I recall that in one of my earlier articles last spring, I mentioned that one of the things I really missed during Covid was hearing the “squeals of children laughing and playing” and the observation that “young children are such exuberant learners and always in awe of the many gifts from God”. Well, they are back…with all their energy, love of playing, meeting new friends, and just feeling the joy of being children. Thanks be to God!
At long last, our much loved preschool has reopened and for that I am so grateful! I felt your prayers this year and I’m reassured that prayer can make so many things possible. We now have 38 children, 8 new staff members, and a veteran teacher of 7 years at St. John’s as Co-Director!
While in many ways this has been an uphill journey, it has also been a labor of love. The recruiting and hiring of 8 new staff members was definitely a daunting task, but one that was well worth the effort. St. John’s Preschool is so fortunate to have an innovative and enthusiastic staff who work so well together as a team!
When we realized toward the end of July that because of the Covid Variant, we would need to require masking of all children, age 2 and up, our teachers more than met the challenge of developing creative “outdoor learning centers” so the children would have an opportunity to have a mask break. Just imagine reading one of the favorite childhood books, “Rosie’s Walk”, while going through an obstacle course on the circular sidewalk in the Columbarium. Or, physically going on a “Bear Hunt” while outside and pretending to climb a tree! For those of us who have a passion for early childhood education, we are in our element with opportunities such as these!
When Mother Sarah asked us all during Lent what brought us joy and a sense of purpose during our long pandemic year, I knew my answer then and I know it now…the reopening of St. John’s Preschool.