Happy New Year!
December was busy with Christmas fellowship and fun. We were proud to be a part of the Christmas Pageant for the second year. The sanctuary was filled with children and their families which was very heartwarming. Our Friendly Beasts accompanied by Pastor Jim was a source of joy for all who attended. We appreciate Dusty, Candace, and all of the parent volunteers including the preschool in the Sunday school group for this activity. The Sunday school children did a magnificent job. We also appreciate all that purchased poinsettias for the Christmas service which is a fundraiser for our preschool.
In this New Year of 2015 we are in the process of implementing projects that will allow us to expand our preschool. It is our goal to redesign the two year old program and hire a new teacher as this is the age group we receive the most inquiries. Once the classroom is prepared we will begin our search for the teacher. Hopefully this program will be in place by summer, or no later than September 2015 as we have siblings of current students who will be enrolling in this program at that time. As our ministry has evolved, we focus on God’s will for our growth and follow the path in his time. Therefore we pray as we create and see what unfolds as we proceed. September 2014 is a great example of the Lords will in our program as we are very proud of the community we serve and their precious children.
We will continue to embed the literacy curriculum learned at SEEDS and will be implementing “Raising a Reader”. “Raising a Reader” provides books to be taken home and shared between parents and children. I will be attending a training for this program in this month. Another literacy activity is “Paw Pal”. The children take home a bag with a class mascot and a journal. The parents write down what their child dictates about the visit at their home and then return to school to share at circle time. We will also continue our Yoga program along with the curriculum we have set in place for the school year. I look forward to working with our wonderful teachers and witnessing the continued blossoming of our Preschool ministry. Thank you St. Stephen’s congregation for your support, acknowledgment and encouragement.
Kathy Berens (Director) 464-4453