History
On September 8, 1959, the Peachtree Presbyterian Weekday Kindergarten opened its doors at the grey stone church building on the corner of Peachtree Road and Mathieson Drive. Anticipating its upcoming move to new quarters on Roswell Road, the church aimed “…to fulfill more nearly its educational objectives by enabling those children for whom it is responsible to become rightly related to God, to others, and to God’s world,” wrote Christian Education Committee Chairman W.V. Bishop in a letter to the congregation. “We will offer a program of Christian growth and the highest type of kindergarten education….” The inaugural class included 45 students, all four and five-year-olds, and two teachers. Tuition for church members was $17 a month. Founding Director Helen Shaw, who held a degree from Emory in education, had nine years experience teaching kindergarten in the public school system and had served as a teacher in Peachtree’s Sunday School.
When the Preschool celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2009, it had grown to include more than 460 students, a staff of 92, and a budget in excess of a million dollars. The school, however, has never strayed from those important initial purposes.
The Preschool continues to be a model of best practices in early childhood education. One of the first preschools in the state to seek accreditation, the Preschool has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and is currently accredited by AdvancED. The school constantly evaluates current theory and practice in early childhood education. Additionally, the Preschool has an in-house Inclusion Program to provide developmentally appropriate education to children with special needs.
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