As our school-wide study of winter weather comes to an end, we are preparing for a month full of love and kindness. All of our classes will focus on the concept of being kind to others. We will review our “I Love You” rituals, write I Love You notes to our friends and families, and recognize acts of kindness throughout the month of February. Our older classes will also focus on dental and heart health, practicing good hygiene, tasting new heart-healthy foods, and learning new heart-healthy exercises.

Our infants and toddlers will continue to explore new concepts through play as their teachers provide them with opportunities to explore materials through their senses. Our 2’s and 3’s will complete their study of winter habitats. Our 4’s will focus on Groundhog Day (Will he see his shadow?), and Black History (Look for content and activities that are based on facts from different periods in American history and read fact-based resource material), and President’s Day.

Registration
Don’t forget that registration for Student Enrollment for the 2023-2024 School Year for children who are currently enrolled at St. Luke’s Children’s Center (and their siblings) is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, February 7th. All children who are currently enrolled are guaranteed a space for the following school year, but only for 10 business days. Beginning Tuesday, February 21st, all remaining vacancies will open for registration to St. Luke’s Lutheran Church members. On Tuesday, February 28th, registration will be open for families on our current waiting list. March 6th registration will open to the general public. You may register after February 21st, but SLCC cannot guarantee the availability of spaces.

Flu Season Precautions
The flu season is upon us, and our main goal is to keep your child healthy. We ask that if your child has any flu symptoms, which include vomiting, severe cough, fever, and a sore throat, please keep them home. When a child comes to school with the flu, it affects the environment. We are committed to keeping our school environment sanitized each day and need your support to keep us healthy. If your child is diagnosed by the pediatrician with the flu, please be sure to inform us, as we have to report all cases to The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

COVID-19
Although the numbers have been low with the spread of Covid, we are still at risk. If your child is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, please keep your child at home and schedule a test.

Family Involvement Group (FIG)
SLCC participates in several fundraising opportunities throughout the school year. All fundraising opportunities are completely optional for families to choose their personal level of participation at NO COST. Ongoing efforts to raise funds include: the “Box Tops for Education,” “Publix Partners,” and “Harris Teeter.” Special events to raise funds include the fall and spring portraits. All funds raised through these events are deposited into the ‘Family Involvement Group’ (FIG) Account. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help with fundraising in any capacity with any of the above-mentioned endeavors, please see the Director. We offer a rewarding opportunity for parents to join together to work with St. Luke’s Children’s Center to enhance the education experience for our children, support our teachers, and support parents through the joys and challenges of parenting young children. We invite you to join the SLCC Family Involvement Group. This organization will be managed by a parent volunteer board and will have the opportunity to meet at quarterly meetings or as often as they determine necessary to organize and execute classroom and school-wide events such as Book Fairs, Fundraising, and Teacher Appreciation Week, and support the school with needs such as maintaining our playgrounds. Parents who are passionate about the well-being and education of their children will be able to plan meetings on topics relevant to our children, their development, and parenting concerns. Our next FIG meeting will be held Friday, February 3rd, from 5PM-6PM in the Family Life Center.

Valentine’s Friendship Celebration
We are asking that parents support our healthy heart theme this Valentine’s Day by sending only heart-healthy snacks and/or treats. Stay tuned as each classroom teacher will provide you with their Valentine plans and ways that you can help.

Dr. Seuss Week
The week of February 27-March 3 we will introduce our children to Dr. Seuss’ literature and celebrate his birthday. Each day will have a Seuss-related theme for the teacher and children to dress up and have some fun. On Friday, March 3rd, we will have a school-wide parade. Stay tuned as each class will make costumes to represent their favorite Dr. Seuss book, and teachers may need your support with materials for costumes.

Emergency Plans and Practice Drills
During the month of February, we will review and practice our “Shelter in Place” and “Lockdown” procedures. The purpose of our safety drill is for teachers to be prepared in the event of an emergency situation. When adults have a plan and are prepared, children stay safe. We will practice in a child-friendly way without using alarms and frontloading our children prior to the drill. Teachers will show them where to gather and let our children know this is a way to keep them safe if an adult was being hurtful in our school.