March Newsletter #1

What We've Been Up To...

Sweet Home Covenant

Annual Spring Fundraiser

Sweet Home Covenant Brings Raises over $15,000!!
We had another successful fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 22!  Preschool friends and supporters joined together at the Cedar Door for a night of fun, fellowship and fundraising.  It was an amazing event!!  Thank you to each and every family who contributed time, energy and of course funds to help keep our school operating.  A HUGE thank you goes to our generous hosts from the Cedar Door, Heather and Steve Potts.  Many of you may not realize that they donate 100% of the food, drink and space to the school.  It is a gift that is beyond generous so if you see either of them, please tell them “thank you” in person!!  Covenant is a true non-profit and we rely on every dollar raised to keep our program functioning and to offer enrichment opportunities such as Music and Spanish.  This event was made possible all through the hard work of Covenant parent volunteers: PAT President, Kristen McDavid and Fundraising Chair, Molly Moore!  Thanks also go to PAT members Brooke Howe, Erinn Windler, Elizabeth Moore, Lindsey Hanna, Bridgette Stahlman, Sarah Haegelin and Megan Little.  There were also scores of other volunteers who helped out  behind the scenes!  We are SO blessed to have such dedicated volunteers!

You Can Still Order Photo Books

Perhaps you have seen the adorable photo books for each class?  They were on display at the fundraiser and are currently outside of some of the classrooms.  Our gifted parent photographers Elizabeth Moore and Megan Little are responsible for their creation and while the sale of the books was part of our fundraiser, you STILL have an opportunity to order one (or more).  Please email or visit Emily Taylor at etaylor@covenant.org for more information.  Orders will be accepted until Thursday, March 20.

 

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If you have pictures from a Covenant Presbyterian Preschool event, please send them to Elizabeth Moore (eamoore@me.com), so that we can feature you on the blog!  Please send pictures of adults only.

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Save the Date!

Monday, March 10-14 – Spring Break (School Closed)
Tuesday, March 18 – PAT Meeting
Wednesday, March 19 –Thursday, March 20 – Make and Take Activity Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4 – Picture Days with Mr. Dabbs 

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Meet the Teacher

Ms. Robin

 

Name: Robin Selman

Job: Three's Panda Teacher

Years at CPP: 5

Job Before CPP: Worked at First Presbyterian Day School and stayed home with her daughters

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Children: Three daughters - ages 15 & 15 (twins!) and 13

Favorite Children's Book: The entire Oz series by Frank Baum

Favorite Band: Too many to choose from!

Favorite Food: Cheese

Hobbies:Reading, New York Times crossword puzzles and being outside

Dream Vacation Spot: Canada

Role Model: Thurgood Marshall

Favorite Quote: "Housework can't kill you, but why take the chance?"

Favorite thing about CPP: There is a great group of teachers and staff here, as well as the involved parents and wonderful kids.

Ms. Bobbi

Name: Robin "Bobbi" Eckholm

Job: Three's Elephant Teacher

Years at CPP: 1

Job Before CPP: Taught at other schools (Kinder - 8 years, 2nd Grade - 5 years, Preschool - 1 year)

Hometown: Waimea, Hawaii and Flagstaff, Arizona

Children: One son, Soren... he's in the Monkey Room here at CPP.  He loves it!  I love him!!  He's a friendly, out-going, curious and adventurous little guy!

Favorite Book: I like to read Women's Fiction books - they are just for fun!

Favorite Movie: Too many!  I like to see independent and foreign films (Sometimes!  These are often dark and serious!)

Favorite Food:  My mother-in-law's homemade spaghetti... yum! and Veggie Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Favorite Children's Book:  The Velveteen Rabbit and The Giving Tree

Favorite Band: The Shins

Hobbies:  Learning to play the Ukelele, movies, music, reading and travel

Pets: Two dogs: Kramer and Harley; and two cats: Galileo and Vincent

Dream Vacation Spot: Bali... or settle for Costa Rica

Role Model: Tina Fey

Favorite Quote: "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop

Favorite thing about CPP:  There are so many favorites!!  I like how small and friendly it is, the staff is super friendly, the parents and children are wonderful, and the building and classrooms are fantastic!

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Bible Units

In Chapel, the children have started learning that Jesus Loves Me So Much That He Died on the Cross and Is Alive Today.  The verse "Sing praises to the Lord," (Psalm 9:11) is being repeated throughout the next few weeks by Munn, Jill and Christy.  They are learning through the Bible Stories of Jesus Entering Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11, 15-16; Mark 11:1-10) and the Last Supper and Good Friday (Matthew 26:17-20, 26-29; Mark 14:12-17, 22-25).  They will also be rehearsing for Easter Chapel, which is coming up in April.

Please talk with your child about Chapel and learn with them as they digest these important concepts.  They may even teach you a song or two!

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Make and Take

This month, the Make and Take will be on Wednesday, January 15th and Thursday, January 16th.  This month our fabulous hosts are Kari Lavelle and Elizabeth Moore. Stop by to make some fabulous bath toys for your kiddos!  Thanks to Jennifer Russell and Karen Doles for your cute hole-punch Make and Take in February.

  

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Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Dinner Matters!

(Submitted by Sarah Haegelin)

If you are like me, the struggle to get any sort of dinner (much less a tasty, healthy dinner) on the table at a reasonable time amidst the chaos of the day can be challenging. 

Then there are the gripes about who likes or doesn't like what, someone spills their milk, someone climbs under the table or throws their peas, and you start to wonder if the effort of a family dinner is worth it.

According to all of the research out there, it is worth it!  Studies show that carving out time for a family dinner strengthens the relationships in your family, helps your children learn to try new foods, teaches them mealtime manners as well as big picture manners like listening and responding, and even helps them make better grades in school!

I absolutely love The Family Dinner Cookbook by Laurie David.  While it's recipes are yummy and kid-friendly, its message and the ideas on each page are even more inspiring.  Here's a little acronym (TASTE) to sum up a few things I learned from this book that I think can be applied to dinner with preschool-aged children:

Time: Choose a dinnertime that works for your family and try to stick to it (within reason).  If we aren't eating by 6 pm, my kids are tearing the pantry apart!  Each family is different, but keep in mind work schedules and bedtimes and do your best to keep it consistent. 

Ask for help:  Even young kids can help wash vegetables, stir, pour, watch a timer, set the table, and call the family to dinner. Being a part of the preparation makes them more invested in the meal.

Set a table:  It doesn't have to be fancy, but the few minutes it takes to do this send the message that dinner is special and worthy of your time, and also help your kids learn table manners. The Family Dinner has some great ideas for enhancing the table, including having a bowl for special "found" items to be displayed (and discussed), using blocks to spell out a message, or simply filling a vase with the herbs you used to cook the dinner.

Thanks:  Giving thanks to God gives you all a chance to pause and connect before beginning the meal.  We like to let a different child choose which blessing we will say each night (mommy's from childhood, daddy's from childhood, or their classroom blessing).  We also have our kids thank the cook when the meal is over!

Eat with Etiquette:  For our family right now, eating with etiquette includes three rules: trying each item on the plate, not complaining about the food (a simple "I don't care for it" will do!), and asking to be excused/taking their plate to the kitchen when the meal is over.  I am sure we will expand our etiquette as our kids grow up, but these are easy and doable for us right now.  Oh and for us parents, etiquette includes turning our phones off!

And yes, sometimes you just have to order the pizza and use the paper plates!  But the importance of a shared meal has stood the test of time (think of Jesus choosing to dine with his disciples the night before he died) and is worth all of the effort you put into it.  Yay dinner!

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Happy Birthday to You!  

Liam Schelfhout (2/12)

Doss Murray (2/14)

Soren Eckholm (2/16)

Ellison Lasley (2/17)

Will Ahrens (2/22)

Will Clements (2/24)

Karson Rutledge (2/28)

Georgia Hadlock (3/1)  

Ford Grant (3/5)

Barb Miaso (3/9)

Kate O’Farrell (3/12)

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Covenant Happenings

The MoMs Group

When: 1st and 3rd Monday of each month, 9:30–11:30 a.m. Where: SA 114 Contact: Becky Butterworth, beckybutterworth@gmail.com, or Rachel Gossen, rachel.gossen@gmail.com

Covenant MoMs Group is for new, expecting and experienced moms. We generally meet on the first and third Monday of each month from 9:30-11:30 a.m. to share informative and helpful presentations, parenting ideas, and general support.
All meetings are open to Covenant members and non-members alike. Free childcare is available from our wonderful Covenant childcare staff and infants are always welcome in our meetings. Please make childcare reservations at least 48 hours in advance by contacting childcare@covenant.org or 334-3020. Come join us for coffee and a snack. We provide interesting topics, support from understanding moms and well-deserved breaks for busy, hard-working moms!

Lunch Group

When: 11:30–1 p.m. (3-4 times a year, dates pending) Where: FE 107
Contact: Amy Johnson at aanort@yahoo.com or Gelsey Mahanes at gelseym@gmail.com

We also have meetings for working moms and moms who are unable to attend the morning meetings. The MoMs Lunch Group meets over lunch to give mothers (especially those who work in jobs outside the home) time to meet other moms, get practical advice and enjoy lunch and fellowship. Lunch and childcare are provided free of charge with a reservation.
Please make childcare reservations at least 48 hours in advance by contacting childcare@covenant.org or 334-3020. Please make lunch reservations at least 48 hours in advance by contacting Amy Johnson at aanort@yahoo.com.
For more information about the MoMs Group, please contact Rachel Gossen at 426-7120 or rachel.gossen@gmail.com or Alicia Gostylo at 589-6161 or azappgo@gmail.com.
 

Wednesdays for Children at Covenant

On Wednesday nights from 6-7:30 children four years old through 4^th grade are invited to meet with Coach Kelly for a time of very active games with a Biblical message. Midway through the evening the kids are divided into age groups to explore the Bible through story time, crafts, snacks and Bible story videos.

To reserve childcare for children three years and younger during Wednesday night activities, contact childcare@covenant.org.

Children's Choirs

Covenant offers children's choirs for children ages 4 by Sept. 1, 2012, through 6th grade. The choirs rehearse on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. during the school year. In addition to experiencing the joy of music and singing, our choir members learn the importance and the excitement of being actively involved in worship. The children sing special music at worship services, present a Christmas program, and perform in our annual spring musical.

• Choristers: 4th - 6th grades
• Carolers: 2nd and 3rd grades
• Sunshine Singers: 1st grade
• Praise Makers: Kindergarten
• Music Makers: Pre-Kindergarten

Questions? Contact Stacy Curtis at scurtis@covenant.org or 334-3033.

Children's Programs at 9:30 on Sundays 

Covenant offers numerous learning programs for your children. At 9:30 a.m. on Sundays, kids can play games and socialize while learning about the Bible. Refer to the menu at left for more information on these programs.

Tot Spot 

Tot Spot is loving childcare for babies three months up to two years old. It is available Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

Preschool Place

Preschool Place is Sunday school for two-year-olds through pre-kindergarten. At 9:30 a.m. on Sundays, Children enjoy an hour of song, prayer, Bible story time and crafts. The curriculum is activity-oriented for those energetic little ones. Tons of fun!

zone k-4

zone k-4, for kids in kindergarten through 4^th grade, is Sundays at 9:30 a.m. This elementary age Sunday School program provides 10 different learning labs for children to be immersed in the Bible. It incorporates food, games, computers, science, art, music and storytelling. The children are divided into groups according to grade and gender and are led by “Shepherds” to a different lab each week. The hands-on lesson presented at each station reflects stories being studied throughout the year.

“Bible Bucks” are issued to students for memorizing the point of the day, the scripture of the month, leading in prayer, etc. Those bucks can be redeemed at our “Inspiration Store” where kids can purchase items that reinforce what we are teaching in zone k-4. Our hour concludes with a large gathering time where we sing songs of worship and praise. It is truly an energizing and motivating hour for kids!

Club 56

Club 56 is a Sunday school program for 5^th and 6^th graders on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Club 56 starts the hour with fun games that introduce the Bible lesson for the day. Later in the hour students break into groups by gender and have deeper discussion and prayer time. Club 56 on Sunday mornings is led by Club 56 parents and our fabulous Club 56 Interns.
 

Children's Programs at 11 a.m. on Sundays

Treasure Island

Children, from four-years-old to second graders, may sail away to Treasure Island at our 11 a.m. services.  Kids begin the hour with their families in either the 11 a.m. Traditional or the Contemporary Service. After 10-15 minutes, the kids are invited to join a member of the Children and Preteen Ministry staff and make their way to FE 300. There, the kids learn a Bible story and engage in activities that enhance the learning experience. Parents should pick their kids in in FE 300 at the conclusion of the worship service.