Children

Sunday School

(9:30 TO 10:30 a.m.)
Nursery - Room 12
PreK & Kindergarten - Room 3
Grades 1 & 2 - Room 4
Grades 3, 4 & 5 - Room 5

Great Beginnings Preschool

** Great Beginnings Preschool - Applications now
being accepted for the 2010-2011 preschool year.
2-Year, 3-Year, 4-Year and Pre-K classes available.
Contact Lynn at 687-6082. **

The Board of Directors and the Staff of Great Beginnings Preschool welcome you and your child to our school. No specific doctrine is taught and families from all religious backgrounds are welcome.

Program Goals:

Create a nurturing environment to encourage emotional security in the classroom.
Instill values of love, compassion and respect for others.
Provide social enrichment through interaction with other children and adults, class visitors and field trips.
Develop fine and gross motor skills and coordination.
Introduce basic educational concepts through play, books, music and art.
Work closely with parents in daily contact and scheduled conferences. Encourage family members to participate in special events.
Provide a loving Christian environment to complement our educational curriculum.

Classes Offered:

Pre-Kindergarten – Monday, Wednesday & Friday 12:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
4-Year-Old – Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m
3-Year-Old – Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
2-Year-Old – Tuesday 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
4 & 5-Year-Old - Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Teachers:

Pre-K, 4-Year-old & Curriculum Coordinator – Lynn Underhill
3-Year-Old – Laurie Fulmer
2-Year-Old – Leigh Breslin

A Typical GREAT BEGINNINGS Morning:

9:00 a.m. - Arrival
9-9:30 a.m. - Free Play & Learning Stations
9:30-9:50 a.m. - Circle Time
9:50-10:20 a.m. - Bathroom Break & Snack Time
10:20-10:40 a.m. - Recess
10:40-11:15 a.m. - Art or Group Games
11:15-11;30 a.m. - Story Time
11:30 a.m. - Going Home

Eligibility:

To be eligible for admission to Great Beginnings, children must be two, three and four years old by September 15. Older 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds are eligible for our Pre-K Class. Priority will be given to First Presbyterian Church families and current preschool students. All other applications will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact the church at 687-6030 for more information.

Bible Presentation for Second Graders

Each fall, our second graders are presented with their very own Bibles as a gift from their church family. First Presbyterian Church wants to encourage every child, as they begin to read, to study God’s Word throughout their lives.

Acolyte Training

When children reach second grade or older, they may receive training to serve during Sunday worship services as acolytes. Children learn that Jesus Christ is “the light of the world” (John 8:12). They learn that the light they carry into and from the sanctuary reminds the worshipers of Christ’s presence with us.

Promotion Sunday

At the end of August each year, all of our Sunday school classes gather in Fellowship Hall to celebrate the promotion of children to the next class and to mark the beginning of an exciting new Sunday school year!

Vacation Bible School

Join us this summer for our community-wide Vacation Bible School, an ecumenical program sponsored by First Presbyterian Church of Strasburg, Wesley United Methodist Church and St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church for ages preschool through grade six. The location and theme for VBS varies from year to year. We will keep you posted as decisions are made and will let you know when registration forms are available.

Camp Donegal

A week at summer church camp can have a powerful lifelong influence on the spiritual lives of our children. At Camp Donegal, located in southern York County, there are a variety of camps all summer long for youth from kindergarten through senior high.

First Presbyterian will pay half of the cost for a week at Camp Donegal. If the financial needs are even greater, the church will make certain that no child misses out on the opportunity to go to summer church camp and experience Christian fellowship and the love of Christ in the midst of God’s creation! Last year unused summer funds were given as a summer camp scholarship to youth from Lancaster City.