Dear Park’s Edge Preschool Families:
Treasure 2019 Christmas holiday memories…I hope you had the opportunity to join us for PEP’s Christmastime highlights…PEP’s Family Christmas Party was held on Thursday, December 5th with Santa Claus and the following Thursday, December 12th was ‘Jesus’Birthday Celebration’. Thank you goes out to the team of staff that choreographed ‘Oh Holy Night’. The Christmas Pageant allowed the many groups of PEP children to participate in the program in celebrating Jesus’ birth. Thank you, families, for helping us sing the Christmas carols. Both events have become traditions here at PEP.
A big thank you to the many Emanuel Church friends that helped make Park’s Edge Preschool’s Annual Christmas Program a success. Special thanks to ‘Pastor Bill’ for his availability and the lesson shared with the children at PEP’s Jesus’ Birthday Celebration similar to ‘Children’s Time’ of Emanuel Church’s worship service. Christmas Eve Services will be held on Wednesday, December 24th. A children’s service at 4 pm and a traditional celebration at 7 pm. I hope you can come!
I also want to say ‘thank you’ for remembering PEP teachers and our support staff at Christmas time. We were showered with many gifts of love. Food is love too and this year we have been treated to breakfast and lunch throughout December and into January. Thanks for thinking of us at this busy time of year. It is nice to know we are truly appreciated and loved. Thank you!
Speaking of food and love… The big decorated box in the entrance to Emanuel Church’s Sanctuary is overflowing with ‘Jesus Birthday Gifts” non-perishable foods…thank you! The food donation box will be picked up by the Hunger Task Force on Monday, January 6th, 2020. Let’s see if we can fill another box in the next few weeks before pick-up. Food donations are always welcome at Emanuel Church; hunger is a year-round, and it never takes a break, even at Christmas time. It affects all ages, young and old.
You are invited to Emanuel Church on Sunday, January 26th, to help Park’s Edge celebrate Health and Human Service Sunday known to the UCC as CHHSM Sunday and to learn more about PEP’s ministry. Park’s Edge Preschool has been a member of the United Church of Christ’s Council for Health and Human Service Ministries since June of 1999. CHHSM Sunday allows Emanuel Church/Park’s Edge Preschool’s families to celebrate Park’s Edge Preschool’s ministry serving Hales Corners and the surrounding community with Christian child care. Anyone who is in the health and human service professions is invited to participate in the ‘blessing of the hands’ ceremony.
March 3-5, 2020, CHHSM’s Annual Meeting will be held in Memphis, Tennessee. Ms. Jenele and I will be attending the annual meeting. Jenele will be consecrated as a Diakonal minister during the closing worship service of the annual meeting. Jenele has been on a year-long journey as a Nollau Institute student learning about the UCC and her role as a servant leader/minister at Park’s Edge Preschool. I am also a Nollau Alumni; class of 2013. We will have an in-house celebration honoring Jenele later in March…watch for details.
The New Year is a time for reflection on Park’s Edge Preschool’s goals and accomplishments of 2019-2020. I am looking forward to the New Year and shifting our focus from the building to the program. Park’s Edge Preschool has accomplished many goals in 2019…new security key fob system; building updates up and down…and the best is yet to come the week of Christmas … new flooring in our infant/toddler rooms! Thank you for your support!
As always, Park’s Edge Preschool’s #1 New Year’s resolution is to continue to offer quality rated 5-star YoungStar child care services in 2020! I hope you and your family has a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!
Happy New Year & Good Tidings,
Ellen M. Kvalheim, Director