Jayne Nelson, Kristie Jones, Lisa Rich, Ashlie Delach, Kim Bolding (not pictured – Janice Moffatt, Becky Mothersbaugh)(Courtesy Shepherd of the Hills CDC)
The Shepherd of the Hills Child Development Center is very proud of the fact that it has been a part of the lives of thousands of families here in Casper over the last four and a half decades. The preschool was established in 1976 as a mission of the Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church to help the young children of the church and community receive a high-quality Christian early childhood education experience. Located on South Poplar Street, the preschool has seen a lot of changes in the neighborhood over the years, including an expansion of the original church building to include space specifically dedicated to the preschool.
What hasn’t changed is its drive to maintain a high caliber early childhood education that prepares students for kindergarten by helping them find confidence in themselves. Each child, between the ages of 3 and 5, should know that they are a unique individual and that they are loved for who they are, not just for what they can do. Each child’s social and emotional development is the emphasis. By exposing the children to a variety of experiences and learning materials, they will develop thinking and listening skills and acquire knowledge to be as successful in kindergarten as they can be.
Beau Gamble and his sister attended the preschool in the ‘90s. Later, due to the “wonderful memories of the time they spent” at the preschool, Beau and his wife Laura in turn made the decision to send their four children there. “[We] decided we wanted our kiddos to have the same warm, age-appropriate instruction,” they said, adding, “What really sets the school apart is how the staff imparted love and value to each child. Our kids left the preschool knowing they were loved for who they are, and they received a well-rounded, age-appropriate education that included social skills and how to be a good friend.”
The staff at the preschool is educated and experienced in early childhood education, and is dedicated to kindergarten readiness. For some families, that means starting their child’s education at as young as 3 years old, when fostering peer interaction and developing listening skills are important along with encouraging self-help skills and introducing color, number and letter recognition. The 4-year-olds build on these skills but are also introduced to Zoo-phonics, a letter learning tool, and some simple Spanish and sign language. The 5-year-old class is geared towards those students that turn five over the summer or miss the public schools’ age cutoff and need a bit more of a challenge.
One former parent, Tiffany Dickinson, had this to say about the education her son received at the preschool:
“My son attended the Shepherd of the Hills Child Development Center for two years. In that time, the amount of growth we saw in him — academically, social and emotionally — was just incredible. He absolutely adored his teachers and made some great friends. Most importantly to me, he developed a love for school and a hunger and desire to learn.”
Ms. Dickinson continues, saying, “[when] I took him to his kindergarten screening with the school district … the screener said, ‘When we see Shepherd of the Hills listed as the preschool, we know the screening is going to go well!’ And of course, she was right.”
“Our son is now halfway through his first year of kindergarten, and even being one of the youngest in his class, he is thriving!” she said. “There is no doubt in my mind that Shepherd of the Hills Child Development Center played a major role in that and I am confident that choosing them as our preschool has set our son up for a successful schooling career.”
Music is also a big part of the program at Shepherd of the Hills. Several of the teachers and staff have a background in music, either playing an instrument in the Wyoming Symphony or Casper Municipal Band, or singing in the Wyoming Choral Arts Ensemble. Each week, the morning 3-year-old and 4-year-old classes have a half-hour of music, which includes an introduction to simple instruments, singing, movement and rhythms. For the afternoon 5-year-old class, the Suzuki Method is used to introduce the students to the violin. Those preschoolers get two half-hour lessons per week, which helps hone their ability to listen and learn about music in a new and exciting way.
Open registration begins on Monday, March 7 at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until school starts in the fall. Check them out at www.shephillscdc.com or give them a call at (307) 234-8522 for more information on how to enroll your child.
PAID FOR BY SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
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