Lori Torgerson, a Wee Care teacher, left, welcomes Keely Hinkle, 3, to Wee Care's annual open house on Sunday, Sept. 9. Keely was joined by her dad, Kyle, standing at left, and her mom, Lacy, right. Keely is looking forward to attending classes at Wee Care, Lacy said. "I like the faith-based preschool education," she said.
Wee Care celebrated its annual graduation at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 6. Here, Lori Torgerson, Wee Care teacher, left; and Becky Case, assistant teacher, help students with their graduation hats, including, from left, Maddie Kath, Zach Green and Carter Dick.
St. John's Wee Care hosted its annual "One-Stop Christmas Shop" at St. John's Lutheran Church last Friday evening, Nov. 16 and last Saturday, Nov. 17. Above, Dave and Carol Hutchinson of Spring Grove introduce their 4-year-old twin grandsons, Milty and Kenny Hutchinson of High Forest, to a table filled with Christmas cookies and other treats. The boys are students at Wee Care.
Scores of students accompanied their parents to the annual Wee Care Open House at St. John's Wee Care on Sunday, Sept. 9. The open house gives students and their parents a chance to meet teachers and review Wee Care's facilities. Here, Heather Preston holds her 1-year-old son Sidney as another son, 3-year-old Conner, prepares to meet Lori Torgerson, a Wee Care teacher, at right.
Ella Quam, 3, of Stewartville, smiles while working on an art project as she looks toward her mother, Lisa Quam. Wee Care welcomed almost 120 students back to school this fall, a near-record number.
WATCH THE BIRDIE -- Sue Shockey, program coordinator at Rochester's Quarry Hill Nature Center, displays an American kestrel, the smallest falcon in North America, to a group of children at the annual St. John's Wee Care potluck supper last Tuesday, Oct. 16. Shockey also displayed a fox snake.
CHILDREN GIVING GIFTS -- Each year, the children at St. John's Wee Care bring nonperishable food items to class for later distribution to the Channel One Food Bank in Rochester. Last week, the children gathered with the 207 pounds of food they had collected before the items were taken to Channel One on Friday, Nov. 16.
SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS -- Maggie Petersen, 3, of Racine, who attended the annual Wee Care One-Stop Christmas Shop on Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17., plays with a model train as Lisa Petersen, Maggie's mom, looks on.
SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS -- Nichol O'Neill of Stewartville, above left, sold a variety of books at the Usborne Books booth at the annual Wee Care One-Stop Christmas Shop on Friday, Nov. 16 and Saturday, Nov. 17. Usborne offers educational books for people of all ages, especially those of high school age and under. Kim Mullenbach and her daughter Kylee, 5, a kindergartner at Bonner Elementary School, and son Ridley, 8, a Bonner second-grader, reviewed the books for possible purchase.
AWAY IN A MANGER -- The children of St. John's Wee Care presented the Christmas story in three separate programs at St. John's Lutheran Church on Saturday, Dec. 8. The presentations, called "God's Greatest Gift is Jesus," included the Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, wise men and the animals near the stable where Jesus was born.
Sue Shockey of the Quarry Hill Nature Center displays an American kestrel to a group of children at the St. John's Wee Care potluck supper on Oct. 16.
Sixty-two children concluded their time at St. John's Wee Care with a graduation ceremony at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 4. Here, Connie Fritsch, a Wee Care office assistant, prepares graduate Nolan Stier's mortarboard before the ceremony.
Sixty-two children concluded their time at St. John's Wee Care with a graduation ceremony at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 4. Here, Lori Torgerson, a Wee Care teacher, helps Ashlee Voshart, right, with her mortarboard as Cydney VanTassel looks on.
A HAIRCUT -- Lori Torgerson, a teacher at St. John's Wee Care, sits still as Daesha Emmons and her 4-year-old daughter Jaida work to remove two 10-inch braids of hair at Wee Care last week.
Ava May, right, gives classmate Ethan McMurdo a thumb's up at the annual Wee Care graduation at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 5. Ava and Ethan are two of the 68 Wee Care graduates who celebrated their graduation that day.
Katie Nelson, at left above, and Clara Henderson, students at Stewartville's Wee Care, sit high atop the seats in a John Deere tractor in the Wee Care parking lot on Tuesday, May 7. Kyle Hinkle, father of Wee Care student Keely Hinkle, stands in the foreground at right. Hinkle brought the tractor to Wee Care to answer the children's questions about farming and tractors.
Ryan Cross, 3, works on a puzzle under the watchful eye of teacher Lori Torgerson at the annual Wee Care Open House on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 8. The event is held to give Wee Care teachers and students a chance to meet before the new school year begins.
Wee Care celebrated its 30th anniversary with a festive carnival at St. John's Lutheran Church on Saturday, Oct. 5. Mason Pheifer, 4, of Racine, smiles for a photo as John Howes works the technology to add clown makeup to Mason's face.
WELL-CLIPPED -- Jaida Emmons displays the two braids that will be sent to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children with cancer.
Makena Meyers, 9, of Stewartville, a third grader at Central Intermediate School, right, looks over the bracelets at Cuddly Cow, her mother Jacquie's business, at the annual One-Stop Christmas Shop sponsored by St. John's Wee Care on Saturday, Nov. 23. Caitlin Fenske, 7, of Stewartville, a second grader at Bonner Elementary School and Makena's friend, also browses for a bracelet.
Gene Gustason, left, and Bill Schimmel Jr. of the Stewartville Lions Club, standing in back, visited St. John's Wee Care on Thursday, Dec. 5 to collect gifts donated by Wee Care families to the annual Lions Club Christmas Anonymous gift and fund drive. Each year, the Lions deliver the gifts to the Rochester Area Distribution Center in Rochester. To take part in Christmas Anonymous, residents may bring unwrapped toys, games, clothes and other gifts to Central Intermediate School, First Farmers&Merchants Bank or Eastwood Bank by Thursday, Dec. 12. New and gently used items and cash donations will be accepted. Schimmel has said that gifts collected in Stewartville will stay in Olmsted County. "They'll go back to the local residents," he said.
All decked out as shepherds, angels and wise men, the Wee Care children at St. John's Lutheran Church practiced for their annual Christmas program last week. A large audience turned out for the performance on Saturday, Dec. 14.
Andrew Langseth of Stewartville reads a book about wrestling to three of his children, including, from left, Josh, 7; Reagan, 1; and Asher, 4, at the Stewartville Public Library's Wee Care Pajama Night last Thursday, March 13. Many Wee Care parents and their children attended the event. Asher Langseth is a student in a butterfly class at Wee Care.
Diane Johnson of Stewartville reads "The Lego Adventure Book" to her son Dale, 4 1/2, at the Wee Care Pajama Night at the Stewartville Public Library on Thursday evening, March 13. Dale is a student at Wee Care.
Mrs. Lori's and Mrs. Becky's Tuesday and Thursday caterpillar class at St. John's Wee Care dressed for some fun in the water as they explored God's Amazing Underwater World in late April. Barb Howes, director of Wee Care, said that the undersea world was a spring theme at Wee Care.
Barb Howes, director of Wee Care, places a hat on graduate Keely Hinkle's head at the annual Wee Care graduation ceremony at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 4.
Lori Torgerson, Wee Care teacher, watches Logan Schlichter, 3, enjoy a game during the Wee Care Open House on Sunday, Sept. 7.
Travis Meyer, a naturalist with the Quarry Hill Nature Center, brought his animal friends to St. John's Lutheran Church last week. Dozens of Wee Care children got an up-close look at a frog, a toad and a salamander.
Bill Schimmel Jr., left, and Dave Nystuen of the Stewartville Lions Club, standing in back, visited St. John's Wee Care on Thursday, Dec. 4 to collect gifts donated by Wee Care families to the annual Lions Club Christmas Anonymous gift and fund drive. Each year, the Lions deliver the gifts to a distribution center in Rochester, where the presents are made available to Olmsted County children who otherwise might not get a Christmas gift.
Jenavieve Hepner, 3, gives Santa Claus a smiling shrug as she tries to think of the presents she wants for Christmas at the Stewartville Civic Center on Saturday morning, Dec. 6. Jenavieve is one of hundreds of local and area children who visited Santa during the Stewartville Kiwanis Club's annual Pictures with Santa event.
All decked out as shepherds, angels and Wise Men, the Wee Care children at St. John's Lutheran Church practiced for their annual Christmas program last week. Lori Torgerson's classes gave one performance at the church on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 9:30 a.m. Kathy Dux's classes presented another program at 11 a.m. that day.
Holli Litrenta, a volunteer parent, helps students, clockwise from left, Emily House, Maddy Brown and Emma Rahlf with their valentine art projects at St. John's Lutheran Church's Wee Care on Thursday, Feb. 12. Litrenta's daughter Mya attends Wee Care. Kathy Dux, a Wee Care teacher, is in the background.
Sandy Steinhoff, a teacher at Wee Care at St. John's Lutheran Church, helps student Emma Rahlf apply a painted hand to a paper heart for a Valentine's Day art project at Wee Care on Thursday, Feb. 12.
Children and teachers from St. John's Wee Care got a close-up look at the tulips blooming near St. John's Lutheran Church last week. Here, Justin Byrne, 4, peers at the flowers.
Wee Care held its annual graduation ceremony at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 3. Graduates with their paper mortar boards and diplomas include, in front, from left, Amelia Schlager, Raina Schmeling and Lillian Wodele; and in back, Emily Nelson.
Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson, standing at left, and Zak Breitenbach, Stewartville's community oriented policing (COPS) deputy, standing at right, visited the children at St. John's Wee Care on Monday morning, Sept. 21. The children displayed a poster thanking the officers for their work to keep the community safe.
Adyson Pyfferoen, a student at St. John's Wee Care in Stewartville, center, examines a snake held by Travis Meyer, a naturalist from the Quarry Hill Nature Center, at St. John's Lutheran Church on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Other Wee Care children include, from far left, Jack Whitacre, Blain Sorenson, Liam O'Neill and Aubrey Whitacre.
Liz Hyke and her daughter Zoey look over a few of the more than 40 items for sale for a silent auction at St. John's Wee Care's 20th annual One-Stop Christmas Shop at St. John's Lutheran Church on Friday evening, Nov. 20. Zoey, 4, is in the Butterfly class at Wee Care. Hundreds of Stewartville and area residents browsed among the many businesses at the event, including Usborne Books, Mary Kay, Lemongrass Spa, Creations for Donations, Avon and many more. Proceeds from the event went to Wee Care.
Troy Knutson, left, and Bill Schimmel Jr. of the Stewartville Lions Club, standing in back, visited St. John's Wee Care on Thursday, Dec. 3 to collect gifts donated by Wee Care families to the annual Lions Club Christmas Anonymous gift and fund drive. Each year, the Lions deliver the gifts to a distribution center in Rochester, where the presents are made available to Olmsted County children who otherwise might not receive a Christmas gift.
All decked out as shepherds, angels and the Wise Men, the Wee Care children at St. John's Lutheran Church practiced for their annual Christmas program last week.
Sam Horob, 4 1/2, of rural Stewartville, dressed as The Little Drummer Boy, appears ready to play his drum for the Baby Jesus at the Nativity at St. John's Lutheran Church on Thursday, Dec. 17. Sam is a student at St. John's Wee Care.
Adyson Pyfferoen, a student at St. John's Wee Care in Stewartville, center, examines a snake held by Travis Meyer, a naturalist from the Quarry Hill Nature Center, on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Children at St. John's Wee Care in Stewartville display the nonperishable food items Wee Care families recently donated to the Channel One Food Shelf in Rochester.
Wee Care held its annual graduation ceremony at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 1. Graduates who talked things over while waiting in line for the ceremony to proceed included, from left, Max Bentley-Hoff, Leah Ersland, Cambell Ferrie and Sam Horob.
Travis Meyer, a naturalist from the Quarry Hill Nature Center, left, shows a turtle to a number of Wee Care students and parents on Sunday evening, Oct. 9
Savannah Stuckey, 6, a kindergartner at Bonner Elementary School, right, and her younger sister Vanessa, 3, a Wee Care student, examine Clifford the Big Red Dog inside a silent auction basket at the annual Wee Care One-Stop Christmas Shop at St. John's Lutheran Church on Saturday, Nov. 19. Hundreds of children and their parents attended the event on Friday evening, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19.
Bill Schimmel Jr., left, and Troy Knutson of the Stewartville Lions Club, standing in back, visited St. John's Wee Care at St. John's Lutheran Church on Thursday, Dec. 1 to collect gifts donated by Wee Care families to the annual Lions Club Christmas Anonymous gift and fund drive. Each year, the Lions deliver the gifts to a distribution center in Rochester, where the presents are made available to Olmsted County children who otherwise might not receive a Christmas gift.
All decked out as shepherds, angels and Wise Men, the Wee Care children at St. John's Lutheran Church practiced for their annual Christmas program on Wednesday, Dec. 7, then presented the program on Saturday, Dec. 10.
Lori Torgerson, Wee Care teacher, assists a prospective new student during a pretend meal at a Wee Care open house on Tuesday evening, March 14. Barb Howes, director of Wee Care, said the open house was held to give local and area families a chance to learn more about Wee Care. Twenty-one families attended the information session, Howes said.
Janice Hagen, president of the Stewartville Kiwanis Club, standing at far left, brought new books to the children at St. John's Wee Care in Stewartville last week. Standing at right in back, from left, are Lori Torgerson and Barb Howes of Wee Care, both of whom are members of the Stewartville Kiwanis Club.
Tyson Osborne, Wee Care graduate, holds his diploma as he poses for a photo with Kathy Dux, Wee Care butterfly teacher, at the annual Wee Care graduation ceremony at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 7.
Dee Radtke is the new director of the St. John's Wee Care Learning Center.
Lori Torgerson, a Wee Care teacher, assists Izabelle Slovinski with puzzle pieces at the annual Wee Care open house on Sunday, Sept. 10. Sixty-two children are enrolled at Wee Care for the 2017-18 school year.
Sasha Lee, right, and her daughter Natalie, 8, a third grader at Bear Cave Intermediate School, browse among the silent auction items at the annual One-Stop Christmas Shop for Wee Care on Friday evening, Nov. 17.
St. John's Lutheran Church hosted its annual One-Stop Christmas Shop to raise funds for the Wee Care Child Care Center on Friday, Nov. 17 and Saturday, Nov. 18. From left, Aubrey Whitacre and Sophie Boyum, both 8-year-olds and second graders at Bonner Elementary School; Jack Whitacre, 6, a kindergartner at Bonner; and Grace Boyum, 10, a fourth grader at Bear Cave Intermediate School, look over the silent auction items on Friday evening, Nov. 17.
In back, from left, Bill Schimmel Jr., Dr. David Thompson and Troy Knutson of the Stewartville Lions Club visited St. John's Wee Care at St. John's Lutheran Church on Thursday, Nov. 30 to collect gifts donated by Wee Care families to the annual Lions Club Christmas Anonymous gift and fund drive. Each year, the Lions deliver the items to a distribution center in Rochester, where the presents are made available to Olmsted County children who might not otherwise receive a Christmas gift.
All decked out as shepherds, angels and wise men, the Wee Care children at St. John's Lutheran Church practiced for their annual Christmas program on Wednesday, Dec. 6, then presented the program on Saturday, Dec. 9.
Children from St. John's Wee Care wore pajamas to separate gatherings at the Stewartville Public Library on March 6 and 7. Parents and grandparents also joined in on the fun. At left, Valerie Kafka of Stewartville assists as her granddaughter, Kira, 5, a Wee Care butterfly student, adds glue to a shamrock leaf.
Lori Torgerson, the caterpillar teacher at St. John's Wee Care, left, helps Haddon Dagget, 4, decorate a bag with valentine hearts on Valentine's Day morning, Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Izabelle Slovinski, 4, a member of the caterpillar class at St. John's Wee Care, looks up from her Valentine's Day coloring project on Wednesday morning, Feb. 14.
The caterpillar classes from St. John's Wee Care visited the Stewartville Public Library on April 30 and May 1. Sue Edge, librarian, left, read the children a number of books about springtime, including Plant the Tiny Seed, Planting a Rainbow, and Green Beans. Students listening to the story include, first row, from top, Lucas Meyer and Rayna Vetsch; and second row, from top, Jack Osborne and Colette Holland.
Dee Radtke, director of St. John's Wee Care, adjusts the cap of graduate Bree Lawson at the annual Wee Care graduation at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 6. In back, center, Lori Torgerson, caterpillar and butterfly teacher at Wee Care, places a cap on the head of graduate James Meyer. In back at far left, Becky Case, a caterpillar aide, prepares to assist graduate Amy Rentz, in back at far right.
Christina Boone of Racine, center, brought her daughter Rose, 3 1/2, to the annual Wee Care open house on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 9. The Boones listen as Lori Torgerson, Wee Care caterpillar teacher, left, welcomes them to the learning center.
Lacie Tingesdal and her daughter Juliet, 5, were among the many local and area residents who browsed among the silent auction items at the Wee Care Learning Center's annual One-Stop Christmas Shop on Saturday morning, Nov. 17. Lacie said she and her children attend the event every year, partly because Dee Radtke, the director of Wee Care, is the Tingesdals' neighbor. "I like Wee Care," Lacie said. "I think it's a good program. The teachers are familiar faces in the community." The One-Stop Christmas Shop was also held on Friday evening, Nov. 16.
Cathy Podein and her granddaughters, Britney Harris, 9, in the foreground, and Emily Harris, 16 months, in Podein's arms, look over the silent auction items at the Wee Care Learning Center's One-Stop Christmas Shop on Saturday morning, Nov. 17.
Braelynn Atkins, left, and Colette Holland, both 5 years old and both from Stewartville, made pretend birthday cakes out of red Playdough and topped them with pretend candles (toothpicks) to celebrate Valentine's Day at the Wee Care Learning Center last Thursday, Feb. 13. Above, Colette presents her cake and happy birthday wishes to Braelynn.
Kathy Dux, a butterfly teacher at the St. John's Wee Care Learning Center, works with Izzy Slovinski, 5, of Stewartville, on a Valentine's Day project on Thursday morning, Feb. 13.
A large group of students and parents attended the annual St. John's Wee Care Pajama Party on Tuesday evening, March 5. Here, Erin Plizga of rural Stewartville reads The Cow Loves Cookies to her son Owen, 4, a Wee Care student.
Children and adults from St. John's Wee Care wore pajamas to a gathering at the Stewartville Public Library on Tuesday evening, March 5. Parents and grandparents read books to their children and also helped the kids with a craft project. Above, Dee Radtke, director of the Wee Care Learning Center, reads the book Veterinarians to Katherine Lennon, 5, a butterfly student at Wee Care.
Roran Smith, left, received his diploma at the Wee Care Learning Center's annual graduation ceremony at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 5. Kathy Dux, Wee Care butterfly teacher, congratulates Roran. Seventeen children took part in the ceremony.
Dee Radtke, left, director of the St. John's Wee Care Learning Center, reviews a few silent auction items, including a Nativity scene, with Jaelynn Vasvick, 4, a caterpillar student at Wee Care, at Wee Care's annual One-Stop Chrismas Shop at St. John's Lutheran Church on Friday evening, Nov. 22. Justin Vasvick, Jaelynn's dad, said Jaelynn loves Wee Care. "She gets to ride the bus," he said. "She likes her teacher and likes to do projects." Jessica Vasvick, Jaelynn's mom, agreed that Wee Care is a special place. "We like that it has the Christian influence," she said.
Lori Torgerson, a teacher at the Wee Care Learning Center at St. John's Lutheran Church and a member of the Stewartville Kiwanis Club, is happy to report that Wee Care families have donated 35 sets of new socks to the Kiwanis Club's annual "Sock It To 'Em" sock drive. Stewartville and area residents also dropped off new socks, of all sizes and types, at Bremer Bank in Stewartville.
In back, from left, Troy Knutson and Bill Schimmel Jr. of the Stewartville Lions Club visited the Wee Care Learning Center at St. John's Lutheran Church on Thursday, Dec. 5 to collect gifts donated by Wee Care families to the annual Lions Club Christmas Anonymous gift and fund drive. Each year, the Lions deliver the gifts to a distribution center in Rochester, where the presents are made available to Olmsted County children who might not otherwise receive a Christmas gift.
The children at the St. John's Wee Care Learning Center presented their Christmas plays at St. John's Lutheran Church on Sunday, Dec. 14. During the week leading up to that date, some of the children, all decked out as Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the Magi, practiced their presentation by gathering around the Baby Jesus in the manger.
Jace Bushman, 4, a student in a caterpillar class at the Wee Care Learning Center at St. John's Lutheran Church, poses as the Little Drummer Boy, ready to play his drum as his gift to the Baby Jesus.
Kathy Dux, who teaches a butterfly class at the St. John's Wee Care Learning Center, works on a pre-Valentine's Day project with Wee Care students, from left, Vivian Christie, 4 1/2, of Stewartville, and Dylan Meyer, 5 1/2, of Racine, during a Wee Care class on Tuesday morning, Feb. 11.
While wearing her bee-themed face mask, Lori Torgerson, caterpillar teacher, left, helps Wee Care student Harbor Lawrence play a fun game.
Alex Clark, 5, a student in Kathy Dux's butterfly class at the Wee Care Learning Center at St. John's Lutheran Church, took the part of the Little Drummer Boy last week, ready to play his drum as a gift to the Baby Jesus.
Children at St. John's Wee Care Learning Center celebrated Valentine's Day a few days early last week, working on heart-shaped projects on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Charlie Frank, 4, left, displays his valentine, which includes the sign language symbol for "I Love You."
Children at St. John's Wee Care Learning Center celebrated Valentine's Day a few days early last week, working on heart-shaped projects on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Conor Hanson, 4, focuses on making valentine shapes in his own black cherry-scented dough.
Brayden Albrecht, 4, a student in Kathy Dux's butterfly class at the Wee Care Learning Center at St. John's Lutheran Church, took the part of the Little Drummer Boy last week, ready to play his drum as a gift to the Baby Jesus.
2021 review -- Joey Breen, 3, assisted by Nashia Baldus, early childhood teacher, displays a turkey imprint on his hand and the printed page at the Central Education Center on Thursday, Nov. 18.
