20 — Friday, May 22, 1998 — North Shore News

Learning throu

Inglewood Parent Participation Preschool celebrates 50 years

Jocelyn Purcell

Contributing Writer

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, a
group of young mothers decided to start a
preschool where their very young children would
have a place to play and fearn.

The year was 1947, and the mothers would surely have
laughed at the thought that their preschool would still be
thriving fifty years later.

But it has survived, and beautifully.

On Sunday, May 24th, from 2 to 5 p.m., Inglewood
Parent Participation Preschool is hosting a big birthday party
in honor of all the families that have participated and con-
tributed to its half century of helping children “learn
through play.” Everyone is welcome to attend this free cele-
bration.

In 1947, the baby boom era was in its infancy in post war
Canada, West Vancouver was still very rural, but much less
remote since the construction of the “new” Lions Gate
Bridge.

The economy was strong and the community was grow-

ing. Marine Drive in
Ambleside was a narrow,
mostly residential road,
when Inglewood Preschool
opened its doors at St.
Christopher's Church, nes-
ued among the trees on the
west side of Sentinel Hill.

The first Inglewood fami-
lies had much work to do:
acquiring the requisite puz-
ales, games, toys, paints and
other supplies; building or
fundraising to purchase the
classroom and playground
facilities; and initially setting
upa teaching schedule for
the mothers who shared the
task.

Later, when licencing:
requirements called for qual-
ified teachers, “duty days”
were established for parents
to help in the classroom.

A lot has changed in
Inglewood Preschool’s first
half-century.

While classroom duty was

“-done exclusively by the

mothers for many years, it is
now very common to sce
dads at school. With many
mothers now working full or
part-time, nannies and even
grandparents are also
involved.

Today, Ingiewood Preschool is still located on the main

<, floor of St. Christopher’s church.

ON | Sunday, May 24 the preschool! wil! host a a birthday
- Party from 2 to § p.m. at 1068 inglewood.

Bright, colorful and spotless, the large classroom area is

used for other purposes on non-school days. “Set up” and

“take-down” duty are one of the unique rights of passage for
Inglewood parents. Each Tuesday morning the schoolroom
emerges out of hiding with relative case.

Using a system that has been perfected over the years,
handmade double bookcase-style cabinets on wheels (hinged
shut when not in use), are moved to their proper places and
opened to revea! a complete classroom scene.

One becomes the dress-up area, complete with kitchen
and murphy bed. Another is the music section, a third the art

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Photos courtesy of M. Baldwin, of White Rock

INGLEWOOD Preschool is still located on the main
floor of West Vancouver's St. Christopher's Church.

The commemorative itlus-
tration for Inglewood
Parent Participation
Preschool is an original
design by West
Vancouver’s Nicola
Morgan. Morgan, whose
three children have all
attended the school, is the
author and illustrator of
the following books:

— The Great Alphabe: Book
. of B.C. (Fitzhenry &
_. Whiteside)
4 — A Pride of Lions

' (Fitzhenry & Whiteside) +.
— Temper Temper
(Fitzhenry & Whiteside)
— Lonis and the Night Sky
(Oxford )
— Once ina Blue Moon
(Oxford)

area. Six cabinets in total (together with other favorites such
as the climbing gym, science centre, library, and carpentry
workshop) create a wonderful array of toys and activities to:
exercise and grow young minds. a

On Thursday, it’s all taken down and carefully put away)
until the following Tuesday morning. And so it has been, for.
many years.

How has an operation that demands so much time and .
commitment from families lasted for so long?

You are invited to come and find out about Inglewood
Preschool and its history, meet old friends and new, and
enjoy an afternoon of free fun for the whole family on May
24th, from 2 2-5 p.m., at 1068 Inglewood, West Vancouver.

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