First Presbyterian Preschool to Celebrate 50th Anniversary with Multi-Generational Even

The First Presbyterian Preschool of Wheaton will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary beginning with an 'ice cream social' from noon to 1 pm on Sunday, October 22 at the First Presbyterian Church, 715 North Carlton Ave., Wheaton, IL. All current and former students and their families are encouraged to attend.

In 1966, Jackie Yndestad was a Wheaton resident with a degree in early childhood education and she was desperately seeking a place for her daughter Kristen to socialize. "Kristin was very social and she needed more than just playing with the children in the neighborhood," according to Yndestad. "She needed a place to learn though exploration."

But, no such place existed in Wheaton. At the time, Yndestad remembers a 'play farm' near Wheaton and a nursery school at the First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn.

As a member of First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton, Yndestad approached the church pastor at the time, Cecil Lower, for his approval to begin a preschool at the church and permission was granted. It took Yndestad a year to prepare and secure a license from the State of Illinois but she welcomed students into their classroom in the fall of 1967. Her daughter, Kristen, was a student in the first class.

"We filled our classroom the first year. We had about 20 four-year-olds," said Yndestad. "I really believe we filled a great need. Our goal was to prepare children for kindergarten - socially, emotionally and academically. We wanted children to learn through play and exploration in a loving Christian environment. By the second year, we had a long waiting list and began to talk about expansion."

"Fifty years later, First Pres Preschool has expanded to serve children from two-and-a-half to six years of age but our mission is very much the same as when we started," according to Chandra Gravit, current preschool director. "It is our mission to provide an enriched Christian learning environment that encourages social, emotional and cognitive development as children discover and explore the world through play. Our goal is to nurture a foundation that promotes independence and confidence as an introduction to lifelong learning."

"Currently we have more than 150 children enrolled in 10 different classes" said Gravit.

"Our preschool began as a way for our church to minister to the community. Fifty years later, it continues to play an important role in our efforts to reach out to our community as stewards of God's word," said Rev. Kellan Smith, current head pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton.

During the ice cream social, Jackie Yndestad, and more than 35 teachers who are either current or retired teachers from the school will have the opportunity to reminisce with current students and their families. The event will culminate with the dedication of a tree near the preschool playground in honor of this milestone anniversary.

For more information about First Presbyterian Church or Preschool contact them at 715 North Carlton Ave., Wheaton, IL, 630-668-5147, www.firstpreswheaton.org