Visit us Illinois Network of Charter School (INCS) Conference

We are exhibiting for our Outdoor Education Center at the statewide INCS conference in downtown Chicago on Monday, December 2 and Tuesday, December 3.

Val in her Chipmunk costume

Construction News...Elliott Lodge

They dug a hole to put in the new gas line. And of course, they hit something! Next week we hope to start digging the BIG hole. This is the foundation hole for the new basement that will become the new shower house and the hole for the footings for the dining hall extension.

Repaired sewer line.

New gas meter and big pile of dirt. Just the beginning!

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement, Chicago, Illinois.

content copyrighted 2013 by Val Wright, House In The Wood

A Mountain of Backpacks! Thank You, Soshee Boutique and Uncle Dan's!

House In The Wood joins Northwestern Settlement in saying a HUGE "THANK YOU" to Soshee Boutique and Uncle Dan's, The Great Outdoor Store! Together they donated over FIFTY backpacks that will go to House In The Wood, among other donations to the Settlement community.

We've been in need of more backpacks  for our growing Outdoor Education programming, and this donation couldn't have come at a better time! Thanks again!

Learn more about/show some love to Uncle Dan's or Soshee Boutique.

Construction News...Elliott Lodge

We have the site fences up and we have marked the area for digging! Now we are waiting for the gas company to move the meter and then we will have a GREAT BIG HOLE! Stay tuned as it will be happening soon!

Two orange storm fences on either side of the construction area.

Silt Fence along the bottom edge so it doesn't flow into the lake.

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement.

Copyright by Valerie Wright at House In The Wood

Construction News--White Pines

White Pines is finished! Remember that over Labor Day Weekend a tree fell on it crushing the last two rooms. We have finished the reconstruction with some improvements.

Notice the new light fixtures and the new flooring. We decided to go with laminate rather than carpet because the high humidity was causing mold and mildew in the carpet during the summer--not enough air circulation. We also decided to go with one built in closet rather than two to create a sense of MORE space. We just need to put up the curtains and purchase a few throw rugs to make the rooms cozy and complete.

One of two repaired rooms on the east end of White Pines

When we replaced the paneling, we choose a lighter color for the two damaged rooms and the hallway.

Hallway to Individual Rooms

 We painted the outside and replaced the gutters.

Outside view of White Pines

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement.

Copyright by Valerie Wright at House In The Wood

House In The Wood at Settlement Thanksgiving

Every year Northwestern Settlement hosts a Thanksgiving potluck dinner for families in our community. This year's dinner will be next Tuesday, November 26th in the Settlement's Burnside Hall from 5:30-7:00pm. Over 500 people are expected to attend, and our very own Mr. Nathan will be there to meet and greet all of them!

Camp families are invited to join in the festivities and can contact Nathan in order to receive a flyer (which will be your admission ticket). Nathan also wants you to know that registration for Summer 2014 begins on January 6th. Contact him today to set up an appointment!

email:       npuckett@nush.org
phone:     773-969-5579
text:         262-408-0808

Construction News...Moving Brown Bats Mini Cabin

Brown Bats BEFORE anything is done. See the new frame to the left. 

Brown Bats was moved about 20 feet to make room for the new Elliott Lodge dining hall/kitchen addition. We also "flipped" it around 90 degrees so the people occupying Brown Bats will have a better view out of their front door. Rather than the wall of Elliott Lodge there will be the woods and lake. The crew moving Brown Bats are the same people who will eventually be moving the Office/Val's Old House down the driveway to attach it onto White Pines to make room for the new lodging building.

BEFORE anything was moved, we took off the front ramp. See the piles of wood for leveling.

FIRST THINGS FIRST...we need to raise the building up to the new frame height.

The building is put on "rollers"--see that orange piece of equipment.

Next...the bulldozer "pushes" it along on the rollers.

A jack is used to life the building and position the rollers.

AND THEN...I had to attend a meeting so I missed the rest of the excitement until this picture after everything was completed.

We still need to put the ramp back on and connect the power. This probably won't happen until we finish digging the new foundation and laying the new power line. This means that Brown Bats is out of commission until sometime in Spring.

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement, Chicago, Illinois.