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