St. Paul’s Child Care Center (SPCCC) opened on January 2, 2007 in the former church parsonage. While the congregation had some concerns about whether this service was needed in our community, they relied on faith and forged ahead as the Lord led them. It was soon apparent that this local mission arm would provide a very effective way to reach more ears with the Gospel. From the children who attend to the parents who bring them to the grandparents who love to hear children talk about their love of Jesus, our congregation can be sure that “big little things” happen every day because of SPCCC!
St. Paul’s Child Care Center has been blessed with the services of four wonderful Directors over the years. Robyn Kleiboecker was instrumental in making opening day a reality through many hours checking rules and regulations, safety guidelines and Christian curriculum requirements. When she and her family moved to south Missouri in 2011, SPCCC was happy to hand over the reins to Diane Weicken who had recently retired from many years of teaching elementary school. Diane provided a calm, caring atmosphere for both children and staff but was pulled away in April 2016 after her daughter and son-in-law welcomed twin daughters. Fortunately for SPCCC, Marie (Inglish) Wickham stepped up to fill the gap and continued the legacy of love and learning our community had come to appreciate and expect. As Marie transitioned into full-time stay at home mother in the summer of 2019, we were blessed to move Sara (Hagemeyer) Turner into the position of Director. As the sole original staff member, Sara is the backbone of SPCCC and never turns down a task that benefits the children or SPCCC in general!
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to provide a Christian environment for children to grow and develop, and to nurture the mind and spirit of those in our care.
DISCIPLINE PHILOSOPHY
Caregivers will be firm but fair in encouraging children to follow directions, respect others and property, be kind, and practice self-control and empathy. If inappropriate behavior is observed, the child will be redirected and encouraged to brainstorm more appropriate behaviors and think about why the behavior was unacceptable. Caregivers will model appropriate behavior. If necessary, the child will be removed from the situation and “cool-down” time will be utilized.
ACADEMIC PHILOSOPHY
We will provide a Christian based curriculum for age appropriate learning including kindergarten readiness skills as well as social, spiritual, and emotional guidance. Sensory activities, dramatic play, gross motor practice, fine motor practice, etc. will be used to allow the children to learn through play. Bible stories and character builders will accompany academics. We believe that social/emotional development is imperative in preparing children to acquire academic skills.
CURRICULUM AND ACTIVITIES
We will provide a Christian based curriculum which includes academic and faith based goals. The children will be presented with age appropriate objectives in many areas including reading, phonemic awareness, math, science, social studies, character builders, and sensory experiences. In addition to curriculum we will have fun time, free play, physical activities including outside play, and will take field trips when possible.