March 30, 2023

Dear Preschool Families,

As I was recently reflecting on the ending of the Lenten season, I came across this quote from Pope Francis: “Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.”   I think that these words can help me to more fully appreciate Lent. I believe that it can do the same for our preschool community as well. 

What is God calling us to do each day that might have become stale or lethargic due to the incessant activity of our busy lives? What is He trying to reignite in our spiritual lives during the Lenten season? All of the classes, in various ways, have tried to look for the answers to these questions during these last few weeks, particularly in relation to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the three pillars of Lent. By doing so, they’ve truly emphasized the ‘doing’ part of Lent. 

With prayer, we are reminded that God wants us to talk with Him all of the time. Has your student shared with you the song, “Jesus Walked the Desert for Forty Days”? It’s a favorite among our students. While practicing it, we remind our preschoolers that singing can be considered prayer to God too. Fasting could mean many things for our preschoolers such as not having that extra cookie. It could also mean sharing something that we really, really like with a friend. If you’re playing with your three most favorite trucks, maybe you could give up one to a friend who also wants to play with them. Our preschoolers have practiced almsgiving in many ways too. The monthly manner focused on offering the gift of forgiveness to those who have hurt us in some way. Our 4 & 5-year old classes prepared soup kits with the 7th graders from TFS. The kits were then given to the low-income seniors who are the recipients of monthly lunches through the church’s Brown Bag Ministry. It was wonderful to witness, both big and little students coming together to support the elderly!

While our Lenten efforts have been a main focus for the month, we also were so excited to be able to again offer our families a chance to explore the variety of cultures that we have at preschool with our International Festival. Many thanks to our parent contact, Dana Smith, and to everyone who hosted one of the 11 countries that were represented; we couldn’t have done it without you! We are grateful to all those who were able to attend and partake in the joyful celebration of our many family heritages! 

Finally, even though there is joy in our community, unfortunately, it is not the case for all schools. I am sure that you are aware of the tragedy that occurred this past week at a Christian school in Tennessee. It certainly emphasized the fact that a horrible event such as that can befall any community, regardless of size, affiliation, socio-economic status, etc. Although we can never guarantee that a shooting such as the one in Tennessee won’t occur here, we can promise to do our very best to take proactive and preventative measures to ensure everyone’s safety. We can also promise to continually strive to improve in plans that we do have. For example, because of ongoing emergency preparedness training, such as the active shooter training completed at the beginning of this school year, room numbers have now been placed in all classroom windows to make it easier for first responders to locate specific areas. Several additional outside security cameras have been installed on campus. The Diocesan Office of Education (OOE) is also moving forward with some initiatives for all schools. One of these has led to all schools forming a safety & security committee which is made up of teachers, staff, and parents who have a background in emergency response fields. One of their purposes is to ensure that our campus has solid plans in place to handle potential disasters and to continually reassess where any changes are needed. Please know that the safety of our students and staff will always be our top priority. 

As we prepare for Easter, I hope that you will join me in offering prayers for the health and safety not only of our preschool community, but for all those who suffer violence, sickness, war, and discrimination in our world. May God bring peaceful days to you and those around you! Wishing you a very blessed Easter!

With Joy,