ECC News and Events

Special Time with Our Pastor

2012-05-11T18:52:15Z

The Early Childhood Center’s mission is to educate the whole child―academically, socially, physically and spiritually. We are particularly dedicated to offering each child a strong Catholic identity. Our program offers daily prayers, service projects, Bible stories, and visits to church. Each week the 4- and 5-year-olds attend special Catechesis of the Good Shepherd faith formation classes. The Blue Tie Teddy 4-year-old class recently visited with our pastor, Father Hussey. The children were invited to enter the vesting room with Father to see the vestments, prayer books and sacred vessels. Father Hussey answered questions about a priest’s vocation and the Jesuit order. The children were interested in learning many new things about our church, and this experience enhanced their knowledge of our Catholic faith.

Growing and Changing

2012-04-26T19:58:39Z

The 4 year old children in the ECC’s Red Tie Teddy class have been studying living and non-living things all year long. They have conducted several science experiments around this theme. Currently, they are exploring the life cycle of the butterfly. Last week the insects were just tiny caterpillars; they have grown and are now busily constructing chrysalises. Over the past 7 months, the children also found it very interesting and great fun to track the growth of a student’s baby brother, recording their observations in their science journals. Now with the warmer weather, the students are planting seeds in order to monitor plant growth. Pictured are students planting marigold, grass, and basil seeds in pots. Since the children have learned all about the needs of living things over the course of this year, they are very conscientious about caring for the young seedlings, watering them when needed and anxiously watching for any new growth from day to day.

Labors of Love

2012-04-19T18:36:35Z

Seeking to follow the example of Jesus, the 4 year old Panda class spent the Lenten season trying to help others. As part of the ECC’s participation in the Linus Project, the children sewed fabric together to make a beautiful quilt for a hospitalized child. They also made colorful window crosses for the Diocesan seminarians and mailed them with Easter greetings to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, PA. Additionally, the Panda students helped out by doing small chores at home to earn coins for Heifer International—an organization that offers needy families gifts of livestock, seeds or training to empower them to turn lives of poverty and hunger into self-reliance and hope. Seen here is one of the children contributing some of the money she earned. These coins were collected throughout Lent and, when combined with those earned by the 3 year old Frogs class, totaled almost $60! They will be used to purchase baskets of chickens, rabbits, and ducks.

Buddy Time

2012-04-04T14:16:46Z

In an effort to build the bonds of community within our parish, the students in the Early Childhood Center have many opportunities to spend time with their older “buddies” in the “Big School.” The preschoolers have enjoyed opportunities like participating in gym classes conducted by the Physical Education teacher, visiting the science lab or touring the Kindergarten. Some of the ECC classes have established special relationships with individual SRCS classes. Pictured is one of our SRCS third graders enjoying reading to his little ECC four-year-old “book buddy.” The children in both schools treasure these opportunities to get together. In addition to time for reading, they might also solve puzzles or complete art projects. The preschoolers look up to their older buddies while gaining familiarity and comfort with the K-8 school. The older students enjoy being responsible and taking care of their little friends. These get-togethers are valuable for building confidence, encouraging leadership and developing budding friendships.

Music Appreciation

2012-03-23T16:47:30Z

This year the four-year-old Blue Tie Teddy class concentrated on experiencing, appreciating and participating in the fine arts. To encourage music awareness they invited parents, siblings, staff, and friends to visit the classroom and entertain the children with their musical instruments and talents. The children have had the opportunity to hear keyboard, recorder, violin, clarinet and trumpet. Future presentations include flute and a “one-man-band” with banjo, guitar, and accordion.

Pictured is the Ng family: mother Eden with Gabe and Erin playing familiar show tunes. This was a special treat as the Ng children are graduates of the ECC and the Blue Tie Teddy class.

These musical presentations help to encourage each child’s love of music and may even interest them in learning to play an instrument of their own. To expand each child’s creative spirit, the classroom has an open music center with handmade and multi-cultural instruments. The children are also learning to play simple songs on hand bells. This four-year-old classroom is overflowing with musical experiences!

Good Things Come in Threes

2012-03-16T18:53:09Z

“That’s so cool!” was the comment heard repeatedly as children in the Transitional Kindergarten class dropped yellow and blue food coloring onto their coffee filter shamrocks and watched the colors run and mix together to make a vibrant green. This was just one of the many fun and exciting hands-on activities the class participated in throughout the week in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. They learned how St. Patrick used a shamrock to try to explain the Holy Trinity. (Fittingly pictured are a set of ECC triplets showing off their three-leafed shamrocks.) The children were excited to go on a scavenger hunt in search of leprechauns and their gold, and they even fashioned some traps to try to snag one. Alas! Try as they might, those mischievous little leprechauns got the better of our students—creating a bit of a mess in the classroom while the children were out and evading all their traps. It was all great imaginative fun and a happy tribute to a wonderful saint whose feast day occurs in the midst of Lent.

Lenten Preparations

2012-03-09T20:00:16Z

It is the season of Lent, and the children at the ECC are preparing for the feast of Easter in many ways. Even our youngest students—our two-year-olds—are participating in Lenten preparations. They have painted their own Lenten crosses and made Lenten pretzels. Just as importantly they have been practicing the Lenten works of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in age-appropriate ways. Pictured is a class Lenten cross containing a collection of the good deeds the children are doing to share God’s love. These deeds include cleaning up toys, hugging friends who are sad, helping to set the dinner table, feeding family pets, etc. The two-year-olds have also been bringing pennies they have saved or earned at home and dropping them in a “Pennies for Puppies” jar. Their donations will go to the Saving Grace animal shelter. Prayer has been an important part of the children’s preparation. They join all the preschoolers at the ECC in a special Lenten prayer:

Oh, Jesus, I love you. You light my way.
Bless me and make me good and loving today.
All during Lent, I will share and be kind,
and when Lent is over Easter joy will be mine!
Amen!

It's a Small World After All

2012-03-01T21:16:34Z

Because we at the ECC value each individual as a cherished child of God, we encourage our children and families to celebrate their own and one another’s family traditions and cultures. Pictured here is a sampling of some parent visitors who came to share information about their clothing and other aspects of their family heritage with our inquisitive three-year-olds. Our preschoolers are taking their first steps into the wider world, and their experiences here at the ECC are preparing them to reap the benefits of living in an increasingly diverse and interesting world.

Pigs Lay Eggs?!?

2012-02-17T20:02:36Z

“Pigs don’t lay eggs!” That’s what was heard from our incredulous young ECC audience as they watched a recent puppet show at the ECC. Thanks to a group of dedicated parent volunteers who adapted the script and performed the story, the students at the ECC were treated to a puppet show of Pig’s Egg by Katherine Sully. The children’s eyes were transfixed as pig tended his “egg” and squealed with joy when out hatched a beautiful butterfly. We all learned an important lesson about the value of life and to appreciate the wonderfully unique way God has created us all.

Let's Make a Joyful Noise

2012-02-08T15:18:19Z

Playing and learning go hand in hand out on the ECC playground. In addition to opportunities to climb, run, garden and engage in dramatic play, our students are now also making a new joyful noise during their time outdoors. With generous donations from our ECC parents, the preschool has purchased three permanent, weatherproof outdoor musical instruments for the playground: a dragonfly chime (pictured), an alligator drum, and a Jamaican steel drum. These new acquisitions have added to the happy sounds emanating from our playground. Without a doubt, our ECC students will enjoy their new instruments for many years to come.