St. Luke Early Childhood Center “Little Saint’s Herald” CELEBRATING Over 30 YEARS!!

Volume 31, Issue 4 www.StLukeECC.com 727-787-2914 December 2017

From the Director’s Desk… Dates to Remember

Dear Parents and Families, It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! As we rush to shop, decorate, ☺ December 6-9th- Scholastic and bake, it is important to try and maintain our children’s schedules as much as Book Fair possible, to minimize their stress. All of the excitement can be very overwhelming ☺ December 9th- Breakfast for children: company in town, lots of shopping, anticipation, etc. Sometimes we can with St. Nick and Book Fair lose sight of the true meaning of this holiday. ☺ Dec. 20th- 2’s and 3’s We would like to thank our volunteers for the wonderful Thanksgiving Feast! Christmas Program Whether you coordinated, cooked, or helped out on the day of the event, we truly ☺ Dec. 21st - Pre-K Christmas appreciate your kindness. Everything was wonderful!! Yum! It is the involvement of Program all of our wonderful parents that truly sets our program apart from so many other ☺ Dec. 25– Jan 5th- Closed ECCs. Make sure you look for the pictures on the photo tab of our . for Christmas Break We are excited about our upcoming “Breakfast with St. Nick”. We look for- ☺ January 8th- Welcome Back!

ward to seeing you on Saturday December 9th from 8:30-11:30. A pancake break- ☺ January 8-9- Class Pictures fast will be served from 8:30-11:00 in the Assembly room and there will even be a ☺ Jan. 17th- PALS Meeting visit from St. Nick from 9:00-11:00. So sign-up now and bring your cameras! There will also be a craft for the children and a Scholastic Book Fair. Remember books ☺ Jan 24th- Registration begins for 2018/2019 make great Christmas presents! Mark your calendars for our PALS meeting on January 17th. We will have a ☺ Jan. 29th-Feb. 2nd- Catho- lic Schools Week nutritionist, Jen Galligan, here to share information regarding during the early childhood years. Additionally, our own Miss Heather will share with us quick

and easy ideas for creating healthy lunches for your children. And we are going to

raffle off some fun lunch accessories.

Save the Date, our One Enchanted Evening has been rescheduled for April 27, due to scheduling conflicts. One Enchanted Evening is a fun evening for the New Date- whole family . Your children will be entertained by their teachers as you partici- One Enchanted pate in Casino-style fun! This is a wonderful community building event and the ECC’s Evening April 27, 2018 main fundraiser of the year; providing teacher in-service training and updated cam-

pus security. Please find included in this newsletter a letter to share with your em- Inside this Issue ployer or local business that might be interested in sponsoring this event. It would be wonderful if each family found one sponsor for this event, whether it is a gift ♦ PALS Letter certificate for a day at the spa, a basket of pet grooming supplies, a certificate ♦ PALS meeting information. for a 2 night stay at a beachfront resort, manicure/pedicure, beer or sangria for ♦ Miss Heather’s the event, etc. If each family finds one donation we will have a fantastic silent auc- ♦ Breakfast with St. Nick ♦ Holiday Lunch Idea tion area! ♦ Christmas Program Schedule The entire staff of St. Luke Early Childhood Center wishes you and your ♦ Religion Corner family a relaxing family-filled Christmas. ♦ One Enchanted Evening May the Blessings of this Holy Season fill you with the love of our Savior. ♦ Adopt-A-Class Kathie Mitchell ♦ December Birthdays

The mission of St. Luke Early Childhood Center is to provide the foundation for a lifelong love of learning by nurturing the whole child through exploration and creativity in a Catholic spirit. Volume 31, Issue 4 Little Saint’s Herald December 2017

Letter from the Board .....

Hello Families, Need some Christmas gift ideas? Our PALS Board would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the volunteers for their help with the Thanksgiv- ing Feast. We had a tremendous outpouring of volunteers Our Scholastic Book Fair and we really appreciate everyone donating their time and December 6-9th favorite Thanksgiving dishes for our Teacher and Student Is a great place to shop for books Feast. Everyone had a wonderful time and the children for all of the preschool and early elementary looked great in their Thanksgiving costumes! children on your list. We are currently working on sponsors and donations for our One Enchanted Evening event that will be held in April. If you have any suggestions of businesses that may be inter- ested in either donating items/services for our raffle or con- tributing as a table sponsor, please contact them or let us know in the office.

Don’t forget to stop by the book fair and check out the amazing Scholastic books; books make wonderful holiday Remember to Christmas shop on gifts and every book you purchase earns our school free smile.amazon.com for all your Amazon books and educational items!! The Book Fair will be open December 6th-9th. On the 9th the Book Fair is open shopping and select St. Luke Early Child- throughout the Breakfast with St. Nick. We look forward to hood Center as your charity of choice. A seeing you there! portion of the proceeds from eligible items The St. Nick breakfast is a really fun event. My family will be donated to our preschool! (Dana Ennest's) has been attending since we started at St.

Luke ECC and it has become one of our December Christ- Remember snacks should include 2 mas traditions! The kids all love having breakfast with their healthy food groups. No cookies please. family and friends, doing crafts with their teachers, shopping at the book fair, and of course visiting with St. Nick and his super fun elf assistant! If you are available to help with the To see more pictures from our Book Fair during Breakfast with St. Nick please contact Brittany Kryston, our Scholastic Coordinator at Thanksgiving Feast visit our photos link on [email protected]. Your help is greatly appreciated. our website- www.StLukeECC.com Wishing all our wonderful families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New!

Your PALS Board

Miss Heather’s Health Blog

Common Health Concerns Parents Have for Their Preschool Children

Here are two of the top health concerns parents have for Fun Christmas Facts their preschool children. It is believed that decorating Christmas 1. Not enough trees originated in 16th century Ger- 2. Unhealthy eating many, when Christians would bring decorated trees into their homes. Let’s talk about our preschoolers not getting enough exercise and unhealthy eating. A quick Google search Christmas trees were first decorated with will tell us that the most common number of hours rec- foods such as apples, nuts and dates. ommended for a preschooler to exercise daily is 3 In 1836 Alabama became the first state in hours! This 3 hours doesn’t have to all be outdoors, but the US to declare Christmas a legal the outdoor air is wonderful for all of us. That 3 hours holiday. can include aerobic exercise like playing basketball, Oklahoma became the last state to declare running, bicycling, soccer, a game of , etc. Another Christmas a legal holiday in 1907. part of the 3 hours could include strength training. For a child, strength training could be crossing the monkey In June of 1870 Christmas became a fed- bars, wrestling with Dad on the carpet, helping mom eral holiday in the US. unload the groceries, cartwheels, crabwalk, catching and Electric Christmas tree lights were first throwing a ball, etc. Keeping their little bodies active is used in 1895. good for their brain development as well as their bones If you received all the gifts from the song and muscles. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” you Unhealthy eating habits as a preschooler may continue would have 364 presents. as they age; which can lead to and diabetes. We Do you know why we say the Twelve Days are so thrilled that most of the children at St. Luke ECC of Christmas? It is believed that it took eat very well; and we certainly realize it can be a chal- the 3 kings 12 days to find baby Jesus. lenge to encourage healthy eating in preschoolers. Here are some simple ways to keep them eating healthy!! The song Jingle Bells was written by Encourage your preschooler to try new foods; even just James Pierpont in 1857. It was origi- two bites. Have meals as a family at home; we tend to nally called “One Horse Open Sleigh” eat healthier options at home rather than a restaurant. and was made for Thanksgiving. Make the meals you offer well rounded, so your child Did you know that tinsel was once made of has the opportunity to eat a balanced meal. Include real silver! It was invented in Germany complex carbohydrates, good fats, lean proteins, fruits, in 1610. and veggies throughout the day. Have fresh fruit and The tallest Christmas tree ever displayed veggies easily available to snack on instead of quick was in Seattle Washington in 1950. The box snacks. Christmas tree was 221 feet tall!

The focus is to keep our preschoolers in motion and eat- It is said that candy canes were invented ing healthy choices, so they develop into healthy adoles- by a candy maker in Indiana. He cences who can continue the pattern of life we have in- wanted to use them to spread the name stilled in them as preschoolers. Proverbs 22:6 Jesus around the world. “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Don’t miss our January PALS meeting on nutrition! Jesus is better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole; Jesus is everywhere. Santa rides in a sleigh; Jesus rides on the wind and walks on water. Santa comes but once a year; Jesus is an ever present help. Santa comes down your chimney; Jesus stands at your door and knocks. Santa makes you stand in line to see him; Jesus is as close as the mention of His name. Santa lets you sit on his lap; Jesus lets your rest in His arms. Santa asks, “Little boy, little girl, what is your name?” Jesus knew our names before we did. Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly; Jesus has a heart full of love. Santa offers “Ho, ho, ho”; Jesus offers health, help, and hope. Santa says “You better not cry”; Jesus says, “Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.” Santa’s little helpers make toys; Jesus makes new lives, mends hearts, repairs broken homes. Santa may make you chuckle; Jesus gives you joy. Santa puts gifts under your tree; Jesus became our gift and died on the tree. There’s really no comparison. Jesus is the reason for the season. Volume 31, Issue 4 Little Saint’s Herald December 2017

Save the date……

St. Luke ECC presents

One Enchanted Evening Happy Birthday!! A family evening of fun, food & fellowship Ellery Jacobsen (12/10) Friday, April 27, 2018 Charlotte Costello (12/12) 6:30-9:30pm

Anna Katsionova (12/13) Casino Tables, dancing, refreshments and more • Damon Thornton (12/21) Separate Children’s Entertainment • Jordan Swanson (12/23) More details to follow…….. Adrianna Albritton (12/28) Amanda Caicedo (12/28) Sponsorship Levels:

“Jesus” (12/25) Glow Level $10.00 Sparkle Level $25.00 Shine Level $50.00 NO SCHOOL Star Level $75.00 Dazzle Level $100.00 Please mark your calendars! Our Center will be closed from Monday, December 25th through Casino Table Sponsor $300.00 Friday, January 5th for Christmas Break. We will reopen on Monday, January 8th. All sponsor’s names will be displayed at the event and published in the school Newsletter and Church Bulletin.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS SCHEDULE

TEACHERS DAY DATE TIME/PLACE

2’s Christine/Stacey Class Wednesday 12/20 11:00 Assembly Room

ALL 3’s Classes Wednesday 12/20 11:00 Assembly Room ALL PreK Classes Thursday 12/21 11:00 Church Volume 31, Issue 4 Little Saint’s Herald December 2017

“Every good and perfect gift is from God. It comes down from the Father. (James 1:17)

December 6th is the Feast of St. Nicholas! Based on tradition, the children will put a shoe out in the hallway in anticipation that St. Nick will stop by and leave them a surprise! We will celebrate with a school-wide service in the Children’s Prayer Garden.

Christmastime is such a special time within our church and our families. The children are so excited about getting ready for the holiday: spending time with family and friends, and of course receiving gifts. It is important to remind them of the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of Jesus Christ. Hammy Rudolph Christmas season begins with Advent. Advent is a time of A great way to spread a little Christmas cheer preparation that is filled with anticipation and hope. It is a period of time which invites us all to prepare patiently and into your child's lunch this month, Hammy Rudolph quietly for the coming of Jesus Christ. During the month we look-alike comes complete with a ham smile, hot- talk about preparing for and looking forward to the celebration dog or pretzel antlers, eyes made from hard of Jesus. boiled eggs and cheeks made from cheese or car- This month our two year olds will be talking about and ex- rots, and let's not forget about the most impor- pressing their love for Jesus, their families, and the true mean- tant part -- a shining bright red strawberry nose! ing of Christmas. Their classroom will be filled with singing and laughter as they prepare for the upcoming holiday.

Our three year olds will talk about Advent. They will get ready for Christmas by making decorations to use at home to remind them that Christmas is coming. They will pray to God and ask Him to help them be kind to others each day. Through -out the month they will talk about the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Pre-K classes will be reading about the birth of Jesus and will visit the church. They are also beginning to learn the “Hail Mary”.

All of our classes look forward to Breakfast with St. Nick on Saturday Dec. 9th. Please join us. The children always enjoy seeing their classmates at this fun event. Cheesy Snowman Merry Christmas, Most children enjoy making their very own pizza The Religion Committee and what is more fun than a cheesy snowman! Make the crust by cutting wheat tortillas with a

snowman cookie cutter. Let your child top with their favorite sauce, veggies, and cheese; and bake in your toaster oven till brown.

St Luke Early Childhood Center is proud to announce our 7th Annual “One Enchanted Evening” April 27, 2018 St. Luke Early Childhood Center 2757 Alderman Road Palm Harbor, FL 34684

This exciting evening with music, casino style games, appetizers, desserts, silent auctions and raffles, is the primary fundraiser for St. Luke Early Childhood Center.

For over 30 years, our center has provided the foundation for both spiritual and academic for- mation for nearly 100 children annually. Last year this event raised over $6,000, which was used for teacher continuing education and curriculum enhancement. We are hoping this year will be an even greater success allowing us to provide teacher continuing education, curriculum enhancement, and security updates. All donations are tax deductible and the funds benefit our non-profit center. Please consider a donation to be used in our Silent Auction, Raffles, or a monetary donation. Some suggested items are: gym memberships, vacation get-a-ways, gift bas- kets, gift cards, food trays, wine, etc.

All sponsors and donors will be recognized in our newsletter, signage and church bulletin. The total distribution reaches over 2000 families. Additionally if you make a donation of $225 or more you or your business will be recognized on a casino table plaque.

Please send your donation in prior to April 18th to be included in our written literature. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.

Our tax exempt non-profit 501(c) (3) number is 51-0561749. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call the early childhood office at 727-787-2914.

St. Luke Early Childhood Center 2757 Alderman Road • Palm Harbor, Florida 34684 (727) 787-2914 • Fax: (727) 786-8648 StLukeEcc.com – [email protected]

Dear ECC Parents,

St. Luke ECC is continuing its Adopt-a-class program this year! The Adopt-a-Class program partners individuals, families, business, industry, civic and church organizations with our school in both a financial and social function. Here’s how it works: An individual or group sponsors a class, or a project by giving a tax-deductible donation of $150.00 per scholarship to St. Luke Early Childhood Center. Please note families may combine resources as well. This is a great way to directly support your child’s learning environment. In recent years, through this funding we have purchased iPods, speakers and iPads for our classrooms; this year our teacher’s have classroom-specific ideas in mind, like new seating for their libraries, specific manipulatives and specialty curriculum materials. If you are interested in donating, simply complete the included form and send it in to the school office. Additionally we are again encouraging Adopt-a-Class for our Kids Morning Out program, science program and library. Our KMO program not only serves our littlest angels, it is also available in the summer and during holiday camps for all of our stu- dents. Please share one of the enclosed sponsorship forms with someone you believe would be interested in sponsoring a class or project at St. Luke ECC. Please note that this type of donation is eligible for matching gift monies through many of our sponsors’ places of employment. Our goal is to have a quick turnaround so we can include these updates and projects during this school year. If we can pro- vide any further information about this worthwhile program, please contact Stephanie or Kathie in the office at (727) 787-2914.

Thank you for your generosity. Your partner in education and faith,

Kathleen Mitchell Director St. Luke Early Childhood Center

NAME OF SPONSOR: ______

CONTACT PERSON & PHONE#: ______

ADDRESS: ______

What is your affiliation with the school? ______

CHOICE OF PROJECT OR CLASS

_____ Science Program _____ School library _____ Miss Christine and Miss Stacey– 2’s _____ Miss Rickey and Miss Susan– 3’s _____ Miss Claudia and Miss Heather – 3’s _____ Miss Diane and Miss Susan – Pre-K _____ Mr. Ray and Miss Judy –Pre-K _____ KMO- Miss Marybeth and Miss Kerry

Thank you for your donation of $150.00 per sponsorship. As a nonprofit organization, contributions to St. Luke Early Childhood Center are tax deductible. PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:

St. Luke Early Childhood Center (Adopt-a-Class). MAIL TO: St. Luke Early Childhood Center Attention: Adopt-a-class Program 2757 Alderman Road, P.H., FL 34684 ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS The “Little Saint’s Herald”, our monthly newsletter , is distributed to 150 fami- lies every month. You can place an ad several different ways:

• Business Card Ad = $25/month or $50/3 months or $155/year • Half Page Ad = $35/month or $70/3 months or $225/year

We need to have your ad by the 15th of the month prior to the month pub- lished. Your advertising helps defray the cost of printing the “Little Saint’s Herald.” Thank you to those businesses that continually support our efforts!