For many Christians, there is no greater joy than sharing the word of God with precious children and providing them with a foundation of faith. At Perry Presbyterian Playschool,it is their mission to touch the lives of children with God’s love. Director Lynn Watts attests that this is their highest calling.She says,“If children can know the basic truths that God made us and God loves us, they are set on a firm foundation for all of their lives.”The entire team at Perry Presbyterian Playschool is dedicated to teaching the word of truth to the little ones in their care. They strive to equip children with the knowledge and power of God’s love so they can confidently go into the world sharing their faith with others. Founded in 1958 by Joan Moore, Lynn shares,“Playschool began as a preschool called WeeWisdom Kindergarten in downtown Perry. At some point it transitioned over to our current church property, and we’ve had it[here] ever since.”Lynn joined the team in 2005 as a substitute teacher and has maintained steady involvement ever since. “I wore several different hats because my kids were younger at the time,” she recalls. She transitioned to teaching one day a week before coming on full-time about 10 years ago.Before Lynn stepped into the role,Jane Shepley was the playschool’s long-standing director for 40 years. Her passion for children and dedication to her work helped shape the playschool into what it is today. Lynn speaks with gratitude for the road Jane and other past directors paved through the years.To this day, the playschool operates with the same faith-based principles on which it began. The program runs from early September through mid-May and operates Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from 8:30am to 11:30am.“We have two three-year-old classes and one four-year-old class,” Lynn says. Children must have turned three or four-years-old by September 1stto enroll in the program.The age requiremen thas been strategically set for several reasons.Regarding the three-year-old’s program, Lynn says, “As this is often a child’s first school experience, we strive to instill more independence and self-confidence while children begin learning how to interact within a group setting. At this stage, sharing, listening skills, and interactive play are encouraged while early preschool academic skills are also introduced.”In the four-year-old program, the teachers continue to emphasize the social, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth of each child while also academically preparing them to be successful in their next school year. The program is built to encompass playtime, Bible time, crafts, language arts, and music. Teachers incorporate scripture and memory verses into much of their curriculum. When reviewing a particular Bible story, they will often include that material into the day’s crafts and language arts. This helps the children retain the information in a hands-on manner. The music aspect plays a strong role in the playschool. The teachers believe that music can be extremely influential, and they love teaching the kids uplifting songs that glorify the Lord.Many of the songs are based on scripture which allows God’s word to be planted in the children’s hearts through music. While there are many academic benefits to the program, implementing interactive playtime helps the childrenhone fine and gross motor skills to increase their development. “We truly are a playschool which means that we’re emphasizing playtime and kids interacting with each other,” Lynn explains. In doing so, they foster aspirited environment that encourages creativity and fellowship. In regards to the people whose hard work fuels this program, Lynn boasts in the kind-hearted women who make it all possible.“The list is far too long to mention the names of every teacher and director who has left their mark on Playschool. We are so grateful for the faithful legacy that these former teachers and directors have left for us.”In total they are currently operating with six full-time teachers and several substitutes. Lynn is grateful for those that help on occasion saying, “They keep us afloat whenever any of us need to be out for any reason.”As many of the teachers have been involved for ten years or more, they have developed strong friendships amongst each other. “They really do become your closest friends because you are spending a lot of time with each other,” Lynn says. “It’s a strong sense of family and community.”

Most of the team are long term if not lifelong members of the Perry community. As such, they are extremely passionate about the children in their care. Additionally, the teachers are all members of Perry Presbyterian Church who share a collective mission to bring the gospel to these kids.Lynn speaks of the inspiration they gather from scripture that drives them each and every day. “One of the commands of Jesus himself was to train up a child in the way he should go,”she says. “We certainly wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t our passion to reach these kids and ultimately show them God’s love.”One way they incorporate God’s word into the children’s lives is by teaching them the nativity story around Christmas and celebrating Christ’s resurrection around Easter. “Our playschool kids present the Christmas program in December where family members and friends are invited,” Lynn says. The children perform Christmas songs they have learned and the four-year-old class presents the nativity play.This past December, Playschool children were invited to be a part of the Perry Presbyterian Church’s Service of Lessons and Carols. This Sunday evening service welcomes the congregation to gather for scripture reading and carol singing that celebrates Christ’s birth. Lynn shares that having the children perform a few Christmas songs was a highlight of the service. Throughout the school year, parents are invited to join the children for many celebrations including Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter. In May, they host a play day to celebrate the end of the academic year. A highly anticipated event, the party includes inflatable bounce houses, playground time, and ice cream.“In February, we hosted a parents’ night out where parents could drop off their children and we entertained them with games, crafts, and pizza.”This allowed the parents to enjoy an evening alone and was a huge success. Lynn anticipates this will become are curringevent.And finally, before parting ways for the summer, they hold a graduation to commemorate the past year’s achievements. Lynn says of the graduation program, “[It is] a time for the kids to share what they’ve learned throughout the year.”It is a beautiful day of reflection that the children, teachers, and families enjoy. Because of their long-standing presence in the community, they often see children whose parents attended the playschool when they were little. “We’ll have parents say,‘I want my kids to come because I came as three or four-year-old.’ We love to get recommendations from alumni,” she adds, laughing.The love they show the children in their care is entirely invaluable and life changing. “Hiding God’s word in these kids’ hearts through everything we do is the cornerstone of our program,” Lynn says joyfully.“We know that it is only by God’s faithfulness, protection, and provision that we have been blessed with the honor of serving so many children for decades. We give all glory, honor, and thanksgiving to Him.”