The 2008 preschool class at Chester Baptist Church.

With plenty of pomp, circumstance, and celebration, 21 four-year-olds proudly donned their caps and gowns to receive their well-deserved preschool diplomas from Chester Baptist Church Preschool on May 30.

The graduates confidently filed into the church sanctuary and stood on the stage in front of their family, friends, and fellow students. Speaker Bill Damon, associate pastor at Chester Baptist Church, gave words of praise and blessings to the graduates. The students, hands over hearts, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang “God Bless America” with pride. After they sang a few more songs, the students’ names were called, and each individually received a Bible and a diploma officially recognizing them as kindergarten-ready.

Among the many activities the students participated in this past year were a trip to the zoo, a trip to the Chesterfield airport, where they were able to see the inside of a Black Hawk helicopter, and a trip to the Swift Creek Mill Playhouse.

They learned Bible verses, their numbers, letters, great songs, and, of course, bathroom etiquette and manners in fine dining at Chick-fil-A!

When asked what they hoped to be when they grew up, the students gave varied answers: a few soldiers, a cowboy, a butterfly, a race car driver, and an oil changer.

Preschool staff held a reception after the ceremony for friends and families.

The Chester Baptist Preschool was founded in 1991 under the direction of Ginny Kennedy, preschool director for the past eight years. Lifelong church member and Chester resident Laura Sloan, along with Ginny Kennedy, Kay Woodcock, and several other church members got together and pitched the idea of a Christ-based preschool at Chester Baptist Church. Although for the first two years, Chester Baptist Preschool was open as a free Parents’ Morning Out program and run strictly on a volunteer basis, it is now a preschool of 58 students, nine teachers, and a volunteer music director, Nancy Jean Roberts, all thanks to the efforts and determination of the volunteers and founding committee.

Chester Baptist Preschool operates September through May, Mondays through Thursdays, and has a two-week summer session in June.

© Copyright by Village Publishing

Top of Page                                              Comment on This Article

The Village News office is located at 4607 West Hundred Road Chester
Mailing address is PO Box 2397 Chester, VA 23831
Phone: 751-0421  Fax: 751-9155
Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday call ahead for other hours.
Statement of Journalistic Ethics