April Newsletter
Spring is here! That means our school year is almost over, but we still have so much to do! This newsletter contains lots of information and reminders, so please read to the end!!
Teacher Updates
We are sad to let you know that Theresa Stephenson is resigning at the end of the school year. She wants to spend more time with her family, especially her daughter who will be a senior at FHS next year. Theresa has been an important part of Bethlehem for 12 years, first as a teacher in the Fours classroom and then, as Assistant Director for the last five years.
Theresa seems to know what we need before we realize we need it! She is always available to lend a helping hand; to wipe away tears; to be a sounding board for ideas; and to be a great friend. To say she will be missed is an understatement! Thankfully, Bethlehem is privileged to have other capable staff and I’m happy to announce that Lori Foy has been hired as our Assistant Director. Lori has worked at Bethlehem for 10 years and both of her daughters graduated from our preschool. She knows our school from both the parent and staff side. I know she will be fabulous in the office.
We are actively looking to hire a TA for our Pre-k classrooms. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please have them contact me at kwixted@bethlehemumc.com.
Also, Kristen Junghans will be stepping down as the Wednesday TA for our Flamingo and Jumping Frogs classes. Kristen has been a part of Bethlehem since 2008, as a teacher in the Three Year Old classroom; a substitute; and most recently a teacher assistant. While we will miss Kristen, we’re fortunate that Mandie Mayle will add Wednesdays to her TA duties next year.
Important Information
For those families that prepaid one month’s tuition in the spring of 2024, the month of April marks your last monthly tuition payment for the 2024-2025 school year; you will not receive an invoice in May. If you enrolled your child this semester, you will receive an invoice in May and pay tuition for that month, since you did not pre-pay this fee.
If you registered your child or children at Bethlehem Preschool for the 2025-2026 school year, you will receive an email later in April with information about your first of nine (9) equal tuition payments. This first payment will be due by June 1 st to secure your spot for the 2025-2026 year. The remaining eight (8) payments begin in September, 2025, and run through next April, 2026. Tuition will increase for the 2025-2026 school year, with the charge for our 3-day program being $365/month, and for our 2-day program, $265/month. We continue to offer the sibling discount of $20/month; military discount of $15/month; and a discount of $15/month to members of Bethlehem United Methodist Church.
Brightwheel has made paying tuition so much easier with online options. From the beginning of our use of this system, we explained that those who took advantage of this payment option would pay all associated fees. As a reminder, the charges for bank transfers (ACH) are 0.6%, with a minimum fee of $0.25 and a maximum of $2; the fee for payment with credit cards is 2.95%. We continue to accept checks and cash for payment of all fees.
Important Dates to Remember
Our class Easter Egg Hunts will be on Thursday, April 17 th . Our hunts will take place during the school day; we provide the eggs filled with goodies. Also on Thursday, April 17th classes will celebrate their Easter Parties. Teachers and Room Parents will be in touch with class-specific plans.
The Bethlehem United Methodist Church Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, April 19 th at 10:00 a.m. There will be fun activities along with hunting for eggs. All are invited to attend.
Our Pre-k classes will go on a field trip to Cheekwood on Thursday, April 24 th . More information will be provided to parents closer to the time of the trip.
Save the date for the Bethlehem Family Picnic, to be held on Thursday April 24 th from 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.; the rain date is Thursday, May 1 st . More information about this fun, family-friendly event will be forthcoming.
Registration for Vacation Bible School at Bethlehem United Methodist Church is open now. There are still spaces available. VBS will take place on June 9 th – June 13 th from 9:00 a.m. to noon each day. Contact April Jackson at ajackson@bethlehemumc.com for more information.
Registration for Bethlehem Preschool Summer Camp is still open to children ages 2-6. Camp will take place June 16 th – June 19 th from 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. If interested, please complete your registration form as soon as possible. If you need a registration form, or have a friend who does, please contact Theresa Stephenson at tstephenson@bethlehemumc.com.
We are looking forward to a very busy seven weeks!