Immanuel Lutheran Preschool
10731 W. LaPorte Rd.
Mokena, Il 60448
July 10, 2020
Dear Parents,
The Immanuel Lutheran Church and Preschool Board has decided to postpone the opening of the 2020-2021 School year until January of 2021. The decision did not come without much prayer, thought and consideration. The health and welfare of the children, families and staff is paramount in our decision. Right now, providing education during a respiratory illness pandemic with no treatment or vaccine, means there is no good solution or option. We are trying to find the best solution in a sea of inadequate options and imperfect, ever changing information. We are committed to educating our students as best we can. We know how important early childhood education is, but we also know how important it is to keep our children, families, and staff safe.
We have taken this approach to help us navigate the fluidness of the COVID pandemic. Early Childhood Education at Immanuel is meant to be a fun, social experience that teaches the children about Jesus and his love, while preparing them for Kindergarten. With the current restrictions that are in place by the CDC and the Department of Children and Family Services, we do not feel that we will be able to offer the Early Childhood experience that we are known to provide. The current standards require a multitude of precautions that are prohibitive to the experience and very costly to implement (masks must worn by children and staff, temperature checks, social distancing 6 ft apart, no sensory play, limited toys, constant sanitation, air quality management). There will also be no opportunity for interaction with other children or adults, outside their class. Many of the things that make our program unique would not be able to take place (Circle time, Chapel, Christmas Program, Spanish). As difficult as this decision has been, we know that God is with us and continues to guide us in these times.
We understand that some of you may not want to wait until January to start school. If that is the case, we ask that you please notify us that you would like to withdraw, and your registration fee will be refunded. Please email
preschool@immmanuelmokena.org with your name/child’s name and current address. Checks will be written and mailed by the end of July. If you recently registered and your check has not been cashed, it will be mailed back to you if you choose to withdraw.
We plan to begin preparation for the January start in November with revised back to school events and activities. We will keep you abreast of these happenings as they are scheduled via email. Please make sure we have your current email or the one that is best to reach you at.
Thank you for your support of Immanuel Lutheran Church Preschool and Staff. We look forward to getting back to school in January and sharing our love and care for the children then.
Sincerely,
Linda Marquardt, Director
Nancy Kaczmarczyk, Board of Christian Education
