Wabash First UMC https://www.wabashfirstumc.org Thu, 18 Aug 2022 09:27:48 +0000 Thu, 18 Aug 2022 09:27:48 +0000 hourly 1 3600 SnapPages.com Breakthrough Prayer https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2026/02/16/breakthrough-prayer Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:35:48 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2026/02/16/breakthrough-prayer
This Lent, I am inviting and challenging all of us to end our day with a Breakthrough Prayer.  What is a Breakthrough Prayer?  It is a prayer prayed by an individual and a group with the express purpose of opening up in a new way to the Holy Spirit, who will 'break through' the barriers we have to what God is trying to do in and among us.

Council Chair/Lay Leader Ann Higgins and I spent time together listening, and the word that arose is 'refuge.'  In a world of chaos and confusion, increasing violence and nonstop news, there are so many people seeking safety.  What would it mean for you to be a person of refuge, someone whom people in your life know they can turn to for nonjudgmental and Christian love?  What would it mean for us as a church family to be a group of people where the least, the last, the lost and the unloved find a warm welcome, no matter what?  What would it look like for our property to be a refuge in life's storms?  

I would propose that we've already been used by God to welcome those needing refuge - and maybe that the Spirit is just inviting us to be even more of what God has made us to be.

But there may be blindspots or obstacles that we have not noticed, so, the Breakthrough Prayer.  Together, every night before bed, know that you are surrounded by a 'great cloud of witnesses' both living and eternal, as you pray:

Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me, working through all my relational connections to make our congregation a refuge for all those you love.  Amen.

Then, watch for the doors to open, the people to arrive, the opportunity to be clear...  
And when you join God in answering your prayer,
tell the story far and wide of what God is doing!

Lore
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2026/02/16/breakthrough-prayer#comments 0 Advent and Christmas - Struggle and Joy https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2025/12/10/advent-and-christmas-struggle-and-joy Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:49:19 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2025/12/10/advent-and-christmas-struggle-and-joy
Comfort and Joy
Advent and Christmas are all around us.  Lights, carols, candles, shopping, trees!  And also, struggle is all around us.  Financial shortfalls, flu, cold weather, snow and rain and slush.  

Life is never all one thing.  Eugene Peterson says that following Jesus is a 'long obedience in the same direction.'  Sometimes it is trudging through snow, and sometimes it is a stroll among twinkling lights.  

Wherever you are this Christmas, I hope you will consider taking a step with a church family that walks with you in the love of Christ.  Christmas Eve at 4 p.m. will be child-friendly, joyous and maybe a tiny bit chaotic, but also full of light and color and opportunity to remember that God is with us in the midst of it all.

Let Love Lead,
Pastor Lore  
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2025/12/10/advent-and-christmas-struggle-and-joy#comments 0 Movin' and Shakin' https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/10/09/movin-and-shakin Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:40:15 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/10/09/movin-and-shakin

Field Trip Fun and Special Visitors 

The last 2 weeks at Wesley have seen our preK and preschool students heading out on the town! Additionally, we've had adventures right here at school thanks to special visitors and experiences! Let's dive in and find out more! 

Adventure is Out There! 

Our preK students' time at school has been full of adventures! They got to explore a "cave" at school, climb Mt. Wesley, see what it might be like to go white water rafting, and adventured to the Forks of the Wabash for a fun-filled field trip! 

Calling all Campers and Dog Lovers!

Our preschoolers spent time learning about camping and enjoyed a visit to the Upper Wabash Interpretive Services center! They crafted and explored all that the nature center had to offer.  And if that wasn't exciting enough, last week our preschoolers were visited by not 1 but 2 different dog owners! First, our friend Cole's mom brought their 4 month old doggy named Chili.  She trains dogs and showed us what a good girl Chili was! Then, to end the week, Journeycreek Labradoodles brought us "baby dogs" to cuddle and play with! What a fun time to be a Wesley kiddo. 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/10/09/movin-and-shakin#comments 0 The Gang's All Here https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/09/18/the-gang-s-all-here Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:45:18 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/09/18/the-gang-s-all-here

The Gang's All Here

All of our students are finally in the building! It was a great week at Wesley getting to know all of our friends and the routines of school. Our Pre-K students had a Terrific letter T week! Highlights included tie-dying their own school shirts and their first monthly visit to Crossfit for their Crossfit Kids class! We are so excited to be partnering with them this year to offer a little something extra for our large motor skill development! 

Preschool was A-A-mazing! 

Preschool had a most delicious start to their school year with their A is for Apple week! Some highlights from their week included trying apple cider and candy apples.  They enjoyed making pretend apple pies in the sensory bin! They also got a chance to test red, yellow and green apples and chart their opinions! 

An A-A-Awesome Start for
Bright Beginnings:

Our littlest learners also had an awesome start to their first letter week! Their highlights included creating a giant Apple craft, exploring A pictures on the SMARTboard, playing in the apple pie sensory bin and enjoying the playgrounds! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/09/18/the-gang-s-all-here#comments 0 Welcome to School 2023-2024 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/09/08/welcome-to-school-2023-2024 Fri, 08 Sep 2023 19:30:15 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/09/08/welcome-to-school-2023-2024

Welcome to School

2023-2024

It is so great to be back in full swing here at Wesley Academy!  This past week, we welcomed 63 children into our building...and our hearts! Bright Beginnings, Preschool and Pre-K all had a blast getting to explore their classrooms, the sensory room, the MAC and the playground! We met our teachers, helpers and new friends! And while some of us arrived nervous, we all left so excited to return to school! 

Bright Beginnings

Our littlest learners had a blast getting to explore school for the first time ever! They played with playdoh, danced with bubbles, sang songs, made "First Day" hats, and had a such a fun time playing in the sensory room and on the playground. 

Preschool

Our preschoolers had a great introduction to school this week.  They colored special "First Day" pictures, made "First Day" hats, and made friendship bracelets to go along with a special book called Our Class is a Family. In the sensory room, they enjoy painting a backpack for the first day of school as well as exploring the school themed sensory bin.  Like Bright Beginnings, they had a blast checking out both the indoor playground and outdoor playground! 

Pre-K

Our "big kids" had an amazing start to their school year as well! They had fun creating self portraits and painting their names.  They enjoyed reading First Day Jitters and trying Jitter Juice! They explored their classroom, the sensory room, the MAC and the outdoor playground. They even got a chance to play on the Smartboard! They, too, made a traditional "first day" hat and absolutely rocked their first week of school! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/09/08/welcome-to-school-2023-2024#comments 0 Midsummer Update https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/07/05/midsummer-update Wed, 05 Jul 2023 11:42:24 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/07/05/midsummer-update

It's July?!

Somehow, May and June just flew right past us! Our Wesley students wrapped up a great school year! The last month of school brought fun field trips all around town like to Crossfit, the museum, Make-it-Your-Own, and even out of town to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo!

Our pre-K kiddos graduated and made us all so proud! Their zest for learning and love for Jesus fills our hearts with joy.

We are  excited that so many of our Bright Beginnings and preschool students are returning next year! The teachers are already  making plans for the many adventures the next school year has in store!

Thank you to everyone who has supported Wesley Academy this school year; parents, community members, church family...we feel your support and are so appreciative!

We love being able to offer students a "first school" experience that is unmatched! We love helping them grow and stretch and learn all while getting to share the love of Jesus with them each day.

We hope you are all enjoying your summer and we will be back in September!


]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/07/05/midsummer-update#comments 0 The Homestretch https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/04/17/the-homestretch Mon, 17 Apr 2023 14:52:05 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/04/17/the-homestretch

The Homestretch

Wesley Academy is in the homestretch for our school year! We hit the ground running when we got back from Spring break!

We were introduced to our newest fruit of the spirit in Compass Kids Chapel:  Faithfulness! We sang praise songs reminding us that God is always faithful to us.  We learned that Compass Kids are kids who demonstrate that faithfulness to others. 

PreK Excitement: Word Building has Arrived! 

This past week, our pre-K kiddos put all of their letter sound knowledge together and starting learning how to build words!! It was amazing watching these little ones stretch out sounds and read actual words like Cat, Hat, Mat, Pat and more! They were so proud and excited to be doing such "big kid" things!
They also celebrated their 100th day of school! How is that possible!? Some of their 100 day highlights included eating 100 snacks, making a hat that had 100 items on it, and all sorts of silly 100 day dances! 

Preschool:  Wonderful Letter W

Our preschoolers saddled up to letter W week ready to tackle the Wild West! They had a blast dancing to wild west themed songs and listening to stories from Sheriff Callie's wild west! They enjoyed painting horseshoes and squishing watermelon sensory bags! They had the best weather for their watermelon picnic at Friendship Hill! It was a Wonderful Week!

Bright Beginnings:

Our Bright Beginnings students also enjoyed a Wild West themed week at school! They had fun creating a Wild West collage and enjoyed the Wild West themed smartboard activities to review W and their number this week:  6! In the sensory room, they enjoyed water and water blocks, a Wild West bin full of horses, cowboy hats and wagons, as well as a station to care for horses you'd find on a ranch out west! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/04/17/the-homestretch#comments 0 March Madness https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/04/17/march-madness Mon, 17 Apr 2023 11:50:15 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/04/17/march-madness

March Madness

A snapshot of our fun at Wesley in the month of March

Pre-K in Review:

The month of March raced by at Wesley! Our days were filled with exciting adventures as each class continued its journey through the alphabet.

Our PreK highlights include exploring Australia, diving into a Mo Willems author study, expanding our coding skills for Botley by creating our own code to help him find an Easter egg, playing with worms, an Exciting field trip to Eagles theater, a park-themed lunch bunch, planting our very own seed and watching it grow, an Easter egg hunt and even a trip to the library.  Whew!

Preschool Happenings


Our preschool snapshots include a field trip to the YMCA for a Safari to the Rainforest Playplace, a library visit, fun exploring the four seasons, tigers, the universe and vacations! We had fun making diet coke and mentos volcanoes, creating seasons collages, and playing with stretchy slime! Our weeks were full of hands-on learning!

Bright Beginnings 

Bright Beginnings was full of fun as we explored letters S, T, U and V! We created seasons crafts, played with tools, were explorers in the Universe, played with so many fun “vacation” toys, and even enjoyed some Easter excitement as well!

Our month of March was spectacular!

]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/04/17/march-madness#comments 0 All the fun things! https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/03/04/all-the-fun-things Sat, 04 Mar 2023 11:17:43 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/03/04/all-the-fun-things

Week 26 Recap

Compass Kids Chapel 

March ushers in a new fruit of the spirit for Compass Kids Chapel:  Gentleness.  We talked about what gentleness is. We learned that Compass Kids are kids who are gentle with each other.  We enjoyed dancing to and learning our new praise song as well as some of our favorites from throughout the year! 

Prek: Letter B

A Boatload of Fun! 

This week, PreK students explored the letter B with a Bear theme! They started our their week creating their very own codes for Botley! During circle times this week, they learned about the different types of bears from grizzly and black to polar bear! They crafted a bear out of the letter B.
Their sensory room time was full of fun B things! They could paint a butterfly, play with beanie babies, build with tools, play with boats and floating blocks in water, build with bristle blocks, make a beaded bracelet and even create a baseball b craft! Whew!
Tuesday was so exciting because all the prek kiddos got together for a teddy bear picnic pizza party! They had a blast playing games with their bears like relay races and catching "fish" to feed their bears! Math time even got in on the bear fun when they used little bears to measure and graph the lengths of their stuffed animals!
Science time was electrifying! They learned about static electricity and used this knowledge to make tissue paper butterflies "Fly" with balloons!

Preschool:  Letter R 

Rainforest, Rainbows and Robots...oh my! 

Preschoolers went on a Rainforest adventure for letter R this week! They explored animals in the rainforest and had a blast dancing to all sorts of rainforest songs! They created a rainforest out of the letter R! They also had fun finger-painting and making a raincloud display! 
In addition to the rainforest, our kiddos explored the science of Rainbows!  After learning how a real rainbow is formed, they "grew" a rainbow with washable markers, paper towel and water!
Their sensory room time was full R/rainforest fun! They could play with the rainforest play set, play in rainbow rice, sort rainbow pom poms, race cars down the racetrack, paint a rainbow, and make a rainbow robot!
No letter R week would be complete without painting our own pet rocks! The children had a blast painting and naming their very own pet rocks. 

Bright Beginnings:  Letter R

Rainforests and Rainbows

Our Bright Beginnings students also explored the rainforest during their school week! They enjoyed dancing to R and rainforest songs.  They also had a blast trying out rainbow ribbon dancing! They listened to exciting rainforest stories and had fun crafting their own rainforests.
They explored the number 1 with lots of rainbow fun! They each took turns finding #1 on the SmartBoard and covered it with a rainbow!
Our littlest learners enjoyed their sensory time as well with the rainforest play set, rainbow rice and rainforest animals, rainbow pom poms, and racetrack!
It was a Rad week! 

]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/03/04/all-the-fun-things#comments 0 Q Week for All https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/02/25/q-week-for-all Sat, 25 Feb 2023 08:37:45 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/02/25/q-week-for-all

Week 25:  Q Week for All! 

Pre-K

This week, Pre-K embarked on a Quiet Quest into the Night for letter Q! They explored all the excitement that the night holds - like our planets in the solar system.  They enjoyed circle times filled with a night sky where they learned about some of our constellations! They had fun wearing pajamas to school and adding glow-in-the-dark stars to their solar systems! This week also brought a trip to the library! The kiddos enjoyed a cowboy themed puppet show along with a variety of game stations! 

Preschool:  Q is for Little Quack

This week, our preschoolers learned about the letter Q while exploring the Little Quack book series! They enjoyed creating their own Little Quack and painting a quilt as they reviewed their shapes! They were able to have fun painting with Q-tips this week as well. In the sensory room, they had a blast playing with the "quacking" rubber ducks in the water table.  Just like Pre-K, they also headed to the library for the fun cowboy themed day! In the MAC, our preschoolers learned how to play "quiet ball" and did such a great job! 

Bright Beginnings 

Our Bright Beginnings kiddos also explored the Little Quack books.  They had a blast painting their own Little Quack and using q-tips as paint tools.  They very much enjoyed their time with the ducks in the sensory room as well.  
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/02/25/q-week-for-all#comments 0 A Fun-filled Month at Wesley https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/02/17/a-fun-filled-month-at-wesley Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:33:45 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/02/17/a-fun-filled-month-at-wesley

A Fun-Filled Month at Wesley

Weeks 21-24 Recap

Compass Kids February Chapel

For the month of February, our fruit of the spirit has been Goodness! We've learned all about the goodness of God.  We've learned that God's goodness is for everybody, everywhere.  We've learned as Compass Kids that we can share the goodness of God with those around us.  We have sung our hearts out at chapel and shared all the ways we can demonstrate God's goodness like saying kind words, sharing, and helping others. 

PreK fun:  Oceans, Winter Fun, Lunch Bunch, USA, & Dads with Donuts

Our preK students have had quite the full month! In addition to letters, numbers, and coding with Botley, they have added in popcorn words!
They journeyed into the Ocean for letter O week.  They crafted fun ocean projects like their giant coffee filter jellyfish! They enjoyed their ocean-themed sensory room stations as well. During their letter G week, they had a blast with Winter Fun activities.  This is the week they also had their first lunch bunch! For those who don't know, lunch bunch is when all of our prek kids (morning and afternoon) gather together in the MAC for lunch and games! The following week, they explored the letter U and the USA! They learned about different symbols of the United States and even crafted a cute USA Umbrella!  They learned about the flag and practiced counting to 50 while counting the stars on it! They enjoyed a fun red/white/blue dress up day as well. This week the preK students have been working on letter D while expanding on a Dinosaur theme.  The excitement of the week was their event - Donuts with Dads! Dads joined their little ones for donuts, crafting and playtime! It was so special to see everyone playing together.  

Preschool: Narwhals, Ocean, Winter Fun, and Polar Animals! 

Preschool continues to move through the alphabet exploring the themes of N is for Narwhals, O is for Ocean, and P is for Polar Animals! They even threw in a week of letter review with winter fun! They've enjoyed crafting letter projects, creating Noodle Necklaces, ocean collages, trying ocean animal yoga, preparing pizzas, and even popping popcorn! During their winter week, they even made snow globes! Over the last 4 weeks, their sensory room time included scooping narwhals with nets, painting newspapers, an ocean themed bin, a pizza station and a puppet center! These past 4 weeks have been packed full of fun and have flown by! In addition to their letters, preschool has finished up covering their shapes - making sure the week of Valentine's Day was all about the heart! 

Bright Beginnings: Narwhals, Oceans, Winter Fun, Polar Bears, Popcorn and more!

Our youngest learners also continued their trek through the alphabet the last month exploring letters N, O, P  as well as a winter fun letter review.  They enjoyed crafting and painting over the last few weeks.  They got to make snow globes which they absolutely loved. Their sensory room time each week has been immersive with all sorts of items to interact with like noodles, Narhwals and nets during N week, ocean bins during O, Polar animals, pizza and popcorn scooping during P week, and a snowy fun bin during our winter letter review.  
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/02/17/a-fun-filled-month-at-wesley#comments 0 Welcome 2023! https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/01/21/welcome-2023 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 09:42:39 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/01/21/welcome-2023

Happy New Year! 

Week 18-20 Recap

Welcome back, friends! We have had a great start to 2023 and have hit the ground running!

Our first short week back, all of our friends celebrated the new year! We had fun crafting 2023 surprises for our parents and learning about "resolutions."  

The last two weeks, our PreK kiddos have focused on letters L and Z, as well as numbers in the teens and twenties, and...POPCORN WORDS! Our big kiddos are starting to learn their sight words and practice reading.

Their themes they have explored are African Animals and the Zoo! They also threw in a visit to the library amidst all the other fun! 
The last 2 weeks, our preschoolers and Bright Beginnings kiddos tacked letters L and M along with the rectangle and circle shapes!

During L week, they explored Llamas and encountered many other things that started with L - including our preschoolers trying lemons and limes during science!

During M week, they had a blast with Mickey and Minnie! So many tasty things start with M - like Marshmallows and M n M's - they enjoyed sorting the candy by color and playing with marshmallows in the sensory bin!

Our preschoolers also enjoyed a trip to the library and ended M week with a trip to the Wabash County Historical Museum! 
Our Compass Kids Chapel theme for January is Kindness! We are learning about how we can be disciples by sharing God's love and kindness with others.  We love making a joyful noise and singing our praise songs! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/01/21/welcome-2023#comments 0 Goodbye 2022! https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/01/06/goodbye-2022 Fri, 06 Jan 2023 11:59:45 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/01/06/goodbye-2022

2022 Wrap Up

Weeks 15 & 16 Wrap

Our last 2 weeks of 2022 were crammed full of Christmas fun! Our big pre-K kiddos had some silly Christmas fun making ugly Christmas shirts they designed themselves!  They had such a good time exploring all the sights and sounds of Christmas and remembering that Jesus is the reason for the season.  

Our preschoolers also had their fair share of Christmas fun that included a trip to the library for a puppet show, books and games all themed around Christmas.  They enjoyed a Christmas jammy day on their last day before break!

Our little Bright Beginnings friends were not left out of the Christmas fun! They enjoyed making Christmas crafts for their families throughout the final 2 weeks!

Our first semester was full of so many fun activities! We are so excited to welcome 2023 and all the adventures it brings us! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2023/01/06/goodbye-2022#comments 0 Weeks 13 & 14 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/12/12/weeks-13-14 Mon, 12 Dec 2022 11:36:26 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/12/12/weeks-13-14

The December Whirlwind

Wow! We are 2 weeks into December and things are not slowing down here at Wesley! December is one of our favorite months as we celebrate the birth of our lord, Jesus!

Our new chapel theme for December is Peace! Compass Kids are kids who know Peace.  We are learning the story of Jesus' birth throughout the month of December.  We are also learning "Silent Night."  What a treasure it is to watch our little ones' hearts take in the message of the peace, love and joy that Jesus has to offer.

In the last 2 weeks, the pre-K students held a “Trim-a-Tree” party and made beautiful decorations for the trees at school and had a blast decorating cookies too! They also learned the letter R and made a super cute R-shaped Rudolph craft! They “rocked around the world” and explored the different holidays celebrated at Christmas time!

This past week, pre-K explored the letter S with Santa fun! They had so much fun making Santa S’s and Grinch Santas! They even had a Snowball fight! They explored the many sights and sounds that Christmas has to offer!

Our preschoolers and Bright Beginnings students have continued their way through the alphabet with letters I and J.  They had an incredible amount of Ice Cream fun during letter I week, complete with an ice cream party! Letter J week was all about Jesus! They made "J is for Jesus" crafts and even had the opportunity to paint a birthday cake for Jesus! They have also been learning shapes.  Last week they focused on the Star!

All of our children had their Christmas programs this past Friday.  There was so much joy and excitement.  The spirit of Jesus is alive in each of our little ones.  We are so thankful for the love and support all of our Wesley families extend to us.

Thanks for checking in!  


]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/12/12/weeks-13-14#comments 0 Weeks 11 & 12 Wrap Up https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/28/weeks-11-12-wrap-up Mon, 28 Nov 2022 11:58:55 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/28/weeks-11-12-wrap-up

An Exciting 2 Week Wrap-Up

Weeks 11 & 12:  Helping Others, Food Fun & A Real Turkey Visit!

Pre-K:  Letter P "Projects in the Kitchen"

During P week, our pre-k kiddos became chefs! They followed a new recipe each day as they completed their Projects in the kitchen.  They made biscuit pizzas, s’mores mix, monkey bread, and fruit salad! It was a delicious week in pre-k! Even their science involved yummy food! They learned how popcorn was made and excitedly observed popcorn popping in real life! It was positively perfect!

Preschool:  Letter H week “Helping Hands”

Our preschool students learned what it means to help others! They learned that their hands can help others in so many ways - by giving a hug, picking up a toy, or helping carry something for mom and dad.  Of course, a cold letter H week wouldn’t be complete without Hot Chocolate! In addition to drinking hot chocolate, our students’ science time was an experiment to see what temperature of hot chocolate melted a marshmallow fastest!

Bright Beginnings:  Letter H week “Helping Hands”

Our tiniest learners also explored the idea of helping others.  They used their hands to fill in a heart and sang songs about what it means to be helpful and kind.  They loved being helpers in the sensory room where they could make pretend hot chocolate, take care of animals, and be chefs in the kitchen.

Hello Mortimer! 

Our short week of school before Thanksgiving was filled with the excitement of meeting a real pet turkey named Mortimer! We are so grateful to our family who brought in their animal for us to observe, pet and learn about! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/28/weeks-11-12-wrap-up#comments 0 Week 10 Recap https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/15/week-10-recap Tue, 15 Nov 2022 19:31:03 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/15/week-10-recap

Week 10 Recap 

Cookies, Coding, and Grandparents Galore!

Pre-K:  Letter C Week 

Pre-K explored Community Helpers during letter C week.  They learned about different helpers in our community and enjoyed a variety of pretend play stations in the sensory room.  In addition to community helpers, they continued to learn more about coding Botley! They laid out their own directional arrows and had Botley try to reach the flag! Letter C week wouldn't be complete without some cookie decorating thrown into the mix as well! Be sure to check out their cute clouds, cupcakes and caterpillar projects as well! 

Preschool: Letter G Week

This week was all about things that Go for our preschoolers.  They explored all the ways they could travel by air, land and sea! They especially enjoyed the gooey, green slime in the sensory room! During science, they made dancing grapes! Of course, the highlight of the week was their Grandparents' Day celebration! What a joy it was watching grandparents and grandfriends decorate cookies and play together! 

Bright Beginnings:  Letter G Week

Our youngest students explored things that Go and the color green this week with a variety of hands-on activities! They loved playing with all of the "things that go" in the sensory room - along with the famous green goo! They were especially great at helping sort our green objects! It was a great week. 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/15/week-10-recap#comments 0 Week 9 Recap https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/06/week-9-recap Sun, 06 Nov 2022 20:21:44 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/06/week-9-recap

Week 9 Recap

November Chapel:  Patience

November’s Chapel theme is Patience!

Compass Kids show patience.

We learned the story of Jesus walking on water towards his disciples in the boat.  He was very patient with his disciples because they did not understand everything he was teaching them.  Jesus told Peter not to be afraid and Peter was able to walk to Jesus on water.  

Jesus had to be very patient with his disciples.  And Jesus is very patient with each of us.  

As Compass Kids, we can show patience when we are with our friends, siblings, parents, and more!

Pre-K: Mercy Mayor, Mosaics, and More!

Our pre-k students explored letter M through an author study of Mercy Mayer! They had fun creating Mice and Mosaic M’s.  They learned that they are each a Masterpiece created by God. During science, they explored Magnets.  They formed hypotheses as to what would be magnetic! During Math, they played a Mystery game trying to guess the next number in the sequence.  They also had a blast creating a Maze for Botley the robot! They ended their week preparing for their upcoming Community Helpers week with a field trip to the Fire Station! They had a Marvelous time.

Preschool: Pumpkins here, pumpkins there, pumpkins everywhere! 

Preschool students took time to review letters A through F while having lots of Halloween and Fall fun this week! They had a blast painting pumpkins, exploring the fall and halloween sensory bins, and enjoying the beautiful fall weather out on the playground. The highlight of their week was Science on Friday.  They learned the parts of the pumpkin as they helped scoop out its insides. They then watched their teachers carve the pumpkins while making sure to dictate what shape the eyes and nose must be!  Next, they saw what happened when they combined baking soda and vinegar in their carved pumpkin! Spoiler alert…it was awesome!

Bright Beginnings: Cutest 'Lil Pumpkins

Bright Beginnings enjoyed their letter review/orange week with fun fall pumpkin crafts! They loved listening to fall stories and dancing to fall songs during their circle time. They also had a blast on the playground this week.
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/06/week-9-recap#comments 0 Week 7/8 Recap https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/06/week-7-8-recap Sun, 06 Nov 2022 19:31:13 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/06/week-7-8-recap

Fall Break, Halloween and Fall Fun: Week 7 & 8 Recap

Week 7 was Fall Break! We all returned to school for week 8 rested and ready to take on our new adventures! 

Pre-K:

Week 8 was all about the letter H for our pre-k kiddos! They created Haunted House H's and had great H fun in the sensory room with Halloween sensory bins and Horse imaginative play areas! They also enjoyed a fun fall-themed trip to the library where they were treated to a puppet show, felt pumpkin story time, and messy stations with fluff, gel and rainbow rice! 

Preschool:

Preschool’s week 8 was all about letter F and the Farm! The kiddos made frogs and painted little blue trucks to reinforce the color of the week: blue! They enjoyed finger-painting “mud” on pigs, playing in the fall leaves, and using their imaginations with big blue foam blocks! The highlight of the week was the trip to Journeycreek Farm! We had a blast seeing all of the animals and feeding chickens, goats, and cows! We also hiked on a trail through the woods and had fun sliding down the rock pile! It was absolutely Fantastic! You can see our farm photos here! 

Bright Beginnings:

Bright Beginnings had an absolutely Fabulous time exploring all the Farm fun during letter F/Blue/Farm week! They put together fun farm animal crafts and loved exploring all the farm stations in the sensory room.
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/11/06/week-7-8-recap#comments 0 Week 6 Recap Joy! This week, we learned about happiness and joy.  We learned that happiness is like bubbles...really fun and exciting but not always long lasting.  But joy - joy is deep in our hearts and can be found even if things aren't going ok! We sang our monthly worship song with Miss Steph and heard the story of Jesus telling his disciples to let the children come to him! Being...]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/10/15/week-6-recap Sat, 15 Oct 2022 11:09:59 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/10/15/week-6-recap

Week 6 Recap 

A Week of Exciting Adventures and Joy

Compass Kids Chapel Time

October's Chapel theme is Joy! This week, we learned about happiness and joy.  We learned that happiness is like bubbles...really fun and exciting but not always long lasting.  But joy - joy is deep in our hearts and can be found even if things aren't going ok! We sang our monthly worship song with Miss Steph and heard the story of Jesus telling his disciples to let the children come to him! Being loved by Jesus fills our hearts with joy! 

PreK's Week of A-a-adventures

In PreK this week, A was for Adventures...and adventures they had! On Monday, they scaled Mount Wesley! On Tuesday, they journeyed to Forks of the Wabash.  On Thursday, they went spelunking in the caves of the MAC.  And on Friday, they ended with a wild ride white water rafting!  It was an Amazing week! 

Preschool:  Elephants and a Trip to the Library 

The preschool classes learned all about letter E this week! They enjoyed crafting an elephant, dancing to elephant songs and even making elephant toothpaste during science! They also took a trip on the elevator and explored the church! They then took their monthly trip to the library where the theme was 'Get Messy.' We had a blast watching the puppet show, listening to stories and interacting with the felt board stories.  We also Enjoyed all the ways we could get messy - shaving cream, "bubble bath," "slimy liquid," and "confetti." 

Bright Beginnings Explores E and Pink

Our littlest learners also learned about E, elephants and the color pink this week! They enjoyed listening to elephant stories, making an elephant craft and even finger painting a pink elephant! They also had a blast exploring all of the elephant and E fun the sensory room had to offer. 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/10/15/week-6-recap#comments 0 Week 5 Recap fun forest bin, decorated forest animal cookies, finger-painted and even had Fun learning how to code their class robot, Botley! It was Fantastic!  Preschool had a Delightful letter D week! They explored the theme of Dogs! They enjoyed crafting different types of dogs and sing...]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/10/09/week-5-recap Sun, 09 Oct 2022 18:36:22 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/10/09/week-5-recap

Week 5 Recap:

Fun in the Forest, Coding, and Delightful Doggy Fun

Pre-K:  Letter F 

Pre-K was Full of Fun in the Forest for letter F week! They explored a fun forest bin, decorated forest animal cookies, finger-painted and even had Fun learning how to code their class robot, Botley! It was Fantastic! 

Preschool:  Letter D 

Preschool had a Delightful letter D week! They explored the theme of Dogs! They enjoyed crafting different types of dogs and singing and dancing to dog songs! They also learned a Delicious letter D word:  Doughnuts! They crafted a doughnut and enjoyed eating a most Delectable Doughnut!   

Bright Beginnings:  Letter D

Our newest learners also explored Dogs and D this week! They had fun creating their own Dalmation Dogs! They thoroughly enjoyed all of the letter D-inspired fun in the sensory room like doughnuts in the kitchen and dinos in the sensory bin! They love taking turns at the SMARTboard. This week they found letter D and brown dog bones while learning about that color. It was Dandy! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/10/09/week-5-recap#comments 0 Week 4 Recap https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/30/week-4-recap Fri, 30 Sep 2022 15:59:22 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/30/week-4-recap

Week 4 Recap

Nailed it!! And Camping shenanigans! 
Our pre-K kiddos had some extra hands-on learning for letter N this week! They created "Nailed Names" on a letter N! Each child got the chance to Nail their Names on to an N! How Nifty! They also had fun learning Nursery Rhymes. They played games and created crafts like "The Cow Jumps Over the Moon."  
This week in preschoool, our littles explored the theme of Camping for the letter C! They tried real s'mores, played at a pretend campsite, and had a blast crafting and painting throughout the week. 
Our littlest learners also enjoyed exploring Camping this week! They found C images hiding under campfires and even crafted their own campfire! They enjoyed hearing camping stories from Pete the Cat and Bluey! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/30/week-4-recap#comments 0 Week 3 Recap https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/23/week-3-recap Fri, 23 Sep 2022 12:50:22 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/23/week-3-recap

Week 3 Recap

Pre-K:

This week at Wesley, the Pre-K students explored the letter V through the theme of Healthy Harvest.  They learned about healthy habits and healthy foods! They got to paint with vegetables and even ate veggies too! They took time to draw for their journals.  This week's topic was a picture of them with their favorite veggie.  Their science time was explosive with a Volcano made from Diet Coke and Mentos!

Preschool:

Preschool was buzzing with excitement for the letter B this week! While exploring bumblebees, they learned what B looks like and the many things that start with B! There was lots of time to pop bubbles and bounce around. They beaded bracelets and even got to ride on a Bus! They learned how honey is made during science and were able to try real honey on a cracker.  We had mixed emotions about that! 

Bright Beginnings:

Our littlest learners also explored B/Bees! They had a blast investigating all that the letter B had to offer like Bluey, blocks and more! They even got to make the cutest little bumblebee crafts.  Learning is so much fun! 

Library Fun:

Our preschool and pre-k classes enjoyed their first visit to the library! Here, we enjoyed a puppet show, books, and hands-on finger plays! We also learned about opposites and had fun playing at the various stations sorting big and small! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/23/week-3-recap#comments 0 Week 2 Recap https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/17/week-2-recap Sat, 17 Sep 2022 10:47:44 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/17/week-2-recap

Week 2 Recap

Tie-Dyeing, Apples, and Chapel...Oh My!

Pre-K kicked off their first letter week with Totally Terrific letter T! They had a blast tie-dyeing their school shirts all while learning about primary and secondary colors! 
Preschool started their first letter week with letter A! They enjoyed exploring all things apple! It was a delicious week! 
We had VERY mixed opinions about Red and Green apples! 

Compass Kids Chapel Time

This week, we had our first Compass Kids chapel time! Our word this month is LOVE.  We learned about God's Love and what it means to be a Compass Kid who loves! 
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/17/week-2-recap#comments 0 Week 1 Recap https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/09/week-1-recap Fri, 09 Sep 2022 13:37:49 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/09/week-1-recap

School is in Session! 

We had such a fantastic first week of school! All of our students enjoyed their first day of school activities like painting, making special hats, and taking special photos.  The kiddos were introduced to new people and new experiences and did a great job.  


In the preschool classrooms, we learned that our class is like a family! We had so much fun getting to know each other.  


In the pre-K classroom, we reconnected with friends from last year and met a few new friends! We had a blast creating a self portrait and enjoyed learning about each other.  

In Bright Beginnings, we dipped our toes into learning what school is all about! We were a little nervous to leave our parents, but did such a great job exploring our classroom, sensory room and playground.

We can't wait for our next week!


]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/09/09/week-1-recap#comments 0 Meet the Teachers Miss Jessi Bair-Wilkening, Pre-KThis is Miss Jessi's 5th year at Wesley! She started out in the preschool classroom but transitioned to our Pre-K class.  Miss Jessi's favorite thing about teaching our little ones is their curiousity and excitement about everything! Miss Cheyenne Irvine, Preschool & Bright BeginningsThis is Miss Cheyenne's 4th year at Wesley.  She came to us as a high school intern...]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/08/18/meet-the-teachers Thu, 18 Aug 2022 09:27:48 +0000 https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/08/18/meet-the-teachers

Meet the Teachers

Wesley Academy


Miss Jessi Bair-Wilkening, Pre-K
This is Miss Jessi's 5th year at Wesley! She started out in the preschool classroom but transitioned to our Pre-K class.  Miss Jessi's favorite thing about teaching our little ones is their curiousity and excitement about everything!
Miss Cheyenne Irvine, Preschool & Bright Beginnings
This is Miss Cheyenne's 4th year at Wesley.  She came to us as a high school intern.  She returned to us 4 years ago and became a preschool and Bright Beginnings teacher! Miss Cheyenne's favorite thing about teaching is that there are so many different ways to teach our littles and meet them where they are at.  Their excitement about learning is unmatched and she loves being a part of that!
Miss Crystal, Preschool & Bright Beginnings
This is Miss Crystal's 7th year at Wesley! She started out in the pre-K classroom but transitioned to the preschool and Bright Beginnings classrooms.  Miss Crystal's favorite thing about teaching our little ones is getting to share in their joy and excitement about learning and loving Jesus!
]]> https://www.wabashfirstumc.org/blog/2022/08/18/meet-the-teachers#comments 0