Family Movie Night: Family Movie Night featuring "The Wizard of Oz" will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Astor Avenue Community Center, 7431 Astor Ave., Hanover Park.

Children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Popcorn will be provided.

For more information, call (630) 540-9085, or visit online at hanover-township.org.

Holiday Open House: A holiday open house will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Astor Avenue Community Center, 7431 Astor Ave., Hanover Park.

Children ages 12 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Featured will be holiday crafts, activities, and cookie decorating. Refreshments will be provided.

For information, call (630) 540-9085, or visit online at hanover-township.org.

Open Gym Program: Hanover Township's free Open Gym Program will be offered during the upcoming winter break. The program will be held on Dec. 26 at Eastview Middle School, 321 Oak St., Bartlett for ages 7-18; Dec. 27 at Parkwood Elementary, 2150 Laurel Ave., Hanover Park, for ages 7-14; Jan. 2 at Tefft Middle School, 1100 Shirley Ave., Streamwood, for ages 7-18; and Jan. 3 at Lords Park Elementary, 323 Waverly Drive, Elgin, for ages 5-14.

Participants can take part in basketball, soccer, dodgeball and other recreational activities. Arts and crafts will also be available, with The Home Depot donating wooden building kits to be assembled and painted. The Open Gym Game Room features backgammon, chess, checkers, Connect Four and other games.

Attendees can also take advantage of educational activities, such as Renz Addiction Counseling Center's drug and alcohol prevention educational activities. Poplar Creek Library will provide literacy educational activities, and Hanover Township Trustee Katy Dolan-Baumer demonstrates her culinary skills by showing how to cook without using a stove.

Open gym staff will lead science experiments, and Four Paws and Almost Home Foundation will bring pets for youth to interact with.

For information or to volunteer, call Hanover Township Youth and Family Services at (630) 483-5799.

STEP groups: Addressing the need for support and information for parents, Hanover Township Youth and Family Services offers a series of discussion groups for parents throughout the 2007-08 school year.

A STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) group for parents of teenagers will meet from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 16-Feb. 27. A STEP group for parents of children ages 5 and under concludes the series, meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, March 12-April 30.

Through the program, parents learn how to effectively communicate with their children, how to encourage positive behavior, and how to discipline using natural and logical consequences.

Registration is required. The group is offered free of charge, with a $15 book fee for the class. Priority enrollment will be given to township residents.

For information on STEP groups or to register, call Hanover Township Youth and Family Services at (630) 483-5799.