Early Childhood Encourager

Early Childhood Leadership Seminar

Wednesday, October 19, 2011- Seaside Oregon

Registration is now in process. Because it is the conference for ALL professional church workers we will be limited to the number of people that can attend this seminar. It is important to have your registration form and fee in to us as soon as possible. If you email us and let us know that you plan on coming you must have your registration in the mail so that we can receive it in a timely manner. This will allow us to make sure that you have a spot as we are receiving registrations in the mail daily and we want to share our great speakers with you.

For those of you that will be arriving on Tuesday there will be hospitality offered at the Rivertide Hotel as announced on the schedule. This will start at 7:30 pm. We begin on Wednesday morning bright and early at 9:00 am. Come a few minutes early to pick up your goodie bag and name tag. We will be asking you to make sure that you have your name tag with you as it will be needed especially where your lunch is a part of the registration fee.

This leadership seminar is sonsored by the Early Childhood Department of the Northwest District LCMS in association with the Early Childhood Network of the Lutheran Education Association (LEA). This year, Martha and Karen are pleased to present:

Drew Gerdes has been an early childhood educator at Redeemer in Springfield, MO, for over 10 years. He recently "graduated" from Kindergarten and is teaching 3-year old Preschool. He serves as Early Childhood Director for Redeemer as well as coordinator of recruitment, marketing, and development for the school. He is a graduate of Concordia University in St. Paul, MO, and he holds a MSEd. from Missouri State University. Drew serves the Missouri District in a variety of capacities as well as the Lutheran Educaiton Association (LEA).

Julie Klopke is the early childhood director and assistant principal of St. Peter Lutheran School in Arlington Heights, IL. She graduated from Concordia University Chicago with undergraduate and master's degrees on early childhood education, elementary education and school leadership. She presently serves as the chairperson for the Northern Illinois District Teachers Conference, on the Early Childhood Leadership Team for LEA and as the Early Childhood Consultant for the NID.

About the Seminar- "Don't be Good....BE GREAT!"

Lutheran Schools are changing. They are not the same as they were 5 or 10 years ago. Competition exists for our early childhood programs, and we need to strive to be the best program possible. It is important to be known as the "early childhood center of choice in the community." Throughout this day-long workshop, we will look specifically at what it takes to move not only your early childhood program, but also yourself, from GOOD to GREAT!

The cost for the leadership seminar is $20 which also includes lunch. Additional information regarding hotels, etc., is on our website at www.nowlcms.org.