1st Explorers Wishlist

1st Explorers is doing great things in our Wee Explorers Pre-School, After School Ministry, Summer Camp and many other offerings! 

From time to time we need assistance with supplies. I wanted to share with you some needs: 

• Bottle glue and glue sticks 
• Washable markers 
• Sharpie Permanent Markers
• Expo Dry Erase Markers 
• Crayons 
• Pencils 
• Scissors
• Varied colors of construction paper
• Loose leaf paper
• 1-1/2inch binders 
• White Computer Paper
• Scotch Tape 
• Beach Balls 
• Hand Sanitizer 
• Rulers 
• Lysol Spray
• Clorox Spray
• First Aid Kits
• Sanitizing Wipes
• Pots and Pans 

Please consider helping us with some of our needs throughout the year! Check out our Amazon wish-list at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/LKIDY053QS5O/ref=bnav_topnav_lists_2

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 828-339-0130 or brownkellyg@gmail.com

Spring Break Care

We invite school-age children to sign-up for Spring Break Care, March 5 - 9, 2018. Care will be provided each day 7:30 - 5:30 and students must bring their own lunch. Each day students will go on field trips and participate in fun and exciting activities! 

Fee are: 
$100 for one child
$150 for two children
$225 for three children
$35 per day if you would like to attend specific days. 

Spaces are limited for Spring Break Care! 

Sign up here: http://firstbaptistsylva.com/giving/

Parents Night Out

We will be having Parents Night Out on February 2nd from 5:30 - 9:00 PM. 

Sign up for Parents Night Out here: http://firstbaptistsylva.com/giving

Summer Explorers Camp 2018

We're excited to share information about 1st Explorers summer 2018! Tentatively camp will officially begin on June 18th and the end date will be determined once the Jackson County Schools 2018 - 2019 school calendar is released. 

New this year we will offer mini-camps the week before Summer Camp begins and the week after Summer Camp ends with limited enrollment, information about those camps are available below.

Our Kindergarten - 4th graders will have grade specific groups. In their groups they will be led by summer counselors in activities that are designed specifically for their age group and are tailored to make their camp experience fun and memorable!

 5th and 6th graders will have a newly designed camp experience that will assist them with the transition into their middle school years! They will participate in activities and trips that are tailored to their development level.   

 7th - 12th grade students will participate in an exciting new leadership and mentoring program. This group will have the opportunity to work with our Youth Minister, Carol Cloer, and learn ways they can serve as peer leaders in our camp groups. Each week they will spend time planning and leading an activity for younger campers and will participate in team and leadership development courses. 

We're excited about all of the learning, sharing and growing that will happen this summer through a variety of activities, including faith development through Bible study and chapel, trips to the pool, gardening, cooking, going to the library and various places. 

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Mini-Camps

Traditionally we are closed the week following the end of school and the week before school begins in August, but this year we will be offering limited enrollment mini camps during those weeks. 

Fees are: 
$100 for One Child
$150 for Two Children
$225 for Three Children
*$35 per day if you would like to attend select days. 
*Campers must bring their own lunch. 

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Wee Explorers Preschool 

(3 and 4 year olds)
Will offer a half-day camp from 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Cost: $250 per month

Summer Explorers Camp (K-8)

7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
First Day of Camp is June 18, 2018
One Child $650  ($100 dollars of tuition due by March 5th)
Two Children $1,000 ($200 dollars of tuition due by March 5th)
Three Children $1,400 ($300 dollars of tuition due by March 5th)

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Summer Explorers Camp + Passport

his summer, children and youth will be able to attend an overnight Christian camp experience called PASSPORTkids! in Montreat, NC, July 2 - 5 or PASSPORTchoices in Greensboro, NC, July 1-6. 

PASSPORTkids! is for campers going into the 4th, 5th or 6th grade at the start of the school in August. While at PASSPORTkids! Camp, campers will participate in Bible study, worship, missions and many other fun activities with campers from all over the Southeast!
A deposit of $50 per camper is due on February 16th.
Total cost per camper is $295.

PASSPORTchoices is for campers going into the 7th - 12th grades. While at PASSPORTchoices Camp, campers will participate in Bible study, worship, missions and many other fun activities with campers from all over the Southeast!
A deposit of $50 per camper is due on February 16th.
Total cost per camper is $225.

Sign up for PASSPORT Camp on our church website here: http://firstbaptistsylva.com/giving/
*Some scholarships are available.

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Additional Information
 

Applications for camp are open until February 2nd. Upon acceptance to Summer Explorers Camp, your family will receive an email confirming your child's acceptance and how to begin paying.

Families with balances from other 1st Explorers programs will need to pay their balances before being accepted to Summer Explorers Camp. 

All payments are non-refundable and accounts must be paid in full no later than May 15th.

Paying for Passport Camp is separate from paying for Summer Day Camp. 

For more information about PASSPORT, visit them on the web at http://passportcamps.org/kids-camps/

Breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided at Summer Day Camp. 

Parents Night Out Care

Over the next few months we will offer several Parents Night Out events. We hope you will take advantage of one of these opportunities. We do ask that you sign-up for them by the Wednesday before to avoid having to pay an extra $10 per each child! 
 

Fees: One Child: $25; Two Children: $30; Three Children: $35

January 12: Dinner will be pizza and fruit! Participants will create snowman mobiles!
February 2: Dinner will be spaghetti and breadsticks! Participants will create paper plate heart wreaths!
February 16: Dinner will be Grilled Cheese and Fries! Participants will create heart crystals.
March 16: Dinner will be Pigs in a blanket and chips! Participants will do marshmallow shamrock stamp painting.
April 6: Dinner will be Pancakes and hash browns! Participants will create shaving cream eggs.
April 27: Dinner will be hot dogs and Fries! Participants will create cloud and rain water wind stocks!
May 4: Dinner will be tacos! Participants will create piñatas!
May 18: We will have a sub bar! Participants will create paper plate umbrellas!

You can sign up here: http://firstbaptistsylva.com/giving/

Parents Night Out

Parents Night Out Care
Friday, December 1st from 5:30 - 9:00 PM
Participants will make tacos for dinner and popsicle ornaments. 
Sign up on our website here: http://firstbaptistsylva.com/giving/

1st Explorers in December

During the month of December our 1st Explorers will participate in Advent themed activities as we begin to anticipate the arrival of the Christ child. During the season of Advent, we will emphasize the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love through bible study and activities with our Explorers. We hope with the information provided in our calendar you will talk about these studies at home, also in the calendar you During the month of December our 1st Explorers will participate in Advent themed activities as we begin to anticipate the arrival of Christ. During the season of Advent, we will emphasize the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love through bible study and activities with our Explorers. 

 We hope with the information provided in our calendar you will talk about these studies at home, also in the calendar you will find information about our Christmas Party that will happen on December 8th in our Mission and Fellowship Center, this year students from Sigma Chi Fraternity and athletics at Western Carolina will be providing presents for our children and playing games with them.

Please take note that our last Parents Night of 2017 will be on December 1st and that we will not be providing Early Release Care on December 20th.

Over the Christmas Break we will pause our weekly newsletter until January 1st which will be full of updates about new things we will be doing during the spring semester. We hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! Kelly
 

Book Sale

Please join our own Karen Monteith in The Fellowship Center on Sunday, November 19 from Noon - 2:00pm for a Book Signing Party!
Just in time for CHRISTmas gift giving, Karen will be happy to sign and dedicate her book which is perfect for your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and those special children in your life.
Karen is generously donating all proceeds to 1st Explores.
CHRISTmas Treats to Eat will be provided by The Dorothy Edwards Circle.

Christmas Family Photos

You can sign up for a photo session here: http://signup.com/go/gEnHQFa

1st Explorers November Updates

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, you’re invited to remember the things in your life that you’re most thankful for. Personally, I’m most thankful that God led my journey to Western North Carolina and that I get to learn, share and grow with children and their families in 1st Explorers! 

During the month of November we have several exciting activities going on! We will provide extra information about these activities via our weekly newsletter and/or in the parent pick-up line. Sherrie Peeler from the Jackson County Cooperative Extension will be teaching our children about etiquette. Pastor Jeff will be leading a baptism seminar for the kids and we will have a Charlie Brown themed Thanksgiving Celebration on Monday, November 20th! 

Additionally, we will have several fundraisers during the month of November. Local photographer, Heather Kindy, will be providing an affordable option for holiday family photos on November 12th and 18th. See the weekly newsletter for details on how to sign-up. On November 19th, following worship, local author and church member Karen Monteith will be having a sale and signing for her book “Redrick Raccoon and the Christmas Mystery” and all proceeds that day will go to support our 1st Explorers Programs! 

I’m thankful for the many opportunities 1st Explorers is able to provide for our children! 

With a thankful heart!  
Kelly