Grace Pre-School Comes of Age（英文）

此内容暂无简体中文译文，以下为英文原文。

Historical October 1983 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

To use the vernacular, one “becomes of age” at twenty-one. Grace Pre-School has made it.

It was perceived that a part of the mission thrust of Grace Methodist Church was to provide a pre-school for the community.

After much planning, building, and buying by a group of professional, early childhood educators, the school opened the day after Labor Day, Sept. 1962 in the ground floor kindergarten rooms of the church.

A Grace parishioner had given funds for the entire start-up of the school. Miss Mary McCoy, a St. Louis pioneer in early childhood development, became the first director.

She had retired from St. Louis Public Schools, then retired again from Washington University where she had worked in developmental and creative aspects of organizing their nursery school. Miss McCoy had an active part in selecting the program and materials for Grace, and taught and directed for three years before her third retirement from the field.

Her assistant was Barbara Persons, whose marriage was a real exciting event for the pre-schoolers the second year.

A matron was hired but she became ill before school started so her eighteen-yearold daughter took her place. “Miss Gussie” Pendleton found her niche.

She now has a degree in Early Childhood Education and is active in child development in the St. Louis area.

After getting the school off to a good start with sound philosophy and practice, Miss McCoy retired at the end of June in 1965.

Her replacement was Mrs. Joyce Courtney, a young woman with good qualifications and a lot of experience in the field.

She brought to the school a wonderful dimension of relaxed fun and learning; utilizing spur-of-the-moment activities, always knowing that what might seem unorganized to some was ultimately spontaneous “readiness” for learning for the children.

She was director through June 1972, and her joy in working with children not only positively affected the children but their parents, teachers, and aides. (For those of you who know Joyce, she is now in New Orleans where she started a pre-school and day care center at her Lutheran Church in the French Quarter.

She is currently rehabilitating a house across the street from the school.) During Joyce’s last year, the school gave up some space to move from the ground floor quarters to the building east of the church which is connected by a hall passageway.

This area was, and is, the church nursery on Sunday.

For the PreSchool it meant clear glass windows (seeing weather is such a great teaching tool) and better divided space. Playground access was easier, and direct entry to class via the 6177 Waterman “house” entrance is handy.

It was a very good move.

The walls were all powder blue.

In 1973, with permission, the current bold color scheme was selected with advice from Joan Bender, an alumna mother.

She then designed and painted the delightful murals on the walls of the two front rooms. Cat and the Hat and Winnie the Pooh characters along with active frogs and such, delight children and parents alike.

Since 1969, I had been teaching at the school while upgrading my education and skills to the pre-school level in classes, workshops, etc.

When school opened in September 1972, I became the director, a position I still hold. Having only three directors in twentyone years has contributed to the highquality continuity of the school.

In each case, the director is also a teacher of either the three-year-olds or of the fours.

The lead teachers have also stayed some time.

It is risky to name teachers lest some be inadvertently omitted, but they included Molly Lane (her wedding also was a big pre-school event) Richie Epps, Katie Barrie, Nancy Joyner, Mary Parker, and currently, Dolores Hoefel.

A list of aides and substitutes reads like a neighborhood roster as many parents have helped out on both regular and emergency bases.

Some who were introduced to pre-school as aides have become active teachers in pre-school and day care centers.

Another positive factor at Grace has been the practicum student program with Forest Park Community College Child Development Associate program. Students are assigned to us for specific days for a semester.

At Grace, they are worked into the program as staff, not cup-washers or cleaner-uppers.

They are asked to contribute ideas and also to point out to us what they might see as a variance of our practice from their textbook knowledge.

Many have continued to advanced degrees.

One budget item is “Staff Development.” The staff does belong to the Association for Education of Young Children.

The monthly magazine is a fine one, and it is expected that staff will attend as many St. Louis AEYC monthly meetings as possible as well as workshops and conferences to constantly upgrade skills and keep abreast of current trends. Aides and practicum students are also subsidized to encourage attendance.

The exchange of ideas with other teachers and visits to other schools are fun for teachers and rewarding for the children.

Since its inception, the emphasis at Grace Pre-School has been on the child’s social, emotional, and physical development, as well as cognitive skills.

We are not academically pushy but concentrate on developing “readiness.” School is fun — learning is fun.

There is structure, of course, in music, art, nature, etc.

We go on lots of trips — the Zoo, Grant’s Farm, Pumpkin Farm, fancy playgrounds, the riverfront, Arch museum, and on and on.

The emphasis is on ideas, understanding and insight. Wide experiences develop vocabulary and so, reading readiness.

And there is love!

Some snuggling, some smooching — and while all children want to be with other children, it is a good feeling to know that adults other than relatives enjoy and love them.

Since 1962, over 550 children have attended the school, most of them from the neighborhood or ex-neighborhood families.

One family currently has number six at Grace.

Many have sent four or three or two or a precious one. Early students are now grown, through college, married, working, in college, and so on down the line to last year’s group, now happy in kindergarten.

It was always intended that each should be given a happy start!

To celebrate being twenty-one, we have new playground equipment custom designed and built for us by Lee Roth. Come take a look. Ah yes, we still have popcorn for snack when it rains!

Originally published in The Paper, October 1983.

Read this article in the original newspaper issue.

Original source: SD_Times1983_10.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.