By Lynn Hess, Director

Last week was messy, with overcast skies and rain, especially early in the week. We could have lamented the extra time spent inside due to the gloomy weather. Instead, the Turtle Class donned raincoats and boots every day, taking nature walks and discovering everything wet: sticky (sweet gum) balls, pine pollen pods, little green bugs with webs and, best of all…PUDDLES! The children stomped and squealed, pretended to fish with sticks in the deepest puddles and delighted as our splashes erupted from the ground. Last week, we seized the moment and made the most of them. We explored, learned and laughed.

I pray that your summer is blessed with many such moments, filled with wonder and delight!

By Brittany Notch.

At The School of Grace, two special classes are offered each week. Chapel is offered to the three older classes and Music is offered to every class. This year, the Tadpole and Turtle Classes join each other for Music on Thursdays in the church library. During Music, the preschool Director, Lynn, leads the Music lesson. She sings while teaching children words and movements to each song. Lynn also plays the guitar and introduces an instrument to be played by all the children. Teachers and assistant teachers sing along, assisting the children however possible. Some weeks we play tiny 4oz plastic cups with plastic spoons, other weeks we shake bells strung in a circle on pipe cleaners. We love beating our plastic coffee container drums and sometimes we even use bright colored, mesh scarves to wave around and toss in the air. Many other creative utensils and tools are used as our musical instruments, with my favorite one of all: the wooden percussion frogs.Continue reading

By Lynn Hess, Director

The staff members are getting ready for the Art Show. Next week, you will notice canopies in the Fellowship Hall. Each class will use one canopy to display art collected throughout the school year. As the week progresses, more art will be displayed.

During the week, I will visit each class and read “Harold and the Purple Crayon”. We will talk about how Harold uses his imagination to create. Then we will make the connection between Harold’s entertaining pictures and stories to the art the children have created at school. We’ll visit the Art Show as a class, allowing each child to choose his/her favorite piece of his own art. The children will then put a “Purple Crayon Award” on that piece of art, after which, we will all clap and cheer. The children adore this part of the art show. They learn that what they create is important and that we celebrate who they are.Continue reading

By Lynn Hess, Director

Now that registration is open for the upcoming school year, prospective parents are asking about the school day.  In order to give the best snapshot of what happens at The School of Grace, I’ll summarize the actual events from a journal entry on November 14th, 2011 in the Turtle (Infant/Toddler) Class.

9:00 a.m. Children arrived, hanging their jackets up, some removed their shoes, placing them in the shoe basket, then they all began to play in the center of their choice (ball pit, climbing gym, housekeeping, dolls, music, cars and trucks, dress up, blocks, manipulatives, puzzles (today it was fitting gourds into containers, twisting the lids on, then reversing the process) and drawing on the chalkboard.
9:30 a.m. Each child washed hands individually, experiencing one on one time with the teacher, and a few had diaper changes.  We sang different songs for each process, which reminded the children of what happens next and that washing hands and changing diapers follow a routine.Continue reading

By Lynn Hess, Director

Priority Registration for next fall has begun!  Current preschool families (siblings are included in this!) and children of Grace Lutheran Church members have priority status through January 31st.

What does this mean if my child has priority status?

• Print a 2013/2014 Registration form off the website.
• Turn in your registration form and fee by the 31st and your child will be placed in a class before children who register without priority status.
• Registration forms are date stamped as they are received.  The sooner you turn in your form, the better chance you have of getting the class assignment you want.
• You only have priority status through January 31st.  After that date, your child’s registration form will be processed along with all other forms received.Continue reading

By Lynn Hess, Director

January is the midpoint of our school year.  This is a time of reflection, looking back on the first half of the year and making plans for Winter and Spring months.  One of my favorite annual events at The School of Grace is our Annual Friendship Feast, which is celebrated twice during the week of Thanksgiving. 

Here is a summary of the Feast in November, 2012:

First, the meal was enjoyed by the children who attend school on Mondays in the Turtle Class, along with their families.

Second, the feast was celebrated on Tuesday by all of the other children in the school and their families.Continue reading

By Beth C.

Recently we went on a family vacation that started with a long car ride. Like most 2 and 3 year olds, ours can get bored with long car rides and we are always looking to keep them busy and occupied. Some of the best things we did during this ride were things learned at School of Grace. We sang our favorite “Birdie Song” for just about every color of birds we could imagine, getting really creative with the striped birdies and polka dot birdies. We did the “Days of the Week” song and practiced holding up seven fingers, which lead to practicing other numbers on fingers. We did a clapping pattern for the “Today Is” song. These songs also came in very useful during our down time in the hotel room, waiting for dinner and anything that involved more than 2 minutes of waiting.

But the moment I realized just how much School of Grace had touched our lives happened one morning in the middle of the trip during breakfast. I looked over at my youngest and saw him signing and mouthing something. I asked him what he was doing and he smiled at me and then very proudly started saying and signing the meal prayer they always did before snack and lunch, “Give Thanks”.

by Lynn Hess, Director

Summer should be a break in the routine…a time to relax a little and enjoy family life in a way that isn’t possible during the school year. We are so blessed in Wake County to have many resources close at hand. Mid Summer seems to be a time when we’re ready for new activities to experience with our children. Listed below (not in any particular order) are a collection of ideas to explore, learn and enjoy with your child.

Create, create, create…

• Make play dough (see website or SOG cookbook)
• Make goop: cornstarch and water. When it sits still the mixture becomes a solid, when you try to hold it, it changes to a liquid. This little bit of science can captivate a child (and most adults) for quite some time! For more interest…add food coloring.
• Color rice with rubbing alcohol and food coloring in a Ziploc bag. Let it dry on wax paper, then pour into a bucket or dishpan for lots of fun: pouring, scooping, hiding small toys, uncovering….
• Paint large boxes and add blankets for a cozy corner. Make this your child’s special space…ask permission to enter! Continue reading

Our school year has ended, which is always bittersweet.  There is joy in remembering a wonderful year of growth and delightful experiences.  In contrast, there is the realization that our “graduates” won’t be back in the fall.  Instead, we have shared hugs, fond memories and assured each other that we will see them again.

As teachers, this is the time of year when we wish we had even one more month of school left.  This is also when we reflect on the feedback we have received from both the children and parents.  We cherish the following words as a sampling of how we serve children, guiding each of them to reach their greatest potential.  Note: Names are replaced with initials for privacy reasons.

“Thank you so much for all you do for the children, from keeping them safe and happy to teaching them fun things. I’m so glad to know that even though my children aren’t in your class this year that they still adore you and vice versa : )” -M. E.

On a handmade card from a child with a picture of the teacher and child holding hands – “Dear Miss Lisa, I liked being in the Monkey class. I really liked doing art with you. Thank you for being such a sweet teacher. I’ll miss you! Love, M. H.” Continue reading

My wife and I have three children, all either currently enrolled or SoG alumni. Our oldest son started out at SoG as a Tadpole (2-3 year olds) almost seven years ago. Our second son just completed his third year at SoG and our daughter will begin her second year in the Turtle Class (infant/toddler) in the Fall.

Every year I look forward to The School of Grace Art Show.  It is an exciting event put on by the teachers to display the children’s art work throughout the school year. Several years ago I was lucky enough to serve on the Board of Directors, where I learned just how much goes into pulling off this incredible event.  The artwork is displayed for a week in the Spring and closes with a celebration after the second church service on Sunday.  Parents, students, staff, former students, church members and friends gather during the reception to mingle, eat and admire amazing creations of art. Continue reading