St. John Lutheran Church Darien

March 26, 2023

specialevents

Throughout the year, special events occur that create cherished memories for both the children and their families. We believe that a strong home-school connection enhances a child's learning and can offer the family support and encouragement through regular communication, parenting resources, family activities, and networking.

Family Devotions

Once a week the children go to church for a short devotion. The Pastor leads a Bible-based object lesson with prayer and the youngsters share one or two of the Jesus Time songs they have learned. Families are invited to attend the chapel on the first Wednesday of each month. Several times a year, the ELC students sing during the Sunday worship service. They also participate in the Children's Christmas Program

Fall Fun at the Farm

Each autumn all the ELC children, along with an adult chaperone for each, take a field trip to Siegel's Cottonwood Pumpkin Farm in Lockport. It is an action-packed day with opportunities to visit animals in the petting zoo, take a hayride, find a perfect pumpkin in the patch, explore a maze, and play outdoors.

Family Fun Events

Throughout the year, Family Fun Events are sponsored for church, preschool, and community families at no cost to them. Each event features some form of entertainment and refreshments. Past activities have included crafts, live performances, and movies. It is always a wonderful time of fellowship for those who attend.

Trunk-or-Treat

On the Saturday afternoon closest to Halloween weather permitting, the ELC hosts a Trunk-or-Treat in the church parking lot. It is open to the community. Families decorate the opened trunks of their car, some have games, and all provide treats for their costumed visitors. Children are free to walk with friends in a traffic-free and supervised area that offers a more secure and convenient alternative to trick-or-treating.

Grandparents Day

Each year the preschoolers invite their grandparents to school for collaborative, intergenerational activities. Those students whose grandparents are unable to attend are gladly "adopted" by others present. It is a much anticipated event that honors and celebrates the unique relationship between grandparent and grandchild with songs, crafts, and special treats.

Book Sense

The ELC promotes emergent literacy by having teachers read aloud to the children each day from books in the classroom library. The school also provides books for independent "reading" through its Little Lambs Library. Exploring books helps preschoolers develop print awareness. A story teller from our local Indian Prairie Library visits regularly for special interactive read alouds.

Thanksgiving Feast Day

The historical and spiritual meanings of "thanksgiving" come alive when students become Pilgrims and Indians to role play the celebration of the first Thanksgiving. Children are reminded to thank God daily for the many blessings He gives them like food, shelter, and families who love them.

Service Projects

The ELC sponsors service projects to help teach its students how to share the love of Jesus with others. Such undertakings have included teddy bear, picture book, and mitten collections for needy children living in shelters and law enforcement survival kits. Items gathered were distributed by DuPage County agencies. It provided a tangible way for preschoolers to understand the idea of comforting someone. The children also sponsor food collections for a local food pantry.

Candy Cane Lane

Candy Cane Lane is where children can enjoy Olaf the Snowman and Christmas-themed games, crafts, music, and read alouds while their parents shop at our Annual Craft & Vendor Fair. ELC staff members provide the supervision. As an added bonus, ELC families may leave their children for an extended time to shop off-site for a free will donation.

National Lutheran Schools Week

Each January an Open House is held to observe National Lutheran Schools Week and to encourage registration for the upcoming year. Not only is the community invited to tour the school, but current and alumni families are welcome to the celebration as well as church families. Usually a free Parenting Workshop is held during the month to mark the occasion.

Dad's Day

If we waited to celebrate fathers until June, school would be out. Therefore, we schedule a special Saturday to honor them in the winter. It is a themed morning of hands-on activities with daddy or another special man in each child's life. It is always fun to work together on a project and get a little silly.

Easter Eggstravaganza

St. John welcomes church, ELC, and community families each year for a morning of Easter fun. In addition to looking for treat-filled plastic eggs, children have the opportunity to participate in games and to make faith-based crafts throughout the event. There is also a puppet show. It is always a joy-filled morning and an opportunity for members to serve before and during the event.

Special Guest Visitors

Community connections are made when we invite representatives of local agencies to make guest presentations. Fire and police personnel help the children learn about careers and give them important safety tips. A dental hygienist visits to teach the children about how to take care of their teeth.

A Day at the Theater

Each spring all the ELC children, along with an adult chaperone for each, take a field trip to the Drury Lane Theater in Oakbrook or the Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove to see a live musical production of a favorite children's play or book. Recent productions seen have included The Little Mermaid, Charlotte's Web, and James & the Giant Peach.

Mother's Tea

The children host a Mother's Saturday for their mom or another special lady in their life in May. Refreshments are served by the children who then serenade the honorees with some special songs. The morning ends with the presentation of a surprise hand made gift.

Pajama Day

What do you think of when you hear the word "pajamas"? Most likely you think of bedtime and sleeping. But on one designated day each year, jammies can be worn to school. There is no dozing, however, just learning as usual. It is always fun to see who will wear what--Disney princess, super hero, TV or book character, dinosaurs, or sport p.j.'s. There may even be some bed hair that day!

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Planting Day

Placing seeds and plants in the soil is a fun and healthy outdoor activity the preschoolers enjoy each May as they work together to beautify the school grounds. It is a time when getting dirty is a good thing! In the process, the children become acquainted with different plants and the need to nurture them. The experience provides an opportunity for the children to give thanks to God for His creation and to learn their role in being good stewards of it.

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Lace School Band Concert

The Lace School Beginners Band visits the preschool each year to perform a concert. The preschoolers enjoy hearing the music and seeing how it is made. The director always employs different meaures to somehow encourage active audience participation much to the children's delight.

End-of-Year Picnic

The Saturday afternoon prior to the last week of school is reserved, weather-permitting, for an all-school picnic at Darien Community Park. It is a time for all the ELC families to get together for fellowship and to bid farewell until next year or offer good wishes to those heading off to Kindergarten.

Field Day

Field Day is held the final week of school. It is a time for the children to decorate visors and tees before they head outside for some friendly competition. It is a day of bubbles, sidewalk chalk, water balloon tosses, relay races, and other fun games.

Vacation Bible School

For one week each July, St. John Lutheran Church hosts a faith- and fun-filled themed Vacation Bible School for children aged 4 through Grade 6. All community children are invited, including current and past ELC students. Each morning children rotate in grade level groups to enjoy a Bible-based lesson, crafts, games, music, and snack.