Dear Park’s Edge Preschool Families: 

‘Back to school’ at Park’s Edge Preschool was filled with excitement this year at PEP’s Annual Open House held from 5 to 7pm on Thursday, 

September 7th. PEP families and visitors were introduced to Ms. Haley Bigger, PEP’s new 

Director in Training. Pastor Joshua Simon also participated in PEP’s Open House Meet & Greet. Families were able to tour the classrooms and meet all the dedicated PEP staff. Cookies were served in Kurth Hall by Ms. Haley and Pastor Joshua for families to decorate and eat…yummy! ‘Thank you’ to all our families that attended. We are ready for a busy and productive school year of fun and learning! 

Please be sure to say ‘hi’ in welcoming PEP’s new Director Ms. Haley Bigger if you haven’t met her already. Haley is a warm addition to our leadership team at PEP. She is meeting her qualifying period in the first 90 days and will assume the full responsibility of the di-rector’s role in December 2023. I will continue at PEP as Emeritus Director until June 1, 2024, when we celebrate PEP’s 25-year anniversary. 

Food…wonderful food…Park’s Edge Preschool is collecting food donations the entire month of October in honor of PEP’s ‘Love thy Neighbor’ food drive campaign and the annual CROP Walk. PEP is collecting nutritious, non-perishable food(s) throughout the month of October. CROP is the acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty. It is a positive way to help the hungry in our communi-ty by raising awareness and funds for relief and development, as well as offer support to our local hunger-fighting agencies. Once again Park’s Edge Preschool classrooms are collecting healthy, non-perishable foods. You and your child can help by donating healthy non-perishable food items in the bag your child will bring home to fill. The bags will go home Monday, October 2nd. Now more than ever people in need are depending on your help by donating food to the hungry. Thank you for your generous charity! 

Pastor Joshua is a welcome addition to PEP’s Literacy Program. Once a month Pastor Joshua Simon is spending time in our preschool classrooms reading to the children theme related books that have been specially chosen by the teachers for him to read to the children. What a wonderful opportunity for the children and staff to personally connect with Emanuel Church’s new Pastor. More important is Pastor Joshua role modeling reading to the children. Thank you, Pastor Joshua for reading to PEP’s preschoolers! 

A Family Friendly ‘Trunk or Treat’ is scheduled for all ages and will be held in Emanuel Church/Park’s Edge Preschool’s back parking lot on Thursday, October 26th from 5-7p.m. The staff from each classroom will decorate one of their cars with a special theme and pass out candy to the children parading from car to car in Halloween costumes. Some of the themes from last year were Baby Shark, Black Cat, and Frankenstein, to name a few trunk themes. The yellow school bus was also decorated as a haunted house. I’m curious what themes this year will bring to PEP’s Trunk or Treat. Parents and children will come in costume for an evening of family fun and fellowship. We will be collecting non-perishable food items for the ‘Love thy Neigh-bor’ food drive campaign. If you would like to bring a bag of candy for the staff to pass out, we would appreciate it. Just a reminder, we are a nut free cen-ter. Please R.S.V.P. at PEP’s front desk or call (414)427-9561. 

‘Trick or Treat’ at the Hales Corners care Center for the Shining Stars Group ages 4 and 5 years old. The children will dress in costume and trick or treat at the residential care facility in our community on Friday, October 27th at 10am. This is a great experience for all ages to celebrate a holiday favorite…Halloween. 

Halloween brings many surprises and traditions to Park’s Edge Preschool! Monday, October 30th PEP’s magical pumpkin patch will be right here in our own back field. I cannot explain it but for the past several years pumpkins magically appeared in the back field children of all ages to pick a pumpkin in PEP’s very own Pumpkin Patch. 

Tuesday, October 31st children are ‘dressing-up’ as their favorite character for an all-center costume parade. The parade time is 10:00 am rain or shine in Emanuel Church’s beautiful sanctuary. Staff and children are looking forward to this spooktacular event. PEP families are welcome to come and watch PEP’s Halloween Parade. Halloween goodies will be passed out in celebration of a safe and happy Halloween for all ages! 

‘Food is Love’ and Emanuel Church loves you too…mark your calendars now for the annual ‘Frazzled Family Dinner’ sponsored by Emanuel Church, scheduled for Wednesday, November 15th! The Frazzled Family Dinner is an Emanuel Church tradition in supporting families with a family meal to go…and enjoy with your family in the comfort of your family home. Watch for details in the November newsletter…you don’t want to miss it! 

Sincerely, 

Ellen M. Kvalheim