They say that time flies when you’re having fun, so we must be having a blast here at Open Arms Christian Preschool! October has proven to be just as busy as ever and I find myself planning not only for Thanksgiving, but also for Christmas!

We had a great field trip walking to the Fire Station and got to see the beautiful fall colors along the way. I love that we had several parents come along with us. A walk on a beautiful fall day with fifteen preschoolers is good for the soul. They find excitement in the simple things, and I love that! The three-year-old class enjoyed a visit the firefighters made to our preschool, complete with the big fire truck. The rest of October has been spent talking about Autumn and all the things that go with it, including spiders and pumpkins. We even turned our classroom into a "bat cave" complete with hanging bats made by the Pre-K class. We had our eye screenings done by the Lion's Club, Parent conferences, celebrated three student birthdays and—my personal favorite—spent a wonderful day at Harvest Farm doing all the fall festival activities we possibly could.

Bible stories for October have been Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, where we learned about obedience, Jesus walking on water, where we learned about faith and trust, the Widow's offering, where we talked about what it means to be a cheerful giver, and Joseph forgiving his brothers, where we learn what forgiveness means. Pastor Nettleton delivered the Bible story at Chapel, where he presented the story of Jesus walking on water. The offerings the kiddos bring in each month will be going to help a sister LCMS preschool in Houston where many families have been displaced by the hurricane.

Our fundraiser at Pour Brothers was a fun night for all who attended. It's a great thing to have events where the parents can get together to foster new friendships, relax and have some food all while supporting their child's preschool. The Bike Rodeo was also a big success, bringing in just over $1,800 so far with just a few outstanding pledges still yet to come in. The next fundraiser we have scheduled is the bake sale on Sunday, December 17, after the church service, so be sure to come downstairs to find some fun homemade Christmas goodies!

Our Music Mondays with Kids in Harmony have been fabulous! The students love learning about music and playing with new instruments each week. We've been singing all about fall colors, leaves and friends, all while learning about rhythm and other aspects of music.

Even when things are going well, sometimes there are “not so fun” things that pop up, and we have had a bittersweet change to our staff recently. Ashlee Sturgeon had to make the tough decision to step away from working outside the home at this time. But as always, God has a plan. Lani Long, a mother of five who loves children and has preschool experience, has seamlessly stepped in where Ashlee left off, so we've really not skipped a beat at all. She is super excited to be a part of our staff, and we are excited to have an enthusiastic new person aboard.

Looking ahead, I would like to invite everyone to attend our Thanksgiving Feast on November 20 in the Large Fellowship Hall at 11:30 AM. The kiddos will make pumpkin bread and chicken salad sandwiches for lunch, and we will have fresh fruit and apple cider too. The preschool families attend this event for lunch, fun and fellowship, so just let me know if you'd like to join us—or just show up! We would love to have you either way! Other upcoming events we would like to invite you to are our nursing home visit in December and our Christmas program. I will let everyone know the date once it's set for the nursing home. Our Christmas program is in the Large Fellowship Hall at 6:30 PM on December 14. With thirty kiddos performing, we expect quite a crowd and we would absolutely love to see some members of Saint John’s there, too, if you are free that night. It isn't Broadway, but as a parent told me last year, this program is exactly what a person needs to get in the Christmas spirit, be entertained and have a million laughs, and the price can't be beat—it's free!

In November we will be discussing bodies, family, popcorn, turkeys, thankfulness and, when we return from Thanksgiving break, we will launch into Christmas fun! Wow, did I really just say that? Well, like I said, time flies when you're having fun!

Have a blessed November and happy Thanksgiving!

Kandy Wise is the Director of Open Arms Preschool, a ministry of Saint John’s Lutheran Church. You may reach her at 482-1357 or OpenArms@StJohnsFC.org with any questions about the Preschool.