Children, Families & Children's Center

Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God. 
                                                                                      Tiellaird de Chardin

We want to work with you as you guide your children in their exploration of Holy Mystery. Here at Covenant Presbyterian, we are family and we are here for one another as we all grow in faith and love. All of us are on this journey together.

You want your children to know in their hearts that they are beloved of God all the time. You want them to know that, right now, God can work through them to bring more love into the world.

You want them to experience joy.  We are good at that here.

We engage bible stories, pray in lots of different ways, play, create, explore and serve others together.

We learn about the many ways God has revealed God's self to people -- and we find the revelation of God's love in Jesus Christ, who teaches us both what God is like and what it means to be fully human.

A Child’s Sunday Morning - We love having children in worship with us, but some children aren’t ready to stay through the sermon. We take seriously our call to help them grow in faith and love, so each of our worship services begins with the children among us. At 8:30 and 11am, children leave after Talk with Children and go to Wiggle Worship. At Gathering, children may leave for Treasure Finders Sunday School.

Click to learn more:

Need childcare for a church event?
Email Erin Wise to schedule: erinwise@covenantpcusa.org.

Erin Wise, Director of Children's & Youth Ministries  Contact: erinwise@covenantpcusa.org

 

More Easter Celebration & Children’s Egg Hunt
Sun., April 28, 10am
Good news: Easter is a season, not just one day! Children will start at the Gathering service at 10am and then head outside (or to the education wing if the weather is bad) for our Easter egg hunt. Bring empty baskets and join in the fun as we keep celebrating God’s unstoppable love!

Register for 
Vacation Bible School 2019
June 24-28
 
One small step for your kids...one giant leap for God's Kingdom!
Blast off with the first VBS to land on Mars...and beyond! 
Your children will discover the wonders of God's universe and become Voyagers on a journey through space, exploring where God's power can take them. They'll lift off to distant planets on special missions to collect power sources. Along the way, they'll learn how God walked with heroes of the Bible, and that God is always with them, too. Add to the adventure with out-of-this-world fun, learning, and Bible stories that inspire children to give glory to God who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask...or imagine!
ALSO, Volunteers needed! Youth entering 6th grade and older and adults are needed to help teach, feed, entertain, craft, sing, dance and enjoy the children of our church and community. Sign up to help: http://tinyurl.com/covenantvolunteer.
Click below to Pay with PayPal:
VBS
We're making BIG plans so that VBS 2019 will be
OUT OF THIS WORLD!
Please make BIG plan to blast off with us!

Parents' Night Out
2nd Fri. each month, 6-8:30pm
Parents need some time away, too. We host children so that their parents can be free to be grown-ups and play. We feed the children dinner, play games, watch a fun movie, and be good to one another. These are wonderful nights. This is a gift from our Covenant Family, so there is no charge, but we need you to register by Tuesday the week of PNO. Donations are accepted, and volunteers are needed to keep this wonderful ministry to our community a safe and nurturing one. Questions: Erin Wise, erinwise@covenantpcusa.org. Register by the Tues. before the PNO: http://tinyurl.com/covenantpno.

Parenting Together
Parenting little ones is such a gift.  And it is also really hard!  It is much easier when we can support each other through the hard times and celebrate the good.  We provide dinner and childcare.  Parents join us for conversations, discussion and much laughter.  Series runs multiple times throughout the year.

Treasure Finders  (aka Sunday School)
(Age 3 years - 5th grade)

Treasure Finders: Meet in Fellowship Hall at 10am, where they grab a snack and dance to our Gathering Band. At about 10:10 (after a couple of songs), children leave for their classrooms.  Their grown ups pick them up from those rooms at 10:55 am -- in time for our 11:00 service, if you would like to go to that, too.

  • Preschool - Room 112, Shane Spicer
  • Kindergarten and 1st - Room 104, Kim Halsey
  • 2nd and 3rd - Room 105, Jean and Tim Scott
  • 4th and 5th - Lower Level, Judy Oeder

You want to honor your child’s innate spirituality.  You want to give him the words to engage with Holy Mystery.  You want her to have tools to express and explore her experiences of the Divine.

We want to support you in this.  Our teachers lead and guide and equip, as our children experience God, the bible, prayer, and service for themselves.  We talk together.  We discover and wonder and learn. 

 

Wiggle Worship
Your children are welcome to be in worship with us.  This is their church, too.  Sometimes having a child sit through a sermon and lots of words is not the best choice for a child or their grown-ups.  So, we work to have the best of both worlds:  being church together and meeting individual needs. 

Wiggle Worship is designed for young children:  a story, games, crafts and a snack, praying together and being good to one another.

Bring your whole family to any of our worship services.  The nursery is open all morning, and we have educational/spiritual options for children three years old and up.  At 8:30 and 11:00, enjoy the beginning of the service with your children, then bring or send them up front for Talk with Children.  When the children are dismissed, they have the option of going with our church staff for Wiggle Worship.  Grown ups pick up their children after the service in Room 112.

Joyful Noise Choir
We can make a joyful noise unto the Lord at any age.  Singing together is fun, and we have a professional music teacher leading our children in choir and bell ringing.  The children practice at the beginning of Treasure Finders (aka Sunday School) and sometimes during Wiggle Worship.

Service Opportunities
Children learn to love one another by doing it.  Our children bring in food for our church's food pantry and sometimes help stock it.  We take field trips to places like the Westerville Food Pantry and work there.  We make cards for people who cannot make it to church anymore and for others who could use a good dose of love.

 

Covenant’s Children Center

You want your child to become his or her best and truest self.  She needs fun so she can be engaged in learning.  He needs support in some areas and challenges in others.

Covenant Presbyterian Church has been home to an outstanding preschool for more than 50 years.  Recently we have added other programs to support children and their families, finally launching a complete Covenant’s Children Center ready to meet a variety of needs.

Covenant's fabulous preschool is enrolling now for 2 programs. Scroll down for info and forms. 
• SUMMER PRESCHOOL is June 3-21, MWF, 9:30am-12:30pm. Children ages 3-5 years old who have not yet attended kindergarten.
• 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR PRESCHOOL, Sept. 3 through May 15, 2020, 9-11:30am, and children ages 3 - 5 may enroll 2, 3 or 5 mornings a week. 

IMPORTANT! If you are interested in applying for AM Kindergarten Enrichment AND the After School program, you will need to complete separate applications for each program and submit them together. NOTE: The After School program is filled.

Preschool
   3-5 yrs old (not yet in Kindergarten)
   2-5 days a week, Mon.-Fri., 9:00–11:30 am
NOTE: Mon., Wed., Fri. filled for 2018-19 school year

You want to enhance your child’s love of learning, and help her make new friends.  You want to give him the chance to explore our world in new ways, and practice social and academic skills. Our experienced teachers offer a rich variety of play-based learning activities together with opportunities to participate in large and small group guided learning. Our low ratio of a maximum of 12 children to 2 teachers allows for more individual teacher/student dialogue and interaction, lower stress, and a more personalized environment.

For a Preschool informational brochure, click here.  For an application, click here.  For questions, or to arrange a visit, contact Caroline McGeoch, 614-451-6677 x23, childcenter@covenantpcusa.org

Lunch and More   Currently enrolled preschoolers
                                 Tues. and/or Wed., 11:30am – 12:30pm

This is an optional extra hour for children enrolled in the preschool program.  Preschoolers may sign up to stay an extra hour on Tuesday and/or Wednesday to allow their caregivers to have a little more time to relax, run errands, or complete other tasks.  Sign up for Lunch and More is in August just prior to the start of school. 

  • Sign up for these optional 4 or 6 week sessions with your teacher beginning in August, 2018

Preschool Summer Session 2019 Information
Mon., Wed., Fri., 9:30am – 12:30pm
June 3  –  June 21, 2019 
This session is designed for children ages 36 months through 5 years old.  Children must be 3 years old by June 3. Teachers prepare the environment and design activities to engage children in playful learning experiences with as much outdoor time as possible. The class explores fun and engaging themes such as camping, outer space, dinosaurs, castles, and ocean life depending upon the interests of the group and teachers.  Once a week the class also participates in a cooking or food preparation activity.
    The child:teacher ratio for this class is 6:1. The flexible schedule includes gathering time with theme-based activities, a short large group time (books, songs, music and discussion), outdoor time, indoor free choice time (science, math, engineering, social studies, language arts, gross motor, and arts and crafts choices), lunch time, and goodbye time.
    Parents provide a packed lunch or snack for their child. Tuition for Summer Session 2019 is $250.  There is no application fee or supply fee. CLICK HERE FOR AN APPLICATION.

A.M. Kindergarten Enrichment
   5-6 years old
   5 days a week, Mon. – Fri. (limited part-time available)
   8:15am – 11:45am
   When UA schools are in session

NOTE:  There are a few spaces left in the AM Kindergarten Enrichment Program, HOWEVER, there are no more spots available for transportation to Tremont or Wicklffe.  (We have 13 seats on our Covenant bus, and the bus is full.)  Transportation to Windermere is still available since it is provided by UA City Schools.  

You want your kindergartener to have a morning full of enriched indoor and outdoor learning experiences. You want her to have fun, and be energized to do her best once she arrives at her elementary school after lunch.  You want him to practice kindergarten skills in meaningful ways, and have the opportunity to more deeply explore children’s literature, dramatic play and STEAM concepts. Our program offers interest-based learning opportunities guided by experienced teachers. Transportation is available to afternoon kindergarten at Wickliffe, Windermere, and Tremont Elementary schools. 

For more information, click here.  For an application, click here. For questions, or to arrange a visit, contact  Caroline McGeoch, 614-451-6677 x23, childcenter@covenantpcusa.org

After-School Program
   Grades K–5. 5 days a week, Mon. – Fri.  
   2:50 pm – 6:00pm. When UA schools are in session
NOTE: This program is filled for 2018-19 school year

You want your child to be able to unwind and talk about their day, enjoy a snack from home, and have fun getting important things done.  We offer help with their homework, practice time for their music, indoor and outdoor exercise, games, time for them to read, write, create, meditate and explore the world. 

Warm, talented and fun program staff offer daily activities, and community members offer various enrichment opportunities like science, yoga, cooking, writing, art, drama, sewing and dance.  We are small, child-focused, creative, warm, supportive and fun. 

For more information, click here.  For an application, click here. For questions, or to arrange a visit, contact Caroline McGeoch, 614-451-6677 x23, childcenter@covenantpcusa.org


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Children’s Day Out (CDO)
18 mos.-3 years of age
1 day a week, Mon. through Fri., 9:30am-12:30pm

NOTE: Tuesday and Wednesday classes are now full.

You want your child to become a little more independent and to build relationships with her peers.  You want him to have fun and to explore the world around him in lots of ways.  We created Children’s Day Out so that it is fun and wonderful for children, and so their caregivers can have a few hours to take care of themselves or do other things they need to get done.  For ten years, toddlers have been coming to Covenant to explore the world in a safe, nurturing and joyful community.

For a complete manual about Children's Day Out, click here. For a brochure, click here.  Registration form, click here. Contact: Colleen Davis, 614-766-4871, colleenjd@aol.com