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ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE ARK
“…Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” — Mark 10:14
This year marks the 30th anniversary of an inspiring dream to start a preschool — St. Mark’s Ark Preschool. It wasn’t easy, but by God’s call, hard work, faithful service, clear vision, and a few IOUs, our congregation responded. Through the “A Gift for God’s Children” campaign, a dream became a reality and the preschool has provided a safe, Christian-based educational home to a generation of children. In 2021, St. Mark's will reaffirm its commitment to preschool education by investing in a whole new generation of children and their families.
We know that this has been a difficult year, and we apologize for any inconvenience our suspension of services may have caused you and your family. We appreciate your enthusiasm for the Ark and your gracious patience as we have taken time to reflect, rebuild, and reopen our beloved St. Mark's Ark. The Ark is an invaluable ministry to the life and community of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, and we are incredibly committed to its success. We pray that you will join us in 2021 as we reopen The St. Mark's Ark Preschool.
Continue to check this webpage for regular updates, announcements, and important dates.
We know that this has been a difficult year, and we apologize for any inconvenience our suspension of services may have caused you and your family. We appreciate your enthusiasm for the Ark and your gracious patience as we have taken time to reflect, rebuild, and reopen our beloved St. Mark's Ark. The Ark is an invaluable ministry to the life and community of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, and we are incredibly committed to its success. We pray that you will join us in 2021 as we reopen The St. Mark's Ark Preschool.
Continue to check this webpage for regular updates, announcements, and important dates.
Who is the new Preschool Director?!
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Perhaps our most essential priority was to hire a new Preschool Director to help lead us into the next generation of ministry. We are absolutely delighted to announce that Tiffany Bell was hired as our new director, and began work immediately on November 30, 2020. Tiffany is no stranger to The Ark. Prior to closure, Tiffany served our VPK classroom and then as interim director. Tiffany's passion and energy for preschool education is contagious and we are excited to have her on staff. Tiffany is hard at work evaluating the recommendations of our review committee and establishing dates for enrollment and reopening.
"Hello, my name is Tiffany Bell. I graduated from St Augustine High School in 2008, magna cum laude. In pursuit of my passion for dance, I attended Florida State College of Jacksonville, where I earned a degree in Business Administration and Management. I later joined the childcare profession in 2012 and have never looked back. Most recently, I worked at St. Mark's Ark as VPK teacher and served as the Interim Director this summer. I am a mother of one, and I enjoy seafood and listening music of all genres."
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So, what's new!?
During the suspension of operations of The Ark, our St. Mark's Ark Review Committee worked tirelessly to review and assess the structure and operation of the preschool. Their work identified some important areas of growth within our preschool, including a new curriculum, class size and management, and facility maintenance. Every classroom was painted, cleaned, and repaired. A new curriculum was identified and new teacher/parent handbooks were written.