Dear Park’s Edge Preschool Families:

The month of August is always bittersweet in having to say goodbye to departing families and welcoming new families to Park’s Edge Preschool. The staff has a Professional Day scheduled for Friday, August 26, to prepare their classrooms and curriculum for the upcoming school year. There is no childcare service available that entire day. The staff is looking forward to professionally organized classrooms for the children and the start of the new school year.

It has been said before… time sure flies when you’re having FUN…PEP ‘is’ fun! A round of applause goes to PEP’s Summer Planning Committee—Ms. Jenele, Ms. Melinda, and Mr. Cody. They planned a super summer for children over 4 years old, which included a variety of educational and fun field trip destinations to Milwaukee County’s local parks. Some of our favorite in-house field trips were the Foam Machine, Giant Water Slide, and coming soon…Tiger Bounce House! This month we have a pizza party and pajama day to look forward to. Many happy childhood memories are made at PEP!

A shout-out ‘thank you to Pastor Dale Stohre for beginning our bike season with the blessing of Park’s Edge Preschool’s children’s bikes, trikes, wheeled toys, and buggies. Our summer wouldn’t be the same without God’s blessings and safety! PEP’s next scheduled bike day is Friday, August 5th…all bikes, trikes, and wheeled toys from home are welcome—please label!

Park’s Edge Preschool families, children, and staff had a good time at Emanuel Church’s Vacation Bible School, held here on-site, themed HayDay!–July 19, 20, and 21. Thank you to Emanuel Church for inviting the PEP families to participate. This was one of the many summer highlights allowing connecting children and families with farm animals at the petting zoo on the last night of Emanuel Church’s VBS. The backfield played host to baby ducks, chicks, bunnies, a goat, and a guinea pig too. Thank you, Emanuel Church, for this wonderful experience of learning more about God’s creations. Thank you to Karin McElrone and Emanuel Church’s Board of Christian Education; Ms. Jenele, PEP’s liaison teacher to Emanuel Church; and Ms. Julie T., PEP infant teacher, who has enjoyed helping with VBS for the past decade…thank you all for making HayDay come to life.

August 2nd is Hales Corners National Night Out. This is a very special event in bringing families and the whole community together at Hales Corners Park. Park’s Edge Preschool will participate this year with a booth for face painting and temporary tattoos. We have koozies to give away, wrapped around a bottle of water. All the community helpers are there to showcase their equipment and introduce themselves to your family. This year is extra special because they have fireworks scheduled due to the postponement from July 4th rainout. I hope your family will be there… the festivities start at 5 pm.

Park’s Edge Preschool has been working with GRG Playscapes in designing a new playground for the playground area attached to the building, scheduled for next year. You can check out some of the works by GRG Playscapes at the new playground called Margie’s Garden at the Boerner Botanical Gardens. GRG Playscapes specializes in wooden climbing structures for children. Very soon PEP will be unveiling the new outdoor design that features an exciting opportunity to connect children with the wood(s) outdoors. Think back on your childhood…didn’t some of your life’s greatest experiences happen outdoors in a natural habitat? That is what we are trying to accomplish in connecting children to God’s creations in nature and the great outdoors at Park’s Edge Preschool.

Thursday, September 1st is back to school for the Whitnall School District. Please drive carefully when entering and departing Emanuel Church/PEP’s parking lot in meeting school bus safety guidelines. God’s blessings to all our students and parents that are returning to school.

PEP’s Annual Open House is scheduled on Thursday, September 8 from 5 to 6 pm to welcome families and friends to meet the PEP faculty and see your child’s classroom. This year we are featuring ‘family-dinner-to-go’…watch for details in your family mailbox soon.

Sincerely,

Ellen M. Kvalheim,
Park’s Edge Preschool’s Director