As summer comes to a close we begin to think about this past year and reflect on all the blessings of this ministry.  One of our proudest and saddest memories will be all of the families that continue onto kindergarten.  I hope they will always feel welcome here and

come by to visit us often. 

 

I would also like to thank our awesome summer teacher – Emily Bell....she has done an outstanding job.  We will miss her and pray that she have another wonderful year at college. 

 

As of August 7^th, Janice Cumming will begin her 30^th year of teaching here at Glen Leven.  She has dedicated her life to loving our kids and we truly thank God for her everyday.  She’s always hugging, kissing, teaching or comforting our kids (and sometimes grown ups)!  We love her dearly and we hope she will stick around for another 27 years!

 

August is the busiest month of all here at our school.  All the teachers will begin preparing their classes for our new and upcoming kids.  The PTO will be welcoming all families with a light breakfast on Monday, August 16^th.  I would like to thank Sherry Miller and Kim Strickland, last year’s PTO presidents, for all their dedication and hard work this past year.  Kim will continue to serve as PTO Co-Presidents for the 2010-2011 school year and hold a seat on the Day School Committee.     We appreciate the guidance of our PTO and we look forward

to a great year!

 

Glen Leven will be closed for care on Wednesday (8/11), Thursday (8/12), and Friday (8/13) for in-service.  On Friday, August 13^th, we will host a mandatory New Parent Orientation at 10:00 am.  Beginning at 1:00 p.m. we will hold our Open House and Parent Visitations.  Our first day of care for the 2010-2011 school year will be Monday, August 16^th.  I pray that all have had a wonderful year and

We look forward to next year!

 

Mark your calendars – September will mark our 60^th Anniversary of this ministry of service to children.  We are planning a celebration to honor all those that have given their love to this school on Sunday, October 10th!  Watch for more details soon……

 

  This community of faith has been wonderfully supportive of this ministry – God is blessing us every moment through this church – Praise the Lord!

 

July is a fun month for the children and the teachers at Glen Leven.  Everyone has settled into the summer routine and we love it!!

 

 

Thank you for doing a great job checking the calendars for our daily

activities.  We sincerely appreciate your support and

the kids are having a terrific time.

 

 

I would like to thank Glen Leven Presbyterian Church and their Community of Faith, our Day School Parents, and all our teachers for their support in order for us to experience a fantastic in-service training opportunity on June 11^th.  We traveled to Lake Barkley State Park in Kentucky for our annual retreat and we were truly blessed by this experience.  Beth Schubert and Debbie Dillard served as trainers, as well as myself, and we all left refreshed and renewed. 

This was an amazing training session and I thank you all.

 

 

Our curriculum planning meeting will take place on Friday, July 9^th at 6:00 p.m. at Davis-Kidd Bookstore in Green Hills Mall.  We will meet at the cafe’ (Bronte Bistro) downstairs and dinner will be provided.  We will explore the best ways to teach our children God’s word for this coming fall/spring school year.  Everyone is invited to come with your ideas and suggestions.    If you are interested and would like to attend you can contact the day school office at 298-2071 or email Beth at bschubert@glenleven.org to RSVP and for directions.

Summer is Here!! We are getting ready for some Summer Fun!  Unfortunately we have to say goodbye to several of our families that will be heading to kindergarten following this summer.  We have enjoyed watching them grow and learn about God’s world.  They have also taught us to be better teachers and we will miss them greatly.  It is important that they know that they will always be welcomed here at Glen Leven.

 

Our Spring Program and Graduation ceremony was fantastic!! I felt the LOVE and what a wonderful way for us to learn about how much out God loves us.  I would like to thank Mrs. Beth and Mrs. Julie for all their hard work on this event.

 

We are planning on ending our school year with a bang at our annual End of the School Year Event.  We must thank Mrs. Regan, Mrs. Cheri and Mrs. Gina who worked very hard to plan such a great day!  We will start at 9:00 on Friday, May 28^th.  We will have train rides, moonwalk, magic show and pizza for lunch! Please join us for the fun!

 

We want to welcome all of our new families beginning this summer!! We are excited to have some of them return after a year at “big kid school”.  We have lots of fun stuff planned this summer and we look forward to spending time catching up.

 

Our curriculum will change a little this summer.  We will have more theme days, water play, visits from the Zoo,  the “Mad Scientist”, magic show,  Food Fridays and our favorite – Mud Day!  You will receive a monthly calendar outlining all the upcoming events or you can check our website:  http//:dayschool.glenleven.org.

 

We will be closed on Friday, June 11^th for teacher in-service training.  Our staff will be heading to Lake Barkley Kentucky for a day of training.  Thank you for the support of allowing us this time to renew, rethink and refresh our spirits.

 

Lastly, I want to invite everyone to join us on Monday, June 21^st for our Dads & Donuts Breakfast.  We will be honoring our fathers with a light breakfast treat to say “Happy Father’s Day”.

Is it May already, this school year has flown by.  This ministry has truly been blessed this past year with our continuous support we feel from our loving families, the church family and the great teaching staff.  This ministry has been blessed again this year in receiving THREE STARS for our annual assessment.  This is the highest quality scoring possible and we are so proud of the all the effort and willingness to learn our teachers display.

 

What a wonderful Silent Auction & Fellowship Dinner! I can’t find the words to express how much this event means to us.  The PTO worked so very hard to make sure this was a successful event – AND IT WAS!!!  The room parents, all the volunteers who signed up to help, the day school staff, the community of faith,  bake sale volunteers, and of course, all those that placed bids – this is what made this night great and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Special  thanks to Debbie Dillard, Rachel Smith, Carl Meier, Gina Shoemaker, and Sherry Miller, they worked very hard and we thank God for all their special talents.   It is so rewarding to see such a large group working so hard for our kids – I believe God’s work is being done.

 

I also want to thank and congratulate all the dads that participated in our March Moustache Contest.  We raised over $2,000 toward our playground project and Mr. Carl did an outstanding job organizing that effort!  Thanks to all that supported that event!  It was fun and I can’t wait til next year.

 

Spring Program & Graduation

Thursday, May 2oth  we will host our Spring Program and Graduation Event.  We will begin at 6:10 (kids should be here at 6:00) in the fellowship hall.  Our Twos and all PreK classes will be participating, however, everyone is invited.  Mrs. Beth and Mrs. Julie will be chairing this event and I’m sure they will provide more details at a later date.

 

End of the School Year Event

Friday, May 28^th we will be having our annual picnic to celebrate the close of our school year.  We will have the moonwalk, games, button making,  cup cake walk, special dinner, and much more.  Please join us if you can – we will begin at 5:30 p.m.  Mrs. Cheri, Mrs. Gina, and Mrs. Regan are working on this event.  Watch for more information regarding

this event soon.

 

We will be saying goodbye to some of our Pre-K class who will be leaving for the summer and then going onto kindergarten.  We’ve known most of them for a very long time and we will miss them and their families.  Our doors will always be open and you are always invited back to visit anytime!  The memories of watching these children grow will forever be a part of this ministry.

It is with great joy that we welcome the blooming of the flowers and enjoy all the new beginnings that God blesses us with at this time of year.  We are excited about Easter and renewing our beliefs of how much

God loves us.

 

If YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A GREAT DEAL! Mark your calendars for our annual Silent Auction and Fellowship Dinner on Friday, April 16^th.  Our PTO began working to collect donations months ago.  New items are coming in everyday and in the history of our auction; I’ve never seen such great response from our families and the community!  We will be serving BBQ again this year with all the fixins’.  The cost for an adult ticket is $7.00 and kids eat for $5.00.  We will start serving at 5:00 p.m.  

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!

 

This month we will complete our Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences.  I want to thank all those that rearranged their schedule to make these most important meetings happen.

 

Lastly, I just wanted to remind you that our school will be closed on Friday, April 2^nd   in observance of Good Friday.  We are hopeful that all our families will have the opportunity to thank God for all the wonderful gifts He provides to us every day.  We are so blessed that God cares for us so deeply!!

 

Happy Easter!!

We are hoping that this month finds everyone feeling “Lucky”.  This month of the “Irish” reminds us to not take life too seriously – find the magic in everyday things, God gives our children this sense of wonder and excitement and we can learn from them.  All of our teachers felt quite lucky this past month – our parents REALLY appreciated us!  We enjoyed a whole week of pampering and on behalf of all – thanks for the delicous lunch, the flowers, the gift cards, the breakfast, and the massages!!!  We enjoy teaching your children everyday – that’s all we really need.  Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your extended family.

 

On February 10^th we completed our annual assessment review.  This assessment measures our STAR quality rating.  For the last six years we have earned the highest level that the state recognizes – Three Stars.  We are proud of our efforts each day and this assessment recognizes us for the high quality of care that we provide to our children.  Our licensing counselor is scheduled to visit on March 12^th and our unexpected visitors (Fire Marshall, Health Department, and Environmentalist) will complete their reports very soon.  We should have our scores within six weeks and we will be proud to share!

 

SMILE!  Photo days will be held on March 22^nd and 23^rd.  We look forward to showing off a bit for Mr. Curtis as he captures our precious memories.

 

If you are interested in being trained in CPR or First Aid, you are welcome to join us on Thursday, April 8^th beginning at 6:00 p.m.  There is a cost to participate ranging from $15 to $40 depending on which training you choose.  If you would like to make your reservation to attend please call the day school office or email Debbie Ferguson at dferguson@glenleven.org

 

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A GREAT DEAL!!!  Well, mark your calendars for our annual Silent Auction and Fellowship Dinner on Friday, April 16^th.  Our PTO began working to collect donations months ago.  If you would like to help out, please call us at 298-2071.

 

It’s February, the month of love and giving.  We here at Glen Leven know first hand the true meaning of love and giving.  We want to thank all our families, our teachers, the congregation, and all those who have given of their time and energy.  Our school has been blessed in so many ways and I know that God has great plans for our future. 

 

Our parent teacher conferences will be held on Monday, February 15^th.  Our center will be closed for childcare so that our parents can meet with their teachers.  We will be providing childcare for children in the fellowship hall for parents during their conferences.  We are hopeful to answer your questions and share your child’s milestones of development during this time.  We feel that this is a great opportunity for you and we hope that you take advantage by signing up.

 

We would LOVE for you to stay with us another year!  Pre-registration begins on February 1^st  and all applications, along with registration fees, are due by Friday, February 12^th.  If you have any questions regarding your pre-registration feel free to contact the day school office.

 

Please pray for us – on February 10^th as we begin our annual assessment review.  This assessment measures our STAR quality rating.  For the last seven years we have earned the highest level that the state recognizes – Three Stars.  We are proud of our efforts each day and this assessment recognizes us for the high quality of care that we provide to

your children.

 

We would like to invite you take part in our Parent Educational Roundtable Discussions on Monday, February 22^nd.  We will kick off the evening with a potluck dinner at 5:30 followed by opportunities for you to choose from some hot topics about child development.  We will provide childcare with reservations.  For more information contact Beth, Asst. Director, (bschubert@glenleven.org) at the office.

What a glorious Christmas we had at the day school!  We hope each of you had the opportunity to enjoy your family during this holiday season.  Looking back at this past year fills my heart with so many joyous memories.  So many achievements have been accomplished this past year,  our babies learned to laugh, our toddlers learned to walk, our two’s learned to talk, and prek learned to share and cooperate.  But, most of all, the children learned to love.   God has blessed this ministry in so many ways.   I know in my heart that my purpose in life is to serve children and I thank God everyday for Glen Leven. I am blessed for all the things that I learn everyday and it is my sincere pleasure and privilege to love your children, as well as our teachers, and we look forward to

many years of serving this ministry.

 

I would like to thank Mayme Lee Lawrence for serving as Chair of the Day School Committee for the past three years.  She has blessed this school in so many ways and we will always thank God for bringing sharing her talents with us.  As she rotates off our committee this past December, our pray is that she will always know what a wonderful

impact was made on this ministry.

 

What a wonderful sight to see our kids singing their hearts out to Glorify God during our Christmas Worship Service.  Mrs. Beth and Mrs. Julie did a wonderful job of organizing that event and all our teachers did an outstanding job coordinating this event once again.  I would like to thank Mrs. Sherry Miller, PTO Co-President for narrating, and most of all our children for sharing their voice for God.

 

I would like to thank everyone for volunteering and helping to make Breakfast with Santa such a fun day.  Debbie Dillard, Rachel Smith, Carl Meier, Gina Shoemaker, and Regan Jackson worked hard on this event and we appreciate all they have done.  I would also like to thank Mrs. Clause (Janice Cumming) and of course, Santa!

 

As we look forward to the new year I am honored to announce that I have been elected as president of the Tennessee Association of Education for Young Education (www.taeyc.org).  I am excited to accept this new endeavor and my first and foremost goal is to continue to guide and lead the children at our day school by providing the best experiences possible. The association will ensure that our teachers are well trained and now I have the opportunity to help all of Tennessee’s children.  I appreciate the support I have received by the Day School Committee and Dr. Mark for allowing me this opportunity to grow professionally.

 

Dates to Remember:  January 1, 2010 – Closed for New Year's Day

January 18^th – Closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Merry Christmas! As we begin our holiday season I enjoy reflecting on the past year to count our many blessings.  One of our most precious blessings to this school is our support we receive from out parents and community of faith.  It seems that each fundraising event we are breaking last year’s records, we truly appreciate the great turnout for playground cleanup or seeing an increase in support for this ministry.  I would like to take this time to thank ALL of those who continuously give, offer a hand, donate toys and all the other wonderful things you do for this ministry.

You are truly a blessing to us!

 

On Saturday, December 5^th, we are excited to host our annual Breakfast with Santa.  We will serve breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and the cost will be $5.00 per person which includes all the pancakes and sausage you can eat, as well as your picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus (aka Mrs. Janice).  We look forward to seeing you there!

 

On Tuesday, December 15^th, we will be offering our Christmas Worship Service and Pageant.  We will hold our event in the Sanctuary again this year with our Pre-K kids helping spread God’s word.  We would like to invite everyone to join us at 6:00 p.m. to fellowship and hear our kids glorify God with their singing.

 

Lastly, I want to remind you of our closings for the month.  We will be closed on Thursday, December 24^th and Friday, December 25^th in observance of Christ’s Birthday.  We will also be closed Friday, January, 1^st in observance of New Year’s Day.

The holidays are just around the corner and we hope that everyone is already counting their blessings.  We have so much to be thankful for – freedom, a beautiful world to live in, and the love of family and friends.

 

I want to thank all of those that helped with our Fall Fest – Mrs. Rachel, Mrs. Debbie, Mrs. Gina, Mr. Carl Meier, Mrs. Regan Jackson and all our judges all

did an outstanding job.  Thank you for your continued support of this event. 

 

Our playground cleanup day is scheduled for Saturday, November 7^th.  Ms. Sherry and Ms. Jill are working hard to prepare for this event.  Please come join in the fun – we will start around 8:30 a.m. and babysitting will be provided in the fellowship hall.  We will be sending out our project list and you will have the opportunity to sign up very soon!

 

We would like to invite all of you to participate in our annual food drive benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank.  Last year we collect over 700 lbs of food and we hope to top that this year.  Each class will have a box sitting outside of their room for your donations.  The class that collects the most food items will be treated to a pizza party sponsored by our PTO.  The drive will be take place from Monday, November 2^nd  to noon on Thursday, November 12^th.  Thank you for helping our kids learn the

value of helping others.

 

Thursday, November 12^th we will host our annual Thanksgiving Feast.  Last year we fed over 160 people and everyone is invited again to join us in thanking God for the many blessings we have here at Glen Leven.  The cost is $4.00 per person and the menu includes green beans, stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, and pumpkin pie.  OH, did I mention that our kids help in preparing our food.  It’s a great time to sit together and enjoy lunch with your child.  We will start promptly at 11:00 a.m.

 

Just a few dates to remember:

 

We will also be closed on Thursday & Friday, November 26^th & 27^th for Thanksgiving.

We hope that this season of Thanksgiving finds each of you counting….each day as gift from God!

 

God Bless you and your families!