Cocktail Party – Saturday, May 21; Barbeque Sunday, May 22
Fifty years ago, the leadership of St. Philip’s Church invited a small local preschool to move to the St. Philip’s Parish House. With this invitation, the life of the Philipstown community and its youngest members was changed forever. Since then, an estimated 1,000 local children have played, sung, danced, heard stories, made friends, and graduated from the St. Philip’s Nursery School. Many Philipstown residents are former students and many others have served on the Nursery School staff. The current director, JoAnne Chadwick, has taught music at St. Philip’s for over 25 years. She is the fifth director, following Anita Prentice, Adele Williams, Carol Seaboldt, and founding director, Anne Prentice. “The Nursery School has always been our most important outreach program,” observes the St. Philip’s Rector, Frank Geer. “It is the way we welcome new families into this community, and serve families that already call Philipstown their home.”
St. Philip’s Nursery School is sponsoring two events on the weekend of May 21-22 to celebrate their milestone. On Saturday evening, May 21 at 6 p.m., there will be a cocktail party at the home of Anita and Nat Prentice. This was the first location of Anne Prentice’s small nursery school. This was the Nursery School that was invited to move to the St. Philip’s Parish House in 1960. There will be a suggested donation of $15 per person. Proceeds will be used to purchase the first ever wooden sign and signpost for the Nursery School. Sunday, May 22, following the 10:30 a.m. service, there will be a barbecue in the churchyard. The service itself will feature special prayers and hymns to honor the Nursery School and its children. The entire community and their families are welcome and there is no charge.
