“Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37
For us as teachers, we continually look to see the goodness that God has made in all children. We then try to help our students see that in themselves and find it in others too. While we have been apart these past several weeks, not seeing that beauty and goodness of your children in our classrooms has left all of us feeling a bit empty. While we might feel this way, we all also feel so happy and thankful to have spent the time that we had with them in our preschool! The teachers and I are so very proud of how much your beautiful children have learned and grown over this year. Even though our time together was cut short, it was indeed joyful! We are especially grateful for your partnership in making your child’s at-home learning meaningful during the unplanned closure.
With the hope of brighter days ahead and thoughts of smiling faces and abundant laughter once again filling our preschool, we will eagerly anticipate the 2020/2021 school year. St. Francis of Assisi parish and the Diocese of Raleigh are committed to the safety and well-being of our school families and teachers. At this time, the diocese has instructed us to plan for our anticipated start date of August 24th. Please know that we will keep you informed over the summer months with any information regarding new COVID-19 safety implementations and/or any changes related to the start of the new school year.
As you are aware, summer camps across the parish have been cancelled for the month of June. A decision is still pending for July camps and will likely be finalized this week. In the event that we do not see each other over the summer, please stay connected with our preschool through our website. Ms. Shelley and I will be available throughout the summer. Another way to stay connected is by referring to our parish website. Not only will you continue to hear about the arrival of our new pastor, Msgr. Michael Clay, but you can also learn more about all that continues to go on behind the scenes at our parish. Although the campus is empty, there is much work still being done in so many areas. Look on the website for opportunities to hear what those are and ways to offer support and contribute to the ongoing efforts that help sustain our parish and its ministries even when we are not together.
Finally, the teachers and I are eagerly looking forward to seeing you at our car parades which will be held this week! We hope to make it memorable for the children and to show how much we love and will miss them! It will also be a chance for you to wish Ms. Jen well as she leaves our preschool. She will be relocating with her family to the Lake Gaston area. We will most definitely miss her warm smile and enthusiasm for all things preschool!
As we finish this year, know that we continue to be grateful for all that you’ve given to our preschool this past year. Your support, particularly through these past few months, has been so appreciated!
We wish you good health and much happiness this summer. For our families moving on, we will miss you and wish you every blessing. No matter near or far, we will continue to keep all of our students in our hearts, prayers, and thoughts!
With Joy,
Heidi