What a wonderful and blessed spring we have! Starting out our spring term in a new facility, hiring new staff, and continued growth in enrollment have led us to being at full capacity beginning the summer term at the end of May. What joy it is to share such good news! As I think about the challenges our school has faced in the last few years, I am comforted to see how God’s work and the faith of our people has held us in tact and brought us new life.

Over the last years we have made many significant changes in the school. We now have primarily fulltime teachers who care for children each day. This continuity of care is a cornerstone of high quality education for young children. We have deepened our religious and academic curriculum and made a commitment to training staff in the most current, research-based early childhood teaching methods.

With the opening of the new building, we have made every effort to ensure that each detail of the environment supports the learning and healthy development of children in group care. We have strengthened our policies and worked towards consistent implementation of those policies. We have worked to add resources such as books and other materials so children may be challenged and teachers have what they need support the learning in the classroom.

From the time we began this process many months ago, we have been reflective of our vision and our mission. Who are we? What do we do? Who do we serve? What do we need to do to be successful and accomplish our goals? At this point in time, we have come so far from being merely a place to care for children while parents work, a daycare. What we have in our school is precious in our community and very unique. We are a school for young children that offers extended hours and year round care.

A full day program is the best possible situation for parents who work a long day. Rather than having their child go to school for a few hours and then be moved to an alternate situation for the afternoon, or have their children in a program for the academic year and then move to a different program for the summer, our children remain with their teachers throughout the day, throughout the year. This type of care is supported by a great expanse of research in early childhood care stating the importance of consistency in caregiver and consistency in routine.

Young children need to bond and build relationships with those who care for them. This unique educational situation will continue to offer challenges. How do we staff our program with highly qualified professionals for some many hours of the day and so many days of the year? How do we understand parents’ need for flexibility and support their work as parents and yet have boundaries and consistency with our school policies? How do manage change and support those who are feeling discomfort in the midst of it? So as we rejoice in the success of our growth, I ask you to keep our school – the children, teachers, administration, parents, and school board – in your prayers. May we make wise decisions in the best interest of our children, decisions that bring glory to our Creator.

Blessings,

Cori Berg, Director