Blessing Those in Need

Our 3 and 4 year olds collected 48 cans of non-perishable food to donate to a local food pantry during the month of November!  They drew labels for each can imprinted with the reminder that God loves everyone.  In addition, the children collected athletic socks and made snowpeople out of them.  They donated the socks to nursing home residents.  While they made the snowpeople, they learned about giving and helping people in need.  Paulette Bennett is the teacher, assisted by Jennifer Rimawi. 

Perfect Day for Pumpkins

Today, we experienced perfect weather for our annual trip to Johansen Farms in Bollingbrook, IL.  With temperatures in the upper 60's and plenty of sunshine, the children and numerous parents enjoyed a hayride, feeding the farm animals, riding in a train, sliding down an inflatable slide and picking out a pumpkin at the end of the trip. 

Link to www.flickr.com/lutherandaynursery to see all the pictures of the day. 

Playhouse

Lutheran Day Nursery and Early Childhood Center was selected to receive a creatively painted playhouse that was constructed by volunteers from a Chicago area corporation.  The playhouse is just the right size for our children and has become a great addition to our playground. 

New Photos on Flickr

Visit our Flickr page to view pictures of activities at Lutheran Day Nursery during the month of June.  The children released butterflies, planted a garden, enjoyed a field trip to a farm, got wet (to stay cool in 100 degree weather) and designed their own zoo habitats.  Happy 4th of July!

Door Installation

Our old rear door was literally falling off the hinges.  Chris Ramsey, one of our parents, installed a new fire rated metal door on May 22, ensuring that we are in compliance with all regulations.  Thanks to his willingness to volunteer, we were able to do the project for the cost of materials.  Thank you, Chris.  Excellent job!

 

Enjoy videos of our children singing some special songs at our Family Potluck and Talent Show.  Special thanks to the Vancil family for posting the videos on You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSpaglR-w6s&feature=channel&list=UL

LDN's Got Talent!

Move over "America's Got Talent."  The children of Lutheran Day can sing, dance, play instruments and demonstrate skills--and bring down the house!  Our annual Family Potluck and Talent Show was held as a part of the Week of the Young Child, a time to celebrate our children and remember that they are special gifts from God.  To see more pictures, link to our Flickr album.

Dino-Rama!

The children in Ms. Bennett's classroom visited the Field Museum of Natural History on April 30 to learn more about dinosaurs and fossils.  They drew pictures and wrote stories about the dinosaurs they saw.   

Come to Paradise!

PARADISE, our Summer Day Camp for children ages 3-6, will officially start on Monday, June 18, 2012. Open from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm to accommodate working parents, the day camp will feature weekly field trips, outdoor play times, crafts, enrichment activities and more. Contact Lutheran Day at 773-486-4222 or pastorrayed@sbcglobal.net for more information and to enroll your child. Spaces are limited, so don't wait.

New Washer and Dryer

Last month, our old (very old) washer and dryer decided not to work any more. We weren't sure what to do, but through the suggestion of a staff member, we contacted Lutheran Church Charities about our need. Through the generous donation of $1000 from an anonymous family, we were able to replace the old units with new Kenmore appliances. (The old units were so old that with the help of one of our parents, we had to change the obsolete outlet on the dryer!) What a blessing the new appliances have been! We are very grateful for the gift that will enable us to wash the sheets and blankets used at nap time. We only hope that these new units will last as long as the old ones.
From all of us at Lutheran Day, "thank you!"

A Sad Ending for Hull House

Hull House, founded by Nobel Prize-winning social worker Jane Addams 122 years ago, has declared bankruptcy and will be closing its doors in spring 2012. The venerable institution was not receiving enough private donations to off-set the cuts in state funding for its programs and services for children and families.

The closure of Hull House highlights the struggles that many not-for-profit agencies are facing with regards to finances. State funds are being cut or eliminated and private donations have dwindled. Foundation grants have become increasingly competitive and limited. The result: cutbacks of services or closure.

Lutheran Day Nursery has also suffered as a result of cuts in state funding. We are so grateful for the donations we receive from churches and individuals, but we also have experienced a decline in our support base. While closure in not in our future, we are increasingly faced with difficult decisions about staffing and programs. Please consider increasing your support for our programs in 2012. You can make an online donation at our website: www.lutherandaynursery.org. Thank you.

Welcome 2012

Happy New Year! We're excited about 2012. New children are enrolling and we are expecting lots of growth and development throughout the building. But before we say goodbye to 2011, we encourage you to view the video of our December Christmas program. Follow the link to see short clips of our children singing, performing the Christmas story and bringing us lots of good cheer. http://www.youtube.com/user/vancilfamily1?feature=watch