Preschool Details
What Makes Living Lord Lutheran Church Preschool Special?
We Provide…
Class Schedule
9:00-11:30 a.m.
Tu & Th: three-year-olds
M, W, & F: four-year-olds
Loving Encouragement
Preschoolers are special people! They have unique abilities, personalities, and learning styles. At Living Lord Preschool, we are dedicated to providing a caring environment where children can grow socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Our teachers treat each child with love and respect as they teach them to explore, discover, and learn. Loving discipline is employed as the teachers model and encourage appropriate behavior.
Organized, Fun, and Safe Learning
Organization. Our teachers plan curriculum activities around weekly and monthly themes. The classroom is organized into learning centers,
with daily activities centering on these themes. Our curricula encourage development in the basic skills all children need to progress through school — and life! Some of these include developing self-esteem; working on fine and gross motor skills; playing and working well with others; growing creative-thinking and problem-solving skills; and learning to accept and express feelings. Fun. The program for three-year-olds emphasizes all of these basics and more through fun activities that are designed to engage and delight our children. And the teachers add a healthy dose of love and encouragement for good measure. The program for four-year-olds adds on to these fundamental areas of development by promoting kindergarten readiness in a supportive environment that also emphasizes the joy in learning. Our teachers use The Letter People curriculum and encourage increased preschooler responsibility. All of this is accomplished as the children have fun!
Safety. Our outdoor playground is fenced in for safety. The classroom and building doors remain locked during preschool hours. During class, teachers are accessible via an in-classroom telephone for emergencies. For nonemergency situations, messages can be left for our staff through voice mail. Our preschool director keeps regular hours. She and all our teachers provide frequent information and are available to receive feedback, give progress updates, or answer questions, either in person or by telephone.
Spiritual Development
Our preschool teachers, preschool board, and church staff value the importance of a Christian education. The teachers share God’s love with
the children daily. The children learn about Jesus through Bible stories, music, prayer, and the celebration of Christian holidays. Our church’s pastors and staff regularly share lessons, stories, and songs with the children through visits to the classroom (three-year-olds) and chapel time in the sanctuary (four-year-olds).
Licensed Facility, Qualified Teachers
Living Lord Lutheran Church Preschool is state-licensed. State licensing standards set parameters for our curriculum, the preschool room itself, acceptable snacks, and other safety and health requirements. However, the most important thing parents need to know about our state-licensed preschool is that our teachers possess the appropriate educational and classroom credentials required by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
We Exceed Expectations
Living Lord Preschool is unique among area preschools, and here’s why: State licensing standards require one qualified teacher in the preschool classroom. Our program includes two qualified teachers.
From Our Preschool Parents
“I cannot say enough about how wonderful this preschool is. I have three children, and they all went to different preschools, and Living Lord Preschool is by far the best. Living Lord has a great reputation in the community for having a quality preschool. The teachers are phenomenal.”
“We feel so blessed to be enrolled in this wonderful program. Our daughter is thriving, thanks to the excellent teachers. Thank you!”
“My child has enjoyed coming to preschool. He has met a lot of new friends. He talks about what he has done for the day with a smile on his face.”
“I feel so secure leaving my child with you for two-and-a-half hours. She tells me she loves school. That makes me feel good about her foundation for kindergarten.”
Meet Our Teachers
Our teachers are enthusiastic about learning, they love preschoolers, and they are fully equipped to teach them.
Nancy Collins — Preschool Director and Lead Teacher Welcome to Living Lord Lutheran Preschool. My name is Nancy Collins and I am the Director of this exciting preschool program. My goal is for you and your child to have the best preschool experience possible. I plan to achieve this goal by continuing to emphasize our warm, loving Christian atmosphere. I will make sure all DCFS requirements are met by everyone involved with the preschool. In addition, I will be teaching in the programs. I look forward to watching the program grow in the coming years. I received my BS degree in Child Development/Family Life from Western Illinois University. For the past 30 years I have worked with children of all ages. I have taught and directed preschool and worked with District U-46 in the Parents As Teachers program. I continue my education every year through workshops and conferences relating to the Early Childhood field. This will be my 13th year with the preschool. Prior to becoming director, I served on the Preschool Board for three years. I have been a member of Living Lord for 21 years. I taught Sunday School for many years and am currently the director of that program as well.
Cheryl Rachford — Lead Teacher (M/W/F)
My name is Cheryl Rachford. I have lived in Bartlett with my husband Bob and my sons Bobbie and Connor for the last 22 years. I have worked at Living Lord Preschool since the year 2000. Both of my sons attended Living Lord Preschool. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree from Northern Illinois University’s school of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences. I have continued my early childhood education while working at Living Lord Preschool, and as a result I am director qualified. At Living Lord I have worked as both a lead teacher and as a teacher assistant. This year I will be teaching the 4 year old class and assisting with the 3 year old and the Pre-K classes. I look forward to working with your children and helping them grow.
Joan Prosniewski — Teacher Assistant (M/W/F AM)
My name is Joan Prosniewski. My husband and I have lived in Bartlett for the past seventeen years and feel that it is a wonderful place to raise a family! I graduated from Northern Illinois University where I received my B.S. degree in Child Development. I am a mother to three grown children. I was a stay at home mom for many years before working part time as a substitute in district U-46. I will be refreshing my child development skills through workshops in the year to come. I am looking forward to working with and getting to know the pre-school children and their families at Living Lord!
Caring Support Network
The success of Living Lord Preschool is ensured by many caring individuals: the teachers, parents, and Preschool Board. Our Board consists of preschool parents past, present, and future. These caring individuals love preschoolers. Most have either experienced or witnessed the benefits of our program and all are committed to our Preschool’s continuing success.
Community Outreach
The primary purpose of Living Lord Lutheran Church Preschool is to provide a Christian alternative to preschool for our community. You are invited to meet our teachers and observe our classes. For more information or to set up an appointment, call our preschool director, Nancy Collins, at (630) 830-7158, or e-mail her at nancy.collins@livinglordlutheran.org. Our Preschool Handbook provides more detailed information on our programs. Click here for more information on Preschool registration and to download a registration form.
Living Lord Lutheran Church Preschool Board: 2015-2016
Diana Gunsteen, President
Amanda Eastman, Vice-President
Amy McSwane, Treasurer
Martha Vanourek, Secretary
Amy Gillmore, Beth Gilson and Ana Grzybek, Members-at-Large
To contact the Preschool Board, send an email to preschool@livinglordlutheran.org, or call the church office at (630) 830-3630, ext. 217, and leave a message.