Dear Park’s Edge Preschool Families:
November is always a time of reflection, evaluation, and thankfulness. Thank you for a year of blessings big and small… speaking of small blessings PEP has welcomed three new babies on November, 2 more in December, and come January we will have three more fresh faces in our infant room. No worries, several children turned two-and-a-half recently and were promoted to the Sunshine Room on the lower level. Promotion is a good news, but this is the hardest transition in our program for parents. To a parent, it means their ’baby’ is growing up in moving from the cozy infant toddler classrooms upstairs, to the busy preschool classrooms on the lower level! Come December, we will be staffing all preschool classrooms with two teachers as children advance to the next classroom in our program.
We have been fortunate to add two qualified teachers to our staff since October to support this move! One candidate was referred to us by Ms. Autumn, our infant teacher. Autumn will receive $100 once the new teacher she referred completes the 90-day qualifying period.
Speaking of staffing…more good news! Ms. Sandra Valdez celebrated her 20th anniversary working at PEP in October 2002. PEP staff celebrated Ms. Sandra during PEP’s Professional Day on Friday, November 4th, with a personalized T-shirt, framed Teacher’s poem, and $100 in honor of her commitment to PEP. Sandra has attributed her longevity at PEP to the ability to share her faith with the children she cares for. In early November, Ms. Sandra was blessed to go on a woman’s mission retreat to Vienna, Austria with her church, Oak Creek Assembly of God. Sandra is an excellent role model of the Christian component in living her faith as PEP offers the teaching staff as well as the children. Thank you and congratulations, Ms. Sandra…looking ahead to many more years with you at PEP!
PEP staff anniversary celebrations are recognized at our staff meetings with a $25 check. At ten years, staff receives a personalized, engraved bracelet. At twenty years staff receives a personalized gift ranging from $100-125. We value anniversary recognition in celebrating staff’s long-term commitment.
Emanuel Church’s Frazzled Family Dinner served over three hundred dinners to go! Food is love…and who does not love Emanuel Church for the delicious Frazzled Family Dinner-to-go, served to all PEP families and staff on Wednesday, November 16th. Thanks to the resolute volunteers: cooks Karin McElrone and Kristin Burr and those volunteers that helped pass it out–Jane Larsen, Hannah McElrone, and Julie Porter. We appreciate this annual tradition and Emanuel Church’s generosity. PEP is already looking forward to next year’s Frazzled Family Dinner to support frazzled families.
The weekend of November 19 & 20, Emanuel Church hosted Pastoral Candidate, Reverend Joshua Simon, on Saturday for a ‘Meet & Greet Luncheon, and Sunday, Reverend Simon gave a sermon at Emanuel Church’s Worship Service for the first time here. Afterward, the Congregation held a meeting to vote for him to be the new Pastor of Emanuel Church. Thankfully, Emanuel Church’s prayers have been answered by his answer to the call. The vote carried for Reverend Joshua Simon and all the possibilities he will bring in his leadership to the future of Emanuel Church! I will keep you informed of his start date in February 2023. This is good news for the closing of 2022!
‘Jesus is the Reason for the Season,’ see the joy of Jesus’ birth through your child’s eyes… PEP’s All-Center Christmas Party for families is scheduled for Thursday, December 8th from 5:30 to 7 pm. Santa Claus will be here for family photos with the jolly elf in the Narthex. This annual holiday event features Christmas make-or-take activities in every classroom and family members will be able to decorate a sugar cookie in Kurth Hall. Non-perishable food items will be collected at this event to bring holiday cheer to other families too. Please RSVP at PEP’s front desk.
PEP’s Jesus’ Birthday Celebration is scheduled this year, ‘in person on Thursday, December 15 from 4 to 5 pm. ‘The Christmas Angel’ will be featured in this year’s Christmas pageant. After the program, the birthday cake and ice cream will be served in Kurth Hall. Non-perishable food items will be collected and donated to the Milwaukee Hunger Task Force.
The center will be closed for the Christmas Holiday Season; Christmas-Friday, December 23, Monday, December 26, and New Year’s -Monday, January 2.
Merry Christmas!
Ellen M. Kvalheim