We are excited that school has finally started! We currently have 48 students enrolled in our program. We do have some openings. If you know of anyone, who is interested, please have them call our office, 396-3125.

It’s been fun getting to know the little ones and learning their names. There are less and less tears as the children are getting use to us and finding out that we have a lot of fun at preschool.

All the children learned about a man named Noah and his great big boat and that he listened to God. We talked about friends and families and how not all families look the same and that is just fine.

Soon everyone will be looking for signs of fall.

Thank you to everyone who has brought snacks, supplies, and paid all their fees on time! I just want to remind parents to label your child’s jacket/coat and their backpack.

We are off to a great start on our 49th year at Noah’s Ark Preschool. Thanks for trusting us to care for and to teach your precious little ones!

In Christ,
Leslie Clauson
Noah’s Ark Preschool Director

We have been very busy gearing up for the new school year. The classrooms are clean, toys sorted, crafts are prepped, and lesson plans are pre-pared. We had our orientation night on Aug 23. Orientation allows the children an opportunity to meet their teachers, see their classroom, and meet their classmates. While the children are busy playing, I meet with the parents to go over our Parent Handbook and any other questions they may have. Our goal is to have a smooth transition for everyone when school begins.

God has blessed us with 51 students enrolled for fall! There are a few openings in our program. If you know anyone interested, have them contact us at 396-3125. We are excited for classes to start Sept 4, the day after Labor Day. We have lots of new ideas that we are excited to see in action.

Jan Fick, Lori Larson, Kris Crowther, Lorri Anderson, and I will all be returning to teach this year. These people are a pleasure to work with every-day and make my job a lot easier. I feel blessed to work with fellow Christians who are passionate about teaching young children.

Please pray for all of us as we begin this new school year. Thank you!

In Christ,
Leslie Clauson
Noah’s Ark Preschool Director

In July, we started our second session of summer school. What a great group we have this summer! I’m not sure who is having more fun, the kids or the teachers!

A quick reminder that we have a few openings for the fall for 3’s and 4’s. For more information, visit www.noahsarkcr.org.

Summer school is so rewarding and we can enjoy the fruits of our labor. Everyone is familiar with our routines, knows the rules, and feels comfortable with the teachers. In just one month, we will be back to the beginning: new students, who are very unsure and sometimes very unhappy to say goodbye to their moms and dads. It is very stressful on them and we need to tend to all their needs. Our job as teachers is to create a safe, loving environment so we can actually teach, but that can take time. Consistency, love, and honesty is what makes Noah’s Ark so special. Once children feel safe, we can pour in God’s love. The transformation is so beautiful.

Are you creating a safe loving environment at home, work, school? Once people feel safe with you, they can open their hearts and you can start pouring in God’s love, too. Beautiful!

Leslie Clauson,
Noah’s Ark Preschool Director

What a wonderful year we had at preschool! Thank you to all the great families who trust us with their
precious little ones. We really love these children and have grown very attached to them. Saying “goodbye” will be hard, but they are ready to fly beyond the Noah’s Ark nest. We are very honored to be able to serve the community for 49 years.

All the ‘end of the year’ programs are scheduled for the last day of regular classes. A reception will follow each program. All friends and families are invited to attend. Our last day of school will be Friday, May 25.

April classes focused on good touches, magnets, and construction. All classes had an Ice Cream Social, which is always a big hit. We had a field trip to the downtown library. The older classes also visited our Methwick friends one last time. Our favorite Police Pal Glen Keiler came and talked to us about safety.

May is always a very busy month so please look at the calendar closely for special events. Registration
for 2018-2019 is still underway. If you know anyone interested, please have them call or email us. We will have a couple weeks off and summer school will begin Tuesday, June 12. There are still spots available if that is something your current Noah’s Ark student would like to do.

Leslie Clauson
Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Ok, maybe not. Announcing plans for a new ministry, the Pumpkin Patch! Coming soon to Cedar Hills! Plans are in the works to till a patch of ground on the south and west side of the shed and plant pumpkins and gourds. Why? It‘s fun!

We also would like to create more community around a common theme—growth! Our thought is to use our land wisely and create fellowship among different teams already operating in our church. Our core team consists of people from both services. We are enlisting the assistance of the Youth Group, Young adults, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Noah’s Ark, and any of you who don’t fall into one of those communities. If we don’t receive more snow, we plan to till soon and plant by May 15.

Questions? Ask a team member or contact the church office. Watch for a harvest by October 1.

Members: Deb DeHaan, Jim Boeke, Wayne Josifek, Mary Landhuis, Leslie Clauson, Beth Brockette, Jeremy Van Genderen, and Dennis Rozendaal

Telling a preschooler the real Easter story is a delicate matter. No bunnies, no colorful eggs. We use felt pieces to help show the story, and tell the whole story, scary parts and all. We begin by saying, this is the most important story they have ever heard and it’s a real story. We discuss, all the time, if a story we read is real or make believe. Most of them can tell you the real story about a little baby born in Bethlehem, but now that boy is a grown man, already a hard concept to imagine for a young mind. Then, we talk about how some people hated Jesus.

What?! They thought he was a good guy. Yes, he is a very good guy, but mean people wanted to hurt him. They ask, “Why?” Well, Jesus told everyone that he was the Son of God and he performed miracles, but some people were threatened by his power and wanted to kill him. “What? Like really kill him?” they ask. Yes, so they beat him badly and then nailed his hands and feet to a cross. He hung there until he died. Their eyes are as big as saucers by this time and the room is very quiet. Their teachers are telling them this scary story and it’s not how our stories usually go.

Then, Jesus’ friends wrapped his body and put him in a tomb with a huge rock in front so no one would bother him. His friends were very sad; they went to the tomb three days later, but the stone had been rolled away! This is the good part! An angel appeared and told them that Jesus was risen and he was not in the tomb. What?! Now their heads are spinning trying to think how that happened. We tell them that God raised Jesus from the dead; he was seen by many people; and then he went to heaven and now sits with God. We finish the story telling them that Jesus was sent by God to die for all our sins, every one of us.  Wait, what?! We are part of this story?!” Yes, we are all sinners and Jesus died for us. Young minds blown! John 3:16-“For this is the way God loved the world: He gave His one and only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

~ Leslie
Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool

February was full of fun activities! Everyone learned about the mail and what happens to your letter after you put it in the mailbox. We all enjoyed giving and receiving valentines! Our testing is all done for our 4- and 5-year-olds and evaluations have been sent out. The 3-year-old classes had fun learning about snowmen, dinosaurs, and creation. Second report cards for our younger classes will be sent out before spring break.

Our 2018-2019 registration is ongoing. If you know someone who would like information, have them call us at 396-3125 or email at [email protected]. All classes meet from 9-11:30.

Our spring break will be March 12-16, same as Cedar Rapids schools.

Please mark you calendars for March 19th to donate blood! Mississippi Valley Blood Center will come here and set up in the Gathering Space. Your time from check-in to check-out is less than an hour. Please sign up to donate; our area is in desperate need. Call Leslie at the Preschool to sign up at 396-3125!

I can’t believe there are only 3 more months left of school! I’m ready for spring and we can’t wait to see all those flowers come up in front of our windows again! I want to remind everyone that we will be offering a 6-week (two 3-week sessions) summer school program in June and July. This program is for current Noah’s Ark students only. I will give more details next month.

Have a great March!

In Christ,
Leslie Clauson,
Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool