About Us

                        ********Each month we will be honoring our terrific teachers**********

Getting us off to a great start is our Bouncing Bunnies teachers, Mrs. Karen Wilson beginning her 7th year and Mrs. Judi
Jack starts her 2nd year with our youngest preschoolers!

      Mrs. Wilson believes preschool offers young children opportunity to play and interact within a group setting and to
learn to share, cooperate and be inspired by each other.   The Bunny classroom reflects her own personality: warm, caring,
patient, nurturing & loving. It’s a place where a child’s imagination is encouraged to soar or their spirit to be reflective. Our
youngest preschoolers usually get their first exposure to being cared for and accepted in a group away from the safety &
security of their own homes. By offering stimulating– age-appropriate – activities, Mrs. Wilson feels young children learn
through their play to embrace our world and the people in it.

Born and raised in Evanston, Illinois, Karen has lived in Riverside since 1984 and been a member of First Methodist Church
since 1988. She has been a Sunday School teacher for 18 years, co-director of our Vacation Bible School, taught 5th & 6th
grade “Getting To Know Your Bible” classes, volunteered in her daughters elementary schools, owned a flower shop, holds a
Surgical Technician Certificate & worked in Emergency Rooms, been an Escrow Coordinator & substituted at FUMPS! She
met her husband, Steve, in high school and dated him in college. They have been married 30 years and have 3 beautiful
daughters: Leslie, 28, works for Target in Phoenix, Courtney, 27, teaches second grade at Peralta Elementary School & just
got married this summer & Stephanie, 22, is interested in a career in the medical field. Karen enjoys cooking, gardening &
hiking. Three summers ago she hiked to the 14,496’ summit of Mt. Whitney & two summers ago she walked the 14+ days, 200+
mile Pilgrimage of Santiago (Camino Del Norte) from Southern France into Spain, plus spent time in Switzerland! Last
summer she walked 4 days on beautiful Lake Tahoe’s Rim Trail and had her appendix removed! This summer she spent
immersed in Courtney’s wedding preparations!

      Mrs. Jack believes preschool helps children with being away from their parents, learning to share and to play in groups
with other children. She wants her classroom to be a safe, loving and fun environment where children feel comfortable and
relaxed and able to learn. Judi has been married to her husband Mike for 15 years and has one daughter, Amanda, who was a
“FUMPS-ter” and now a first grader at Immanuel Lutheran.   In her own words “Amanda is 5 years old going on 25!”
Growing up in Alta Loma with two brothers, one older, one younger, Judi was the “middle” child.   She moved to Riverside in
1991, began baking cakes professionally, worked in doctor’s offices and volunteered on the board of Riverside’s M.O.M.’s
Club (Moms Offering Moms Support) holding the positions of secretary and vice president. Judi was one of our VBS
teachers this summer. She loves to cook and I’m sure holds the Guiness Book of Records for most cupcakes baked by one
person in a single day!

Donations from Families . . .
We like to THANK each of you when you donate snacks, supplies, toys, materials, help, etc. to our classrooms. Please fill out
the “DONATIONS FROM PARENTS” sheet in Mrs. Barnekow’s office each time you bring something in, then look for your
name in our newsletter!

                                                                Bridging Home and School
We all know that if a bridge is not structurally sound, it will eventually collapse. Likewise, if relationships are not built on a
sturdy foundation, they too will fail.
      Too often parents and program staff are intimidated by each other. But by willingly beginning the home/school
relationship with an open, sharing approach, we can build trust. Then, when issues arise - even sticky ones - we can talk
about them without hesitation.
      All of us here try to do our best to keep you informed. We post pertinent information on the bulletin boards as well as
include it in our newsletter. We send other information home with your child. My home number is on the preschool answering
machine, feel free to call me there. You are invited to observe your child anytime from the preschool office and make plans
with your child’s teacher to read a story or share something special.
      Clearly, ongoing interaction and support from both families and teachers make the connection between home and school a
two-way street. You can help by sharing information about your child with us. Especially during any crisis or period of
change, when children are under stress and act or react differently, please keep us informed. Obvious times include a change
in jobs, a move to a new house, or an illness or death in the family, but they also could involve the child experiencing
nightmares, making changes in eating habits, and stopping or starting medication. Information stays confidential.
      In turn, we’ll alert you to anything out of the ordinary that we might notice in your preschooler. Only by sharing
information can we build a bridge strong enough to support our children.

                                                                        Off to a Good Start
      Do you remember your first day at preschool or kindergarten? You probably were nervous and excited - and a bit
lonely and lost when mom or dad left. Even when returning to a familiar setting after summer vacation, children usually feel a
bit anxious. They have a different teacher, a new classroom with some new children in the group, and maybe that special
friend is gone. It’s a big deal!

        We want to do everything we can to make a child’s beginning here as happy as possible, The Parent Handbook, Parent
Orientation Meeting and Visitation Morning are all designed to fill you in on specifics. If you haven’t yet visited with your
child, we encourage you to come on Visitation Morning, Friday, September 10th, anytime between 10:00 a,m, and 12:00 noon.
This visit is less overwhelming because you stay with your child as they look around, get acquainted and just get a feel for the
school.

      Before the first day, you may want to read your child a few books with a starting-school theme. Such stories can help a
child get in touch with feelings about going into a new place and separating from you. Reading also gives your preschooler an
opportunity to talk about feelings or ask questions about what to expect. It’s also helpful to go over our daily schedule with
your child, talking about some of the things they’ll be doing. Some children are comforted in new surroundings if they bring
something familiar from home, such as a favorite stuffed animal or a family photo.

      On the first day, or any day, be sure to arrive on time. Children involved in something fun with one or two other
children exhibit less separation anxiety than trying to enter a group that’s already been engaged in an activity for twenty
minutes.

      Finally, when it’s time to leave, don’t slip out when your child isn’t looking.   Children need to know when you’re going and
be able to say goodbye. Don’t worry. We’ll take it from there.

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